Rabat City Tour-Kasbah of the Oudayas and the Medina

February 18, 2018

Rabat City Tour-Kasbah of the Oudayas and the Medina

Staying in the Almohad Caliphate of the 12th century (same era as Hassan Tower), we arrive at the mouth of the Oued Bou Regreg as it empties into the Atlantic Ocean, across from Sale, to the Kasbah (fort) of the Oudayas. Kasbahs are usually the oldest parts of a city, as they were the original fortifications a people used to keep out the enemy as new territories were established. They are often located inside the medina (walled city), as the medina grows outside the kasbah as the population expands. The Kasbah of the Oudayas is located at the edge of the medina in Rabat, as it is perched on the cliffs overlooking the river and sea. Like many kasbahs, today this is simply a old section of the city where people live and work.

The exterior walls of the kasbah.

The magnificent gate or "bab".

The inside of kasbah are calming, cooling shades of blue and white. One theory is that the blue color keeps the mosquitos at bay, but our guide does not recommend going without repellent in the summer!

Sellers of argan oil products and leather shoes are in every market.

Morocco is a land of cats!

The hand of Fatima to ward off evil. It is a common door knocker.

Nougat candy (delicious!) merchant. Moroccans overall seem to be both proud of and happy with their king and display his photo and the photos of the Royal family at their place of business. The latter is quite new, as until Mohamed VI, the wives and children of the King were never shown in public.

Ending our day with an excursion to our first medina! While most tourists use the term "medina" to mean market, the medina, in fact, is simply the walled portion of the city, which, while containing the market, also has homes and other businesses.