Rabat

Today started off early as we headed to the Mausoleum of Mohammed, the current king's father.  The mausoleum was beautifully decorated with marble and mosaic tile.  We were starting to realize this ornate decoration was just a part of Moroccan architecture.  At the mausoleum, a guard stood post at every entrance to the square structure as well as in all four corners of the interior of the building.  It just shows you how much respect Moroccans have for their royalty.

Outside the mausoleum gates.  

Outside of the Mausoleum, the Haasain Tower stood in the near distance.  The tower and the mosque were started but construction stopped with the funder passed away.  The remains of the mosque were destroyed when an earthquake hit in the 1700s.  Its kind of neat to walk among the pillars and crumbling walls with the prestige, modern Mausoleum in the background.

Inside the Mausoleum

After the Mausoleum we headed to the royal palace, to get a few snapshots of the beautiful grounds.  The palace is constructed of many buildings and no one is quite sure which one the king stays in.  At the gate we were quickly told we couldn't go past a certain point for security purposes.  As with all buildings in the city, the entrances were tiled arches with intricate detail as well as script from the Koran.

Josh outside the palace gates

From there we headed to Kasbah Chellah.  A Kasbah is a term for a fortified city.  There is usually a high surrounding wall and few gates.  This Kasbah was one of the few remaining in the city and was crumbling in many places. We hired a guide and walked among the paths exploring the ruins.  Storks had invaded the site and their nests could be seen in just about every high point still remaining.  The "clacking" of their beaks was the soundtrack to our visit.

There used to be a bronze head on this statue so I filled in.

Within the Kasbah

After a long morning in Rabat, we headed to Meknes to grab a quick bite to eat and see some of the important sights.  We are starting to get used the huge portions served at lunch and dinner.  Every meal is served in three courses which usually includes lots of Morocco salads, a tangine and fruits for dessert.  A la Carte menu has become our new favorite thing!

Besides lunch we did a quick driving tour of the city stopping by Bab Mansour gate and the sultans palace.  The sultan was rumored to have had 12,000 horses.  With that many horses, comes large buildings to store grain and large ponds for water.  The compound seemed to go on forever.

Bab Mansour gate

Heading out of Meknes, we set off for Volubis.  Volubis was the southern most Roman stronghold and was actually still inhabited until an earthquake leveled the city in the 1700's.  We got to walk among the ruins and tried to imagine what this city used to look like in its prime.  Many of the larger structures are still in place such as the imperial gate and church.  Not much of the smaller houses remain except some beautiful mosaic work.  Some of the best pieces tell stories of Hercules conquests and how a man was drawn away from his wife by two beautiful nymphs.

Josh standing in the ruins of the bascilla

Me playing tour guide within the ruins

After walking around the site for a little over an hour we decided it was time to head to Fes for the night.  Once there we checked into our riad and were shown up the winding staircase to our room at the top of the house.  We were exhausted but wanted to get out of the hotel for dinner that night.  Luckily we were able to find a great little riad close to ours that served Moroccan dishes and best yet had these great heaters next to your table.  Its cold here!

Looking down the main road of the ruins

The sun sets over the ruins

More columns

Looking back on it the day seemed like a whirlwind traveling from city to city.  We were looking forward to spending the next day exploring Fes a bit and wandering through the maze of the Medina.

*photos by Josh