Tourist information -
Rabat
Rabat is a city and capital of Morocco, in Rabat-Salé Prefecture, on the Atlantic Coast at the mouth of the Bou Ragrag River, opposite Salé, in the northwestern part of the country. It is a port and has considerable industry, including the manufacture of textiles, processed food, and building materials. Government activities, tourism, and handicraft production are also important to the city's economic base. Rabat is the site of Mohammed V University (1957); the National Conservatory of Music, Dance, and Dramatic Arts; institutes for the study of agriculture, public administration, and applied economics; the Museum of Antiquities, with archaeological exhibits; and a museum of Moroccan art. Of special interest in the area are the 12th-century Hassan Tower (a 55-m minaret) and other parts of the mosque of Yakub al-Mansur (circa 1160-99), now mostly in ruins. The settlement was established in the 12th century as a military post (Arabic ribat). The modern importance of the city dates from 1912, when it was made the capital of the French dependency of Morocco. When Morocco became independent in 1956, Rabat continued as the nation's capital. Rabat opens up only slowly to you. At the first day of your first arrival you will discover that there is another atmosphere here, and compared to other Moroccan cities people are a bit shy and don't start talking to you easily. Somehow, they don't care about you.
Walking your lonely walks around town, the many gems of a capital of a magic country reveals themselves to you. And it isn't always the things that are first seen that will keep your eyes entertained.
Modern Rabat is clean and open, perhaps a bit too open during the summer heat. But around it, there are both old Muslim quarters as well as beautiful remains from all periods of Moroccan history.
The royal palace lies right in the heart of Rabat, and its area is open for trespassing. As a matter of fact, you can get quite close to the real palace before the guards start to feel uneasy. But quite honestly, what you see is only moderately impressive the real beauty is behind the walls.
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