November 14, 2010
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Rabat, about 60 miles from Casablanca, is Morocco’s second largest city and the capital since 1912. We stopped there just long enough to view the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V and snap pictures of its colorfully-dressed honor guards.
In 1953, the French, who were occupying Morocco, deposed Mohammed V (then Sultan of Morocco) but he refused to abdicate his throne. As a result, he and his family were forced into exile, able to return only after two years had passed. In 1956 he successfully negotiated with France for the independence of Morocco, and in 1957 became the first king of an independent country. He died in 1961, succeeded by his son, Hassan II.
As Mohammed V was so instrumental in achieving Moroccan independence, his name is honored everywhere. Casablanca’s airport is named after him, as well as numerous universities and various public spaces across Morocco. There is an Avenue Mohammed V in nearly every Moroccan city.
Leaving the coastal region of Morocco, we set off on an 80 mile trek to Meknes, a bustling modern city of nearly a million. As we traveled, though, we saw evidence that some Moroccans still lead a more placid way of life:
Meknes was once the imperial capital of Morocco, a building project of Sultan Moulay Ismail who came to power in 1672. Reigning for 55 years, he was a true tyrant and not a very nice fellow, having tens of thousands of people killed during his reign. Striving to build a palace that would rival Versailles in splendor, he pressed 50,000 workers into service to construct palaces, battlements, ramparts and a vast marketplace.
Although Meknes fell into neglect after 1912, many reminders of its glory days remain. We glimpsed a few at a brief stop before journeying on to Fez:
