A first class train took us to Meknes for an exhausting but very interesting day of sightseeing. One of the imperial cities, many of its buildings were created by the tyrannical Sultan Moulay Ismail reputed to be responsible for over 30,000 deaths not including those killed in battle. The Bab Mansour, one of the finest gates in Morocco, was our first stop before visiting the Sultan’s beautiful Mausoleum (although one does feel guilty admiring it after hearing about his cruel exploits). We also stumbled on a gorgeous riad, hidden behind an unprepossessing doorway. There were also vast underground vaults to see which were granaries and storerooms to fend off the effects of sieges and droughts.
As interesting as the historical sites is to just sit in a cafe and watch the world go by, something we did quite a few times during the day to rest from the heat and all the walking we did (there are 45km of imperial city walls and it felt like we saw all of them!). We have seen a very eclectic mixture of dress from the most traditional djellabyahs to quite sexy western. Age plays a part in choice for the men (most young opt for western attire) but not so much for the women who can be in anything from a full-length baggy robe with hood to a shapeless kaftan without headscarf to western dress with headscarf to tight-fitting leggings and tops. It is not unusual to see both extremes walking together.
As interesting as the historical sites is to just sit in a cafe and watch the world go by, something we did quite a few times during the day to rest from the heat and all the walking we did (there are 45km of imperial city walls and it felt like we saw all of them!). We have seen a very eclectic mixture of dress from the most traditional djellabyahs to quite sexy western. Age plays a part in choice for the men (most young opt for western attire) but not so much for the women who can be in anything from a full-length baggy robe with hood to a shapeless kaftan without headscarf to western dress with headscarf to tight-fitting leggings and tops. It is not unusual to see both extremes walking together. More pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/Ironylondon/DayTripToMeknes
Everyone has been incredibly friendly, helpful and welcoming as we struggle with our school French! Off for 2 nights to Fes tomorrow.
Everyone has been incredibly friendly, helpful and welcoming as we struggle with our school French! Off for 2 nights to Fes tomorrow.
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