%rImpressive city walls%r and other Rabat, Morocco Things to Do Tips

THE CITY WALLS ALONG HASSAN II

BOULEVARD, RABAT

My first walk was close to my hotel, along main avenue called (as usual in Morocco :-) Hassan II Boulevard. Well, I was looking for a place to park my car for a night (= a gas station) and to eat something. But first of all, I noticed noisy, busy traffic and impressive and long city walls along northern side of the avenue (Rampart des Andalous = Andalousian Walls), the most beautiful part of the city walls in Rabat. The Andalousian Wall (and the medina which exists until now) was built in 17th century by muslim refugees from catholic Spain.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Along northern side of Hassan II Boulevard.

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

Visiting Rabat?

Read reviews about Rabat Hotels

Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.

Things To Do:

City towers

Tip Rating:

Written by matcrazy1

on Jul 27, 2005

THE CITY TOWER, RABAT

The city walls of Rabat, I was lucky to see, have not impressive, mostly small gates. The walls were not accesible for visitors (hmm... it would be a good tourist attraction to walk there and look around).

More interesting is to get closer to numerous defensive, square city towers put along the walls. The walls were doted with numerous holes in order to drain moisture out of the wall. Thus the wall could breathe. As I noticed later the holes gave shelter to pigeons as well which could nest inside and ruin the walls.

Leave a Comment

Directions: In Rampart des Andalous (Andalusian Wall) along northern side of Hassan II Boulevard.

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

Things To Do:

Modest walls of the medina

Tip Rating:

Written by matcrazy1

on Jul 27, 2005

CITY WALLS AND GATE OF THE MEDINA,

RABAT

I saw many city walls at various parts of Rabat. The old Arab city (the medina) full of narrow streets is located behind relatively small and simple city walls and gates a bit north of the Rampart des Andalous. These walls were built at the end of 12th century by order of Al-Mansour - a muslim ruler from Almohad dynasty who succesfully fought against Christian Spain and built Rabat-Al-Fatah (Victorious Rabat), the big capital city.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Around the medina, for example north of Hassan II Boulevard and the Rampart of Andalous.

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

Things To Do:

Walk around the medina

Tip Rating:

Written by matcrazy1

on Jul 27, 2005

MINARET OF A MOSQUE in THE MEDINA,

RABAT

I took maybe 30 - 40 min. walk from my hotel through the medina (old Arab town) to the kasba (= a castle, Kasbah des Oudaias) located on a bank of a river (Oued Bou Regreg). I must admit that the medina of Rabat was less interesting than the old Arab town of Fes or Meknes I visited later.

First I walked northwards and passed by a mosque with a white, square minaret (on the picture) to rich main east-west street called Rue Suike. I walked it eastwards and saw a lot of local shops (suques) which tried to sell everything but I didn't find anything interesting there.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Southern part of the medina, north of Hassan II Boulevard behind the Rampart of Andalous (Andalusian Wall) and the medina walls.

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

Things To Do:

Rue Souika

Tip Rating:

Written by matcrazy1

on Jul 27, 2005

RUE SOUIKA

I walked main street of the medina called Souika Street (Rue Souika) eastwards towards the minaret of the Grand Mosque and I saw a lot of local shops (suques) which tried to sell everything but I didn't find anything interesting there. In contrast to many other Moroccan cities, shop keepers didn't harass me. Maybe they did know that they had offered nothing interesting for a foreign visitor.

In the morning hours the street was a perfect place to watch locals. And, in contrast to many other Moroccan cities, noone paid any attention to my camera at work.

Leave a Comment

Directions: North of and (almost) paralel street to Hassan II Boulevard.

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

Visiting Rabat?

Read reviews about Rabat Hotels

Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.

Things To Do:

The Grand Mosque

Tip Rating:

Written by matcrazy1

on Jul 27, 2005

MINARET OF THE GRAND MOSQUE, RABAT

Walking eastwards Rue Souika I passed by the Grand Mosque on the right.

Well, being a non-muslim I was not allowed to enter any mosque in Morocco. Instead I could see tall, square minaret of the mosque (good orientation point) with characteristic smaller square upper part and three balls put on a mast above the top.

Leave a Comment

Directions: South of the eastern part of the main street of the medina called Rue Souika.

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

Things To Do:

Rue des Consuls - iron ceiling

Tip Rating:

Written by matcrazy1

on Jul 27, 2005

IRON CEILING OF RUE DES CONSULS

I turned left (northwards) almost at the end of Rue Souika to Rue des Consuls which lead me to Kasba des Ouida. The street was named after headquarters of consuls placed there since 1912. The street is full of suques wich sell jewelry, leather, slippers, copper pots etc. But I wasn't interesting in any shopping.

Instead, the iron ceiling high above part of the street attracted me the most. I have never seen something like this in Morocco before and never more later as well. Well, some streets in other Moroccan cities were covered by wooden, bamboo but never iron roof.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Go eastwards the main street of the medina (Rue Souika), pass by the Grand Mosque (on the right) and a bit futher you will cross Rue des Consuls.

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

Things To Do:

Casbah of the Oudaya

Tip Rating:

Written by matcrazy1

on Jul 28, 2005

I BY WALLS OF KASBAH OF THE OUDAYA

Rue des Consuls lead me to Casbah of the Oudaya (Kasbah des Oudaias) located in the best for its old defensive function place of Rabat: at the highest city point, on a cliff, at the mouth of Oued Bou Regreg river to the Atlantic Ocean. The kasbah covers relatively small area and is surrounded by impressive walls which look the best at sunset.

But I liked especially:
- Kasbah gardens;
- museum Oudaya (National Museum of Moroccan Art - impressive collection of local jewelry, koranic manuscripts, musical instrument and royal carpets;
- views from the kasbah over twin city of Sale across the river, the Atlantic Ocean and Rabat.

WHAT IS KASBAH?
The kasbah is a unique kind of medina or Islamic city surrounded by defensive walls. Its function was to give a place to live for a local leader/ruler or dynasty and to defend city. That's why kasbah was often placed on a top of a hill or near the entrance of harbours. Each old city of North Africa has its own kasbah.

Leave a Comment

Directions: In the northernmost and the highest point of Rabat, at the mouth of Oued Bou Regreg river to the Atlantic Ocean.

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

Things To Do:

Gate of the kasbah (1195)

Tip Rating:

Written by matcrazy1

on Jul 28, 2005

KASBAH OF THE OUDAYA

The main entrance to the kasbah of the Oudaya is monumental Almohad gate called Bab Oudaia. It was the largest gate I ever saw. It is as high as 5 or 6-store edifice, nowadays although it doesn't look so high at first. The gate was not my main attraction of the kasbah but I had to pay attention to arabic patterns around key-hole passage and to the private gallery located at the gate.

HISTORY
Berber (folks of Sachara), muslim tribe called Zenata built the first defensive castle (ribat) on the Atlantic cliff called Oudaya in 10th century. Almohad rulers which resided in Marrakesh chose just Rabat for their headquarter in a compaign against Spain in 12th century. Their ambitious leader Jacob el Mansour (1184 - 1199) changed small, off the beaten path Rabat into the main city of a country. Among others, he built powerful Kasbah of the Oudaya which was not conquered till 19th century.

Leave a Comment

Directions: From the medina walk Rue des Consuls northwards.

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

Things To Do:

Gardens of the kasbah

Tip Rating:

Written by matcrazy1

on Jul 28, 2005

GARDENS OF THE KASBAH