Morocco · 13th century
The Royal Palace or Dar al-Makhzen (Arabic: دار المخزن, lit. 'House of the Makhzen') is the palace of the King of Morocco in the city of Fez, Morocco. Its original foundation dates back to the foundation of Fes el-Jdid ("New Fez"), the royal citadel of the Marinid dynasty, in 1276. Most of the palace today dates from the 'Alawi era (17th–20th centuries). The vast grounds are home to multiple private structures, patios, and gardens, but historically also included administrative offices and government tribunals. Today, the most publicly visible parts of the palace are its main entrances at the Old Mechouar (to the northeast) and the highly ornate 20th-century gates at Place des Alaouites, near the Mellah (to the southwest).
Text adapted from “Royal Palace of Fez” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dar al-Makhzen Fez ranks #1,462 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #6 of the 42 mapped in Morocco. Founded 1276, it is older than 65% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 1080 atlas entries founded in the 13th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 26,869 times in the last 60 days, more than 98% of the atlas. 6 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Morocco compares in the castle statistics.
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