There has been a settlement at Asilah since the Phoenicians arrived in the area over 3,000 years ago and decided the curving bay and layout of the land would make a fine place to build a port. Various civilisations over the years have concurred; the Portuguese occupied the city in the 15th and 16th century and in 1692 the famous Moulay Ismail captured Asilah for the Moroccans, turning it into a base for pirates for over two centuries. It then became part of Spanish Morocco in the first half of the 20th century.

Everywhere you look in Asilah you can see the architectural evidence of the past. The Portuguese fortifications are the best preserved in the kingdom – it’s possible to circle the entire town walking along the walls – and the massive towers still stand strong. There are three gates leading to the old town, and if you look closely you can still see the faded Portuguese royal coat of arms emblazoned above the Bab Al Homor gate at the south of the medina.

Asilah still has a Catholic church – St Bartholomew’s – and it’s one of the few places in Morocco you’ll hear church bells calling people to worship every Sunday. The Grand Mosque is in the medina and is one of the few buildings that existed before the Portuguese arrived.

You’ll also find the beautifully restored Palace of Culture in the medina. Originally built in 1909 by Er-Raissouli, a local ruler, it’s a striking building that overlooks the sea and is open to explore during the Asilah Festival.

Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 by Jews and Moors fleeing from the Reconquista of Spain, and it was later to provide a Jewish refuge once again, this time in the 20^th century, acting as a sanctuary against their Nazi persecutors. This second influx of Jewish settlers are thought to be the instigators of Chefchaouen’s most salient feature – blue is a holy colour in Judaism, a reminder of God’s glory – and despite the majority of Jews moving to Israel in 1948, the people of Chefchaouen still repaint the town every year to maintain its famous blue hue.

The town is a fantastic example of how an Andalucian settlement would have looked in Moorish times. At the centre of Chefchaouen is the 500 year old fortress that the rest of the town grew from. Inside is an ethnographic museum where you can see pictures of historic Chefchouen, and you can look round the old prison and climb a tower to give you a spectacular view of the town today.

Essaouira is now famed as one of the world’s best windsurfing destinations, but the road to its current status has been long and varied.
The rugged fortifications that border the city speak of this seaport’s troubled past and the mix of European and Arabic architecture is the legacy of previous rulers.
The best place to find examples of the city’s heritage is in the Medina. It is one of Morocco’s nine UNESCO World Heritage sites and if you step through one of the many gates in the old walls you’ll be transported back in time. Seek out the imposing kasbah with its nineteen bronze cannons, take in the ornate carvings on the doors and walls of every street, see the synagogues and church or visit the souk; it’s the best place for you to learn all about Essaouira’s heritage.

The Imperial City of Fez has stood in the north of Morocco for 1,200 years. Walking inside the walls it’s easy to see its history; out of the four major Moroccan cities, this is easily the one that has the strongest connection to the past. A fourteenth century mosque stands close to a Moorish estate built in the 1700s. Mourners trek daily into the ornate tomb of Moulay Idriss II and the oldest continuously operating university in the world, al-Karaouine, lies in the north-east of the city.

It’s in the Medina – Old Fez, the world’s largest car-free urban area – where the city’s heritage is most obvious. You can easily get lost in the twisting, labyrinthine streets, both literally and figuratively, but this is undoubtedly the best way to discover the true heritage of Fez.

Marrakech has been a major political, economic and cultural centre of the western Muslim world for centuries, and has been ruled and occupied by the Amazigh, the Arabs, the Moors and the French. The legacy of each culture can easily be seen along every street and in the city’s buildings.

The major place to discover Marrakech heritage is the Medina. Inside the red sandstone walls of this UNESCO site is a stunning array of mosques, riads and other buildings. This is where you’ll find Koutoubia Mosque and Minaret, (the tallest building in the city), 11^th and 12^th century Almoravid monuments, 16^th century Saadian palaces and tombs, and much, much more – so unspoiled it’s like stepping back in time.

There has been a settlement at Meknes since the ninth century. Originally an Amazigh tribe called the Miknasa lived here, before the Almoravids drove them out and founded a military settlement here in the eleventh century. Six hundred years later Meknes was the capital of Morocco, before it was moved to Rabat.

Architecturally a mix of European and Islamic design, this city has a rich heritage that is quickly evident. Nicknamed the City of a Hundred Minarets, Meknes has many mosques to see, plus the Dar El Makhzen palace, the Labhoul gardens and the Agdal Reservoir. Meknes is particularly famous for its gates, especially the Bab Mansour with its Almohad patterns and zellij mosaics. The Roman ruins of Volubilis, dating back to the third century BC, are just a short distance from Meknes.

Ouarzazate has stood at the edge of the desert for centuries. A trading post on the north-south route through the kingdom, Arabs, Moors, Amazigh and Muslims have all made their mark on this city.

The first place you should visit when you’re on a heritage tour is the Ksar of Aït Benhaddou. Just twenty miles from Ouarzazate, this site has been awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO. This fortified city is a fantastic example of southern Moroccan architecture and has featured in dozens of films including The Living Daylights and Gladiator.

There’s plenty in Ouarzazate that will please the heritage seeker too, as rich architecture, intricate carvings and historic buildings can be found all over the city.

There aren’t many places in Morocco with a richer heritage than Rabat. One of Morocco’s four Imperial Cities and now the kingdom’s capital, when you visit Rabat you’re entering a city that was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2012.

There are some grand sights in Rabat. The Mausoleum of Mohammad V, the Hassan Tower, and the Kasbah of the Udayahs are all worthy of a visit. and in the eastern part of the city you can see the ruins of the old Roman city of Sala Colonia and the Chellah Necropolis.

Tamuda Bay may be a new resort, but nearby Tetouan has enough heritage for both. Standing at the foot of the Rif mountains, this city of white buildings and palm lined streets is a perfect place to explore the multicultural history of northern Morocco.
As with many other Moroccan cities, the Medina is the place to go to discover the heritage of Tetouan. It may be relatively small, but that just works in your favour as it gives you the chance to explore without losing your bearings. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is divisible into three sections: Berber, Jewish and Andalusian, reflecting the area’s mixed heritage.

Modern day Tetouan is built on the shoulders of three different cultures. It was founded by a mix of Muslim and Jewish refugees fleeing from southern Spain in the fifteenth century.

The Spanish finally caught up with Tetouan in the middle of the nineteenth century when they held it for three years, before a far more serious occupation in 1913 when it became the administrative centre of the Spanish Protectorate Zone until the advent of Moroccan independence in 1956.

Signs of Tetouan’s mixed parentage can be seen everywhere, not least in the medina, where the Muslim, Jewish and Amazigh sections are still obvious. The large Church of Bacturia holds Mass every Sunday, while the Jewish mellah can still be seen. And while the official language in Tetouan is Arabic, it’s easy to hear the distinct rapid fire sounds of Spanish still being spoken.

As well as the town itself you can visit the Ethnographic Museum to see examples of Riffian and Jibala traditional crafts, or take a trip to the Ensanche on the Place el Jala, where you can see displays of Moroccan artefacts from the Roman and Phoenician eras.