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
History of the Jews in Morocco Jewish life in the Muslim interior of Morocco became dominated by the Sephardic plutocracy that continued to maintain control of the Moroccan Jewry up until modern times. Each local community had a "rigid", or "shaykh al-Yahud", who was appointed by the government. The chief figure in the larger Jewish community was the "Nagid" of the capital, who was invariably a court Jew. Throughout the Moroccan Jewish community, there were famous Sephardic "dayyanim" such as the Ibn Danans whose authority was largely recognized by Jews within the whole country. However, the influx of refugees also caused overcrowding in the larger cities