Rabat has been Morocco’s capital since 1912, but holds a longer and much-storied history. Its imposing fortified kasbah was a center of power for centuries, and was once home to the infamous Barbary pirates. The city has a compact and relaxed medina to explore, while its extraordinary array of buildings ranges from the Roman-era necropolis of Chellah to the monolithic 12th-century Hassan Tower and the Art Deco public buildings of the French period.