Rabat

We wanted to get a tour of Rabat, the capital of Morocco.  We were staying in Casablanca so the hotel folks lined up a driver and guide for a day trip.  We learned that in Morocco, guides can't be drivers and drivers can't be guides.  It has to do with employing as many people as possible.  

Rabat highlights are:

• Chellah Necropolis
• Hassan Tower
• Mausoleum of Mohammed V
• Oudaia Kasbah
• Lunch at Restaurant Borj Eddar
• Demonstration of various cure alls

This site was a Roman city of Sala Colonia from 40AD until 1154AD.  It was the southern most trading post of the empire.  It became a royal burial ground for the Almohads in the 13th century.  The Almohads were Berbers and ruled Morocco from 1147 until the Merinids took complete control in 1269.  

The Merinids extended Chellah to a holy necropolis.

Since 2005 the site  has used to host the "Festival of Jazz" each year called Jazz au Chellah.

Here we are with a Berber drummer at the main gate to the Chellah.

Hassan Tower was built as part of the Hassan Mosque by Yacoub el-Mansour, an Almohad ruler.  The unfinished  mosque fell into disrepair after the 1199 death of Yacoub el-Mansour.  The unfinished minaret is all that is left.  The mosque was supported giant columns.  Remains of these columns are seen in the photo at right.

Morocco was mostly a French Protectorate from 1912 until 1956.  In 1953, the French deposed Mohammed V.  He went into exile in Madagascar.  In 1955 the royal family returned and Mohammed V conducted the first Friday prayers after independence was declared from Hassan Tower.

Above is the exterior view of the mausoleum.  At upper right is a soldier standing guard at the mausoleum door.  He is dressed in the traditional winter red uniform.  In summer the uniform is white.

The sarcophagus of King Mohammed V.  His son, Prince Abdallah, was buried here in 1983.  Another son King Hassan II was buried here in 1999.

Also in the photo is a reader of the Quran in his assigned seat.

Bab Oudaia is the ornamental gate to the Kasbah.  It was built in the 12th century by Yacoub el-Mansour.

The chase scene from the 2015 movie Mission:Impossible - Rogue Nation was shot near here.

Below are some other views of the Kasbah.

Our lunch in Rabat was at Borj Eddar overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  We shared the Soup Chinoise and we each had sole.  We usually have water with our meals, but we had Coke to be on the safe side.  At home we never have soft drinks.

At left is the view of Phare de Rabat ( Rabat Lighthouse) as seen from our table.

This guy made the presentation of elixirs, salves, pills and potions for everything that can possibly be wrong with you.  They even had solutions to cure things that you didn't have.  

Part of the presentation was about the wonders of Argan Oil.  We'll discuss more about Argan Oil in another section of our Morocco trip.