Packed with history, culture and set along the Atlantic coast, Rabat typically isn’t as popular as its other Moroccan city neighbours, but it has a lot to offer.
The city is this year’s UNESCO Book Capital, and was granted the title back in 2024 because of it being a ‘cultural crossroads’.
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO director-general said in 2024: ‘Following Rio de Janeiro in 2025, I am pleased to announce the designation of Rabat as World Book Capital for 2026.
‘Rabat is a cultural crossroads where books help transmit knowledge and the arts in all their diversity.’
She revealed the ‘growing local book industry’ in the bustling city is ‘playing a crucial role in advancing education’.
‘These actions resonate with UNESCO’s mandate,’ Azoulay added.
Rabat boasts an impressive 54 publishing houses and an increasing number of book shops – making it the perfect destination for bibliophiles.
The capital city’s book industry contributes not only to its ‘creative economy’ but also to spreading knowledge amongst its residents.
Rabat has been named UNESCO’s Book Capital and was granted the title back in 2024 because of the city being a ‘cultural crossroads’
The city’s book industry contributes not only to its ‘creative economy’ but also to spreading knowledge amongst its residents
It empowers women, young people and disadvantaged communities through reading, according to UNESCO, and is set to launch further initiatives to help boost access to books.
UNESCO first began naming ‘book capitals’ back in 2001 and Rabat is the 26th to bear the title, following on from Rio de Janeiro in 2025 and Strasbourg in 2024.
It’s decided by the UNESCO World Book Capital Advisory Committee which consists of representatives of European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), the International Authors Forum (IAF), the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), the International Publishers Association (IPA), as well as UNESCO.
Despite its impressive book and reading culture, Rabat is often overlooked and a lesser-known destination compared to the likes of Marrakech.
But its latest title could put it into the spotlight and attract bookworm visitors and more.
The capital is already gaining attention, and was fifth on Skyscanner’s annual 2026 Travel Trends Report’s trending destinations list.
Rabat saw an 87 per cent year-on-year increase in interest, with Italy’s Salerno, the Western Pacific island of Koror in Palau, Kochi in Japan and Bilbao in Spain making the top four.
The Daily Mail’s Erin Waks recommends heading to the city’s Kasbah of the Udayas – an ancient fortress she says feels like a ‘a regal, dramatic palace’.
Despite often being overlooked for other popular spots like Marrakesh, Rabat has plenty to offer including Zaha Hadid’s Grand Theatre (pictured)
Other beautiful spots to explore include the Rabat Medina, which dates to the early 17th Century, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sarah Gordon previously described it as a ‘terracotta stretch of ramparts and towers interspersed with decorative gates into the old town’.
Visitors can enjoy vibrant streets filled with stalls offering a range of souvenirs, handmade crafts and trinkets for sale.
Or, if more modern archicture interests you, the Zaha Hadid’s Grand Theatre might impress as the largest performing arts complex on the continent.
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Moroccan city named as UNESCO Book Capital for 2026 – and it’s set to steal the spotlight from Marrakech
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