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Morocco Galleries

Essaouira : Essaouira is a town on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It is a town that has a undeniable charm and laid back atmosphere. It has a very impressive beach and the old fortifications cocoon the town. The port is a hive of activity today just as it has been for many centuries. This section of coast has been a port of call since the 7th century BC for the Phoenicians, then the Carthaginians and then the Romans. In the 15th century the Portuguese made themselves at home and called it Mogado. By 1765 it was in Arab control and the Sultan of the time renamed it Essaouira (after his french architect had his way with the town). When the French took over in 1912 they called it Mogador once more. With Moroccan independence the town once again became Essaouira.

Anti Atlas Mountains : The last mountain range before you hit the Sahara. These mountains contain some amazing colours, with pinks and ochres. A definite place to go back to as we were only passing through.

Anti Atlas Mountains

Ait Benhaddou : Ait Benhaddou is on of the best preserved kasbahs in the Atlas region. This is mainly due to the attention of Hollywood. As many as 20 films have done scenes here so much of the money coming in has been used for restoration. These days it is also under UNESCO protection. Its a very photogenic place and you wander its alleyways for quite some time. The views from the ruined fortified granary atop the kasbah are well worth the effort.

Atlas Film Studios : Near Quarzazate is Morocco's Hollywood: The Atlas Film Studios. Well worth a look around as you have most likely seen a film with a scene or 2 filmed here. Old props and sets are still in place and you can get a guided tour around them. The most recent during our visit was the recreation of Jerusalem for the Ridley Scott film, Kingdom of Heaven.

Atlas Film Studios

Hassan II Mosque : The Hassan II Mosque is the 3rd largest religious monument in the world. 10000 craftsmen worked for 5 years to have it ready for KIng Hassan II's 60th birthday. The mosque is quite an impressive structure. The minaret is 210m high and at night laser beams shoot towards Mecca. The mosque can hold 25000 people with a further 80000 in the esplandes around it. The interior has a heated floor and has asliding roof. The prayer hall is said to be large enough to house Notre Dame. Possibly the most amazing fact is that the $600 million US bill was prety much paid for by donations. It is certainly worth doing the tour as the outside, while very nice is only the tip of the iceberg.

Hassan II Mosque

Casablanca : Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco but this was not always the case. It was the french who decided to make it the economic centre it is today. The smallish Medina gives an idea of the cities importance in times past. Today it is a typical busy modern city. While lacking the old world charms of a lot of Moroccan cities it is still worth a visit for its architecture.

Kasbah Amerdihl : East of Quarzazate you find Skoura. Here you will find oases and the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs. A fine example of the kasbahs of the region is Kasbah Amerdihl. Well worth the modest entry fee to see the interior of one othese imposing dwellings. A few hundred metres up the road you can stay in a well restored 17th century Kasbah.

Kasbah Amerdihl

Erg Chebbi : Erg Chebbi, Morocco's only true erg. A huge drifting expanse of sand dunes. The colours change all through the day. Combine this with the ever changing wind sculptured dunes you have a photographers playground. The rich colours and long shadows of the sunset provide ample subject matter.

Ifrane : In the Middle Atlas you find the delightful Ifrane. This little town was built in the 1930s by the French as an alpine resort. Needless to say it looks rather out of place in Morocco. This styling has given the town a very quaint feel.

High Atlas and Surrounds : The High ATlas range is the highest in North Africa and runs diagonally across Morocco. From the Atlantic coast northeast of Agadir to Norther Algeria it covers around 1000km. The region is spectacularly rugged and sparsley vegetated. That said the terraced and irrigated mountain sides are a sea of green. With sveral summits higher than 4000m and over 400 greater than 3000m there is plenty to keep climbers and trekkers happy.

High Atlas and Surrounds

Ziz Gorge : A section of the Ziz valley full of spectacular gorges and brilliant turquoise water.

Tizi n' Tichka : The highest vehicle pass over the High Atlas mountains.

Fes : Fes; the oldest of the Imperial cities of Morocco. To some it is the heart of Morocco. It is most famous for its fabulous medina. It is one of the largest living medieval cities in the world. To the outsider it is a veritable maze with busy narrow lanes and covered bazaars. Unlike some of the medinas in North Africa this one truly feels alive and not just for the tourist appeal.

Meknes : Meknes was once the heart of the Moroccan sultante and its impressive buildings reflect this heritage.The majority of the enormous works were built by Moulay Ismail. Moulay Ismail came to power in 1672 and for the next 55 years building his capital.

Marrakesh : There are 2 places in Morocco that just about everyone in the world has heard of; Casablanca and Marrakesh. Marrakesh itself is best known for its medina and the square Djemaa el-Fna. Marrakesh is the fourth largest city in Morocco and is still regarded as the capital of the south. It thrives today mainly due to tourism but take a walk around the square in the evening and you will find tis not just the tourists enjoying the entertainment. In fact given the story tellers usually tell their tales in arabic few tourists can understand it. A fantastic place to visit and soak up the atmosphere.

Rabat : Rabat the capital city of Morocco, an interesting place to spend some time. Despite being the capital it has a fairly relaxed atmosphere and doesn't have that big city feel that Casablanca has. The site has been occupied since roughly the 8th century BC. Hence there is some Roman ruins to explore, just south of the city is Sala Colonia. Around these ruins is the necropolis of Chellah built by the Merenids in the 13th century. The stand out of this complex is the sheer number of storks. Also worth a visit is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.

Barbary Macaques : These cute monkies were remarkable tame and tolerated the local dogs. I am sure they can be a pest to the locals but in a country where you can struggle to find wildlife they are a welcome sight.

For more info: Barbary Macaque

Barbary Macaques

Volubilis : Volubilis is without doubt the best preserved Roman site in Morocco. It was built around 40BC on the site of a Carthaginian settlement from the 3rd centry BC. The city was the administrative centre of the Roman province Mauretania Tingitana. Given the fertile nature of the surrounds it contributed much grain and olive oil to Rome. When the Romans left Morocco late in the 3rd century AD Volubilis was not abandoned. In fact it was still populated until it was destroyed by a large earthquake late in the fourth century AD.
Much of the marble from the site was used by Moulay Ismail for his contructions in Meknes.
Today it has some fine mosaics spread around the sprawling site.

Moulay Idriss : A very pretty town and one of Moroccos most important pilgrimage sites. The city is nestled in the mountains and is very scenic. The reason for its religious significance is the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss (from whomthe town is named). Moulay Idriss is Moroccos most revered saint, a great grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and the founder of the country's first dynasty.

Rissani :

Rabat Zoo : Like most of the zoos in this part of the world Rabat Zoo needs more funding. Its actually a large area but some of the exhibits need serious upgrading. Also there are some very odd enclosure choices, again most likely due to funding. Other than the Barbary lions, who have an excellent enclosure, the big cats are in rather appalling conditions. What makes it sad is that that they have plenty of room, something alot of zoos in major cities would like more of but they cannot make the most of it. If you are in Rabat go visit and support the zoo.

Todra Gorge and Surrounds : A fault in the plateau dividing the High Atlas Mountains from the Jebel Sarhro, is what Todra Gorge is. The colours of the rock in the area are excellent and they change beautifully dependent on the time of day. The 3hr or so loop hike is well worth the effort, some of the views are spectacular. As with a lot of Moroccan towns an excellent place to hang out for a few days.

Todra Gorge and Surrounds

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