Other sights in Morocco
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Kasbah des Oudaias
This occupies the oldest part of the city, the site of the original ribat, and commands powerful views over the river and ocean from its cliff-top perch. The kasbah is predominately residential and the narrow streets are lined with whitewashed houses - most of which were built by Muslim refugees from Spain. It's a tranquil and picturesque place to wander and there's no need for a guide. Ignore anyone who advises you that the kasbah is 'forbidden'.
The most dramatic entry to the kasbah is through the enormous Almohad gate of Bab Oudaia, built in 1195. Its location, facing the heart of the city and just outside the original palace, made it more ceremonial than defensive and…
reviewed
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Peninsula
A walk around the peninsula reveals a bit more of the history and mystery that makes Ceuta what it is. The peninsula is topped by Monte Hacho, said by some to be the southern Pillar of Hercules (Jebel Musa, west of Ceuta, is the other contender; Gibraltar being the northern pillar). The summit is crowned by Fortaleza de Hacho, a fort first built by the Byzantines and added to since by the Moroccans, Portuguese and Spanish. Now occupied by the army, it is out of bounds.
On the northern slopes of Monte Hacho stands the yellow-and-white Ermita de San Antonio. This convent, originally built in the 17th century and reconstructed in the 1960s, is the venue for a large festival …
reviewed
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Tangier American Legation Museum
Morocco was, surprisingly, the very first country to recognise the fledgling United States, and this was the first piece of American real estate abroad (look for the letter of thanks from George Washington to Sultan Moulay Suleyman). It is also the only US National Historic Landmark on foreign soil, and undoubtedly the only one that contains an American flag in the form of a Berber rug. But you don’t have to care about American history to visit the Legation. The elegant five-storey mansion holds an eclectic collection that, in classic Tangerine fashion, resists categorisation. An impressive display of paintings and prints is a dreamy trip through the Tangerine past throug…
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Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts
Opened in 1998, this museum is in a wonderfully restored funduq – a caravanserai for travelling merchants who stored and sold their goods below and took lodgings on the floors above. Centred on a courtyard, the rooms are given over to displays of traditional artefacts from craftsmen’s tools, chunky prayer beads and Berber locks, chests and musical instruments (compare the traditional wedding furniture with the modern glitzy chairs outside in Place an-Nejjarine). Everything is beautifully presented, although the stunning building gives the exhibits a run for their money. The rooftop café has great views over the medina. Photography is forbidden.
reviewed
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Casablanca's Neighbourhoods
Casablanca is Morocco's commercial hub and is more interested in big international business than the tourist dollar. For the traveller it can be a pretty workaday place to visit and for its size has a dearth of traditional tourist attractions. Apart from the incredible Hassan II Mosque, the city's main appeal is in strolling around its neighbourhoods: the Art Deco style of the city centre, the gentrified market district of the Quartier Habous and the beachfront views of the Corniche.
You'll appreciate Casablanca more if you've seen other parts of Morocco first and can compare its cosmopolitan vibe to life in the rest of the country.
reviewed
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St Agatha’s Crypt & Catacombs
St Agatha’s Crypt & Catacombs are interesting as they contain a series of remarkable frescoes dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries. According to legend, these catacombs were the hiding place of St Agatha when she fled Sicily. Tours of the catacombs are conducted regularly and explain the history of the site and point out features of the artwork. Back at ground level is a quirky little museum containing everything from fossils and minerals to coins, church vestments and Etruscan, Roman and Egyptian artefacts. Note that from October to June the complex is closed between noon and 1pm.
reviewed
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Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
Diagonally opposite the Koubbat as-Sufara’ is the resting place of the sultan who made Meknès his capital in the 17th century. Moulay Ismail’s stature as one of Morocco’s greatest rulers means that non-Muslim visitors are welcomed into the sanctuary. Entry is through a series of austere, peaceful courtyards meant to induce a quiet and humble attitude among visitors, an aim that’s not always successful in the face of a busload of tourists. The tomb hall is a lavish contrast and showcase of the best of Moroccan craftsmanship. Photography is permitted, but non-Muslims may not approach the tomb itself.
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Domus Romana
The Domus Romana, also called the Roman House, was built in the 1920s to incorporate the excavated remains of a large Roman townhouse from the 1st century BC. The centrepiece is the original peristyle court (formerly an open courtyard surrounded by columns). The mosaic floor has a geometric border around an image of two birds perched on a water bowl, known as the Drinking Doves of Sosos; a cistern in one corner collected rainwater. There are additional mosaic fragments and artefacts from Malta’s Roman period, including sculptures, amphorae, pottery fragments and oil lamps.
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Archaeology Museum
Dusty and forlorn but interesting (even if the labels are only in French), the Archaeology Museum gives a good account of Morocco’s history. Prehistoric finds include a beautiful neolithic rock carving of a man surrounded by concentric circles. The highlight of the collection is the Salle des Bronzes, which displays ceramics, statuary and artefacts from the Roman settlements at Volubilis, Lixus and Chellah. Look out for the beautiful head of Juba II and the unforgiving realism of the bust of Cato the Younger – both found at Volubilis.
reviewed
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Jewish Cemetery & Habarim Synagogue
The southwest corner of the mellah is home to the fascinating Jewish Cemetery & Habarim Synagogue, where the sea of blindingly white tombs stretches down the hill; those in dedicated enclosures are tombs of rabbis. One of the oldest, high up against the north wall, is that of Rabbi Vidal Hasserfaty, who died in 1600. On the slope below, the large tomb with green trimming is that of the martyr Solica, a 14-year-old girl who refused to convert to Islam or accept the advances of the governor of Tangier and subsequently had her throat slit.
reviewed
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Tamnougalt
The mother of all ksour (castles) is the 16th-century fortified village at Tamnougalt, one of the oldest mud-brick ksar still standing and an essential stop on any Moroccan architecture pilgrimage. The maze of rooms leads through a sizable mellah, dips underground with strategically placed skylights and candle nooks, and emerges into dazzlingly bright courtyard stables lined with horseshoe arches. See if you can distinguish between the Arab, Andalusian and Berber Jewish motifs that blend so seamlessly here.
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Royal Walls
The most impressive sight in Ceuta is the medieval Royal Walls. These extensive fortifications, of great strategic complexity, have been beautifully restored, with information boards in English. The beautifully designed Museo de los Muralles Reales, a gallery that houses temporary art exhibitions, lies within the walls themselves. It’s a most atmospheric space, worth visiting regardless of what’s on show – although if you’re lucky enough to catch local artist Diego Canca, don’t miss his work.
reviewed
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Artisanal School
Just outside Bab el-Okla is the Artisanal School - the best artisan centre in northern Morocco. This is a fascinating opportunity to see masters teaching apprentices traditional arts, including ornamental woodwork, silk costumes, carved plaster, intricate mosaics and decorative rifles. A fantastic central treasury holds the best of the best – don’t miss the ceiling. Staff will open it upon request. The building itself is of interest, set around a large courtyard, with fine doors upstairs.
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Medersa el-Attarine
Founded by Abu Said in 1325 in the heart of the medina, the Medersa el-Attarine was designed as a separate annexe to the Kairaouine Mosque. Halls for teaching and a modest masjid flank the central courtyard. Displaying the traditional patterns of Merenid artisanship, the zellij (tilework) base, stuccowork and cedar wood at the top of the walls and on the ceiling are every bit as elegant as the artistry of the Medersa Bou Inania.
reviewed
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Grotto of St Paul
Beside St Paul’s Church, stairs lead down into the Grotto of St Paul, a cave where the saint is said to have preached during his stay in Malta. The statue of St Paul was gifted by the Knights in 1748, while the silver ship to its left was added in 1960 to commemorate the 1900th anniversary of the saint’s shipwreck. Come in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the tour groups that congest the narrow space.
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Dar el-Makhzen
The entrance to Dar el-Makhzen is a stunning example of modern restoration, but the 80 hectares of palace grounds are not open to the public. Visitors must suffice with viewing its imposing brass doors, surrounded by fine zellij and carved cedarwood. Note the lemon trees to one side – tour guides are prone to plucking the fruit to demonstrate the juice’s astringent cleaning properties on the palace gates.
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St Paul’s Catacombs
St Paul’s Catacombs, dated from the 3rd century AD, were rediscovered in 1894. There’s not a lot to see in the labyrinth of rock-cut tombs, narrow stairs and passages, but it’s fun to explore (note that there are a number of uneven surfaces, so mind your step). Admission includes a self-guided, 45-minute audio tour available in a handful of languages.
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Jnan Sbil (Bou Jeloud Gardens) & Baghdadi Square
These gardens, also known as Jnane Sbil, have been providing welcome green space for well over a century. They’re a good halfway break between the mellah and Bab Bou Jeloud, and were undergoing extensive renovation and replanting when we visited. If you continue from here, you reach Baghdadi Square, an open-air market on the edge of the medina.
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Museo de la Basilica Tardorromana
This superbly executed underground museum is integrated into the architectural remains of an ancient basilica discovered during street work in the ’80s, including a bridge over open tombs, skeletons included. The artefacts become a means of branching out into various elements of local history. In Spanish, but definitely worth a lap through. Enter via c/Queipo de Llano.
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Tanneries
The Chouwara tanneries are one of the city’s most iconic sights (and smells). Head east or northeast from Place as-Seffarine and take the left fork after about 50m; you’ll soon pick up the unmistakeable waft of skin and dye that will guide you into the heart of the leather district (the touts offering to show you the way make it even harder to miss).
reviewed
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Archaeology Museum
A few blocks from the Place al-Jala there is an Archaeology Museum with an excellent collection of artefacts from the Roman ruins at Lixus. However, during research the published hours were not being adhered to; the museum had been closed for a week, and it was not clear when it would reopen.
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Ethnographic Museum
Just inside the Bab el-Okla, this museum is worth a visit for the terrace views of the Rif (ask the caretaker to open it for you, if necessary), its pleasant garden with old cannons and the display of silk wedding gowns. Otherwise, you’ll see some of the same decorative features in the palace restaurants.
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Wignacourt Museum
Signposted from the main square is the Wignacourt Museum, a real hotchpotch collection that’s worth a browse. It encompasses more Christian catacombs from around the 4th century, a WWII air-raid shelter, a baroque chapel, religious icons and vestments, and changing art exhibitions.
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Twin Center
Southwest of the Parc de la Ligue Arabe is the city’s business centre and the place to head for international designer brands. At the time of research, the Twin Center – marking the high-end of the chic shopping area – was about to open a shopping mall, luxury hotel and office spaces.
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Mémoire D’agadir
In the southwest corner of Jardin de Olhão, there’s Mémoire d’Agadir, a small museum dedicated to the 1960 earthquake. Displays include interesting photos of Agadir since the 1920s, while others show the effects of the quake.
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