Today we started out touring around Rabat, which is the capital of Morocco. We drove through the grounds of the royal palace, which were lovely, to say the least! Then we drove over to the sea coast where we walked through the Kasbah des Oudaias, the original 12th century site of the city, known then as ribat. It is a beautiful walk there, through tiny, winding narrow, cobblestoned streets. There are gardens, courtyards, a lovely little cafe overlooking the sea, small little streets with shops. It was, in the 12th century, the area where the rulers of the Almohad, Merenid and Andalusian dynasties lived, within the large stone walls. Now it is a very picturesque village atmosphere and particularly pretty with the sea right there.
After we left the Kasbah we drove to the site of the tomb of Muhammad V, the previous king of Morocco (the father of the current king) which is right near a large mosque and a medieval minaret that is classical Moroccan style. The tomb is a major site of pilgrimage for Moroccan muslims and it is quite a stunning building where it is housed. There are several guards on horseback and others stationed around the building and they were remarkably genial, allowing tourists to take pictures with them.
After the tomb and mosque, we went to the old city and walked through the souk. This souk, unlike the one we visited in Marrakech, was full of locals, not tourists. My prize purchase of the day was a traditional, Moroccan abayah (long dress that the Muslim women wear), pure white with a lovely pattern which I intend to use as an alb for church! One of the other priests on the trip is now planning to look for one for himself at the souk in Fez tomorrow! We have all been admiring the Moroccan traditional dress and realized that the long white dresses that both men women wear would work just fine as ecclesiastical albs for us. They are a very light and breathable fabric, so perfect for summer and at $37.50 a real bargain, considering you can't buy an alb for much less than $200 at clerical supply stores!
After our morning sightseeing we returned to our hotel, had lunch, checked out and embarked on the road to Fez. We arrived in Fez around 5:00 and were all very heartened to be in a very upscale hotel, with good wifi, a bar and a location near shops and civilization! We settled into our rooms and then gathered with our Muslim leader for a discussion and then an introduction to Sufi spirituality. Imam Bashar, who is Syrian, is a Sufi Sunni Muslim, steeped in that mystical tradition. We did sufi meditation and chant for about a half hour before the breaking of the fast. When it was time for the Iftar, Imam Bashar and his wife went off for the break-fast and we had a free hour. A bunch of us hit the bar to break our fast from alcohol!! First G&T I've had in days and boy did it taste good! Then we walked across the street to a restaurant where we sat outside for our dinner. When we arrived at 9:00 things were fairly quiet, but when we left to return to our hotel at 11:00 the streets were packed with people walking, partying, playing music, sitting at cafes having food and coffee and mint tea. Its amazing how lively it is outside late at night, after the break-fast and evening prayers. Everyone pours out onto the streets and it is a real party atmosphere.
Pics today are from the Kasbah and the tomb of Mohammad V, with me next to the guard!
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