12 September 2014
We left Asilah early enough
to catch the local market in full swing. Then it was onto the freeway
for an easy drive south, along the Atlantic coast, to Rabat. En
route this time, it was farewell to gum trees!!
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Morocco has four Imperial
Cities. I’d already visited Marrakech, Meknes and Fes. Rabat makes
Number 4 and completes the set. It is also Morocco’s capital city. On the way to the
first tourist spot I caught glimpses of what more was to come.
Kasbah des Oudaias was built
towards the end of the 12th century. Once inside the rather
magnificent gate in the very solid walls, there is blue and white
paint again, and studded doors, as in Chefchaouen, Asilah and,
thinking back to past travels, Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia.
Meandering (sounds better
than “haven’t got a clue, following my nose”) through the
streets and alleyways, I peeped through open doorways at the tiling
that is common here, and I also visited a small art gallery.
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Eventually you get to an
open area that overlooks river, beach, sea, city and … cemeteries!
Given the proximity of port, boats and dredging of some sort, I did
wonder just how clean the water would be for swimming and ‘surfing’.
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Cemetery in middle distance
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Hami was waiting when I left
the kasbah and off we went to an imperial part of the Imperial City –
Tour Hassan and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V (died 1961) … which
could be seen on the horizon, across from the kasbah.
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Looking across to
Tour
Hassan and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V
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The tower was
supposed to be twice its 44m height, part of a mosque constructed
around the same time as the kasbah. The mosque would have been
enormous. The remains of its columns cover a football field or more.
In the absence of a panorama
shot, this (sort of!) shows the perspective of the mausoleum – new
mosque complex, scanning across through the remains of the columns of
the old mosque.
The mausoleum, which itself
includes a mosque complex, closes to tourists and visitors on
religious and special occasions. I don’t know what it was but I
struck one such day so couldn’t go inside. It could only have been
magnificent, judging by the exterior. You couldn’t even climb the
steps to get a better perspective of the remains of the ancient
mosque, which was a pity. But one of the hazards of travel.
The guards on horseback
looked stunning. The guards were as inscrutable as those in London at
Horse Guards in Whitehall, and their horses equally as statuesque.
Magnificent creatures.
Then it was on to the Chellah, home, sequentially, to Phoenicians, Romans, Berbers, Arabs.
