Since the Moroccan King, HRH Mohammed VI,has spent more time this year in Fez than ever before, there has been much speculation as to why. One interesting scenario that has been the subject of much discussion, is the belief that the King will eventually announce that Fez - the heart of Morocco - will once again be the capital.
Moving the capital of Morocco from Rabat to Fez would indeed be a bold move and probably wildly popular with most people outside of Rabat. The technical questions of moving foreign embassies would probably not be as difficult to overcome as some think. Certainly, it would take time, effort and money, but is very possible.The politics of such a move would prove to be very interesting. For a long time the north of the country has felt a little outside the inner circles. A move to Fez would go a long way to correct this.
Historical claims?
Historically a transition to Fez would be a completion of a circle of power and dispossession. The establishment of Fez by Idriss II in the 9th century was the beginning of Arabo-Islamic civilization in Morocco. Fez went on to become not only the first capital of Morocco but also the third oldest capital in North Africa the. From a golden age in 14th century and again in the 17th things slowly lost their gloss, culminating in the decision of the French in 1912 to move the capital.
The Festival of Moulay Idriss - very popular in Fez.Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage city in 1981, the city maintains its place as one of the greatest centres of Islamic science, mathematics and literature. The Fez Medina is one of the last intact medinas in the world and a real gem.
Is Fez preparing?
When you look at the huge amount of work being done in Fez at the moment, it would be possible to argue that the basic framework is being put in place. The Ville Nouvelle has a number of major projects including an international convention centre and some large new tourist developments. And then there is the new train station...
The King has also been very active socially, launching urban projects, 136 school upgrades and a possible major new school, a women's daycare centre, just to name a few.
Yet, all this may just be the dreams of the people of Fez. If so it is an interesting and appealing dream. If it came to fruition, then the city with twelve centuries of history may be about to get the ultimate birthday present.
We would love to know what our readers think of such a notion.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
4 comments:
Dans une telle éventualité, la vie deviendrait chère à Fès et la population déshéritée ou qui manque de moyens ne pourrait pas suivre...
Le niveau de vie dans l'actuelle capitale est bien plus élevé que celui de Fès. Allez louer un appartement à Rabat ou encore allez faire votre marché...pour comprendre que la note finale est un peu douloureuse!
Bien sûr qu'au-delà de cet aspect, la ville gagnerait sur d'autres plans mais pourrait-elle devenir aussi verte que l'est Rabat ? Je n'en suis pas certain. Dans la mesure où la ceinture verte de la ville de Fès est trop mise à mal en ce moment avec l'expansion aveugle des constructions...
Regardez le sort de l'ancien champ de course, la sortie vers Aïn chqef, le route d'immouzzer (les constructions vont d'ici trois ans rejoindre Ouled Taïeb)!!!
Did April Fool's day come late this year?
There's no way, even with with all the work that Fes is undergoing, which is of a much different character than the kind of work that would be necessary to support the infrastructure of a capital. Will all the governments who have embassies in Rabat relocate to Fes? At whose cost? This is one of those fanciful rumours with no real basis in actual initiave.
Well it's about time to start caring for ol'Fes. Still, even with all the stuff going on right now the city has yet many things to achieve. Let the embassies worry about moving. This means better schools, more cultural and diplomatic activities which will definitly boost the local economy. Does anyone remember why they did move the capital to Rabat in the fist place? i slept my way through all history classes :)
Love the blog BTW
Fez is certainly the unofficial political capital of Morocco. It is the very first place in Morocco that I visited in 2005, and every year when I return to Morocco, I always spend at least a few weeks in Fez before staying with my Berber family in Skoura. From what I've experienced over the years, the people of Fez are very proud of their city, and I always seem to witness more talk about politics, nationality, and international affairs in cafes in Fez than in any other place. Personally, I would love to see Fez restored as the capital of Morocco, and I concur that it would go a long way in "reshaping" not just the Moroccan image, but their progressive direction as well.
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