World Cruise 2017 Day 101 Casablanca, Morocco

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Today was Easter Sunday.  The ship had an Easter Service at 6 AM.  The ship arrived at Casablanca, Morocco at 7 AM.  AT 8:45 I left on a Cruise Specialists tour called "Imperial Rabat Revealed with Moroccan Lunch".  We left the pier and made a stop at the famous Hassan II Mosque for a photo stop.  We then left for the city of Rabat.  On the way to Rabat we passed by some farm land.  The crops and grass were green as it is the time of the year where for the past previous months have been in the raining season.  At 11 AM we mad our first stop in the city of Rabat.  Rabat is the capital city of Morocco and is on the Atlantic coastal plain.  The stop was at the Royal Palace.  We spent 30 minutes at the Royal Palace but did not go inside the Palace.  Our next stop was to view Chellah Necropolis, which was built in the 14^th century by the Merinides.  Our next stop was the Mohamed V Mausoleum.  The construction began in 1962.  Nearby is the Hassan Tower.  It is 140 feet tall but was intended to reach 260 feet.  Although never finished the majestic tower was the brainchild of sultan Yacoub El Mansour whose ambition was to build the biggest mosque in the Muslim world.  Two hundred columns mark out where it was to stand reflecting the glory of the Almohad Empire, which in the 12^th century stretched as far as Tunsia and Mooish Spain.  At 12:45 we left the bus for a walk through the narrow streets to a local restaurant.  After lunch we walked to The Kasbah of the Oudayas.  It is named after the Oudayas tribe who was sent to Rabat by Sultan Moulay Ismail to defend the city against the invincible Andalusian pirates and hornacheros.  We then left for the drive back to Casablanca.  We made a stop in Casablanca at United Nations Square to allow some time to shop.  We arrived back at the ship at 6 PM.  Tonight a big screen movie called "Moonlight" was shown after dinner.  This movie won the 2017 Academy Awards for Best Picture.  

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco, located in the central-western part of the country bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest city in the Maghreb, as well as one of the largest and most important cities in Africa, both economically and demographically.

Casablanca is Morocco's chief port and one of the largest financial centers on the continent. The 2012 census (adjusted with recent numbers) recorded a population of about 4 million in the prefecture of Casablanca. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, although the national political capital is Rabat.

Rabat is the capital of Morocco and its seventh largest city centre with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014)^]and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitraadministrative region.

This picture was taken from the bus of Casblanca, Morocco after leaving the port.

This picture was taken from the bus of Casblanca, Morocco after leaving the port.

This picture was taken from the bus of Casblanca, Morocco after leaving the port.

This picture was taken at a stop at the famous Hassan II Mosque.

This picture was taken at a stop at the famous Hassan II Mosque.

This picture was taken at a stop at the famous Hassan II Mosque.

This picture was taken at a stop at the famous Hassan II Mosque.

This picture was taken at a stop at the famous Hassan II Mosque.

This picture was taken from the bus in Casblanca.

This picture was taken from the bus on the road to Rabat. 

This picture was taken from the bus on the road to Rabat.  It shows some of the land in Morocco. 

This picture was taken from the bus in Rabat, Morocco.

This picture was taken from the bus in Rabat, Morocco.  This is the entrance to the Royal Palace.

This picture was taken at a stop at the Royal Palace.

This picture was taken at a stop at the Royal Palace.

This picture was taken at a stop at the Royal Palace.

This picture was taken at a stop at the Royal Palace.

This picture was taken at a stop at the Royal Palace.

This picture was taken at a stop at the Royal Palace.

This picture was taken from the bus of the entrance to the Royal Palace.

This picture was taken at a top to view the Chellah Necropolis built in the 14th century.

This picture was taken at a top to view the Chellah Necropolis.

This picture was taken of the city wall in Rabat.

This picture was taken at the stop at the Mohamed V Mausoleum.

This picture was taken at the stop at the Mohamed V Mausoleum.

This picture was taken at the stop at the Mohamed V Mausoleum.

This picture was taken at the stop at the Mohamed V Mausoleum.

This picture was taken at the stop at the Mohamed V Mausoleum.

This picture was taken at the stop at the Mohamed V Mausoleum.

This picture was taken from the bus in Rabat.

This picture was taken on a walk to lunch thru the old town of Rabat.

This picture was taken at the place where we had lunch inthe old town of Rabat.

This is a picture of the entrance to the Kasbah of the Oudayas.

This is a picture of the entrance to the Kasbah of the Oudayas.

This is a picture in the the Kasbah of the Oudayas.

This is a picture in the the Kasbah of the Oudayas.

This is a picture in the the Kasbah of the Oudayas.

This is a picture in the the Kasbah of the Oudayas.

This is a picture in the the Kasbah of the Oudayas.

This picture was taken from the bus in Rabat on the way back to Casablanca. 

This picture was taken from the bus in Rabat on the way back to Casablanca.

This picture was taken from the bus in Rabat on the way back to Casablanca

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to Casablanca.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to Casablanca.

This picture was taken from the bus in Casablanca.

This picture was taken from the bus in Casablanca.

This picture was taken at a shopping stop in Casablanca.

This picture was taken at a shopping stop in Casablanca.

This picture was taken at a shopping stop in Casablanca.

This picture was taken at a shopping stop in Casablanca.

This picture was taken from the ship of Casablanca, Morocco.

This picture was taken from the ship of Casablanca, Morocco.

This picture was taken from the ship of Casablanca, Morocco.