Drones Illuminate Ancient Secrets: Rabat’s Chellah to Host Spectacular Night Sky History Show

The Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication (Culture sector) has launched an international call for tenders for the design, production and realization of a series of dazzling luminous artistic performances using 800 drones, with a provisional budget of around 4.3 million dirhams. These performances will take place over four consecutive nights, from September 25 to 28, 2025, on the archaeological site of Chellah, which brings together the remains of ancient civilizations, from the Mauretanian and Roman periods, to the Merenid era when it was a royal cemetery, according to Al3omk. The public will be entitled to two performances of a minimum duration of 12 minutes each every evening, with artistic light formations in the sky illustrating the history of the site and its past, guaranteeing a unique visual experience for the spectators.

These performances will be accompanied by a voiceover narrating the story, supported by a dynamic soundtrack synchronized with the movements of the drones. Other lighting effects and laser beams are also planned to create a captivating atmosphere. The objective of the project is to use modern technologies to offer an innovative visual interpretation of history, thus making heritage accessible to the public in an unconventional and spectacular way. The project also aims to highlight the recent archaeological discoveries revealed by the ongoing excavations on the site since 2023. The ancient port district of the Roman city of Sala, as well as the remains of a public bath dating back to the 2nd century AD, have recently been discovered by a Moroccan team from the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage Sciences.

The project includes artistic and technical aspects, as well as the securing and organization of the performances. The service provider will have to ensure the security of the site by installing a control entrance gate, provide 10 hostesses to welcome the public and scan the entry QR codes, as well as 10 uniformed security guards to guarantee the safety of the public and the site, including the drone take-off and landing areas. This project is part of the "Nostalgia, emotions of the past" program, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, and aims primarily to highlight the ancestral historical and civilizational heritage of the kingdom.