Day 1 : Casablanca/Rabat (Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage) On arrival at Casablanca airport, meet & greet and private transfer to Rabat via the main highway linking these two major cities. The inscribed city encompasses the new town conceived and built under the French Protectorate from 1912 to the 1930s. It also encompasses older parts of the city dating back to the 12thcentury including the Hassan Mosque (begun in 1184) and the Almohad ramparts and gates, the only surviving parts of the project for a great capital city of the Almohad caliphate as well as remains from the Moorish, or Andalusian, principality of the 17thcentury. Overnight in Rabat. Day 2 : Rabat/Meknes/Fez (Meknes & Volubilis, World Heritage Sites) This morning visit Rabat’s cultural highlights : The Hassan Tower, an excellent example of the gorgeous Mauresque style and the nearby mausoleum dedicated to Mohamed V, the founder of modern Morocco, before travelling to Meknes, one of the Imperial capitals of Morocco. Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement, Meknes became a capital under the powerful Alawite sultan Moulay Ismaïl (1672–1727). The sultan turned it into an impressive city in Spanish-Moorish style, surrounded by high walls with great doors, where the harmonious blending of the Islamic and European styles of the 17th century are still evident today. On to Volubilis, the largest and most well preserved Roman site in Morocco. The Mauritanian capital, founded in the 3rd century B.C., became an important outpost of the Roman Empire and was graced with many fine buildings. Extensive remains of these survive in the archaeological site, located in a fertile agricultural area. Later this afternoon arrive Fez, the cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco. Overnight in Fez. Day 3 : Fez (The Medina of Fez, World Heritage Site) Morning visit Fez El Bali (old Fez) founded in the 9th century and home to the oldest university in the world. The city reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Merinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the medina – medersas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains - date from this period. Although the political capital of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fez has retained its status as the countrys cultural and spiritual centre. In the afternoon, visit Dar Batha, the museum of Moroccan Arts, housing historical and artistic collections of wood carvings, embroidery, tribal carpets and ceramics. Continue on to Fez El Jedid (New Fez). Most notably, it is home to the Royal Palace and the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, providing an interesting insight into the Jewish architecture. Overnight in Fes. Day 4 : Fez/Marrakech After breakfast, we will journey into the cedar forested Middle Atlas, North Africa’s greatest mountain range. We will be crossing Berber villages of Azrou and Khenifra en route to Beni Mellal situated in the heart of the fertile Tadla Plain. The latter part of the journey sees the road descend from the Atlas Mountains further south and down into the Haouz Plain, before reaching Marrakech. Overnight in Marrakech. Day 5 : Marrakech (The Medina of Marrakesh, World Heritage Site) Discover the city’s architectural attractions situated inside the Medina. Founded in 1070–72 by the Almoravids, Marrakesh remained a political, economic and cultural centre for a long period. Its influence was felt throughout the western Muslim world, from North Africa to Andalusia. It has several impressive monuments dating from that period: the Koutoubiya Mosque, the Kasbah, the battlements, monumental doors, gardens, etc. Later architectural jewels include the Badia Palace, the Ben Youssef Medersa, the Saadian Tombs, several great residences and Djemaa El Fna square, a veritable open-air theatre listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.The Djemaa El Fna Square is one of the main cultural spaces in Marrakesh and has become one of the symbols of the city since its foundation in the eleventh century. It represents a unique concentration of popular Moroccan cultural traditions performed through musical, religious and artistic expressions. Overnight in Marrakech. Day6:Marrakech/Essaouira (The Medina of Essaouira, World Heritage Site) Depart to to the old fortified fishing port of Essaouira situated on the Atlantic coast. Essaouira is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African context. Since its foundation, it has been a major international trading seaport, linking Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the rest of the world. See the impressive town fortifications consisting of an amazing mixture of Portuguese and Berber military architecture. Explore the souks and the carpentry workshops devoted to cedar and thuya wood carving. See Gnaoua Art galleries which are dotted in the city, and visit the fortified fishing port. Overnight in Essaouira. Day 7 : Essaouira/Casablanca (The Portuguese City of El Jadida, World Heritage Site) Today travel to Casablanca along the coastal road. En route stop at El Jadida. The Portuguese fortification of Mazagan, in the city of El Jadida, was built as a fortified colony on the Atlantic coast in the early 16th century. It was taken over by the Moroccans in 1769. The fortification with its bastions and ramparts is an early example of Renaissance military design. The surviving Portuguese buildings include the cistern and the Church of the Assumption, built in the style of late Gothic architecture. The Portuguese city of Mazagan - one of the early settlements of the Portuguese explorers in West Africa on the route to India - is an outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures, well reflected in architecture, technology, and town planning. Overnight in Casablanca. Day 8 : Casablanca - departure After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Casablanca airport for your onward flight.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:33:52 +0000
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