Casablanca, Rabat and Fez.

April 22 Casablanca, Rabat and Fez. 

This morning we visit the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, a glorious structure believed to be only second in size to Islam's most important site, Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The mosque was inaugurated in August 1993, the culmination of five years of intensive labor by over 30,000 workers. We may only enter only as part of a guided tour.

Hassan II Mosque

From Casablanca we travel to Rabat, Morocco's third oldest Imperial City and modern capital. We visit the the Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V Mausoleum. Before leaving Rabat we have lunch at the Art Cafeteria which proves to be quite entertaining with all the confusion that our group generates.

Fes

We then travel to Fes arriving just in time for dinner. The historic city of Fes lies in the Oued Sebou basin, on the traditional trade route from the Sahara to the Mediterranean and the path.from Algeria and the Islamic heartland beyond. For centuries the dominant axis within Morocco was of Fes and Marrakech, two cities linked by their immense power and rivalry. Fes is still seen as the spiritual and cultural capital and holds an enduring fascination for visitors with one of the largest historic medinas full of monuments reflecting the different periods of Morocco's imperial past.

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Our riad is nestled at the end of a quiet street, near the heart of the ancient labyrinth of the medina of Fez, the Algilà Fès is comprised of three inter-connected 18th century residences, each an architectural gem in its own right, offering modern comforts in a traditional setting. It has 15 guest rooms around three separate courtyards fitted with fountains, palm trees and sitting areas. We have dinner in our riad which is quite good with a local flavor. Each riad has its own character as if you were visitings people’s homes. Some of our group would like more modern conveniences but we like the uniqueness.

Sitting area in Algilà Fès