Fez, Morocco was the capital of Morocco until 1925. Rabat then remained the capital even after Morocco achieved independence in 1955. Despite its traditional character, there is a modern section: the Ville Nouvelle or "New City". Today it is a bustling commercial center. The popularity of the Fez has increased since present ruler, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, married a woman from Fez, Salma Bennani. Place Lalla Yeddouna at the heart of the Medina is currently undergoing reconstruction and preservation measures following a design competition sponsored by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (Washington D.C.) and the Government of the Morocco. The construction projects
Oriental (Morocco) with the Algerian provinces of Tlemcen and Naâma to its east and Béchar to the south. Melilla, a Spanish autonomous city, also borders the region. In 2015, Oriental was expanded to include Guercif Province. The region is made up into the following prefectures and provinces: Oriental (Morocco) Oriental (Berber: Tagmuḍant, ⵜⴰⴳⵎⵓⴹⴰⵏⵜ; Arabic: الشرق, "Ash-Sharq") is one of the twelve regions of Morocco, located in the eastern part of the country. It covers an area of 90,127 km² and has a population of 2,314,346 (2014 census). The capital and the largest city is Oujda, and the second largest city is Nador.