Today, we arose very early on Easter Sunday morning to start our journey from Fez to Casablanca to reboard the ship via Meknes and Rabat. We arrived in Meknes, the first Imperial City, all we could do was a make a short photo stop as it was too early to visit inside the sites. To complicate matters further, Meknes does not switch to daylight savings time so we were even earlier than we realized. However, we did stop at the colorful Bab Mansour Gate that marks the entrance to the old city and faces onto Place Hedim. Place Hedim is the main square of the old city and in comparison is much smaller than Marrakech’s Jemaa el Fna square. Our tour of Meknes concluded with a drive around the high walls of the royal palace past the granaries and the horse stables. Our next stop.... Rabat a 2 hour drive from Meknes. As Morocco's capital, Rabat is home to the country's most important museum, the Royal Palace, and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, as well as several historical attractions. Our first stop was the Oudaias Kasbah (Fort) where we wandered the Chellah Necropolis excavation area uncovered in the 1930’s. The ruins included a mosque, forum, bath, temple, and mausoleums they built. As well, this area has provided a nesting site for storks. Our next stop was the unfinished Hassan Tower, the work of ruler Yacoub al-Mansour. Upon his death in 1150, construction was abandoned, and this 45-meter-high tower is all that remains of his original plan. Adjacent to the tower is the beautiful Mausoleum of King Mohammed V and contains the tombs of the king and his two sons. Our last stop before returning to Casablanca was the Oudaya Kasbah/Fort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We returned to Casablanca and stopped at the bustling central market/medina where we spent an hour shopping and taking in the sites. I thoroughly enjoyed our 5 day adventure in Morocco but it was nice to get back to the ship. We are closing in on the end of the 2017 World Cruise as we have only one port, Funchal, Madeira left to visit until we start our Atlantic crossing. This is part 2 of a 2 part blog.
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteWe have been to Casablanca, which we found very interesting, but have never ventured outside the city. Thanks so much for sharing you five days in Morocco.
Bill and Carolyn
I have really enjoyed your blend of scenic photos with those of local life.
ReplyDeleteIt gives a real feel for the culture. Thank you for sharing your blog.