The original inhabitants of Morocco, the Berbers, have experienced a series of invaders over the centuries. The first Arabs arrived from the west in 682 AD and established a series of dynasties which have ruled Morocco ever since. As in much of North Africa, the conflict between Arabs and Berbers has been a central feature of the country’s history.

Morocco achieved independence from the French in 1956 and despite some progress, today two territorial disputes remain: in the Sahrawi region (previously known as Spanish Sahara), claimed by indigenous guerrilla movement, the Polisario Front and in the Spanish-occupied enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast.

Modern Morocco is an initiation into the exotic magic of the Islamic, Arabic, African world - the world of medinas and minarets, desert and mountain; yet it almost touches western Europe and, for all the differences, retains a European patina, the legacy of the French Protectorate.

To imbibe the spirit of Morocco, wander the streets of the great cities. Fès – the ancient capital – has a stunning array of medieval buildings, while Marrakech compels attention, its world-famous souk selling a bewildering array of goods; both hark back to the Arab dynasties that ruled the country from the Muslim conquest. Casablanca, a thriving commercial centre, and Rabat, the capital, reflect their modern French origins; Tangier is mildly seedy, slightly melancholy. All Moroccan cities are crowded, the hustlers a fact of life.

Morocco’s charm lies in its diversity. For sun-worshippers, there are miles of beaches, while inland lies Berber country where, among the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, the energetic can walk or trek. Beyond the Atlas are the fringes of the Sahara, where the caravans once stopped on their way south to trade in spice and ivory.

Whether scaling distant ridges, idling by the sea, haggling for exotic artefacts, gazing at ancient wonders or marvelling at the pink and indigo of a desert dawn, you will be mesmerised.