Stoke, the Indian elephant gifted by Queen Victoria to the Sultan of Morocco

In 1891, Queen Victoria decided to present Sultan Hassan I of Morocco with a precious present. She sent him an Indian elephant called Stoke, leaving Moroccans in awe.

In the eighteenth century, an Austrian orientalist wanted to write the history of Morocco

In the eighteenth century, Vienna-born orientalist Franz Von Dombay was sent to Morocco as part of a diplomatic mission. While living in Morocco, he intended to write the history of the Kingdom and its rulers, showing great interest in the spoken dialect.

History : The International Court of Justice once questioned the French protectorate over Morocco

In August 1953, France exiled the Sultan of Morocco Mohammed V and his family. The International Court of Justice, thanks to the United States, seriously questioned the decision.

Lalla Batoul, modern Morocco’s first female political prisoner

In 1910, Lalla Batoul was arrested and tortured alongside her husband, the former Pasha of Fez. Her story rose to fame as she was considered modern Morocco’s first female political prisoner.

Ghailan, the restless warlord of northern Morocco

Ghailan or Guyland is a Moroccan warlord who dreamed of building his own emirate in northern Morocco. With his strong men, he won several battles and tried to seize English Tangier before being put to death by Moulay Ismail.

1554, when the Ottoman Empire briefly occupied the city of Fez

In January 1554, the Ottoman Empire and the Wattasids conquered the city of Fez and occupied it briefly before it was seized by the Saadi dynasty. The move was an attempt to add Morocco to its North Africa colony.

In the early 1900s, Moroccan entertainers performed in Broadway

Through a company called Hassan Ben Ali Arabs Co., a number of Moroccan entertainers left for the United States to perform in Broadway. They acted, danced and performed acrobatic feats in New York in several plays and shows during the beginning of the 20th century.

Mohammed Awzal, this Souss poet and his prominent Tashelhit manuscripts

Mohammed Awzal is seen as an important figure in the Tashelhit-language literary tradition. The Sufi poet was behind a number of manuscripts written in Tamazight during the 18th century.

In 1898, Spain wanted to sell the Sahara to the Austro-Hungarian Empire

After it was defeated by the United States, Spain decided to get rid of its colonies. In 1898, it planed to sell the Sahara to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

History : Hagia Sophia in the eyes of Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta

In his travelogue, Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta described the former basilica Saint Sophia, which has since become a museum. The building has made headlines recently because of its conversion into a mosque.