MOROCCO MARCH 26 – APRIL 13, 2018 TOUR LEADER: BEN CHURCHER MOROCCO Overview Tour dates: March 26 – April 13, 2018 This comprehensive 19-day tour will introduce you to the diverse delights of Morocco including its stunning scenery, fabulous Islamic architecture, Tour leader: Ben Churcher ancient cities and delicious food. Starting in cosmopolitan Casablanca, the tour includes visits to Rabat overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Roman Tour Price: $7,870 per person, twin share Volubilis, the impressive fortifications of Moulay Ismail at Meknes and the hustle and bustle of the souk at Fes. Crossing the Atlas Mountains, past Single Supplement: $1,570 for sole use of stands of Lebanese Cedar, we enter another world of kasbahs and double room verdant oases in the northern Sahara Desert. Here we visit Erfoud, Tinerhir and Ouarzazate along with the Dades and Todra Gorges, Booking deposit: $500 per person traditional homelands of the Berber and Tuareg. Crossing back across the Atlas Mountains, we spend time in fabulous Marrakesh before concluding Recommended airline: Emirates/Etihad Airline our tour at the delightful town of Essaouria that is nestled within medieval fortifications overlooking the Atlantic. Maximum places: 20 This tour will provide participants with an in-depth examination of this Itinerary: Casablanca (2 nights), Rabat (1 remarkable country which has acted as a crucible for Islamic influence in night), Fes (4 nights), Ifrane (1 night), Erfoud (2 the greater region across the centuries. nights), Boumalne Dades (1 night), Ouarzazate (1 night), Marrakesh (3 nights), Essaouira (2 nights), Casablanca (1 night) This tour in operated in conjunction with the Near East Archaeological Foundation at Sydney Date published: May 3, 2017 University Your tour leader Ben Churcher has a wide range of experience as an educator, a traveller, a historian and an archaeologist. Ben graduated from Queensland University in 1983 with Honours in Ancient History and he also holds a Diploma of Education from the University of Sydney. Since 1983 Ben has been involved in the yearly excavations by the University of Sydney at the site of Pella in Jordan and he is, at present, the field director of the project. As well as his ‘hands-on’ excavation experience, Ben has also travelled widely throughout Europe, the Middle east, North and East Africa, Japan, and South-east Asia. Ben is a life Enquiries and member of the Near Eastern Archaeology Foundation and works with bookings Aboriginal archaeology when in Australia. For further information and to secure a place on this tour “As ever Ben Churcher provided impeccable information, care and please contact Frederick company. We saw some unique places and all done in good humour.” Steyn at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 Feedback from a tour participant on Western China, May 2015. (outside Sydney) or email [email protected] .au Tour Highlights RABAT Rabat is often overlooked by travellers but offers a wonderful collection of diverse sites. Originally settled by the Phoenicians, the Romans took control and built the settlement of Sale Colonia. Explore the excavated ruins which are combined with the 14th-century Merenid necropolis built over the Roman site at Chella, the clifftop fortifications of Kasbah les Oudaias and the beautifully rendered Royal Mausoleum ROMAN VOLUBILIS As one if the most remote cities of the far flung Roman Empire, Volubilis was the most important city in the Kingdom of Mauretania. Pre-dating Christian times the city flourished during the second and third centuries and was home to 20 000 residents. Many grand residences complete with intricate mosaics were built on the proceeds of olive oil production along with civic buildings and triumphal arches FES Discover an enchanting city with a cultural and historical background that has served as a breeding ground for scholars, artists and imams throughout the centuries. Walk down labyrinthine alleyways of the medina where donkey carts transport goods to the fondouks, as they have done since medieval times in the world’s largest car-free urban area. Visit the museums, madrasas and artisanal Zellij tile workshops. MARRAKESH Experience beguiling Marrakesh, the old imperial capital built by Berber empires. Home to some of the finest examples of Islamic architecture, such as the Ali ben Youssef Medersa and Koutoubia minaret. Explore the artisanal heritage of intricate tilework and painted wooden ceilings at the Dar Si Siad Museum, the opulent marble of the Saadian tombs and lose yourself in the souqs around Djemaa El Fnaa INSPIRATIONAL SCENERY Explore amazing scenery and variety of diverse landscapes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahara and back. Cross over the Atlas Mountains covered in cedar trees and venture into the Sahara, where traders from Mali transport precious salt worth more than gold on caravans of camels to faraway lands. Watch the light play on the high walls of spectacular gorges carved through mountains over millions of years Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D. Monday 26 March Arrive Casablanca Flights from Australia arrive mid-morning and early afternoon. Passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel to commence the tour today will be transferred to the group hotel. Ben Churcher will meet group members this evening in the lobby for drinks and introductions before dinner in the hotel. Overnight Casablanca (D) Tuesday 27 March Touring Casablanca Casablanca is a cosmopolitan, vibrant city often overlooked for more exotic destinations. Our day commences with a tour of the Hassan II Mosque completed in 1993 and spectacularly located on a rocky outcrop reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. We continue to the Quartier Habous built by the French in the 1930s blending the Moroccan architecture of an ancient medina with French colonial buildings. We also pass by Sacre Couer, the French built neo-gothic cathedral which became a cultural centre after independence. Overnight Casablanca (B, D) Wednesday 28 March To Rabat We depart this morning for Rabat, the political and administrative capital chosen by King Hassan V when Morocco gained independence in 1956. We visit Chella, a Merenid necropolis built over the Roman city of Sale Colonia. Excavations on the Roman site reveal the Decumanus Maximus passing through a triumphal arch to the temple of Jupiter and ending at the forum. The Islamic necropolis consists of a stone and zellij tile minaret, medersa and the tomb of the great Merenid leader, Abou al Hassan. In contrast is the mausoleum of Mohammed V housing the tombs of the nation’s recent kings. It is considered a masterpiece of Alawite architecture. Elaborately dressed royal guards watch over the three white onyx tombs where Mohammed V is laid to rest with his two sons. After lunch in a local restaurant, we explore the cliff top Kasbah les Oudaias, 12th-century fortifications with narrow streets and whitewashed houses that are still inhabited today. Rabat’s small yet interesting archaeological museum and its collection of Neolithic carving and small bronzes from Volubilis and Chellah is our final stop before checking into our hotel. Overnight Rabat (B, L) Thursday 29 March Meknes Heading east by coach we travel to Meknes, the capital of Morocco under the Sultan Moulay Ismail between 1672 and 1727. Our touring includes Bab el-Mansour, Meknes main gate Images left: Hassan II Mosque with the world’s tallest minaret overlooking the Atlantic; 6000 artisans took seven years to create the magnificent tile decorations adorning the mosque; standing guard at the Mohammed V Mausoleum across from the square, the medina and the lavishly tiled and decorated Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. We also visit the stable and granary for 12,000 horses designed with under floor water channels to keep the temperature cool. After lunch we visit the Bou Inania Madersa, a school for students of Islam studying the Koran. Younger students lived in small cells on the ground floor while older students and teachers were accommodated in more spacious rooms on the upper floor. The Dar Jamai Museum is housed in the Sultan’s former palace and features excellent displays of traditional ceramics, jewellery, rugs and textiles, including exquisite needlework using gold and silver thread. A highlight is the reception room preserved as it would have appeared in the Sultan’s day. We continue to Fes this afternoon. Overnight Fes (B, L, D) Friday 30 March Volubilis and Moulay Idriss Today we explore Volubilis, dating back to the Phoenicians in the third century BC. Its prominence grew from the first century onwards as a Roman trading post and administrative centre on the south-western border of the empire. Situated on 40 hectares and with 2.6kms of walls surrounding the site, the city featured main roads, public monuments and thermal baths. It prospered and expanded rapidly in the second century when the forum, basilica, capitol and triumphal arch were constructed. A number of stately homes were also built at this time and feature well- preserved mosaics floors that remain in situ. We continue to the holy city of Moulay Idriss, an important pilgrimage site founded by the great-grandson of the prophet Mohammed who introduced Islam to Morocco in the eighth century. We visit his tomb and explore the winding streets of the compact town where we also have lunch in a Moroccan guesthouse. Overnight Fes (B, L) Saturday 31 March To Fes This morning we visit the excellent collection at the Dar Batha Museum, a converted 19th-century Moorish Palace that is a work of art in itself. Most Moroccan artisanal pieces were also functional and we see displays of carved wooden furniture, embroidery and clothing, musical instruments and carpets. The pottery room has a superb display of ceramics from the 14th century featuring the unique blue cobalt glaze that was developed using a special process in Fes during the 10th century.