Fodor's Expert Review Moulay Abdellah Quarter
Fez el-Djedid
Neighborhood/Street
Built by the Merenids as a government seat and a stronghold against their subjects, this area lost its purpose when Rabat became the Moroccan capital under the French protectorate in 1912. Subsequently a red-light district filled with brothels and dance halls, the quarter was closed to foreigners for years. Historic highlights include the vertically green-striped Moulay Abdellah Mosque and the Great Mosque Abu Haq, built by the Merenid sultan in 1276.