Morocco

Morocco is a special country for me so it deserve one own side. Since my first journey there in 2000, I have been there several times and it also affected quite much my life. Not only that I discovered another, additionally also interesting culture, even though I have already been in countries with similar culture, such as Turkey or Egypt and Tunisia but I have also found many friends there.

Morocco is very safe relative to anywhere else in the world. During my travels there not one day I was concerned for the safety. This is not to say that caution is not in order. This is not due to Morocco - caution should be in order no matter where in the world we are. Anything can happen anywhere.

To kasbah Telouet

This time I went also to kasbah Telouet which I wanted to see since many years ago, but never had possibility. Now I had one day free in Ouarzazate before to fly back to Casablanca, so I decided me to go and look at.

But I was a little disappointed, have I to say. Thought it will be much more than it was. Inside I was not, are not for to go and listen to any guide and so, was going only around the kasbah.

But the way from Ouarzazate and especially from Ait BenHaddou was nice, to see the landscape there with small villages along the road. Self road was very small and in bad condition, so count with that even if it is only 47 km from Ait BenHaddou it takes approx 2 hours before arriving.

unfortunately quite dark picture

 

Anyway I was glad to be there so my curiosity about this kasbah went to be fulfilled. As it says, you regret what you did not, but never regret what you did. If I not gone there I would never know how it is and it's that what counts in the life too.

One fast look into Rabat

Since I had almost 3 days available before my flight to Ouarzazate would go, I have decided to take a day in Rabat and see a little around there. In Casablanca I already have been and apart from to meet one friend there so I had nothing more to do there. So it was suitable to go to Rabat.

First of all I wanted to see Hassan Tower, then also kasbah Oudaias, Chellah and if I had time so also go to Medina. Unfortunately I succeeded to see only Hassan Tower and Chellah.

I would take train from Casa Voyageurs to Casa Port where I should change to train to Rabat. But due my zero French I took wrong train so I arrived to Rabat more than one hour later than I wanted.

 Hassan Tower, made of red sandstone, is a minaret of a non-completed mosque which began to build in 1195 and was planned to be the largest minaret to the world's largest mosque. However, the Sultan Yaqub al-Mansur died in 1199 and the construction was stopped. Hassan tower now is only 44 meters, about half of its planned height of 86 meters and the rest of the mosque was also left unfinished.

 There is also Mohammed V Mausoleum (built 1971)

 

 

Due lack of the time I got to see Kasbah Oudaias only from this place. It could be nice to go there, but ...

After to visit this nice and peaceful place I took taxi and drove to Chellah, old town, originally Carthaginians, but later conquered by Roman. The ruins of this medieval fortress are still extant. In the 13th century it was rebuilt by the Marinids and it include mosque, minaret, and royal tombs.

Then it was time to go back to the train station and Casablanca again. Pity I got not the time to visit kasbah of  Oudaias, it must be very nice there, but maybe I get one other chance one other time.

The insight of Rabat was quite pleasant, clean, quiet town, but I was there on a Sunday, so I do not know how busy it is on weekdays. Although they do not have the same workdays that we so I suppose in Rabat, most working in state enterprises that usually might have the same as we?