Monday, August 13, 2012

To the top of the walls

Inside the smaller walled Area or cashba is the king's palace where he has state meeting but does not live. They say he has a nice house In another area of Rabat. I'm sure if you are king you do have a nice house. So the lecture on kings: Mohammad V was the one who liberated Morocco from  the French and there is a great deal of appreciation and sentiment about him. We visited his grave which is near the oldest minaret begun in 1195. Regrettably that king died and the next king had other things happening to spend money on so it was never completed. Earthquakes and centuries later some wall and the first 1/2 of the tower are finished. The tomb of the kings overlooks the minaret, I suppose waiting for them to finish it....after the next pledge drive.

So Hassain II was the independence king's son and he was -  to quote the guide - a dictator. His son is now on the throne and is the reformer who has made Morocco and it's people what we know today. The way more interesting story is the wives, of course. No one in the history of Morocco had ever seen the king's wife until the present king, Mohammad VI. 

The top of the casbah overlooks the river and sea where we had a wonderful breeze.  There are tiny apartments all along the narrow street to the top. Doors are unique, but frequently show the Hand of Fatima to ward off the evil eye. Fatima was the Prophet's daughter. The Jews have a very similar symbol called the Hand of Miriam, Moses' sister.  The fingers are the five pillars or five books depending which side you are on.

Many well fed cats but I have seen no dogs.

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