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Experience

The Art

of TRAVEL

Rock the Kasbah
R ock the Kasbah

in Morocco
Morocco
in

ust when you think you’ve seen it all, there is The maze of whitewashed residences is splashed
by Lisa Spiller
Morocco. Given a solid 10 days, one can travel with brightly colored domes and doorways.
Jfrom the modern city of Casablanca to small Symbolic brass knockers and painted images of the
villages in the Atlas Mountains, desert camps on Hand of Fatima add intrigue and beckon further
the edge of the Sahara, ancient souks in Fez and explanation. Fatima, as it turns out, is the daughter
Marrakesh and experience the pulse between old of Mohammed the Prophet. Her hand is evident
world and new world like nowhere else in the world. everywhere, believed to ward off evil, as their
While Casablanca is considered the gateway to entrusted protector.
Morocco, it may surprise you to learn that the movie The people of Morocco are Arabs and Berbers,
wasn’t even filmed here! Casablanca is the economic the distinct ethnic group indigenous to North
center of Morocco, the largest city with the most Africa and primarily Muslim. The older generation
traffic. My best advice to gain a sense of place, cultural of women wear the abaya and headscarf, men wear
and religious understanding by visiting the Hassan the traditional Jalapa & fez, and modern millennials
II Mosque, one of the largest and most religiously dress in business attire. As a visitor, it was evident
important mosques in the world, with a private guide that the country is very religiously tolerant, and
and then move on to see highlights lying beyond, while we were encouraged to dress respectfully
beginning in Rabat. Rabat is the country’s capital and covering our knees and shoulders, we never
home to the royal residence of the Alawi family, who felt policed.
rules the Kingdom of Morocco. Tangier is the Hong Kong of Morocco. Access
Rabat exudes an almost Mediterranean chic vibe. to the straight of Gibraltar made Tangier very
A modern marina stacked with sleek yachts and international and it has evolved into one of the
a shoreline laced with austere glass walled condos toniest, expensive cities. The US expat population
shoulders up to the 16th century seaside kasbah. is strong here, along with extensive Spanish &
Kasbah is another word for fortress, and Morocco is French. Saturday evening the streets were buzzing
loaded with photographic kasbahs. The alluring white- with a global mix of pedestrians shopping, strolling
washed kasbah rises straight from the sea, and inside and dining. The white stucco and glass residential
the main gate, one can explore the stone pedestrian architecture, palm and bougainvillea-lined
alleys and bumpy streets of the medina, which is the boulevards, scrubby hilly coast and long beach is
residential quarter and the souk.

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