Marrakesh, Part I

A nice bonus of my program here at Al-Akhawayn is that a few trips are included and arranged by the school. This past weekend, we went to Marrakesh. I think I will spread my posts out, as I saw a lot, but today I'll start with the journey down from Ifrane, where the university is, to Marrakesh.

As you drop down out of the Middle Atlas mountains, the terrain flattens and the heat rises. The pine trees and mountains give way to dry rocky landscapes and palms, mixed in among the olive trees and cactus that surround villages.

This was a shot just before entering the city of Marrakesh. The temperature was near 45 Celsius, or around 113 Fahrenheit

As the urban space develops, so too does the traffic, of which a large portion is motorcycles and donkeys.

"It was my turn on the donkey!!!"

As you approach the center of the medina (old city), you will see from some distance the large minaret of the Koutoubia mosque, built in during the reign of the Almohads in the late 1100's. This tower is contemporaneous with the Giralda in Ishbiliyya (Sevilla, Spain), and has many resemblances to that minaret as well.

More to come.....