Rabat--Hassan Tower, and the Kasbah of the Udayas

In the 12th century, the Almohads ruled Morocco and Al Andalus, or as we know it today, "Spain." This was a mighty empire of the time, and deserved mighty monuments. So the Caliph of the time started to build the worlds largest mosque.

Designed to allow his entire army to worship at the same time, the mosque was only partially completed before the Caliph died and construction halted. The minaret rose only half it's intended 88 meter height--but it was so tall that it was designed with ramps inside, instead of stairs, so the muezzin could ride a horse to the top for the call to prayer. The minaret is also nearly identical to one in Spain--which I have never seen.

The scale is enormous--so much so that I failed to take any pictures. I just couldn't get the scale to make anything worth looking at.

However the site is also where the mausoleum of Mohammad V is located, and I do have some photos of that!





Mohammad V is the grandfather of the current King of Morocco, and the one who negotiated the withdrawal of the French in 1956, establishing Morocco's independence once more. The sun was of course in the exactly wrong position to show the gorgeous filigree carving of the facade. The mausoleum is open to the public a few hours each day, but not while we were there. In the photo on the left, you can see the enormous plaza in front--which is part of the Unfinished Mosque. Just for scale. Sort of.

There is a mosque tucked underneath the mausoleum complex, and people were filing toward it as we toured. Non-Muslims are not allowed in the mosques of Morocco--with one exception, in Casablanca. As our guide Mohamed explained, that comes out of "the French Time" when some French soldiers went into a mosque with their dirty boots, carrying their guns. It caused such outrage that the French found it easier just to ban non-Muslims from the mosques entirely.

Outside the area, ceremonial guards sit atop beautiful horses, under wooden gazebos built for the shade. In February, it wasn't very hot--only about 65 degrees Fahrenheit at most--but you can imagine how much hotter it gets in the summer.

(Not pictured: the special sand box the horses stand in, because the stones of the plaza are too hard for them to stand in place for very long!)

As we left the complex, we encountered this colorfully dressed gentleman.

Once an honored occupation, now no longer necessary--this is a Water Man. Yes! In a desert country, prior to the ubiquity of bottled water, people needed to drink! The water man carries a goatskin of water on his back, with a spigot on his left side. He has distinctively visible headgear, and also carries a bell, so thirsty people can find him. For a few coins, he would dispense cool water in one of the copper cups worn on his chest.

Of course, you COULD still buy water from him today, but I think he is currently mostly a photo opportunity. However this particular Water Man has been doing this job for some 45 years (if I recall correctly). 

The Water Men are distinctive icons of Morocco--I found plastic figurines and postcards of them in  shops and gas stations as we traveled through the country. However, my favorite was a small stuffed ornament that our bus driver had hanging in his front window. 

Then it was off to another 12th century structure, the Kasbah!

This is basically a walled city, built near the river and containing warrens of blue-and-white-washed housing. The exterior, above, was apparently the site of one of Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible series scenes, involving a motorcycle chase.

Inside it was quiet and delightful. The houses are ancient, and very rarely sold. Instead they are passed down through generations. There are no cars inside, because everything is too narrow. It is a lovely place to walk.

Our guide, Mohamed, under a piece of street art by an anonymous artist who makes tile mosaics and posts them around the world. Two of our group had seen similar ones in Paris.

The garden inside was delightful, and while entirely populated by indigenous plants, felt familiar. I wondered if the parterre style was something that had made its way into Europe from Morocco--it was subtly reminding me of the gardens in Versailles. Turns out--they were established by the French in the 1920s. So at least I wasn't imagining things!




We ended our walk in a tea spot, outside the Kasbah walls, overlooking the river. It was a delightful spot, where we were served mint tea and pastries. The view was spectacular, and there was a cat!

The river is the site of a growing surfing culture in Rabat. The waves were certainly impressive.

 

Looking back at the houses and the Kasbah walls.