Carpets from the Imperial City of Rabat do not come from the Berber regions as they are inherently royal and made with a finer weave in rich colors such as royal blue, deep red and saffron yellow. The “r’bati” carpets are reputed to trace their origins to distant Asia Minor. It is said that the Muslims of Andalusia who settled on the banks of Rabat’s Bou Regreg River after the Spanish Reconquest in 1492 brought with them the designs and skill to produce them.

The oldest examples of R’bati carpets are from the 18th century, with these being unique, as the only Moroccan carpets where the pattern is diametrically different from those of the Berber carpets.