Morocco is a gateway to Africa and a country of bleak diversity. Epic mountain ranges, ancient cities, sweeping deserts and warm hospitality are all you will encounter in Morocco. From the dunes of the Sahara to the peaks of the High Atlas, Morocco could have been specially designed for travelers. Lyrical landscapes spread across this part of North Africa
It is a historic country, which, over the centuries, has woven its ties with Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the wider Middle East in its entirety. Its mixed Arab and Berber population forms a strong national identity, but increasingly younger, taking on the best of its traditions and weaving the pattern again – from the countryside to the city, from the call to prayer from the mosque to the rhythm of local hip hop. Morocco has a hundred faces and sounds, all ready to welcome the traveler looking for spice and adventure.
Hassan II Grand Mosque
This fantastic building was built at a huge cost to celebrate the former king’s 60th birthday. It is located on a waterfront that overflows from the ocean and with a minaret 210 m high. It serves as the most important landmark of the city, it is a showcase of the best Moroccan handicrafts: handmade stone and wood, intricate marble flooring and cladding, gilded cedar ceilings and exquisite zellige (geometric mosaic tilework) abound.
The mosque is considered the third largest mosque in the world after those in Mecca and Medina and can accommodate 25,000 worshipers. Built and partly funded by King Hassan II (the remaining funds were raised through a somewhat controversial public donation process), the mosque complex was designed by French architect Michel Pinseau, took six years to build and was completed in 1993.
Mausoleum of Mohammad V (Rabat)
The father of the current king (the late Hassan II) and his grandfather rest in this marble mausoleum, which is decorated with a zellige pattern (geometric mosaic tiles) and carved plaster. Its carved cedar roof is covered with gold leaves and is quite enchanting. Visitors must be respectfully dressed, and can look down at the tomb from the gallery.
Oudaya Kasbah
The kudbah of Oudaya is considered the first landmark of the city of Rabat, although the kasbah has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. Its strategic location on the Atlantic coast, along with the mouth of the Bouregreg River, made it an important location for successive kings and sultans of Morocco. It seems that the repatriates from Andalusia played an important role influencing the characteristic of Kasbah, which was evident in the architecture and the garden that imitates them in Andalusia. In the era of the Alawites, Kasbah experienced several developments such as the construction of the Amiri palace (prince) and some military installations that played an important role in the protection of Kasbah
Meknes
The heart of Meknès Medina is El Hedim Square, the large square overlooking Bab El Mansour. Before Moulay Ismail swept the city, a kasbah was set up at this point, but after the gate was erected, the king ordered that it be demolished in favor of a wide square from which one could admire the gate. Originally used for royal announcements and public executions, it is a good place to sit and watch the people go by. There is definitely a correlation between this square and its big cousin, Djemaa El Fna from Marrakesh. The Meknasi version, however, has much more local flavor
FEZ
During the heyday, Fez attracted scholars and philosophers, mathematicians and lawyers, astronomers and theologians. Craftsmen built houses and palaces, kings with mosques and medersas (religious schools), and merchants offered exotic items from the Sahara’s silk roads and trade routes. Although Fez lost its influence in the early 19th century, it remains a city of great self-confidence, whose cultural and spiritual origins fascinate visitors.
The entrance to the Fez Palais Royale is a stunning example of modern restoration, but the 80 hectares of palaces are not open to the public. Guests should be pleased with the view of the imposing brass doors, surrounded by beautiful zellige (colorful geometric mosaic tiles) and cedar wood carving. The entrance overlooks the Place de AlaouitesFez Palais Royale
The most architecturally impressive street in Fez Mellah (Jewish Quarter) is the Rue des Mérinides, which is full of houses that stand out for their wooden and forged balconies, as well as for their stucco work. Jewish ladies would one day sit on the upper balconies, watching the people go by. Something medieval remains in the largest car-free urban area in the world: donkeys carry goods through the many narrow passages.
Seemingly blind alleys lead to squares with exquisite fountains and streets exploding with fragrant food, the roofs present a sea of minarets and the paved doors reveal tireless craftsmen.
Medersa Bou Inania is the best of Fez theological colleges. It was built by Sultan Merenid Bou Inan between 1351 and 1357 and has been impressively restored with ornate tiles (colorful geometric mosaics) and carved plaster, beautiful cedar shards (grids) and massive brass doors. While most Medersa(schools for the study of the Koran) simply have a prayer hall, Bou Inania is unusual, as it houses a full mosque.
Moroccan Riad
The riad is one of the main types of a traditional Moroccan house, often with two or more stories around an Andalusian-style courtyard centered around a fountain.[1] Riads were the stately city homes of the wealthiest citizens such as merchants and courtiers
Chaouwara Tanneries
Chaouwara tanneries are one of the city’s most iconic attractions (and smells), offering a unique window into the spicy natural process of producing world-class hides and skins with methods that have changed little since medieval times. In 2015-16 they underwent an annual restoration to dry up the collapsing environments surrounding the cavities, including the terraces, but they are not afraid – the atmosphere of the tanneries remains intact. Try to get here in the morning, when the pits are filled with colored paint.
Province of Er-rachidia
Errachidia or Er-rachidia (Berber: Imteɣren) is a province in southeastern central Morocco, in the Drâa-Tafilalet region. It is considered one of the most historically important areas of Morocco. Errachidia, whose old name was Ksar Souk, was called My Rachid, dedicated to one of the main founders of the Alaouite dynasty, the current Moroccan royal family.
Tafilalt is also called Tafilet or Tafilalet, the largest oasis in the Sahara of Morocco, in the southeastern part of the country. The oasis includes the fortified villages of Erfoud, Arab Sebbah du Ziz, Rissani, Seffalat, Aoufous and Jorf, along with palm trees that stretch 50 miles along the Wadi Ziz.Its old capital was the Amazigh (Berber) castle of Sijilmassa, founded in 757 AD. on the route of the Sahara caravans from the Niger River to Tangier. A prosperous city, it was destroyed in 1363, rebuilt by Mawlāy Ismā’īl (1672-1727) and destroyed in 1818 by the nomads of Ait Atta. The only organized village in the Rissani oasis was built near the ruins of Sijilmassa. Tafilalt is known for its dates, most of which it exports. Its main trade center is Erfoud at the base of Mount Erfoud.
When a wealthy family refused hospitality to a poor woman and her son, God was offended, and buried them under the mounds of sand called Erg Chebbi. So goes the legend of the dunes rising majestically above the twin villages of Merzouga and Hassi Labied, which for many travelers fulfill the promise of Morocco as a dream destination.During high season, 4WDs buses and convoys spew huge clouds of dust as they race across the hammada to get in time for camel rides at sunset
Tinerhir
Tinerhir (also known as Tinghir), a busy transport hub . If you need a break after 51 km from Boumalne Dades, just head to the eastern edge of the city, where an oasis of palm trees unfolds like a green umbrella. Under the dome, he will discover the ruined kasbahs, the abandoned 19th-century Medersa Ikelane (the whitewashed mudbrick dome) and, to the north of the city, the ruins of Ksar Asfalou, where Muslim and Jewish students once studied.
Aït Benhaddou
With the help of some Hollywood influences, this UNESCO-protected red mud brick ksar, 32 km from Ouarzazate, looks frozen in time, still looking like its 11th century days as the Almoravid caravanserai. Moviegoers can recognize it from Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth (for whom most of Aït Benhaddou was rebuilt), the Nile jewel (note the Egyptian towers) and the Gladiator.
The High Atlas
High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas is a mountain range in central Morocco, North Africa, the highest part of the Atlas Mountains.The Berbers, famous for their hospitality, are among of the great treasures of the area. The family-run hostels and kasbahs unfold their welcome, spread the sunny festivities and introduce the inhabitants outside the cities to the great wonders of Atlas life. Speaking of miracles, central Morocco has them in chatter, from thunderous waterfalls and mineral plateaus to ancient citadels and snow-capped mountain passes, as well as the highest ski slopes in North Africa
Marrakesh
Marrakesh is a city in southwestern Morocco near the Atlas Mountains, also known as the “Red City” or “Al Hamra”.
The Medina of Marrakesh has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. The well-crafted sights and sounds of Marrakesh dazzle and enchant visitors.
It is a city full of ancient art that continues to thrive, kept alive by the contemporary craftsmen of souqs and the contemporary art and design scene of the ville nouvelle. In Djemaa El Fna, the central square of Marrakesh, you will discover the drama in progress. The hoopla and the halqa (street theater) have not stopped here since this square was the site of public performances around 1050 AD. hence its name, which means “assembly of the dead”.
Medina souqs resemble a mall, but which are designed according to a labyrinth, a medieval design. Whether one wants spices in the North African flavor cabinet or buys a rug to add Moroccan wow to the home, this nest of treasures is a manna for fanatics who buy, as long as it is understood that prices will be higher and the The bazaar is a must and a favorite!Wrapped in 19 kilometers of pink ancient defensive walls, Medina is the spectacle of Marrakesh, which looks crowded and the narrow, poorly preserved lanes with ocher edges lead nowhere.
