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Published: July 14th 2016
After many false starts as to what to do with our spare days we decided on Morocco. We booked a tour which would give us a private driver and guides in each city.
We flew from London to CASABLANCA. A rather hair raising drive from the airport to our hotel. We were to learn that one of the things the French gave to Morocco was their road system. Major intersections are like driving around l'arc d'triomphe. There are rules but they are flexible. The first sight that we were greeted with appeared to be a Christmas tree but instead we were told it was just a co-incidence as Morocco's colours are red and green and so the decorations just looked Christmas- like.
Picked up by our driver Karim at 9 o'clock the following morning. Very quiet this morning because of Ramadan which will probably mean less crowds but also we may not get to visit some places because when Ramadan finishes there will be days of feasting and lots of people will be visiting family so museums etc will be closed. We went to see the Hassan II Mosque which is the third largest in the world. Amazing building
with intricate tiling and carving. Everything on a grand scale but not ostentatious. The ablution stations fill the entire downstairs except for a pool that has never been used . The mosque fits 25000 worshippers inside with room for another 80000 outside. The wood (cedar) , pink and green marble and tiles come from Morocco . The white Carerra marble from Italy. The cedar from the Atlas mountains.
After our visit we left Casablanca and drove to the current capital RABAT and picked up our guide for the day. An eccentric character who seemed to be known by everybody which gave us access to places others couldn't go (that was his story) including the Royal palace and its grounds. We were taken to some of the ancient gates of the city and other sites such as the Hassan tower - a minaret of an incomplete mosque begun in 1195 and the Mausoleum of Mohamed V which contains the tombs of the Moroccan king and his two sons.
Visited the ancient ruins of Chellah, settled by the Phonecians and then grown by the Romans in 40 AD. It was abandoned in 1154 but in the 14th century a sultan
built a wall around it and turned it into an Islamic settlement. The minaret is now topped with a stork nest. In fact over 400 storks have taken over the buildings. It was destroyed by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and has been under restoration for some time.
We finished the day with a visit to the Kasbah des Oudaias overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It was a hot day and many were swimming. One of the highlights was the fact that our guide lives in a house in the Kasbah and took us in to show us his home of which he is very proud. The kasbah is typical of these sections of cities but it is very clean with all houses painted white with blue parapets. They still have a gate that is closed every night at 9 o'clock which is not typical anymore. There is also an Andalucian garden built in the 17th century by the Moors which provides some green space for relaxation.
Long drive the next morning to MEKNES. Ramadan ended last night so the next three days are holidays. Today is the day people visit their families. There is a lot of vehicular and
foot traffic. Lots of people are dressed in traditional clothing . We have to wait for our guide so we go to a cafe and have a coffee. Thick as tar and requiring sugar but it tastes good. Finish and buy two large bottles of water for the coming days.
We meet our guide and he told us that unfortunately many buildings of interest are closed because of the holiday. We go for a drive to get a panoramic view of the city. Meknes was one of the four imperial capitals of Morocco and had 45 kilometres of walls but there are now only 25 but it is still the largest in the world. The gates are more decorated than those in Rabat. In some parts of the city there are actually two walls. We went for a walk through the streets of the medina and you would get lost if we hadn't had a guide.
Left Meknes for Volubilis, a partly excavated Berban and Roman settlement, the ancient capital of Mauretania. Very extensive with many well preserved mosaic floors. Yet another site that was levelled by the great earthquake of 1755 in Lisbon. It was listed as
a UNESCO site in 1997 and as yet only about half has been excavated.
A full day tour of FES today. Fes was the capital until 1925. We picked up our guide and headed out. It was overcast with possible rain. A few spots on the windscreen but that was it. We spent most of the day wandering the ancient medina looking at various sites including the oldest continually operating university in the world founded in 859 by a woman but originally a Koranic school so not attended by women. It is now a state university. We visited a restored caravanserai which in olden times hosted both the animals and the traders. Carved cedar portals, mosaic tiles, green glazed roofs . We saw many traditional crafts and the old way of life was still visible. Rug making,the tannery pits (where the first step in the process is to soak the hides in lime to get rid of the hair, then in a mixture of pigeon poop) ,fabric making ( using cactus silk), hamams (Turkish baths) and the village bakeries where people still take their loaves of bread to bake each day.
An exhausting and hot day spent amongst
the twisting streets of the medina.
Off the next day for our drive to MARRAKESH. Drive through the foothills of the middle Atlas mountains and stopped at Ilfrane. Beautiful town which is near a ski resort. Took a photo of the Big Lion, reference to the animals that used to roam the area. Continued on through the hills with the day getting hotter. 34 degrees at 11am. The landscape is full of olive trees.
Lunch at El Hani restaurant of shawarma , salad and bread roll. Told by the guide not to drink the water offered so had a coke. Kevin had to queue for a toilet. Perils of a male dominated society. We later stopped at Beni Mellal which has a beautiful garden, picnic area for families seeking relief from the heat. Arrive in Marrakech late in the day.
MARRAKECH the next day. We met Karim and our guide Mustafa today for our tour of Marrakesh. We drove to the main square and walked through the old part of the town to visit El Bahia palace. Only a small number of the 150 rooms are open to the public but it once hosted Bou Ahmed ,
his 4 wives and 24 concubines. There are courtyards where the women could walk and the decorations are beautiful. The French changed some things when they took over the country adding fireplaces and some stained glass windows. The original inlaid, woodwork ceilings and stucco carvings are still in place.
Dar Si Said museum of Moroccan Arts - housed in another opulent palace. It houses weapons, jewellery, carpets and other textiles. A great look at Moroccan life from the past.
Musee Tiskiwin - privately owned house which has been converted into a museum of Moorish and Moroccan arts. The owner , a Dutchman has tracked the different crafts from region to region. There are carpets, fabrics, jewellery and clothes from different areas.
Souks - as with all of the old cities the different crafts are gathered in particular areas eg all metalworkers together, all real fake bags together, the olive sellers together and so on.
Djema el-Fna square - the place where public executions used to be held. We returned for dinner to the square by which time many stalls had been set up complete with snake charmers, monkeys, folkloric bands, games. It was a hive of
activity, noisy and very colourful. Many families were there and it was interesting to see how much fun could be had by so many people drinking nothing more than coffee, soft drink and water.
Morocco was fascinating, exhausting, hot and unique. The people were friendly and thankful that you had chosen to visit Morocco. We gained insights into Islam as we were there at a unique time. Most of all we will remember the cats - they are everywhere. Perhaps it is because as we were told by our guide in Rabat, that if a dog brushed against him he would have to go and wash but as cats clean themselves they are OK.
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