Welcome to Morocco! Salaam Alaikum! And before I forget; “HAPPY NEW YEAR”. Yes, it is the New Year Public Holiday in Morocco according to the Islamic Calendar, it is 1448. The Muslim Calendar is based on Lunar Cycles, which means the timing of certain holy days change as the years go. As I will go into later, Moroccans celebrate 3 New Years, the Muslim one, the Berber one on 30th January – it is the year 2977; and the Universal one on 1st January!

Having arrived in Port promptly, passengers received a late reminder that they needed to take their Passports to show the Officer (there was only one) in the Terminal. The check was just a cursory one, no stamps; but our particular tour today experienced a delay for 30 mins because a couple refused to bring their passports (presumably in case of being pickpocketed ashore), so eventually we left without them! We had a long day planned following our disembarkation at 7:20am, consisting of a tour to the Capital City, Rabat and a touristic view of Casablanca, returning to the ship at 6pm.

A little about Morocco, Casablanca and Rabat:

Morocco is considered one of the oldest kingdoms established in the 9th century with succeeding dynasties. The different dynasties used various cities as the Capital; Fes, Marrakesh, Casablanca and currently, Rabat. Rabat has been the administrative capital since1913, but Casablanca, being much larger, is considered the economic capital. Rabat is where the King is resident, but he has other palaces in the other cities; the current Monarch is King Mohammed 6th who has been on the throne since 1999, being the 24th King to occupy the throne. In Morocco the Monarchy goes by hereditary paternal descent to the oldest son (if no son, then it goes to the King’s Brother etc.). The King is currently 63 years old, he has a son, his successor Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, aged 23 and a daughter, Princess Lalla Khadija aged 20. The King divorced in 2018, so is free to marry again if he so wishes.

Casablanca was the largest port in Morocco. but a larger port has been recently built in Tangiers to the north, due to its proximity to Europe and Mediterranean, being just 14 miles from Spain. Morocco is lucky to have 300km of Atlantic coast and a large coast with Mediterranean. The main export is phosphate; Morocco holds 75% of the world’s stock! This is used in fertilizer and in many industrial processes. Other minerals and metals e.g. silver, are also extracted here. Oil has been discovered south of Casablanca, but it hasn’t been mined yet. However they have started to harvest natural gas. Agriculture is a main employer with over 50% of the population involved; the main products are potatoes, oranges, avocados, bananas, melons and olives. A recent 5 year drought has decimated wheat crops, and this was the highest volume import. The drought broke last year, and there has been recent heavy rains and floods, which has had its own impact on crops.

The Amazigh people, commonly known as Berbers, are the first and original inhabitants of Morocco, their presence in North Africa dates back more than 10,000 to 20,000 years. The Berbers were referred to by Greeks and Roman as barbarians or ‘uncivilised‘, because they were largely nomadic and not into establishing settlements. The initial name of Casablanca was “Anfa” from 7-15th cent; it means ‘Hill’ in the Berber language.

Did you know? 

The Berber language, Tamazight, was primarily an oral language, It underwent a massive cultural renaissance in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, translating oral language into script. Since 2011, it has become an official language in Morocco, and is taught in Schools.

Portuguese military fleet assaulted the city in 1468, reducing ancient Anfa to ruins. They returned to the abandoned ruins in 1515 to build a heavily fortified military base on top of the Hill with White painted houses to deter curious invadors. They named this new garrison town Casa Branca, “White House” in Portuguese. They pillaged the city for 300 more years until the 1755 Lisbon earthquake severely damaged the town's fortifications and led to the Portuguese leaving Morocco. Spanish traders then came and Casa Branca became Casablanca. The port was an important stopover between Spain and the ‘New World’, America. Indeed Morocco was the first country to recognise the independence of the USA, so the first American Embassy was set up in Tangiers - it is now a museum.

After years of successful trade in Morocco, between 1912 and 1956 France established a colonial protectorate in Casablanca, targeting it to become their primary industrial and deep-water port, and therefore rapidly transforming it into the bustling mega-city it is today. The Art Deco architectural style is evident in many of the buildings built by the French, and yes, French is also one of the official languages of Morocco, mainly used for commerce/business.

The population of Morocco is 37 million, with Casablance the largest city, having a Metro population of 7.7 million people. In contrast Rabat, has just 500,000 inhabitants, although it seems bigger, because its sister city, Sale, across the Bou Regreg river has 1.5 million people.

Rabat is the elegant, coastal capital city of Morocco, functioning as the political and administrative hub of the nation. Unlike busier tourist hubs like Marrakech or nearby Casablanca, Rabat is widely celebrated for its clean, orderly layout, tree-lined boulevards, and a relaxed, unhurried coastal atmosphere. Indeed, in 2012 Rabat became UNESCO World Heritage Site for its harmonious blending of an ancient Islamic past with French colonial urban planning, and also being one of the greenest capitals in the world!

Morocco, Portugal and Spain are co-hosting the World Cup final in 2030; they are completing a stadium in Rabat for the Final. Rabat is home to the largest universities in Morocco, and is where the King and Prime Minister, each have their own residences. The tallest building in Africa has been built here; opened in April 2026, the Mohammed VI Tower resembles a rocket, is 250 metres high housing 55 stories of Hotel, Offices, Restaurants and Observation decks. They have also just opened a new 2000 seat National Theatre/Opera House here in Rabat.

The first impression on entering the City environs, was seeing all the green!; manicured lawns, topiary hedges and gardens. We entered the Medina (Old City) via Sunset Gate. Our first stop was at the King’s Palace complex - an expansive, self-contained royal city within the Touarga commune of central Rabat; although he has other residences in each of the main cities when he tours the country. The King has his own guards, dressed in white Military uniforms and attending staff wear white abayas and red Fez hats.

The palace is not a single building, but rather consists of 4 elements:

The Royal Palace: showcasing striking green-tiled roofs, yellow-walled facades, and geometric wooden archways. 

The Mechouar: massive, beautifully landscaped public esplanade used for hosting official outdoor state ceremonies, military parades, and receiving foreign dignitaries. 

Ahl al-Fas Mosque: the King regularly attends community Friday midday prayers at this adjoining Mowsque.

Government Entities: an area of 40 hectares is dedicated to different government departments. The Prime Minister’s official office, the Royal Academy, the Supreme Court, and the barracks of the elite Moroccan Royal Guard are also located here,

We viewed the exterior of the Palace, Mosque and Esplanade, before returning to the coach to visit the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of the current King's grandfather and father. The Hassan Tower is a massive sandstone minaret commissioned by Sultan Yacoub al-Mansour in 1195. It was intended to anchor the largest mosque in the world, but construction halted after his death, leaving a historic field of free-standing stone columns.

Did you know? 

Moroccan Mosques are built with square minarets in Spanish Andalusia style similar to churches; this is to distinguish them from Ottoman Empire with round minarets, emphasizing that Morocco was never part of the Ottoman Empire.

Also, in Morocco the minarets are topped with 3 spheres representing the 3 main religions in Morocco: the large one is for Islam, the middle is for Judaism and the smallest for Christianity.

Directly opposite the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum constructed of brilliant white marble, intricate hand-carved plasterwork and zelije tile mosaics, serves as the royal tomb. Guards were position both outside and inside the Mausoleum. I was told off for taking a photo of Montgomery overlooking the Square! No one else was in the picture and it was taken looking away from the Mausoleum. The Security man did smile at me, when I answered him in Arabic! I said “Haram”, which means ‘Forbidden’ in Islam.

After all that excitement, it was time for Lunch… we relocated to our restaurant for lunch by coach. The restaurant was in the Medina, through some narrow streets and passageways. It was sad to see so many feral cats and kittens, with seemingly not much prospects…

Lunch was a wonderful thing! Previous experience has warned me that tour lunches can be ‘hit and more often, miss’; but this was definitely a ‘hit’. Beautiful house converted into a restaurant – most original houses have small exterior windows, which is compensated by large central courtyards open to let the light in. The restaurants was glassed over, so we could sit comfortably in the courtyard. We were served typical Moroccan food, a selection of salads to start – cucumber, tomatoes, rice salad, potato salad and fresh bread. This was followed by chicken tagine with lemon and olives, and this was followed by couscous with mediterranean vegetables and lamb. Home-made almond biscuits, Moroccan mint tea and a fruit platter of rockmelon, grapes and cherries, finished the meal!

After lunch, we had one final area to explore; the Kasbah of the Udayas (Citadel). Perched on a cliff edge, this fortified 12th-century military neighbourhood featured stunning labyrinthine streets painted entirely in stark blues and whites. Differentiating itself from the Medina, the Kasbahs typically only have one main entry gate, whereas a Medina would have several access gates. The Kasbah is home to many residents nowadays; our guide explained that the large doors had 2 methods for visitors to ‘announce’ themselves. A ‘friend’ or family member would use the lower door knocker, often shaped in the ‘hand of Fatima’. The lady of the house would recognise this and answer the door dressed casually. If a ‘stranger’ visited, they would use the higher knocker/bell, which was recognised as a different tone, so the lady of the house would be more conservatively dressed e.g. more covered up for the stranger.

Outside the Kasbah we saw the Chellah Necropolis; this ancient Roman town ruins alongside 14th-century medieval Islamic tombs, was destroyed by an earthquake. Visiting inside is not possible. It was now time to say farewell to Rabat as we returned via motorway to Casablanca and the last few touristic stops there. It was interesting to note that the numerous towns and villages alongside the road, consisted mainly of 3-4 story blocks of apartments. The only ‘tall’ building allowed was the minaret of the Mosque, as this had to be higher, so that residents and visitors alike can always know the location of the Mosque, and hear the ‘call to prayer’.

It took just over an hour to return to Casablanca, which felt ‘grubbier’, now that we had experienced Rabat. We stopped to view the only active Catholic Church in Casablanca; despite a concrete ‘butalist’ exterior, the interior sides were extensively covered in stained glass. I had to smile, that the ‘attendant’ for the church sitting outside selling candles, was happily praying to Mecca on his Muslim Prayer Mat! Multiculturalism, doesn’t Pauline hate it – Aussie joke, sorry!

We drove passed a Synagogue; our guide told us that there were still 30 active synagogues in Casablanca, although the actual Jewish population is very small nowadays. There were just a few short photos stops along the way to our final visit, which our guide was specifically timing for us. We stopped outside “Rick’s Café”; I could say; “as featured in the film, Casblanca”, but I’d be lying. The film was shot entirely in Hollywood; and although referring to Rick’s Café, this is an ‘interpretation’ of what the café would have been like.

We drove through the ‘posher’ suburbs of Casablanca with large villas and hotels. One such Hotel we drove past was the art deco Anfa Hotel. In 1943, during World War II, the ANFA Conference was held in this hotel, to plan the Allied European strategy for the next phase of the War. The main discussions were between US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Stalin declined to attend, citing the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad as requiring his presence in Moscow. Also attending were the sovereign of Morocco, Sultan Muhammad V, and representing the Free French forces, Generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud, but they played minor roles and were not part of the military planning. Key decisions included a commitment to demand Axis powers ‘unconditional surrender’ - the “Casablanca Declaration”, as well as plans for an invasion of Sicily and Italy before the main invasion of France, an intensified strategic bombing campaign against Germany, and approval of a US Navy plan to advance on Japan through the central Pacific and the Philippines. The success of the meeting heralded the settling up of the United Nations; hence one of the main squares in Casablanca is called United Nations Square.

Our guide timed everything to arrive at 5:15pm exactly at the Hassan 2nd Mosque on the Waterfront. This Mosque, build on a platform over the shoreline, is the largest in Morocco and the 6th largest in the world! It holds 20,000 men and 5000 women. The adjoining square outside can accommodate another 80000 people! The building was completed in 1993. Time was significant, in that the Square is normally roped off to all, until 30 minutes prior to the Late Afternoon Prayer, Asr, which was to be at 5:45pm on this day. In the Muslim calendar, the times for the 5 different prayers vary each day. I have listed the names and rough timing, of the 5 prayers (salah).

Fajr: The dawn prayer (performed before sunrise)

Dhuhr (or Zuhr): The early afternoon prayer (performed just after the sun crosses its zenith)

Asr: The late afternoon prayer

Maghrib: The sunset prayer (performed just after the sun goes down)

Isha: The night prayer (performed after twilight disappears)

Although we were then able to explore the Square and the exterior of the Mosque, we weren’t able to go inside. By 5:45, we were all ready to return to the Port, after a day of discovery and history describing the influences and events that involved Morocco shaping the world, past, present and future, witnessing the different sides of life and culture, ancient and modern, affluent and ‘not so’. I would certainly recommend Rabat for any people wishing to experience Morocco.

So now, back on board Crown Princess, we leave Africa behind and head to the European mainland in La Coruña, in the Galician Province of Spain. We also leave much Islam behind in exchange for Christian Pilgrims!