After our volunteering this morning, and after another fantastic lunch, we split into two groups and headed out for a tour. The idea being that for each group, half of the tour would involve transportation via CCS shuttle and the other half city bus. I started off on the shuttle and immediately my camera battery died. Oh well, I'll have to leach off of others once they get their photos posted on FB or something.
We drove past the Chellah-Rabat or the Necropolis of the Chellah. The brief history lesson is that Carthage was conquered by Romans in 146 BC, and then the Romans moved westwards into the Berber kingdoms of Mauritania and Numidia (Algeria, Morocco now) which became part of the Roman Empire. Chellah was named as "Sala Colonna" by the Romans. The Berber Merinides then took control over the whole North Africa in 1296. The origin of the desert people, Berbers is still not known... Anyway, Merinides established burial grounds by the ruins of Roman Sala Colonna and surrounded it by walls in 1339.
Next we went to Hassan Tower, which is really a large plaza. The minaret that stands at the west end of the plaza is actually half of its intended size: 42 feet. The minaret was planned to be the largest at the time and the entire plaza (with pilars for the foundation) was supposed to be the mosque. Construction began in 1195, but when King Hassan died in 1199, construction ceased and the minaret never finished, the mosque never constructed. The minaret doesn't include stairs, so the call the prayer would be conducted by riding horseback up the circular ramps to the top.
The mausoleum, which stands opposite the minaret, was completed in 1971 and houses the tombs of Sultan Mohammed V and his two sons, King Hassan II and Prince Abdallah. Guards stand outside the four entrances as well as inside in the four corners. The intricate carvings and tile work took 7 years alone to complete since it was all done by hand.
We drove past the Chellah-Rabat or the Necropolis of the Chellah. The brief history lesson is that Carthage was conquered by Romans in 146 BC, and then the Romans moved westwards into the Berber kingdoms of Mauritania and Numidia (Algeria, Morocco now) which became part of the Roman Empire. Chellah was named as "Sala Colonna" by the Romans. The Berber Merinides then took control over the whole North Africa in 1296. The origin of the desert people, Berbers is still not known... Anyway, Merinides established burial grounds by the ruins of Roman Sala Colonna and surrounded it by walls in 1339.
Next we went to Hassan Tower, which is really a large plaza. The minaret that stands at the west end of the plaza is actually half of its intended size: 42 feet. The minaret was planned to be the largest at the time and the entire plaza (with pilars for the foundation) was supposed to be the mosque. Construction began in 1195, but when King Hassan died in 1199, construction ceased and the minaret never finished, the mosque never constructed. The minaret doesn't include stairs, so the call the prayer would be conducted by riding horseback up the circular ramps to the top.The mausoleum, which stands opposite the minaret, was completed in 1971 and houses the tombs of Sultan Mohammed V and his two sons, King Hassan II and Prince Abdallah. Guards stand outside the four entrances as well as inside in the four corners. The intricate carvings and tile work took 7 years alone to complete since it was all done by hand.
Our next stop was the Kasbah of the Oudaya, which is the highest point in Rabat overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. There are residences, a nice garden, winding roads reminiscent of Mykonos, Greece, shops and a coffee shop/restaurant. From there, we walked across the street to the Medina where all the crafts and goods are sold. Everything from leather goods, teapots, glassware, jewelry, traditional clothing, to more modern Western-style clothes and food. The deeper we got, the more chaotic it became. Pickpocketing is the most prevalent crime (guns are not allowed in Morocco, FYI) and I can see how easily it can happen. I made a few mental notes of things I'd like to go back to purchase. I did pick up some spices and some of the local tea, and I'm pretty excited.
As we exited the Medina to find the bus stop, I saw a beggar with a small child sitting on her lap helping to bring in more money. It made me sad and sick because this is precisely the type of child that is eventually brought to Ibny for a better life.
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing!
very interesting!
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