Monday, 16 October 2017

OCTOBER 2017 : MOROCCO : CASABLANCA - MEKNES : DAY 2


Our tour begins...



First stop Hassan 11 Mosque..our second tour but well worth a return visit.

P


An hour’s drive north of Casablanca is Rabat, the political capital with 600,000 residents. We had a whirlwind tour of this ancient/cosmopolitan city.


Lunch in an outdoor cafe


Tagines aplenty


Mint tea


King Hassan 11’s mausoleum, built in 1999 by his son, the present king, Mohamed V1.


A palace guard


The mausoleum


An unfinished mosque begun by Yacoub el Mansour in 1195 but died in 1199 and was left incomplete.


The palace horse guards


Another colourful water seller


Our first kasbah - fortified town - Kasbah of the Oudbaia - constructed by Yacoub el Mansour in 1190s.


Beautiful gardens


An ancient well


Some of the residents


Colour everywhere


Georgia and Emerald, the other Aussies on our tour


The colourful residential sector of the Kasbah





Loved the juxtaposition of washing and dignified fortress



An hour and half drive east to Meknès


Storks


Sheep


Our hotel in MEKNES



Meknès is 600m above sea level between two major mountain ranges - Prierif and mid-Atlas mountains. Again, a city with its ancient and modern sections. We dined at a local family restaurant tonight. Set menu. Lots of ice creameries and cafes.



M&M

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