Rabat Local Customs

The Gnaoua or Freedom Dancers are very poplar at weddings. Their wild drum rhythms are said to induce states of trance. The Gnaoua Brotherhood has devotees all over Morocco, but particularly in Marrakesh. We saw these outside the city gates of Chella. Their music is certainly very haunting.

The amphitheaters bear names that are not familiar for us.
Ibn Sina is the best known, under the altered name of Avicenna. He was a philosopher and doctor from Iran (980-1037), one of the most famous Arab scholars. His book ''canon of medicine'' collected all the knowledge of the ancient Greeks and added much new knowledge. It was used in Europe until the XVII century.
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khawarizmi was possibly born in 780 in Baghdad, died around 850. He was a major mathematician (algebra, geometry and astronomy). His masterpiece book is the ''Kitab fi hisab Al Jabr w'al muqâbala'', issued in 830, from which title comes the word ''algebra'' (Al Jabr). His altered name (Al Khawarizmi) gave the name ''algorithm'', used in mathematics.
Ibn al-Baytar was probably the most influential medieval writer on botany and pharmaceutics. Born at Malaga in the kingdom of Granada, he studied at Seville. He composed a book on medicinal substances titled Kitab al-Mughni fi al-adwiyah al-mufradah (The Ultimate in Materia Medica) and an enormous dictionary of simple medicaments and foodstuffs (Kitab al-Jami‘ li-mufrdat al-adwiyah wa-al-aghdhiyah). The latter was an alphabetical guide to over 1,400 medicaments in 2,324 separate entries, taken from his own observations as well as over 260 written sources, which he quoted.

This is the oldest Sciences University of Morocco. The other Rabat University is on a Campus, a little outside of the town. It is 300 m away from Bab er Rouah. Have a look at their web page Université Mohammed V. The Institut Scientifique is the main research center in Morocco and is side by side with the University.

The "Parc du Triangle de vue" belongs too to Liautey's project. This Park is along the Andalous's wall, on the other side of Hassan II Boulevard. It is very quiet and fresh, with much shade. Unfortunately, it closes at 6PM whatever the season.

The General Post Office is a beautiful building, built around 1920, close to the railway station, on Mohamed V Avenue. In 1912, Liautey, General governor of Morocco decided to build a modern town, side by side to the medina. Most of the buildings on Mohamed V avenue, including the Post Office, have been built under this project.

"Henna ladies" (as I like to call them) are ubiquitous in Morocco. Often they will aggressively grab your hand in an effort to start the hennaing process before you can say "no" or strike a price. I found that the best way to deal with this is to have your hands hennaed at the very first opportunity (either back home or when you first land in Morocco). When a Henna Lady grabs your hand and sees that someone has beaten her to you, she'll back off immediatel ... it's easier than saying no over & over again.

You must must have some French when travelling in Rabat. Unlike Casablanca or Marrakech, visitors from countries other than France are rare and you can't rely on English to get around. A few Arabic words would be even better, of course.

'Hey look! Your collar bone is showing!'

Well, cosmopolitan women traveling in Morocco are not expected to dress like traditional Moroccan women, and indeed, many sophisticated or foreign-educated Moroccan women have now adopted European fashion styles themselves... esp. in Rabat and Casablanca. However, no matter how snug those pants or how long your skirt length is, you must always try and keep your collar bone covered up. I guess it's the culture thingy again....

So pack carefully. Your lovely V-neck sweaters and t-shirts, no matter how chaste (ahem!) you may think they look, may be interpreted as risqué, disrespectful OR inappropriate in Morocco. I kid you not!

And when you have Moroccan men tailing after you for 2 hours, I guarantee you'd definitely wisen up!!!!
:-)