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Rabat – Acclaimed French TV program Secrets of History [Secrets d’Histoire] is putting the spotlight on the founder of modern Morocco in an episode entitled ‘Moulay Ismail: Sun King of a Thousand and One Nights’ to be broadcasted July 20 on France 2.
The show’s presenter Stéphane Bern promises to take his audience in an “enchanting journey” to discover Morocco in the 18th century, “returning to the footsteps of the famous Sultan, Moulay Ismail,” announced France 2 in a communiqué.
For the first time, Secrets of History will examine the “Sun King of Morocco,” recounting “the story of a sultan, whose brilliant reign is often compared to that of Louis XIV.”
“Journeying through the imperial cities and the emblematic cities of Morocco, including Fes, Meknes, Marrakesh, and Rabat, Secrets of History opens the doors of the palaces where the sultan lived and where his might flourished,” added the same source.
Known for his political decisiveness on the international political stage, “this sovereign stood up to the greatest European monarchies while preserving the interests of his country.”
The episode is also set to shed light on how the story of Moulay Ismail has inspired literature and cinema, giving birth to the famous story of “Angelica and the Sultan.”
However, the channel noted that the sultan was also known for his brutal rule. “Cruel and greedy, Sultan Ismail is said to have executed over 20,000 people with his own hands during his 55-year reign,” says the statement, adding that he had an army of 14,000 black slaves. He also enslaved Christians and forced them to serve his Kingdom.
