On Saturday before we were due to leave Rabat, Tiffany and I went to the carrefour supermarket to stock up on some provisions before the 4 day crossing to the Canaries. On the way there we went to have a look at the Hassan tower, which we can see from the marine and I had been wanting to visit since we got to Rabat. (Which is also a very popular photo location.)
The tower is a minaret built in the 12th century surrounded by the ruins of an incomplete mosque. Construction on both the minaret and the mosque started in 1195, but after the death of the Caliph who had initiated it, construction came to a halt and the tower only reached half its intended height and stands at 44m today. The mosque was intended to be the biggest in the world but was never finished, only lots of columns and a large sandstone wall are left today.
Opposite the tower on the same square, which is protected by guards on obese but happy looking horses, is the modern mausoleum of Mohammed V. This was a big wedding-cake looking building with a green tiled roof containing the tombs of the Moroccan king and his 2 sons.
Inside the building is a balcony that runs around the edge of the room, with a view down to the tombs, where a person is sitting reading/singing from the Koran. The chanting noise of the imam filled up the room which was really unexpected after the bustling square outside full of people. The guards surrounding both the mausoleum and the tower were wearing traditional uniforms and a pokerface for all the photos (we) tourists took with/off them.
We then went on to the supermarket and stocked up on more fresh fruit and veg for the passage and made it back to the boat in time for the potluck dinner at 6pm with all the other boat-people we had met so far.
On Sunday we set off to leave for the Canaries in the morning. The Pilot Boat guided us and about 7 other boats out of the harbour again, past he kasbah and the old city wall.
