Casablanca, Morocco
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CASABLANCA, MOROCCO Arrive: 0800 Thursday, 18 April Onboard: 1800 Sunday, 21 April Brief Overview: Exotic Morocco is an intoxicating blend of sights, smells, and sounds. In Casablanca, the Hassan II Mosque (inaugurated in 1993) is the largest in the world after Mecca. The bazaars and kasbahs are fascinating to experience, and Moroccan cuisine is considered by many to be some of the best in the world. Spend an evening or a couple of days with a family to really understand the culture and the people of this intriguing country. Nearby: Rabat, an elegant, modern capital city, offers visitors a view of the historic grandeur and cultural diversity of Morocco with a smaller, more relaxed kasbah and medina. Participate in half day or full day trips such as CAS25 or CAS35. Fes: The old-town Medina of Fes will transport the visitor to another century. Citizens still gather at the local well for water, apothecary carts on the streets offer medicinal treatments, and vast open leather-dying pits are a sight to behold. Visit Meknes and explore the best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco at Volubilis. Marrakech: The city of Marrakech is a hub of activity with an intriguing Medina and bazaar itself. It also serves as the inland base for adventures ranging from Camel Riding in Palm Groves; visiting a Nomad Camp in the mountains; a treasure hunt/zipline adventure; or the beautiful Ourika Valley. Suggested short-cuts to simple planning: Register for the following “bundles” of trips based on your interests. Art and Architecture: Nightlife: CAS 100-101 Casablanca & Hassan II Mosque CAS 103-103 Casablanca by Night and Belly Dancer CAS 105-201 Authentic Rabat & Casablanca CAS 106-201 Marrakech Medina & Majorelle Gardens Active/Adventure: CAS 401-101 Berber Villages of the High Atlas Mtns Cultural highlights: CAS 402-101 Sahara Camel Trek via Ouarzazate CAS 101-101 Rabat & Moroccan Tea CAS 104-101 Religions of Morocco Taste of Morocco: CAS 302-201 Fès: Family Homestay CAS 102-102 Wines of Benslimane Provence CAS 202-201 Marrakech & Interactive Cooking Class IMPORTANT: If you registered in one of the following courses, you have a field lab on the specified day. Do not make any other travel plans as this is a designated class day in port for your course. Casablanca, Field Labs Thursday, 18 April Sunday, 21 April MOROCCO CASL2 PSYC 4559-102 Professor C. Morris Human Nature Religions of the World CASL1 RELG 1559-101 Professor Laycock (Field Lab Morocco Day 1) Religions of the World CASL3 RELG 1559-101 Professor Laycock (Field Lab Morocco Day 4) Day 1: Thursday, April 18 CAS 201-101 MARRAKECH & OURIKA VALLEY – BERBER FAMILY VISIT 2 days/1 night Situated at the foot of the tall Atlas Mountain range is the most famous imperial STANDARD PRICE Early Booking city of Morocco, Marrakech. Upon arrival, proceed on foot into the ancient city, Adult $215 $205 also known as the Medina. Child $107.50 $102.50 Explore the Mosque of the Koutoubia (the booksellers), erected in the XII century. TIME From its imposing and stupendous minaret, a masterpiece of the Hispanic- Moorish art, the muezzin calls the inhabitants of the city every day to prayer. Date Time Next, visit the Majorelle Gardens, home to the late Yves Saint Laurent which Depart April 18 0900 today houses a collection of plants from the four corners of the earth, flourishing Return April 19 2030 among elegant ornamental lakes and an Art Deco villa. You will also visit the HIGHLIGHTS Medersa Ben Youssef, one of the jewels of Marrakech. The current structure of Bahia Palace & Koutoubia Tower this Koranic school was built around 1570 and it is the biggest medersa (school) Majorelle Gardens, Bahia Palace, in the whole of the Maghreb (west). Djamaa el Fna Square Lunch provides an opportunity to relax and to taste some food typical of the local Ourika Valley with Berber family kitchen. Continue on an inside visit of the Bahia Palace, residence of Ba Ahmed, the chief Vizier to Sultan Moulay El Hassan. Particularly striking are the painted cedar wood ceilings. The Palace is Andalousian in style. Enjoy an era gone by exploring the colorful and perfumed world of the souks of Marrakech. In the lanes covered with reeds and lanterns a wealth of local handicraft are shown. Finally, arrive at the most famous plaza in Morocco, the Jemaa plaza el Fna, where you will find a cosmopolitan crowd of dancers, cantastorie, snake charmers and monkey trainers. This site was proclaimed a "Masterpiece of the oral and immaterial patrimony of the humanity” by UNESCO in 2001. The next day, depart on a great day trip from Marrakech to the Ourika Valley which is prime hiking territory in all seasons. Less than 45 minutes out of Marrakech you can see green gorges, sparkling yellow wheat fields at the foot of snowcapped mountains, and the ferocious flow of the Ourika River, where women wash clothes in the spray of waterfalls at the roadside. Look out, too, for traditional flat Berber homes; they are assembled in stacked villages all merged in the same red earth. The only vertical line which breaks the slither of horizontal roofs is that of the village mosque, whose minaret towers above it all. Spend time with a traditional Berber family where you can observe their way of life. Enjoy lunch with them before the drive back to Casablanca. Note: Please bring a pair of sturdy walking shoes. ITINERARY Day 1: (L,D) Day 2: (B,L) Arrive in Marrakech via Casablanca Depart to Ourika Valley in High Atlas Mountains Inside visit of Bahia Palace & photo stop at Koutoubia Lunch with Berber family Lunch at Morrocan restaurant Drive back to Casablanca Visit Majorelle Gardens, souks, Medina, and Djamaa el Return to pier Fna Square Hotel check-in and dinner CAS-104-101 THE RELIGIONS OF MOROCCO Half day As many Moroccans will proudly attest, the country has a very long tradition of STANDARD PRICE Early Booking religious tolerance. One of the best examples of this is the existence of a Jewish Adult $54 $51 museum in Casablanca, which makes Morocco the only predominantly Muslim Child $27 $25.50 country in the world with a dedicated Jewish museum. The reasons for the TIME exodus of Jews from Morocco during the period 1950-1970 are due to many different factors. There are however still many thousands of Jews living in Date Time Morocco today which can be seen by the number of active synagogues in most of Depart April 18 0930 the major cities. Return April 18 1330 HIGHLIGHTS All these same cities also have Hassan II Mosque churches of different denominations. Jewish museum Christianity in Morocco dates back to Catholic cathedral the Roman times and today constitutes approximately 1.1% of the country's overall population. The Moroccan constitution states that Islam is the official religion of the state however Christian communities can openly practice elements of their faith. The first stop is at the Hassan II Mosque which is the brainchild and crowning achievement of King Hassan II. This phenomenal building is the world's third-largest mosque and it was built to commemorate the former king's 60th birthday, opening in 1993. It is the only mosque in Morocco where non-Muslims are allowed to enter inside. This law dates back to a French governor of Christian origin who passed the law to ensure that none of his countrymen inadvertently offended the local Muslim communities by entering mosques without following the correct protocol – this law still stands today. After time spent exploring the inside of this impressive building, depart to the Jewish Museum, an amazing little museum retracing the history and way of life of the once very important Jewish community of Morocco. From here, depart to the Catholic cathedral, which was built in 1930 using the Neo-Gothic style of architecture. It ceased to function as a church in 1956, after the independence of Morocco, and is a now a cultural center however well worth the visit to admire the beautiful architecture and delightful stained glass windows. Please note: Appropriate clothing is required for access to the holy places. Shoulders and knees must be covered while visiting the mosque. In case of religious celebrations or holidays, the tour will visit but not enter the Hassan Mosque. CAS 401-101 BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS 4 days/3 nights Located on an oasis at the base of STANDARD PRICE Early Booking the High Atlas Mountains, Adult $406 $387 Marrakech is the gateway city to the Child $203 $193.50 Sahara. Legend and fact both TIME contribute to the explanation of Marrakech’s unique character. The Date Time palm groves that sprang up Depart April 18 1000 provided an ideal place for the Return April 21 1700 Saharan nomad Almoravids to HIGHLIGHTS settle. Since that time, Marrakech Marrakech has seen many dynasties and Discovery of traditional Berber life fortunes rise and fall, resulting in a Trek at the footsteps of the High-Atlas remarkably beautiful city that has not only become the capital of southern mountains Morocco but an integral city to the Islamic world. The cultural, natural and historical attractions of this traditional Berber capital, seat to nearly all of Morocco’s dynasties over the last thousand years, make Marrakech the top tourism destination in North Africa. From Marrakech, travel into the mountains and become truly immersed in Morocco's rural culture. Spend a few days enjoying the varied scenery and the kind hospitality of the Berber villagers. Enjoy walks through cultivated terraced fields with the jagged mountains of the High Atlas rising into the distance.