Restoration and Construction Versus Deterioration and Decay: Rabat and Fez – Harry Sanderson

For the last three weeks, we have lived in the city of Fez, which is known as the religious capital of Morocco. This week was the first where we moved into the city of Rabat, a coastal Moroccan city that is its political capital. The cities, while both emphasizing Moroccan culture, express extremely different cultures that ensure that you have completely different experiences living in one compared to the other.

What really caught my eye about the difference between Fez and Rabat is the difference in modernity. As the religious capital of Morocco, Fez has a spiritual, almost mystic feel to it. Especially in and around the old Medina, every street almost yells at you to take in its rich history and culture. Fez’s old Medina has remained largely untouched, with homes, shops, and mosques seamlessly blended together in the traditional Moroccan architectural layout. Every day, five times a day, the Muslim call to prayer echoes through the streets of Fez, as hundreds of mosques call their citizens to their enclaves.

In Rabat, however, its history is much different. As the political capital of Morocco, its history is laced with European colonization, specifically French influence. Rabat was chosen as the French Protectorate’s capital in 1912, and was built to be the “Washington D.C.” of Morocco. It was built to be a modern city, appealing to the French administrators while also showcasing traces of Moroccan culture. Nowadays, Rabat’s modernity is even more emphasized due to the Moroccan government continuing to construct modern administrative buildings and government centers.

One thing that immediately caught my eye was the amount of constant construction that is happening on a daily basis in Rabat. On my fifteen-minute taxi-ride to school every day, we are surrounded by different building projects. At our host family’s house, we even overlook a large construction site, with sounds of constant building filtering into our room. This is a very different way of living than in Fez. Fez’s main attraction – the old Medina- is largely stagnant, with little construction going on and little-to-none major governmental projects. While this is not a large difference between the two cities, it highlights a major one. Rabat has had the benefit of experiencing riches from both the French Protectorate and the Moroccan government after it. Rabat has constantly been a place for rich Moroccans and Europeans alike to travel to/live in, helping it have enough resources to improve its infrastructure and way of living. Sadly, Fez has not been able to experience these modernizations. Thus, while Fez suffers from outdated infrastructure and rundown houses, Rabat seems to be improving its city with each passing day. While Fez’s historical sites are what make it so great, it is painful to see that it is unable to benefit from the same restructuring and rebuilding that Rabat undergoes.

Overall, I prefer Rabat. It is a much easier city to assimilate to than the more cultural, local experience of Fez. However, Rabat lacks the spirituality and wonder of Fez that made me really feel like I was in a whole new world. With two weeks left in Rabat, I hope I can find and experience the landmarks of Rabat that might offer the same sense of wonder that Fez’s ancient city showcases.

This first picture shows the Rabat skyline, showing how spread out the city is.

This second is taken in the heart of the Old Medina in Fez, it gives you an idea of how clustered and crowded the Medina is.