Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
abandoned at 44m. The mosque was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, and today only a
forest of shattered pillars testifies to the grandiosity of El-Mansour's plans. The tower is
built to the same design as the Giralda in Seville, and the Koutoubia in Marrakesh.
LANDMARK
Mausoleum of Mohammed V
( sunrise-sunset)
Near the Hassan Tower stands this marble mausoleum, built in
traditional Moroccan style. The present king's father (the late Hassan II) and grandfather
have been laid to rest here. The decoration, despite the patterned
zellij
and carved plaster,
gives off an air of tranquillity. Visitors to the mausoleum must be respectfully dressed, and
can look down into the tomb from a gallery.
Chellah
(cnr Ave Yacoub al-Mansour & Blvd Moussa ibn Nassair; admission Dh20; 9am-5.30pm)
Aban-
doned, crumbling and overgrown, the old Roman city of
Sala Colonia
and the Merenid nec-
ropolis of Chellah is one of Rabat's most evocative sights. The Phoenicians were the first
to settle on the grassy slopes above the river, but the town grew when the Romans took
control in about AD 40. The city was abandoned in 1154 in favour of Salé, but in the 14th
century the Merenid sultan Abou al-Hassan Ali built a necropolis on top of the Roman site
and surrounded it with the towers and defensive wall that stand today.
Overgrown by fruit trees and wildflowers, it is an atmospheric place to roam around.
From the main gate, a path heads down through fragrant fig, olive and orange trees to a
viewing platform
that overlooks the ruins of the Roman city. Making out the structures takes
a bit of imagination, but the mystery is part of the magic of this place. A path leads
through the ruins of the triple-arched entrance known as the
Arc de Triomphe
, past the
Jupiter Temple
(to the left) and to the
forum
(at the end of the main road), while another
goes to the octagonal
Pool of the Nymph
, part of the Roman system of water distribution.
Far easier to discern are the remains of the
Islamic complex
, with its elegant minaret now
topped by a stork's nest. An incredible colony of storks has taken over the ruins, lording
over the site from their tree-top nests. If you come in spring, the clacking bills of mating
pairs is a wonderful soundtrack to a visit.
Near the ruined minaret is the
tomb of Abou al-Hassan Ali
and his wife, complete with or-
nate
zellij
ornamentation. A small
medersa
is nearby, where the remains of pillars, stu-
dents' cells and scalloped pools - as well as the blocked-off mihrab (prayer niche) - are
HISTORIC SITE
