Atlantic Coast - Morocco - page 368

lined with craft shops, which was once the setting for the slave auctions in the days of the
Sallee Rovers. From here you can make your way up the hill to the kasbah.

DON'T MISS
KASBAH LES OUDAIAS

The kasbah OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Rue Jamaa) occupies the oldest part of the city, the site of
the original ribat (fortress-monastery), and commands magnificent views over the river and ocean
from its cliff-top perch. Predominately residential, with tranquil alleys and whitewashed houses
mostly built by Muslim refugees from Spain, this is a picturesque place to wander. Many foreigners
are buying up the houses here, and it's easy to see the appeal. Some 'guides' offer their services but
there is no need.
The 12th-century Almohad Bab Oudaia OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , the most dramatic kasbah
gate, is elaborately decorated with a series of carved arches. Inside the gateway, the main street, Rue
Jamaa, runs straight through the kasbah. About 200m ahead on the left is the Mosque el-Atiqa
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , the oldest mosque in Rabat, built in the 12th century and restored in
the 18th century. You'll also find a number of low-key tourist shops and a couple of art galleries, such
as the Galérie d'Art Nouiga OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Rue Jamaa), along this street.
At the end of the street is the Plateforme du Sémaphore OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Signal
Platform;Rue Jamaa), with sweeping views over the estuary and across to Salé. The elevated position
provided an excellent defence against seagoing attackers negotiating the sandbanks below.
Returning from the Plateforme, turn left down Rue Bazzo, a narrow winding street that leads down
to the popular Café Maure ( Click here ) and a side entrance to the formal Andalucian Gardens
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( sunrise-sunset). The gardens, laid out by the French during the co-
lonial period, occupy the palace grounds and make a wonderful shady retreat.
The palace itself is a grand 17th-century affair built by Moulay Ismail. The building now houses the
Musée des Oudaias OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 0537 73 15 37; admission Dh20), the nation-
al jewellery museum containing a fascinating collection of prehistoric, Roman and Islamic jewellery
found in the different regions of Morocco.

East of the Centre

Le Tour Hassan
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP

HISTORIC SITE

(Hassan Tower) Towering above Oued Bou Regreg, and surrounded by well-tended gardens,
is Rabat's most famous landmark. The Almohads' most ambitious project would have
been the second-largest mosque of its time, after Samarra in Iraq, but Sultan Yacoub el-
Mansour died before it was finished. He intended a 60m-tall minaret, but the tower was