The Sultan's Blade & the Corsair's Coast

As the Saadian golden age dissolved into civil war, Morocco fractured once more. From the eastern oases, a new Sharifian dynasty, the **Alaouites**, would rise to seize the throne and forge a modern nation. This is the story of their ascent, dominated by one of Morocco's most formidable and legendary rulers: Sultan **Moulay Ismail**. Journey with us to his colossal imperial capital at **Meknes**, a "Moroccan Versailles" built on a grand scale. Then, sail to the fearsome coast of Salé, the haven of the notorious Barbary Corsairs who terrorized the seas and played a crucial role in the nation's politics. This is an age of absolute power, swashbuckling pirates, and the beginning of a tense, fateful relationship with a rising Europe.