2016-09-25 Palais Faraj Hotel, Fez to Hotel Dar Rhizlane Marrakesh via Meknes, Voulibus & Casablanca, Morocco
Today we have organised a driver to take us to Meknes , Volubilus and then on to Casablanca where we have a flight booked in the evening taking us to MarrakeshOn our way through the city we pass the Puerta de PalacioDeparting the fabulous city of Fez with it’s wonderful history, sites and culture we vowed to return in the futureWe begin our journey and head west on highway N4Once we departed the bustling city of Fez we found ourselves traveling through open fields framed by spectacular mountainsWe pass many people going about their daily tasksOn the side of the road, approximately 70 km from Fez, we stop to stretch our legs at an open air market Many local crafts were on display for saleRic immediately makes friends with the son of the vendorNuts, dried peas and beans, gourds, onions, melons, dried fruits, oranges and pomegranates were also on offer for sale here too!!Barage Sidi Chahed, an inland lake can be seen from the market area by the road above the valleyNo wonder a permanent market is set up here by the road, as the scenery alone is well worth stopping for!!We continue west on our journey enjoying the spectacular sceneryThe scenery is certainly quite outstanding!!The donkeys have a hard life here in this country!!We spot a well laden cart of fresh bread as we pass through the small town of Nzala Beni AmmarOne must be careful of the local herds that feed beside the main roadsOur first glimpse of the ancient town of Volubilis which is north of the town of MeknesThe entrance to the Volubilis siteVolubilis was settled in the 3rd Century BC and prospered until 40ADAn English speaking local tour guide was organised to take us around the siteWe head towards the remains of the ancient BasilicaThe ancient ruins of the Basilica are one of the only buildings that are still quite impressive at the siteThe Basilica stands high on a hill overlooking the farmlands belowRic and our very informative and jovial tour guideOverlooking plantations of cereals and olives the Triumphal Arch is the only other structure on the Volubilis site that still is in reasonable conditionThe site contains many well preserved ancient mosaic floorsThere are plenty of ancient relics to be found around the site too!!We head uphill along the street that links the Triumphal Arch to the Tangier Gate, passing the remains of the House of Dionysus and the Four SeasonsLooking back towards the Triumphal ArchAnother fabulous mosaic floor at the Volubilis siteVolubilis was thriving in 2nd and 3rd Centuries AD when most of the buildings in the city centre were built
Our tour guide was certainly one of the best guides we have ever had!!!Once back in the car, we leave the site and head for the small hilltop village of Moulay Idriss where we intend to stop for a quick lunchMoulay Idriss Zarhoun is not far from the ancient site of VolubilisThe owner and staff were very friendly at the little restaurant we arrived at in the small villageOur driver told us he enjoyed the food at this little restaurantThe food looked very good and the restaurant was also very cleanSpicy kebabs on the grill looked deliciousRic and I share a plate of the delicious spicy kebabs and tomatoWe continue on our journey and hopefully in the future we may have time to see more of this delightful little village including the Tomb of Idriss 1 !!Looking back to Moulay IdrissNearby is the city of Meknes which together with Volubilis has been situated in the heart of the major agricultural area of Morocco since ancient timesWe approach Meknes which was founded in the 10th CenturyMeknes has grown over the years and now has a population of around one million peopleAs we enter the city we pass the Bab El-Khemis Gate built in 1673
We visit the Bab Mansour Gate, with its building finished in 1732Opposite the Bab Mansour Gate is a large square that has a permanent covered food market which also sells pottery, flowers, gifts etcOn our tour around the city we pass the Prison de Kara which is an underground prison, no longer in use todayWe continue along the Palace wall towards the lakeSahrij Swani is an artificial lake which acts as an enormous reservoir that was built by Moulay Ismail to provide water for the Imperial CityLooking towards the Royal Stables by the lakeInside the elegant Royal StablesWe leave Meknes and our journey to Casablanca continuesWe finally arrive in Casablanca and fortunately have time to visit the Hassan 11 Mosque before our dash to the airportThe Hassan 11 Mosque is the 2nd largest religious building in the world behind the huge mosque in MeccaThe complex here covers 90,000 sq metres with two-thirds built over the seaRic & Helve at the Hassan 11 Mosque in CasablancaThe Minaret, the lighthouse of Islam, towering above the massive mosque is 25m wide and 200m high and has two laser beams reaching over a distance of 30km that shine in the direction of Mecca
Thousands gather in the early evening at the sea’s edge beside and on the rocks next to the Hassan 11 MosqueTime for us to make our way to the airport to catch our flight to MarrakeshAfter a short flight from Casablanca we arrive at the modern Marrakesh AirportOur arrival is quite late at our hotel in Marrakesh
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