On the 24th of August 1994, Marrakech and most precisely Hotel Asni witnessed one of the first terrorist attacks in the country. The attack that left two people dead was carried out by three Algerian-French nationals. Morocco back then accused the Algerian intelligence services of planning the deadly shooting, a claim that worsened the diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries.
In 1966, British singer and song-writer Graham Nash visited Morocco. He took the train from Casablanca to Marrakesh and ended up writing a song about it. His track became a WoodStuck hit in the 70s.
Brave, Fearless and close to Alaouite Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz, Kaid Maclain was a Scottish general and instructor of the Moroccan army. His military career brought him to the Kingdom, where he led an interesting life and went through a series of thrilling experiences and narrow escapes.
For three decades, Tangier was home to America’s Poor Little Rich Girl Barbara Hutton. To forget about her desperate life, she hosted the most extravagant parties in the city, living the Moroccan dream to the fullest.
In 1963, 1981 and 1996, the late king Hassan II ordered Moroccans to call off Eid al-Adha. Not celebrating the annual feast was due to several reasons such as the economic crisis, drought and the state of the herd; however, these explanations convinced Moroccans only twice.
In 1578, three of the most courageous kings marked history in one of the largest wars ever fought in North Africa between 1400 and 1700. Sultan Abd al Malik, the dethroned sultan Mohammed Al Motawakkil and the Portuguese King, Sebastian I were all killed in the battle known as Alcacer Quibir.
In 1839, sultan Abd al-Rahman ibn Hisham of Morocco sent a pair of lions to the US consulate in Tangier as a present for President Martin Van Buren. The gift was impossible to refuse and was shipped to the US by 1840.
In Morocco, Egyptian singer Abdelhalim Hafed lived one of the scariest moments of his life. Invited by King Hassan II, he was held in Rabat’s main radio station taken over by rebels during the 1971 attempted coup d’état.
Estebanico the Moore and Mustapha Zemmouri, are both nicknames of the Moroccan slave who ended up in Florida after being captured and enslaved by the Portuguese. The young Azemmour-native is the first African and Moroccan man to ever lay a foot on the American soil.
Even though the Moroccan State has toned down the territorial dispute over the possession of Gibraltar, the Kingdom was at the center of almost all the political solutions surrounding the Spanish-British disagreement over the control of the overseas territory. This was confirmed later through a letter that was sent in July 1940.
For Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta, Maldivians were converted to Islam by a Berber merchant known as Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari. In the Islands the Muslim scholar is regarded as a medieval hero who saved the nation from a sea monster.
«Mohammed Temim, Ambassadeur du Maroc, a la Comédie Italienne» is the title given to a painting of Antoine Coypel in 1682. The painting is expected to be exhibited from Sunday 22nd of October to 25th of February 2018 at the Palace of Versailles allowing visitors to know more about the story of Mohammed Temim, the ambassador of Moulay Ismail sent to meet Louis XIV.
In 1627, the newly founded Republic of Salé sent two ambassadors to London to negotiate a treaty. England was planning to turn the republic into a military base for a joint action against Spain.
Sent by Alaouite Sultan Mohammed IV to the Court of Napoleon III, Driss Al Amraoui, son of a scholar, left a tale of his wonder for printing machines, new technologies and the situation of women in France.
Sent by Sultan Moulay Ismail to the court of King Carlos II of Spain, Mohamed Al Ghassani was tasked with the mission of releasing Muslim captives and retrieve Morocan manuscripts lost in the Iberian country.
Sent by Alaouite Sultan Mohammed III to the court of King Carlos III of Spain, Mohamed Ben Othman Al Meknassi had to discuss the release of another ambassador who was held hostage in Malta.
Entrusted by Sultan Moulay Ismail with the assignment of conducting a peace treaty with Britain, Moses Ben Attar was a Jewish merchant from Salé. Although he was named Naguid in 1724, he was constantly fined by the King.
Sent by sultan Mohammed ben Abdellah to the Ottoman Empire, Abdelkrim Ragoun did not return from Constantinople empty-handed. The diplomat brought a valuable gift to the sultan.
In the 1880s, British lawyer Abdullah Quilliam sailed to Tangier for a vacation. In the city he was impressed by Islam and Muslims and decided to renounce Christianity for the religion. Back to Liverpool, the man helped build one of the first mosques in the UK.
Don Joseph Diaz was Morocco’s ambassador extraordinary to Great Britain in 1707. Sent by Sultan Moulay Ismail, the diplomat enjoyed his social life in London, including reading the print media.