The People and Sights of the Old Kasbah in Rabat, Morocco

 These charming girls were happy to pose for us in the old Kasbah section of rabat, Morocco.

 This is part of the old town wall of the Kasbah of the Udayas in Rabat, built from the 6th Century to the 12th Century.

 The architectural details of the old Kasbah was charming, such a this old door.

 The Kasbah was a maze of narrow passageways, with houses painted blue and white.  Although one might think from the colors that this is Greece, this is Rabat, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, north of Casablanca,

This young boy was helping his father paint the walls of their house.

Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

We recently showed some photos of Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, but it is such a monumental building that it deserves us sharing a few more photos.  Above is an area for prayer, with the prayer rugs laid out on the floor in the locations where people will be kneeling.  Glass doors open to the sea provide bathe the interior with natural light.

6,000 master artisans worked on the decor of the mosque, which was completed in 1993.

This guard monitored the entrance to the stairs leading to the basement where people can wash their feet before going upstairs to pray.

These fountains and wash basis are for people to wash their feet, as shoes are removed, of course, before entering mosques. Natural light enters the basement from the area around each pillar.

The mosque sits on the Atlantic Ocean, which provides a scenic backdrop for this worshipper.

This family took a break from their visit to the mosque to relax on the steps, and for their daughter to adjust her pigtails, which I guess will be hidden from view when she gets older.

Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque

The Hassan II Mosque is monumental.  It is the 7th largest mosque in the world, with enough room for 25,000 worshippers inside and another 80,000 on the plaza outside.  Construction was completed in 1993.

This is the tallest minaret in the world, at 689 feet (210 m.), the height of a 55 story building.  It is thew tallest religious structure in the world.  Minarets in Morocco are different than the rest of the Muslim world because they are square, not round.

The massive scale of the mosque is placed into perspective by our daughter-in-law, who is standing in front of these doors.

We love the intricate geometric patterns of tiles that is characteristic of Arabic architecture and design.

The interior of the mosque is lovely.  The mosque sits on a point on the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the floor is glass and the ocean is visible below.  Natural light from the seacoast enters the prayer hall through glass doors.  This prayer hall is more than two football fields long.

The colorful tanneries of Fez, Morocco

Colorful leather shoes are on display for sale in Fez, Morocco, but the process by which the leather is dyed is both fascinating and troubling, as shown below.

There are many vats of dye into which animal hides are doused.  From a distance the colors and patterns are inviting, but take a look at the closer view below.

The animal hides are dyed by hand, with men standing in the vats of dye.  Part of my work involves promoting safety for workers in the USA, and exposure to the chemicals in these vats of dye cannot be healthy.

The architecture of Morocco is intricate and colorful.   This is the interior of the Bou Inania Madrasa, which was founded in 1351.  It is a mosque as well as a school.

I believe this gentleman is one of the teachers. He was some quiet moments in the courtyard and attracted the attention of these cats as well my camera.

Street Scenes of Marrakech

In Marrakech, it is common for buildings to be plain on the outside and to feature elaborate interior courtyards.   Minarets dot the skyline.  In Morocco, as with the Moorish architecture of southern Spain, the minarets are square, unlike most of the Muslim world that has round minarets.

These two women enjoy a chat in the partial shade under some lattice work.  The Arabic spoken in Morocco differs somewhat from the Arabic spoken in the rest of North Africa and the Middle East.  The Ottoman Empire never extended as far west as Morocco, so the many words of Arabic that were imported from Turkish did not become part of the vocabulary in Morocco.

The medina, or old city, in Marrakech includes a huge square, the Djemaa El-Fna, that features vendors, snake charmers, musicians, and tourists.  These are some fo the buildings that line the square.

 This man emerged from a building in a quiet corner of Marrakech and locked up for the evening.

Vendors in the old section of Marrakech display their products in  the plazas, streets, sidewalks, and alleyways,  It is often common for people to hang rugs from their roofs to air them out in the sun.  It seems chaotic to Americans unaccustomed to such a rush of activity and crowds of people.

The People of Casablanca, Morocco

People are the same the world over. These women were sitting and catching up on the day's events after shopping in the old Medina section of downtown Casablanca. Their clothes may be distinctive and characteristic of the Arab world, but does this otherwise look like a scene that you might see in your home town?
This is a detail of the clock tower in the wall of the old Medina.
This is the clock tower of the old Medina. Casablanca is the third largest city in Africa. It was a small town until the French made it their commercial center. Except for the old walled Medina, most of the city was developed in the 20th century.
This is a shopkeeper in the new Medina section of Casablanca, developed by the French because the old, walled Medina was too small and crowded. His smile must mean that either business is good, or he was happy to have his photo taken.
The doorways of Morocco often hide courtyards with intricately patterned tiled walls and relaxing fountains.
Who needs a table to play checkers when you have four knees? The mirror in front of a shop in the new Medina reveals the concentration on both sides of the face of the man on the right. It must be his move next, and it looks like he is down a piece or two.
This family set up a table for dinner in the old Medina of Casablanca. It is common in Morocco to see women carrying young children in a sling draped around their shoulders.

Seaside Activity in Morocco

I will begin this series of photos on seaside activity in Morocco with a photo that shows a dog who is not very active. He has found a nice spot for a nap, with an ocean breeze and shade from the clothes on the line. This photo was taken in the Anfa area of Casablanca, shown in more photos below. These photos show the real Morocco as this is not a tourist location but is a special place where locals go and enjoy the day.
Friends and families gather for a picnic on the beach next to an old seaside village along the Atlantic coast in the Anfa area on the south side of Casablanca. Our guide explained that women come here because it historically was regarded as a place to help with fertility. The location of this village on a rocky point reached by walking across a low sandy flat made this sort of like a Moroccan version of Mont St. Michelle.
Almost all of Casablanca is a modern city built in the 20th century, with the exception of the old medina district downtown near the port and this seaside village, which is several hundred years old. The Anfa district includes some very nice homes on the hills with views of the ocean. Churchill and Roosevelt met in Anfa during World War II. The Germans had broken the Allied code and know that they would be meeting in Casablanca, but thought the reference was to the White House, rather than Morocco.
This family on the beach allowed me to photograph them. The boy was a little shy at first, but enjoyed seeing his photo. It was great to see three generations of the daughter, mom and grandma together. The family invited me to sit down and have tea with them.
Here is the food that the family brought for their picnic. Tea, hard-boiled eggs and some bread were popular items for beach food.

Someone must have made lots of trips to the beach in this old motorcycle. It is such a vintage photo.