Rabat City Tour-the Royal Palace

Rabat is one of the four imperial (capital) cities of Morocco (the other three being Mekenes, Fes and Marrakech), and has been the capital since the French moved it there from Fes in 1912.  King Mohamed V kept Rabat as the capitol after Morocco regained independence in 1956, and its Medina (walled city) is a World Heritage Site.  It is here that we met our guide, Khalid, and were immediately immersed in the fascinating history of a country that has been at the crossroads of cultures for centuries.

 Our guide, Khalid, instructs us on how to use our "whispers", an audio system which allows us to hear him from quite a distance--good for when you're behind 19 other travelers!

We begin with a tour of the Royal Palace:

 King Mohamed VI has been ruler since 1999 and is part of the Alaouite dynasty that has ruled Morocco since 1631.  He is considered quite a liberal reformer by Moroccans, as he has given more power and independence to both parliament and judiciary branch since succeeding his father, King Hassan II and has given women more power via the Mudawana, or family code, which grants them rights of divorce, alimony, custody of children, and requires husbands who wish to have more than 1 wife to get the permission of their current wife(ves) (Islam permits polygamy, but this is quite rare in Morocco, and getting rarer after the implementation of this law).  He has also required all children to attend school (which is free through university) until age 14, and currently 51% of Moroccan university students are women.

 The palace is guarded by members of each of the Royal armed services, as well as the gendarmerie (state police).

 Moroccan architecture is dominated by the Moorish style--which includes the unique arches, carved plaster and wood, and intricate tile work--always in geometric patterns, never showing humans or animals.  The patterns do not have any particular meaning, with the exception of the five-pointed star which refers to the five pillars of Islam: the belief in the uniqueness of god, to give to charity, to pray five times per day, to observe Ramadan, and to make a pilgrimage to Mecca (if one's health and fortune allows).

 A close-up of the calligraphy over the main gate.  Arabic is read from right to left, like Hebrew.

The palace is a popular tourist site: this is another Gate 1 group waiting for their turn to take photos!