Rock the Kasbah - Rabat
Updated: Aug 18
Rabat was the first city of my Moroccan adventure and it did not disappoint. The capital city of Morocco and founded in the 12th century, Rabat is like walking back in time. The ancient walls surrounding the old city or medina, the beautiful mausoleums, and the incredible Chellah and Kasbah made me feel like I was in the movie Aladdin.
We spent a total of 5 days in Rabat as a Fulbright TGC cohort, and it was great to have the opportunity to learn more about my fellow Fulbrighters in such a majestic location. Our first day was spent exploring the city, mainly on foot. A group of us decided to battle jet lag and walk along the walls of the medina and outside Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Seeing the sunset with the Hassan Tower in the foreground was unbelievable. One thing we all noticed was the large amount of stray cats in the city. Unfortunately, Sarah got too close to a little kitty, and the kitty decided to pee on her lol.
While in Rabat, we spent time exploring historical landmarks such as Chellah Castle and the Kasbah de Oudayas. Chellah Castle is absolutely remarkable and walking through the garden paths takes you back in time. Scholars are still debating, but the first structure in the Chellah may date to the 7th century BCE. The Kasbah de Oudayas was founded in the 11th century CE as a center for military command and is still home to many local citizens. We also had the opportunity to kayak along the Oued Bou Regreg (river in Rabat), take a tuk tuk food tour of the old medina to sample local delicacies, and try our hand at Moroccan cuisine with a cooking class by Roots Academy. We even had dinner with karaoke on a boat (Le Dhow)!
Rabat wasn’t all just exploring beautiful and historical sites, we also had the opportunity to learn about the Moroccan education system with the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational & Cultural Exchange (MACECE). We met with individuals from the US Embassy Rabat, the Ministry of National Education, Mohammed V University, and the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) and learned about Moroccan education structure, linguistics, and Amazigh language and culture. In addition we had the opportunity to visit several schools in the area including Colegio Español de Rabat and the Rabat American School. Next stop Casablanca!
Comments