Day 6 (30 October 2026) in Marrakesh, Morocco

Our next stop was Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city and its economic and business centre. When we arrived, we took a panoramic drive past the city’s main sights, including Anfa, the “Beverly Hills of Casablanca”, where members of several royal families from different countries own palatial villas. Then we headed to the mosque.

On our way to Casablanca from Marrakesh!

The Hassan II Mosque is the second-largest mosque in Africa and one of the largest in the world. Its tower (minaret) is the second tallest in the world: 210 metres high, the height of a 60-storey building. It is topped by a laser beam that points towards Mecca. Construction took about six years and was completed in 1993. The mosque stands on a promontory overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Its walls are made of hand-crafted marble, its roof can be opened, and its electrically operated doors are made of titanium. Up to 105,000 worshippers can pray here at the same time: 25,000 inside the prayer hall and another 80,000 in the courtyard outside. Besides the mosque itself, the complex includes a Islamic school (madrasa), bathhouses (hammams), a museum of Moroccan history, conference halls and a very large library, said to be the “most comprehensive in the Islamic world.”

Different - inside and outside - view of the second-largest mosque in Africa 

Casablanca opera house - multi-million dollar spent for its construction but never utilized! 

Day 5 (29 October 2026) in Marrakesh, Morocco

We began our tour by passing by La Mamounia hotel. La Mamounia is a five-star hotel in Marrakesh, across from the Koutoubia Mosque. Putin’s daughter is said to have held her wedding party here. In Arabic, Mamounia is often translated as “safe haven” or “place of refuge.

Different view of the Koutoubia Mosque

The Koutoubia Mosque (also spelled Kutubiyya) is the largest mosque in Marrakesh. It stands in the southwest of the medina, near Jemaa el-Fnaa square. The first mosque was founded in 1147 by the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu’min, right after he conquered Marrakesh from the Almoravids. Around 1158, Abd al-Mu’min rebuilt it completely, and this second mosque is the one that stands today. Ya’qub al-Mansur probably completed the tower (minaret) around 1195. The 77-metre tower is a major landmark and a symbol of the city. It is decorated with a variety of geometric arch patterns and topped with a spire and metal orbs.

Exploring the similarity and difference between Arabic and Berber carpets!

The Medina of Marrakesh is rich in different and colorful spices!

The Bahia Palace was built in the mid-to-late 19th century and is now one of the city’s best-known historic monuments and tourist attractions. It has an irregular layout of about 150 rooms arranged around several inner courtyards and riad gardens. The palace is best known for its decoration, especially its painted wooden ceilings, carved stucco and zellij (mosaic tilework). The original grounds were much larger and included gardens, parks, stables, a mosque and other buildings. The grand courtyard has about 80 rooms. These are believed to have housed the harem of Ba Ahmed, the Grand Vizier (prime minister) of Morocco, and the living quarters of his concubines. 

Different views of the Bahia Palace!

Jemaa el-Fnaa (also spelled Djemaa el-Fnaa) is the main square and marketplace in the medina, the old city of Marrakesh. The entertainment changes as the day goes on. In the morning there are snake charmers. Later in the day the square grows more crowded, with dancers (traditionally boys, since custom did not allow girls to perform), storytellers entertaining local audiences, magicians, and sellers of traditional medicines. At nightfall, dozens of food stalls fill the square and the crowd reaches its peak.

  Anything can be found or can be done at Jemaa el-Fnaa square! 

Of course Marrakesh visit without Camel ride is nothing! 

Day 4 (28 October 2026) in Marrakesh, Morocco

We travelled from Fes to Marrakesh via Meknes and arrived in Marrakesh at about 4:30 pm. Before the group dinner, we went out for a walk to explore the city. We noticed that motorbikes are a popular way to get around in Marrakesh, and, to our surprise, many women ride them too.

Stop for lunch on our way to Marrakesh from Fez!

History of Marrakesh: The city was founded around 1070 by the Almoravid dynasty as its capital. In 1147 it was captured by the Almohads, led by Abd al-Mu’min. The Almohads also made Marrakesh their capital, but they wanted no trace left of the religious buildings of the Almoravids, their bitter rivals, whom they regarded as heretics. They reportedly demolished all the mosques in the city, including the main one, the Ben Youssef Mosque. Their argument was that the Almoravid mosques were not properly aligned with the qibla, the direction of Mecca that Muslims face in prayer. Marrakesh is home to both Arab and Berber families. Arabs drink their tea without sugar, while Berbers take it with sugar. The two communities also make different carpets, with different structures and different making times. A Berber carpet, for example, takes eight to nine months to make. The more knots a rug has, the better its quality.

Nightside view of Marrakesh!

Day 3 (27 October 2026) in Fez Morocco

Fes (also spelled Fez) is a city in the inland north of Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès region. It was founded under the Idrisid dynasty in the 8th century. In the early 9th century, successive waves of immigrants, mainly Arabs from Ifriqiya (present-day Tunisia) and from al-Andalus (Muslim Spain and Portugal), gave the young city its Arab character.

We began the day at the Royal Palace of Fes, Dar al-Makhzen, which is the King of Morocco’s palace in the city. It dates back to 1276, when the Marinid dynasty built “New Fez” (Fes el-Jdid) as its royal citadel. Today, the parts of the palace that the public can see are its main entrances: one on the Old Mechouar square to the northeast, and the highly ornate 20th-century gates with their magnificent architecture.

The gate of Royal Palace of Fes,

We then hurried through Bab Bou Jeloud, known as the “Blue Gate”, an ornate gateway into the old city, the Medina of Fes. Its outer face is mostly blue and its inner face mostly green. The present gate was built by the French colonial administration in 1913 as a grand entrance to the old city. The Medina is the world’s largest car-free urban area. It was founded between 789 and 808 AD by the Idrisid dynasty, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is regarded as the cultural and spiritual heart of Morocco. It reminded me of Merkato in Addis Ababa.

                               

the Bab Bou Jeloud or the “Blue Gate” a gateway into the Medina of Fes from outside and inside as well as the Medina from different direction.

The Medina of Fes has everything, including the University of Al-Qarawiyyin. It was founded as a mosque by Fatima al-Fihri in 857–859 and went on to become one of the leading religious and educational centres of the Islamic world. UNESCO and Guinness World Records cite it as the oldest existing, continually operating institution of higher learning in the world. Scholars consider that it was effectively run as a religious school (madrasa) until after World War II. In 1963 it became part of Morocco’s modern state university system, and two years later it was officially renamed the “University of Al Quaraouiyine”. Today it serves as a mosque and a centre for Islamic studies. The mosque building is also an important example of Moroccan and Islamic architecture, with elements from many different periods of Moroccan history.

The oldest University in the world - University of Al-Qarawiyyin

Our visit also included a stop at a demonstration of the fine decorative work done on sheet metal and on wood. Next, we visited a ceramics workshop, where we saw how each intricately designed piece is made from start to finish.

Allal's Art Gallery inside the Medina of Fes!

Naji pottery and tiles handmade - ceramic factory

Our visit included a stop at the Chouara Tannery, the largest and one of the oldest of the three tanneries in Fes. Leather has been tanned here in much the same way since the city’s early centuries. Today the tanneries are among the city’s main tourist attractions. They are packed with round stone vats filled with dyes or with white liquids used to soften the hides. The leather goods made here are exported all over the world.

The Chouara Tannery - oldest leather factory inside the Medina,

Finally, we drove up into the mountains to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view, and then visited a family that lives in a cave. The family has lived there for twelve generations. The cave has to be whitewashed twice a year to keep out moisture and odours. They served us mint tea with Moroccan pancake bread (msemen). Today the cave is fully self-contained, with running water, a small kitchen and electricity.

Served pancake and mint tea inside a family cave!

                                 

Access way to the cave 

Day 2 (26 October 2026) in Rabat and Meknes, Morocco

We travelled from Casablanca to Fes via Rabat. In Rabat we mostly had a panoramic drive, but we still saw a lot: government ministry buildings; the gate of the Chellah, a medieval walled necropolis (burial ground) and ancient archaeological site that is part of Rabat’s UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Mohammed VI Tower, which includes a shopping mall and apartments for sale at about $1,400 per square metre; the Grand Theatre (opera house), a striking snake-shaped building designed by the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid; the old Jewish quarter (the Mellah); and the King’s palace, which we drove past. We also stopped at the Kasbah of the Udayas, a citadel originally built in the 12th century under the Almohad Caliphate. It stands on a hill at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river, across from the town of Salé and next to Rabat’s old Medina. Together with other sites in Rabat, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Chellah Gate - a medieval walled necropolis (burial ground) and ancient archaeological site

A striking snake-shaped building (Operahouse) designed by the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid;

The Mohammed VI (named after the present King of Morocco) Tower

The Kasbah of the Udayas, a citadel

We had lunch in Meknes, one of Morocco’s four imperial cities, in the north-centre of the country. It was founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement. It became the capital of Morocco under Sultan Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif, the son of the founder of the Alaouite dynasty, who ruled for 55 years, from 1672 to 1727. Moulay Ismail built a vast imperial palace complex and gave the city massive fortifications and monumental gates. According to our guide, he once invited his opponents to a week-long feast and then had them all killed. He is also said to have had more than 500 wives and concubines and over a thousand children.

Different view of Moulay Ismail vast imperial palace complex.

Similarity and difference between Arabic (top) and Berber (bottom) language phonts

As an optional excursion, we went to a special dinner in Fes, where we enjoyed good food and local dancing, including belly dancing by young women. I was very surprised to see this kind of dance in Morocco. We also watched a re-enactment of a traditional Moroccan wedding. The bride sat in a decorated, cage-like carriage called an amaria, which was carried by the groom’s friends. They lifted her up and turned her in a full circle as they danced, symbolising her move from her father’s house to her husband’s home.

Day 1 (25 October 2026) in Casablanca, Morocco

We arrived safely at Casablanca’s international airport, where the tour company picked us up and took us to our hotel. There we got ready to meet our tour director and have dinner with the group. 

The Casablanca international airport!

Outside the Casablanca airport, waiting for the tour transportation!

GLOBUS (our tour company) bus!!

Day 7 (24 August 2019) in Olsztyn, Poland

Finally, a few words about the country. Poland is in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative regions (voivodeships), covers an area of 312,696 square kilometres (120,733 square miles), and has a mostly temperate climate with four distinct seasons. With a population of about 38 million, it is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union. Poland borders the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast to the north, Belarus and Ukraine to the east, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the south, and Germany to the west. Its land has a long history: there is evidence of human activity going back almost 500,000 years, and the Polish state itself dates back to the 10th century.

Warsaw international airport!

The first Polish state dates back to AD 966, when Mieszko I, ruler of a territory roughly the same as present-day Poland, converted to Christianity. The Kingdom of Poland was established in 1025. In 1569, Poland strengthened its long-standing ties with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin, which created the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth later adopted Europe’s first written national constitution, the Constitution of 3 May 1791. Soon afterwards, however, Poland was partitioned by its neighbours, Russia, Prussia and Austria, and disappeared from the map for over a century. It regained its independence in 1918, at the end of World War I, and the Treaty of Versailles confirmed it in 1919. After a series of territorial conflicts, the new multi-ethnic Poland re-established itself as a key player in European politics.

In September 1939, World War II began with Germany’s invasion of Poland, followed by the Soviet Union’s invasion under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Around six million Polish citizens died in the war, including about 90% of the country’s Jews. In 1947, the Polish People’s Republic was established as a satellite state under Soviet influence. The Solidarity movement, which emerged in 1980, played a leading role in the Revolutions of 1989. After them, Poland re-established itself as a democratic republic, which it remains today.

Although Poland takes its name from the Western Polans, the tribe that dominated the region, the area has been ethnically diverse since the Iron Age. Poland’s economy is considered one of the most resilient of the former communist countries and one of the fastest-growing in the EU. Poland has the largest Stock Exchange in East-Central Europe and is one of the largest economies in the European Union by GDP (PPP). Since the fall of communism, Poland has liberalised its economy, moving from a centrally planned system to a mainly market-based economy. Its most successful exports include machinery, furniture, food products, clothing, shoes and cosmetics.

I was very surprised by the variety of products the country makes. To name just a few: electronics; buses and trams (Solaris, Solbus); helicopters and planes (PZL Świdnik, PZL Mielec); trains (Pesa, Newag); ships (the Gdańsk, Szczecin and Gdynia naval shipyards); military equipment (Łucznik Radom, Bumar-Łabędy); medicines (Polpharma, Polfa); food (Tymbark, Hortex, E. Wedel); clothing (LPP); glass; pottery (Bolesławiec); and chemical products. Poland is also one of the world’s leading producers of copper, silver and coal, and of potatoes, rye, rapeseed, cabbage, apples, strawberries and currants.

Poland has high standards of living, quality of life, safety, education and economic freedom. The state also provides free university education, social security and universal health care. Politically, Poland is a strategically important country. It is a full member of the European Union, the Schengen Area, the United Nations, NATO, the OECD, the Three Seas Initiative and the Visegrád Group, and it has taken part in G20 meetings as a guest.

Anyway, my trip to Poland was very successful. I’m now on my way home and am writing this at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Paris international airport!