An imperial city after Fez, Marrakesh and Meknes, Rabat’s many monuments are testimony to its rich, ancient history.

The Phoenicians already knew the estuary whose depth offered a protective waterway for their vessels on a coast which had none at all. They came there to fetch animal skins and salted fish 800 years B. e. The Carthaginians next created a fish preserve between 475 and 450 B.C. People, however, only settled in numbers there with the arrival of the Romans, founders of Sala Colonia. This small town was the southernmost point of trade for cereals, oil, wool and clay objects. It was partly abandoned in the 4th century and was dying.

During the 9th and 10th centuries, the Zenete Berbers who reigned in Fès and the schismatic Kharidjites who were established in Rabat fought one another there. The latter built a ribat or fortress on the south bank that would eventually end up being taken by the masters of Fès. Too far away from the Saharan trade routes and from the power of Fès, Rabat was eventually forsaken by its new rulers.

In the 12th century, the Almohades waged a jihad and longed to acquire Andalusia and Tunisia. To realize their ambition, they needed a fleet to cross the straits. Abdel Moumen rediscovered the Bou Regreg estuary. He rebuilt the ribat and outfitted a new fleet that he launched against Spain. There he stopped the Andalusian advance in 1148. Then, 200,000 men set sail for Tunisia where they pushed the Normans all the way back to Sicily. From that time, the Ribat was both a fortress and a monastery, from which the warrior monks launched intermittent expeditions against Spain.

The Almohades called their fortress town Ribat El Fath or camp of victory. This encampment continued to be enlarged and embellished through conquest. Nevertheless, it was the Oudaïas, an Arabic tribe, which would establish itself there in the future and which would give its name to it. Yacoub El Mansour, reigning sovereign in Marrakesh, decided to make of this coastal city a major regional capital. In order to protect the Ribat, he built a network of ramparts whose only opening was the monumental Bab Al Rouah, the gate of winds. He ordered as well the construction of Hassan Tower, but he did not see it to its end.

The surging back of the Almohades signaled the decline of Rabat, warrior city, while nearby Salé prospered through trade with Europe in animal skins, spices and woolen materials. Bab Mrisa in Salé, whose exceptional height allowed ships to enter an exit the port without lowering their masts, with its launching towers and its shattering arrows, is often attributed to the Merinides.

This tribe entered Rabat and Salé in July 1258, but pa id it no heed. It was only at the beginning of the 14th century that Abou Said decided to raise a fortress on the site of the old Sala Colonia which he gave the actual name of Chellah.
He built the gate and the ramparts, and his son, Abou El Hassan, the mosque. This son also built the Medersa of Salé in 1341, remarkable for its stuccowork in the shape of honeycombs and its cedar wood carvings. He also enlarged the Mosque of Salé which had been built originally by the Almohades. During this same century two famous « koubbas » (memorial tombstones for a « marabout » or Muslim healer) were erected, the one dedicated to Sidi Benachir, a refugee from Andalusia, and the other to Sidi Abdellah Ben Hassan, patron saint of sailors whose feast day is still celebrated every year.

This cult grew because the sailors wrote about the glorious times of Salé. The Merinides retreated to Fès, and the Saadiens who emerged in the 16th century allowed privateering to develop. The Hornacheros, chased from Andalusia, found refuge in Salé and Rabat. This latter city was so entirely eclipsed by its rival that it changed its name to « New Salé ». The pirates based in Salé pillaged the Atlantic from the Canaries to the English Channel and insured the continuing oppulence of the city. The Almohades and Merinides houses were rebuilt; and these two cosmopolitan towns on the estuary sheltered Christian mercenaries, refugee Jews, Moors, and Blacks from Timbuctoo .

The privateering received the benediction of the sultan Moulay Ismael who even contributed a corps of Black slaves to the Oudaïas. He built there a Palace which today houses the Museum of Moroccan Arts. In Rabat, this first political recognition of the town resulted in the Mechouar,Thereafter the buildings housing the palace itself, the Secretariat, the supreme Court, the Presidency of the Council, and the various services of the Royal Cabinet were constructed. The mosque Assounna was due to the same sovereign. King Hassan II has recently renovated it. In 1790, the capital was once again transferred to Fès. Rabat would only return to its former prominence after Marshal Lyautey established his residence there. He engaged wood and stucco sculptors to restore the buildings of Rabat and Salé and determined to preserve the medinas which bad been damaged by the European constructions. Henri Prost, the Protectorate’s Town-Planner, designed new quarters with large and spacious areas. These improved the look of the new Art Deco buildings, embellished with Moorish decorations, such as the Post Office, the Chambre of Deputies and the Bank of Morocco.

The choice of Rabat as the capital was confirmed by the late Mohamed V with the coming of independance. Rabat is today a dynamic capital which boasts more than 800,000 inhabitants, attracted by the presence of government ministries, administration and treasury buildings. City of civil servants, Rabat does not suffer from the presence of major industries which are set farther away. Previously an indolent city, it has not escaped by the end of this century the turbulence of modern life.

On the southern slopes of the High Atlas, one finds opulent, richly decorated, tall and slender earthen Kasbah, « ksours » or fortified villages, which are flanked with square bastions and crenulated towers? This Berber architecture fascinates and challenges time with its mysterious ochre silhouettes.

From the heart of these mountains, the Dades wadi or watercourse descends the slopes to the bottom of precipices and abrupt canyons. It then flows out, grand and serene, between the arid spurs of the Djebel Sagho and the impassable barrier of the High Atlas peaks all the way to Ouarzazate. All along its meandering course, where it causes oases and fertile fields to flower, the Berbers built their fortresses. In the gorges of the Dades, which seem to diss. into the purple rocks, the « ksours » – end by continuous and windowless walls –back up against the unreal folds of the dizzying rock face. Austere Kasbah, soberly decor, alternate with their colleagues, slender soaring towers. All have born witness to troubled past where one sheltered from my tribes behind thick walls. Seigniorial buildings of the powerful Berber dynasies these Kasbah were the residences of Arab chiefs who dwelled there while they waged two expeditionary wars.

As you leave the Dades gorges, you cupon the proud Boumalne Casbah at an altitude of 1,600 meters. The Dades wadi branches off here toward the west. A little further along on its banks, El Kelâa M’Gouna comes into view. Thousands of wild roses spread their delightfully purgent. scent over fields of barley and corn. These flowers are cooked each year in the spring, distilled in place and transfo med into rosewater.

Between El Kelaa M’Gouna and Ouarzazate sits the rich palm grove of Skoura, founded in the 12′ » century by Yacoub el Mansour, which stretches over many kilometrs. It is traversed by a net work of narrow dirt paths which can be explored on bicycle or on the back of a mule. Surrounded by rose plantations at small luxurious gardens, unusual earthen silhouettes spring up between the palm trees. El Kebbaba, Dar Aichil, Dar Ait Sot Amongst this harmoniously designed li. bah, capped with elegant bride towers u engraved arcades, riddled with small niches and pigeonholes with cbevron-topped rhom-bus-shaped motifs; one finds the imposing Kasbah of Amerhidil. Built at the turn of the century, it is still inhabited. Protected by eroded, low, dry stone wall, its tall bouses, welded to one another by shared walls, form a rampart. This is interrupted by many breaks and by jagged towers. It is so perforated that the light pierces the sha-dows.

The valley of Dades is notched by adjacent valleys, more difficult to reach, which stretch right up to the foot of the impassable sum¬mits, like that of the 4,071 meter high M’Goun or Mount Anrhomer, which peaks at more than 3,600 meters. In these footbills, magnificent Casbah sit, populated by vast families, half way up, the rich Toundoute and the luminous Assermo Casbah are distinguished by the lime makeup they wear, which brightens the dusky hue of their puddle clay geometric tattoos.

Past Ouarzazate, the majestic fortified village of Ait Benhaddou stands on the other side of the Mellah wadi, backing on to a pinkish sandstone bill. All the harmony of this village and its enigmatic beauty reside in its tangle of houses and its red and ochre puddle clay Kasbah bristling with crenels and scored by geometric designs. Alas, today, only a few inhabitants still remain to face the progressive deterioration of the walls and mud roofs. Of the hundred families that previously made the « ksar » or fortress their home, notore than jour or five still live there. Classified as part of the architectural patrimony of the world, the ksar of Ait Benhaddou remains one of the most poetic villages of this region.

Not that well known, the medina of Rabat is nevertheless an ideal place to stroll and to shop. Although not as popular as the medinas of Fes and Marrakech, it still offers both tourists and natives streets filled with charm.
Particularly lively, souika Street is lined with cafes and small! Food shops, covered with woven reeds, Es Sebat market is well known for slip¬pers and fine leather goods. The shaded cover only allows a bit of sunshine to filter through, creating a somewhat fantastic atmosphere, perpendicular to it is the Street of the Consuls, so named because up until 1912 it was where the representatives of foreign governments resided. Carpets from Rabat, tapestries from Sale, hammered and perforated copper, embossed leather and silk embroideries dazzle the eye and tempt passersby. Every Monday and Thursday, carpets are auctioned. A cul de sac opens on to this street. it is ca lied the Dead-end of the French Consulate in memory of the poet Andre Chenier who lived at number 62. He represented the interests of the French monarch in Morocco at the end of the 18th century. Behind the Street of the Consuls is hidden an amazing district that deserves a detour. Far from the liveliness of the market, narrow streets are sheltered by high white walls that are enhanced by vivid blue win¬dow shutters that along with wooden doors sculpted by Muslims who had come back from Spain plunge the passerby back into the 17th century .

The medina of Rabat has seduced more than one visitor as seen by c. Mauclair’s story, « The Colors of Morocco, » extracted from « Rabat-Sale in the 1925’s.In Sidi Fatah Street, I rested from the general uproar in the street and took shelter under the transverse vault of a mosque. The vault is a marvellous ceiling in sculpted and illuminated wood over a façade that is chiselled, polychromatic, and created with strange and exquisite taste (…) I climbed up to Andre Cheniers house, our first envoy in Rabat. There I searched for a bit of cool shade in the charming Kisaria laid out around a per¬fumed patio that contained a tea service in copper or silver, carpets and ceremonial arms. The place is discreet and pleasant.

Seated under the arch, I meditated there on the violent crowd outside that did not resemble anything of ours. It was a delirium of colors where every second the light gave off magical highlights. I felt myself free as well as lost in that crowd, whose rhythm escapes like it does in language and from the soul. It was so beautiful. »

To visit the souks

Leaving Hassan Il Boulevard, take Sidi Fatah Street, and then turn right on to Souika Street. Three hundred meters on, you come upon Es Sebat market, known for its shoes, jewelers and its fine leather goods. Fifty meters further on, turn left to follow the Street of the Consuls on which local craftsmen hawk their wares, carpets, copper products, and leather. Between numbers 30 and 32, take the side street into the old 17th century neighborhood.

The Mehdia Casbah is a timeless reminder of the glorious past of the western Gharb region. Situated by Lake Sidi Boughaba, 8 km west of Kénitra and 32 km north of Rabat, on a rocky hill on the left bank of the Sebou River estuary, the Mehdia Casbah has a spectacular vista ever mavelous countryside.

The Mehdia Casbah, which was decreed part of the national patrimony in 1916, is an important element in the abundant archeo: logical and natural attractions that make the region a leading destination for cultural tourism. The Gharb region has everything: pre-Islamic sites (Tamusida, Banasa, Brigha, and of course, the Mehdia Casbah); tsïamic attractions (including El Basrah and Ouazzane); superb naturel reserves (the Sidi Boughaba Reserve and Lake Merja zarqa); and remarkable reminders of the colonial period (especially Kénitra).
Historians suggest that the Phoenicians first explored the mouth of the Sebou River, and geographers place the Casbah on the site of the city of Thymiaterion, founded by King Hanno of Carthage during his famous voyage.

However attractive these theories may be, however, there is no tangible evidence to support either. Moreover, in « Natural History, » pliny wrote of the sebou River which flowed near Banasa without mentioning any other nearby cities. There are also no traces of Roman settlements at the site because the Romans had commercial trading relations with cities like Tamusida and Banasa that were on the Sebou River and did not bother exploiting the estuary.
The Casbah, or AI Maamora as described by Charif Idrissi in « Nouz’hat al mouchtaq fi khtiraq al afaq, » proved a safe harbor for naval shipyards during the period of Abdelmoumen Ben Ali Almoravide. In « wasf Ifriquia, » Mohamed Ben Hassan Ouazzane descrlbed it as a small city built at the mouth of the Sebou River to protect it from invaders.

In the beginning of the 16 th century, Maamora was occupied by the Portuguese who renamed it « San loao da Mamora. » Their conquest only lasted 46 days because the Moroccans quickly regrouped and counter attacked, inflicting heavy losses on the invaders as they drove them out.
Although they occupied the port of Maamora, the Portuguese never achieved their principal objective of building a fortress because of the ferocious resistance from local Moroccan fighters. We are still unsure of the exact location and architecture of any buildings the ëortuguese did construct in spite of numerous foundations that oral tradition attributes to these invaders. Although these ruins are found at the foot of the hill on which the Casbah Mehdia is perched, there is still no evidence of Portuguese activity in the actual Casbah itself.

THE « CORSAIR REPUBLIC OF MAAMORA »

After the Portuguese were repulsed, the port of Maamora witnessed a period of decline that was reversed only with the arrival of pirates from different countries, namely England and Holland. During the 17 th century, the port became infamous among seafaring nations. under the rule of Captain Henry Mainwaring it even renamed itself the « Corsair Republic of Maamora. »
As their notorious activities expanded, the pirates wreaked such havoc on the maritime trade routes to lndia that the large European powers decided to take punitive action against them. The Netherlands Parliament; among others, enlisted the help of the Moroccans under regime of Moulay Zidane to try to neutralize them, finally, the Spanish sent a large military expedition to occupy Maamora and they succeeded on taking the port on August 6, 1614. Under the Spanish occupation, the region changed its name to « San Miguel Ultramar » (Saint Michael overseas). We are certain that the Casbah situated on top of the hill was built during this Spanish conquest. The large walls surrounding the Casbah and most of the interior buildings were constructed during the reign of Moulay Ismael.
The Spanish occupation lasted 67 years, during which period there were continuous attempts to expel the invaders. The resistance was led either by the followers of layachi, who founded of the principality of Salé, the Mauresques of Salé, or the dilayines. Victory was finally achieved under Moulay Ismael, the great Alaouite Sultan who entrusted Omar Riffi with the military operation.
Under the reign of Moulay Ismael, the Casbah took on the shape and colour of traditional Alaouite casbahs. The walls were entirely reconstructed and a great number of public buildings were completed. The remnants of these important works are still visible today, notably:
- dar El Makhzen, the military headquarters of Omar Riffi. The eastern section bas entrance halls, galleries, shops, ammunition storage, a prison, and wells with water storage;

The western part of his compound that served as a sumptuous living quarters built in the traditional Alaouite style;

- The masque, the baths, a school, a public building in which many rooms were used to stock merchandise,
and a small market near that building where traders exchanged goods either imported from or destined for Morocco’s international trading partners,

- The West Gate, which is among the most beautiful found in western Islamic countries, It was built to take pressure off the Fes-Salé Bridge that was the eastern entrance to the Casbah. The original eastern access faced inland while this West Gate, which was built during the Spanish era, looks out to the sea.

At the same time, Moulay Ismael also improved the facilities at the port of Mehdia. The increase of sea trade further amplified the Casbah’s importance and both its population and number of buildings dramatically increased.

Suddenly, in 1795, the Casbah’s prosperity dried up as Moulay Slirnane closed the port as a pre-emptive measure to keep out foreign countries that wanted to add Morocco to their expanding empires.

At the beginning of the 20 th century, French forces occupied the Casbah and evicted all its inhabitants who took refuge in the eastern section nearby the Casbah. It was this area that observed American troops landing on African shores on November 8, 1942.

After the French left; the Casbah became a tourist destination that still conjures up a long and fascinating past in spite of extensive damage to many of its buildings. Fortunately, the mosque has survived intact and is stilt used for daily prayers.

As visitors walk through the Casbah today, they understand why researchers accord this site a major importance in Moroccan history in particular and European history in general. The Casbah was one of the earliest combatants in the struggle to defend the country, and she can assure that Morocco takes her rightful place among the great nations who have the power to regulate international relations, especially in maritime affairs.

A visit stirs one to imagine the Casbah’s tumultuous history, a past that knew periods of prosperity and decline, and a history that witnessed the waves of inhabitants who filled its watts to the brim and then left it abandoned. Even though the Casbah Mehdia is still an almost inaccessible citadel that has suffered from time and neglect, a visitor will still be charmed by her unique architecture and spectacular views. The Kasbah is close to Media’s sparkling beaches, which are the happy playgrounds of summer fun seekers and a favorite fishing spot alt year long. Moreover, no visitor will want to miss the impressive lake Side Brouhaha and the nearby forest reserve that glues refuge to migrating birds during their north-south voyage .

Access to the moussem is not easy, along a dirt-track, but the beauty of the scenery with autumnal shades of beige and green melding together, the feeling of having reached the end of the world in this valley cradled by legends, the very theme of the fes¬tival, are enough to make this moussem an important event.

The Imilchil engagements festivities bear witness to Morocco’s intense and living folklore which has been passed on from genera¬tion to generation and which is one of the nanon’s finest riches. Indeed, what can be more authentic than this survivor of a culture over a thousand years old, where people sing about love and the end of the summer, as if celebrating an ancient pagan feast ?However, the great festival takes place in a holy place, around the marabout (shrine) to Sidi Ahmed Quld Mrhani.

Young men and women are free to mix here with a view to getting engaged: this is the whole point of the festival. It is important to know that matrimonial laws are not strict in this region, and that a woman can get divorced several times and’ remarry. Divorcees or widows, free of wear a conical hair-style which distinguishe~ them from young girls.

The men wear wool « burno” and the women the « handira » sort of rectangular cape, with wide stripes, worn over a lighter tu Right It the beginning of festivities,the young women colourfully made up like flow with beautiful stylized drawings their cheeks or forehead. special art is carried out natural colours. The result unusual and oerfectly lovely .

During the moussem it surprising to see men and women mixing together freely, yet with certain reserve as they get to know each other in public, before going to seal their union before « adoul (notary) which will lead to marriage. The couples hold hands and the looks they exchange the discussions they have both lively and langorous, are full hope for their future together ..

The Agdoul is the special place for future fiancés to meet. For young girls, the procedure is a little different: Contacts have been made between families long before. indeed, all sorts of things have to be organised, in particular the dowry {between 1500 and 3000 dirhams) which firms up the alliance between the families. The i signing of the contract will take plaçe at the Agdoul where the notary sits throughout the moussem.

Seated at a table in the open air, he writes the names on a register wile the fiancés show their agreement by placing their right hand one on top of the other. In this way, couples who are ready to become engaged or who have decided to do so may sign their ,marriage contract on the spot at the moussem : this is the peculiarity of is great gathering.

. Besides, the moussem at Imilchil is also a mountain fair where people living in the surrounding area come it to sell or buy. A whole village of tents neatly lined up is formed for a few days. Each street, thus demarcated, has its own particular function just as in the ‘medinas’ : here the restaurants, there sellers of carpets and material.further on the barbers. elsewhere the handicraftsmen.

Around the moussem lies the cattle souk where people come to look at the animals before buying. There are endless comings and goings between the moussem and neighbouring villages. Lorries comme all the way down the deep-rutted dirt-track , spilling out men and goods. Thus, for several days a roaring trade is carried on during the festival of engagements.

For the tourist. both Moroccan or foreign, this is a chance to collect unforgettable memories of one of the finest mousse ms in the Atlas. It is also the time to buy beautiful Moroccan handicrafts, made by the Aït Haddidou tribe. lndeed, the finly embroidered woof-blankets or the carpets offer an extremely interesting variety of colours and designs and it is unusual to see such a varied market, as the mountain- dwellers have come from afar to sell their handiwork.

For the past ten years or excursions ta the moussem ha’ been organised by tour-operators but the moussem has maintained authenticity even if, here and there a few cameras are pointed at tl fiancés.

Each year. the Imilchil moussem concluded with an official event assembling men and women who perform the famous Aït Haddidl dance. First the men beat their drums in. rhythm, raising their voices in a song which is both wail and a call resounding right from the cradle of time. This is t prelude to a « Ahldous », the dance everyone has been waiting for close the festival in• this late summer. The dancers, men al women huddled together shoulders to shoulder, gradually come to life swaying tneir whole bodies then bending their knees in rhythm, their heads held solmnly high. The rhythm finally ends. to be taken up again by another troupe.

The dances and songs are thus repeated for hours on end, but it the final show that is certainly the finnest, for it assembles the young men and women who have just become engaged and they sing together a grand jubilant hymn to life.

Soon, all that will remain of t moussem in the mountains will remain of the moussem in the mountains the memory. Nevertheless, up above, a few kilometres away, two lakes bear witness to the ancient legend which so they say changed two fiancés into the large stretches of water that a beautiful as love and which bear the name of Tislit an Isli ..

All sorts of goods were traded there : gum, ivory, tin, gold powder, purple dye. Carthage was destroyed after many wars (146 Be), its possessions as well as commercial centers became property of the Romans. Therefore Chella became a Roman colony, much richer and more powerful.
Its site is ideal; it dominates a prairie, is protected by the sharp hills, and hidden from the ocean by an affluent of the Bou Regreg River, the Sala Fluvium.

Entering the stream is made difficult with dangerous rocks for those who don’t know the channels. But beyond, a fertile prairie that holds the river.
The city had a pure and clean water of Ain Chelia Sous Rome, Sala progressed considerably.
Pline said that the prairie was often invaded by elephants who were killed for their ivory, and by nomadic tribes, the Autololes, drawn by the desire to steal.
A lot of goods were discovered in Chella which proves the importance of Sala Colonia in its time : currencies, oil Lamps, ceramic vases, statues and jewelries such as fibulas, rings, necklaces …
Among the large monuments a forum, the Curie (Trajan 98-117 AC) where people gathered. On the left sidee of the forum the remains of a triumph arch can be distinguished. Along the Decumanus Maximus were found streets with shops. The port area is still covered with sand.

Despite the eclipsing of the Mauritania Tingitane around 285 AC it seems that Sala Colonia kept its strength until IV th century, the Vandale invasion in 429 hasn’t had any effect on Sala Colonia. During this era roman influence slowly ended to be replaced by the berber tribes. Roman influence completely ended in 670 during the arab invasion. The geograph El Idrissi who visited ChelIa in 1150 had seen antique construction, and already a large area was covered with cultivated land and pasture land for herds. According to a popular myth ChelIa was revived when the Almohade Yacoub El Mansour discovered it, raised its walls built a palace and decided to make it his last home.
It is confirmed that the Merinide King Abou Youssouf Yacoub (J259-1286) is the one who built a little mosque for his wife Oum-El-Izz in 1284. Many Merinide princes were buried there. The construction of the walls surrounding ChelIa was the work of King Abou Said (J310-1331) and completed by Abou El Hassan in 1339 proved by the Koufique characters decorating the sumptuous entrance door.
Abou El Hassan improved on Abou Youssouf ‘s construction. Surrounded by solid walls, a mosque with a square minaret decorated with traditional tiles on which storks would nest. One can. notice an ablution pool, several tomb rooms a zaouia and a mihrab. The sculptured stucco on the walls only appears now and then.

Below a porch roof made of arabesque ornaments, laid two large tiles of white crafted marble. On which was crafted koufique characters: the names of the king Abou El Hassan and the beloved slave queen Chems Ed Doha « sun of the morning » (also called Lalla ChelIa).
The epitaph of the king reads « this is the beautiful tomb of Our mas ter, the Sultan, the Khalifa, the Imam, the Emir of Muslims, one who made religion triumph. The warrior who fought for the Lord of both worlds, Abou El Hassan, Son of Our master Abou Sa id, son of Abou Youssouf Yacoub Ibn Abd El Hacq ». He died on Djebel Hontata on 752 (J351) the 27th of Rebii Lst, on Monday night. He was buried in Marrkesh in the koubba of the El Mansour mosque. He was then transported to the cemetery in ChelIa, may he be covered with grace and enter paradise!
The inactive city became under the Merinides the City of Deaths. For many centuries the kings were buried there, in 1515 Leon l’Africain while visiting ChelIa counted thirty two tombs of kings all with graves stating their accomplishments.
AlI the tombs disappeared. Today the plants and the roots of large trees, grass nettles and honeysuckles have invaded the gravestones.
The only construction left are the white koubbas dominated by stark nests. The koubbas that belonged to- Sidi el Hassan El Imam, to Sidi Amar el Mesnaoui, to Sidi Yahia Ben Younes El Berghouati – are the ones that survived the times.
According to J. Caillee in the XV th century, someone by the name of Ahmed El Lihiani robs ChelIa and steals all the precious goads including some Korans securely kept.

In 1790 the Sabbah tribe invades ChelIa and settles there. In 1790 Moulay Yazid, seconded by governor El Qo organized an invasion against them to free the city.
During summer time all this grass and these wild flowers vanish and the trees remain still, only their barked branches are shiny and sleek.
One must visit ChelIa in May du ring the spring time. The whole place is in blossom, the storks know it best ; they come by the hundreds. They nest on the minaret, on the koubbas and on the walls. They share this site with herons who nest on the large trees underneath which you could see broken eggs and white feathers: Their white guano spots on both the ground and the tree trunks. The large trees will die of age and within a feui years those of Chella will slowly disappear and the charming cemetery will miss them.
We will never be proud enough of the storks of ChelIa. They are the careful mothers, the daughters and the sisters of this site.
Sharing the worship of the dead by their singing, they fly away whenever l want to take a picture of them.
The storks of ChelIa are here to care for the merinide necropolis vibrating like antique mourners.
l do believe they have a soul … may be one of the buried kings that they pass over every migration.

Emblematic figure of Marrakech, the minaret of Koutaubia has looked down upon the city from its height of 77 meters for over eight centuries. In July of this year, the scaffolding that has imprisoned it during the long period of its scrupulous restoration was finally dismantled.

During six years, historians, architects, engineers, geo-technicians, geophysicists, experts in historic monuments and master craftsmen have used all their skills as well as the most modern investigative and restorative techniques to return this masterpiece of mankind’s cultural patrimony to some of its former luster. It also serves as a caution to the future regarding the vicissitudes of time and modern life,
It was on the ruins of the palace of his Almoravidian predecessor, Ali Ben Youssef Ben Tashfin, that the founder of the Almohadian Empire, Abdelmoumen, chose to construct in 1147 a new mosque that would surpass in majesty and beauty all of the previous religious buildings of his reign. Known by the name of Al Koutoubiyyin and soon shortened by the people to Koutoubia, Abdelmoumen’s mosque owes its name to the many book sellers’ stalls that surrounded the mosque.

Fifteen years later, around 1162, the surface area of the mosque was doubted. The orientation of the prayer wall toward Mecca was corrected and a great minaret was added in 1158. Strongly opposed to the legalistic doctrine of the Almoravidians, the first Almorbadians generally adopted the Almoravidian style for their mosques. Their most important innovation was the introduction of great minarets, tall and square in order to call the faithful to prayer. Standing at a height of 67.50 meters, the lantern terrace atop Koutoubia could also be used as a strategic observation post of the plains that surrounded Marrakech all the way to the foot of the Atlas Mountains.

Abdelmoumen made the mosque an impressive center of religious and political radiance. Besides the incontestable architectural majesty and beauty of the building, the Muslim community of Marrakech pressed through the gates of the Koutoubia every Friday. There they witnessed with awe the appearance of Ali Ben Youssef Ben Tasfin’s famous mimbar and the niche from which it appeared every Friday by virtue of an ingenious system of counterweights and ropes.

Made of quarry stones with two-meter thick walls, the minaret of Koutoubia’s structure was able to resist the weight of eight centuries of history. By contrast, the painted decorations and the sculpted zellige ceramics were seriously altered. The recent restoration, scrupulous and discreet, was committed to replacing the fallen zellige tiles of the top of the tower, the repair of the bas relief decorations which used to be surrounded by ornamental floral paintings and the short engraved eulogies in the oldest Arabic calligraphy as well as to replace some stripped mason joints.

Thanks to this restoration, the lantern terrace is like new. The zellige ceramic crown is made of large strips of white against a green turquoise background, ruined over time by becoming unstuck or damaged by the elements, has been restored. The valance arches and their diamond-shaped decoration have rediscovered their original symmetry and harmony. Goldsmiths and master craftsmen have been also able to restore to the shattered cupola at the summit of the tower its three gilded metal balls. The painted plaster motifs in luminous tones that decorate the blind arches on the four facades have all been set right or restored.

Beyond the simple exercise of repairing the facades of the minaret and its decorations, the restoration of the Koutoubia minaret was an opportunity to determine its « civil status ». It was also time to determine an accurate diagnosis of the factors that bad influenced its present deterioration plus the effects of time and environment to come.

Thus a thorough examination by micro-seismograph was able to identify the causes of the degradation at the site caused by the techniques of construction or aging or human intervention. At the same time from investigations, surveys, mechanical and geophysical pressure tests enabled an analysis to make and thus understand the harmful effects on the site by subterranean waters, of rain and wind and seasonal climactic variations. Also undertaken were studies of the clear degradations that can be attributed to vehicle exhausts and the vibrations caused by traffic.

The recent restoration of the minaret returns to Marrakech for man y centuries to come one of the most beautiful masterpieces of Almohades art and of universal architectural patrimony