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Published: June 17th 2022
After a long drive, we came to Casablanca mid-afternoon. As comes from relying on movies, the city was a disappointment to me. So many visitors come for weekends or short holidays, that nothing seems particularly authentic. The hard truth is that Casablanca is an important international centre of commerce rather than a romantic tourist site. Our visit was not much more than an overnight stay. In the morning we drove for an hour on the highway along the sea coast to the very authentic Rabat. Rabat is the capital city of Morocco, and the reverence for the king was evident in our guide’s demeanor. The heavy rectilinear architectural style of Fes and Marrakech created an austere opulence for the main royal residence of King Hassan II . The weight of stone silenced our voices, as if no comment or question were important enough to disturb the seriousness of the realm. Nevertheless, we were tourists enough to take photos. Later, we visited the imperial tomb, where King Mohammed V lies in state in his coffin, honoured by the perpetual prayers of a reverential attendant. Outside on the wide terrace, mounted guards in white robes protect the sacred place.
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Isabel Gibson
non-member comment
That's too bad about Casablanca, but your views of Rabat are excellent. I wonder if we have ever had anything/one in our affairs of state that we would choose to honour with perpetual prayer. That speaks to the difference in world views more than anything I can think of.