In late 2025, Unesco named Rabat its 2026 World Book Capital to honour its lengthy literary heritage. Home to 54 publishing homes, a slew of historic libraries, indie bookshops and one of many largest ebook festivals on the continent, the town is launching a year-long celebration with ebook occasions, writing workshops and studying marathons – giving bookish travellers one more reason to go to this calm, off-the-beaten-path capital.
“It has everything you would expect from a capital with modern infrastructure, cleanliness and a rich mix of history,” says Redouane El Mouatasim, Intrepid Travel’s basic supervisor for Morocco. “Investments in public transit, including expanded inner-city trams, taxis and high-speed train access linking Casablanca and Tangier, are also making it easier for travellers to visit.”
D’Ouezzan says Rabat’s languid really feel and lack of twisting alleyways or pushy distributors can also attraction to travellers. “You can actually wander the streets without fear of getting lost,” she says. “And even if you do, a quick turn or two and you’re back on track.”
Past meets current
This sense of calm defines Rabat. It began as a ribat (fortified monastery) beneath the Twelfth-Century Almohad Empire and later turned a centre of Islamic studying. The metropolis’s strategic significance alongside the Atlantic coast lured the Moriscos (exiled Muslims from Spain) to settle here in the early seventeenth Century. As expert artisans, merchants and shipbuilders, the Moriscos facilitated commerce and diplomacy with Europe and remodeled Rabat right into a flourishing worldwide metropolis.
