A Contrast in Carriages

Marty CohenCars and Trucks, Morocco6 Comments

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A Contrast in Carriages

A Contrast in Carriages on a street in Meknes, Morocco

After leaving Rabat, we drove to the city of Meknes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As we walked through the main square in the city, we saw this beautiful carriage parked next to a Mercedes and were impressed by the interesting contrast in “Old World” and “New World” vehicles.

Also interesting were the numbered boxes on the wall behind them which are used for local elections. Each candidate gets one of these numbered spaces. Candidates may post campaign posters and materials on the wall inside their box.

This photo was taken with a Canon EOS 6D, EF24-105mm f/4L IS lens, 1/800 sec at f/11, ISO 640 recorded onto a Lexar 400x SDXC UHS-1 memory card.

A Local Woman on the Road to Fes

Marty CohenMorocco10 Comments

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A Local Woman in the Countryside

A Local Woman in the Countryside on the Road to Fes

We drove from Rabat to Fes and, along the way, we stopped at a roadside stand managed by this woman. She invited us down to see her house which was made from mud bricks. However, the house had electricity, a refrigerator and a TV with a satellite receiver (virtually every house we saw in Morocco had one of those).
Morocco-rural home

Roadside Marketplace

Marty CohenMorocco8 Comments

As we were driving out of Rabat, on our way to Fes, our trip leader, Aziz, wanted to stop at a roadside market to buy some casaba melons for us. There were lots of fresh fruits and vegetables being sold. Note, three images below and you can click on them to enlarge them. (Or, click on the first one, then click the right arrow to go to the next one.)

Roadside Marketplace

Roadside marketplace outside of Rabat

 

Casaba Melon

Casaba Melon at a roadside marketplace

 

Grapes at the Roadside Marketplace

Freshly picked grapes at a roadside marketplace outside of Rabat

 

Walking Through The Marketplace and Dinner in Rabat

Marty CohenFood Photography, Morocco6 Comments

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While in Rabat, we took an evening walk through the marketplace on our way to a wonderful dinner at a restaurant inside a beautiful riad. A riad (or ryad) is a traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden or courtyard located in Moroccan medinas. They display the common architecture seen in Moroccan houses. The exteriors are simple and usually located along a narrow alleyway with unobtrusive doors. They provide privacy for the family and protection from the weather in Morocco.

Wikepedia describes the experience of entering the riad as “…a major transitional experience…” The interiors are beautiful. They’re usually square-shaped with one or two floors. The ground floor is usually common areas like a living room, dining room and kitchen. The main bedrooms are often located upstairs. Many of these houses have been converted into restaurants or hotels.

The main dish of our dinner was a traditional Moroccan dish, Chicken Bastilla. A light, thin, crispy warqa pastry shell wraps this savory saffron chicken dish. Warqa is similar to phyllo dough and requires significant skill to make, but is available to purchase in Moroccan markets. It has a crunchy topping of fried almonds sweetened with orange flower water. To this is added a topping of powdered sugar and cinnamon completing this amazing blend of flavors.

Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V

Marty CohenArchitecture, Morocco4 Comments

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The unfinished Minaret of Hassan TowerDetail of the entrance to the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in RabatTile work at the Mausoleum of Mohammed VThe amazing ceiling inside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in RabatThe Tomb of Mohammed V in Rabat

The Hassan Tower is a minaret of an unfinished mosque in Rabat, Morocco. Construction was begun in 1195 and this tower was intended to be the largest minaret in the world along with the mosque to be the largest. In 1199, sultan Yacoub al-Mansour died and construction of the mosque stopped. The tower reached 140 ft, about half of its intended height of 260 ft. The rest of the mosque was also left incomplete, leaving the start of a few walls and 200 columns.

Adjacent to the unfinished mosque is the completed Mausoleum of Mohammed V. He was Sultan of Morocco from 1927-1953, exiled from 1953-1955, and then recognized as Sultan again upon his return. In February 1956 he successfully negotiated with France for the independence of Morocco, and in 1957 took the title of King. He died in February of 1961. The mausoleum contains the tombs of the Moroccan King and his two sons, King Hassan II and Prince Abdallah. The bottom photo is a night shot of the exterior of the Mausoleum building.

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Source: Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Tower
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Mohammed_V
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_V_of_Morocco