"Rabat" a Rabat Travel Page by lichinga

Rabat is the political capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is clearly divided into three sectors: the modern one - Parliament, central Mosque, hotels, restaurants, railway station, nightlife, shops - the traditional one, or Medina - small shops and restaurants, popular items, street market, narrow streets, typical smells and craftsmen - and the oldest part, the Kasbah des Oudaias - circled by ancient walls, in a dominating position over the mouth of the river, old houses, very limited number of shops and restaurants.
The three of them are worth a visit, though not so extensive as the remaining important cities of Morocco (Fez, Meknes and Marrakech). It is worth realising modern Rabat represents the present face of the country, which cannot be stuck forever to the old "pictoresque" views which can be seen on the postcards. Those are important values, cultural resources which make the basis for the tourism industry and still are the basis for income generation of a large part of the population, but one cannot prevent Morocco to change. The challenge they have to face is to find an appropriate compromise between the strong Arab and Berber tradition and the Western way of life which they are attracted by (if only by geographical proximity and Moroccan workers abroad).