Casablanca Morocco Market

Casablanca, Morocco Market Photos

The following photographs are from the fruit, grain, and vegetable market in Casablanca, Morocco. I took these travel photos the second time that I was in Morocco around the beginning of January '08. For more photographs from Morocco go to: Morocco Travel Photos

8+ years of vagabond travel: Song of the Open Road Travel Blog Morocco Travel Information

Moroccan women shopping for vegetables in the Casablanca market

Photo of the Casablanca medina near the market

Photograph of Moroccan grains in the Casablanca fruit and vegetable market

Moroccans buying food in the market

The Casablanca medina is full of people selling almost any item you can imagine

Wade from:
Vagabond Journey.com
Vagabond Fieldnotes
Cheap Eating Traveler

Hassan II Mosque Photos

Hassan II Mosque Photographs

I first visited the Hassan 2 Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco in September of 2007. I went there in the early morning before many people were out int he streets and I was immediately overtaken by its great magnitude. The Mosque stands out as a great beakon over Casablanca and looks enormous even when relatively far away from it.

According to the Wikipedia Hassan II Mosque was "Designed by the French Architect Michel Pinseau and built by Bouygues^[1], it is the second largest in the world (after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca). It stands on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers. A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's courtyard. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 meters(689 ft)."

Hassan II Mosque was built on reclaimed land- almost half of its giant structure is over the Atlantic Ocean- and was began in July of 1986. It was completed in 1993.

Hassan II said, "I want to build this mosque on the water, because God's throne is on the water. Therefore, the faithful who go there to pray, to praise the creator on firm soil, can contemplate God's sky and ocean." (Wikipedia)

The next time that I was back in Casablanca- January of '08- I was sure to go back to the Mosque for another visit. This time I made it there during the evening, and it was a scene of pure beauty watching the sun go down over the Atlantic ocean from behind the Mosque's enormous stone cut arches.

The following photographs are of the Hassan II Mosque:

Photo of the Hassan II Mosque from the courtyard which can accommodate over 80,000 worshipers

The Mosque on a cloudy evening

A Moroccan couple resting together on one of the great fountains that are in front of the Mosque

The Minaret of the Hassan II Mosque which is the tallest in the world

Hassan II Mosque at day fall

Inside of Hassan II Mosque (Wikipedia)

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Albion, NY, USA
January 15, 2008

Song of the Open Road Travel Blog
Vagabond Fieldnotes
Cheap Eating Traveler

More Photographs from Morocco

More Photos from Morocco

The following photographs are from my and Wanderjahr Jill's travels in Morocco. I first came into Morocco through the airport in Casablanca and then wandered up to Rabat/ Sale. After a few days of walking around the ancient medina, the Kasbah, and the old town of Sale, I went over for a visit to Fez. I did not quite appreciate the standard deviation of culture that was to be found in this tourist pit of a city, although I was not much bothered by the packs of touts and hotel runners. I stayed at the International Youth Hostel, and had good laughs with the other travelers and tourist who would come in at night with low slung faces and tales of how they were riped off by the touts and hustlers in the ancient medina of Fez. I did have some good walks though in this medina- I got really lost, to say the least. From Fes I went to another imperial city called Meknes that is an hour by train to the west. I found a much more comfortable situation here and stayed for three weeks to study a little French so that I would be more prepared to travel south into West Africa. After my French lessons were over I went back to Casablanca and picked up Wanderjahr Jill at the airport. She was happy to be in Morocco, but she promptly got really sick off of a sausage that she ate in the Rabat Medina. She spent a couple of days in bed and then we cooked up a crazy plan to go to Europe and ride bicycles from the Atlantic Ocean to France.

After two months in Europe we returned to Morocco and had a relaxing week in Marrakesh. These are some of the photos of my Moroccan travels.

A View of Ramadan from the Inside
Travel Blog Posts from Morocco

Photograph of the Moroccan countryside between Marrakesh and Casablanca.

Moroccan sheep herders in the open pastures of Morocco.

Moroccan men discussing business.

Moroccan women discussing business outside of the Restaurant de la Libertad in Rabat.

Moroccan man and woman at the train station in Marrakech.

Bearded Moroccan man at train station.

Women waiting for a train in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Donkey with a full load in Morocco.

Moroccan cooks making tajines in the Marrakesh medina.

Man and woman walking in the big square of Marrakesh.

Tourists in Marrakesh.

A funny sign in the medina of Casablanca.

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Albion, NY, USA
January 14, 2008

Vagabond Fieldnotes
Cheap Eating Traveler

Shopping in Morocco

Shopping in Morocco

Shopping in Morocco can sometimes be an incredible hassle. Most areas of the country that attract large numbers of tourists- like Fes and Casablanca- tend to have a think cloud of touts and faux guides who float around and try a large number of tactics to attempt to steer visitors into paying large amounts of money for low quality goods. But if you can get through this cloud of hustlers you can find really interesting items: carpets, clothing, textiles, shoes, leather goods all can be purchased for a reasonable price if you show the proper diligence and barter hard . . . like a Moroccan. One tourist rich city that seems to be less endowed with these hassles is Marrakesh. But always barter hard.

If a shop keeper names his price at 300 Dirham, a good place to begin bartering is at 100. Work your way up from here, but I do not recommend paying much over half of the shop keepers original price. Moroccans seem to often spend over a half hour bartering with a shop keeper. I do not think that it will not be out of the ordinary for you to do the same. Name your price and stick to it, is all that I can say.

On Moroccan Touts

The below photos are of markets, souqs, food and other items for sale in Morocco.

Souvenirs in a shop in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Herbs and spices in a market in the ancient medina of Casablanca.

A Moroccan woman getting on a train in with bags full of things from Marrakesh.

Photograph of the raw stones that incense is made from in Morocco.

Photo of a nighttime alley way near the market in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Donkey cart laden with goods going towards the market in Marrakesh.

Photograph of a Moroccan man inspecting textiles in Marrakesh.

Vendor in Marrakech explaining what the hammam soap is made from.

Photo of souq in Marrakesh.

Natural Moroccan perfume made from amber and sandlewood.

Camel leather shoes from the market in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The raw ingredients of the hammam soap.

Olives in Morocco.

Lamps for sale in Marrakesh.

The busy streets of the market in Marrakesh. Everybody seems to go to it around eight at night and it is really crowded until around 11.

Travel Blog Posts from Morocco

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Brockport, NY, USA
January 13, 2008

Photographs of Moroccan People

Photos of Moroccans

These photographs are of people from Morocco. I traveled in Morocco during September and October of 2007 and the beginning of January of 2008. The cultural diaspora of Morocco is incredibly layered, and I found that Moroccans come from a variety of different cultures.

The above photo is of a Moroccan man and woman walking near the mosque in Marrakesh.

This Moroccan man is a vendor of natural perfumes and incense. He demonstrated how perfume is made from amber and how sandlewood is ground down into incense powder.

This is a photograph of the market in Marrakesh (Marrakech) Morocco. The Moroccan women at the market were on the sent of deals and it could be said that that they were voracious in their search.

This photo is of men in front of a mosque performing salah, or formal prayer.

Moroccan women buying olives in Marrakesh.

I hear they are really big. Hehehe.

Tourist going for a ride in a horse carriage in Marrakech. Tourism in this city is really big but it does not seem to seep too much of the genuine atmosphere out of Marrakesh.

Photograph of a Moroccan kebab cook slicing off chucks of juicy meat.

Moroccan rickshaw driver moving around in Marrakesh.

Moroccan women wearing traditional clothing. These simple clothes still seem to be in fashion with Moroccan women.

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Albion, NY, USA
January 12, 2008

Song of the Open Road Travel Blog Morocco Posts
Vagabond Fieldnotes Travel Guide

Photographs from Marrakech

Photos of Marrakesh (Marrakech)

The following pics were taken in Marrakech, Morocco. They show the horse drawn carriages of the big square, the winding alleys of Marrakech's Ancient Medina, caretakers of the Hassan II Mosque, Moroccan children playing soccer in the streets, more photos of the big square, and a donkey hauling gear through Marrakesh.

More Photographs from Morocco
Song of the Open Road Travel Blog posts from Morocco
My Travels in Morocco

Horse drawn carriage of Marrakech, Morocco

Photo of the winding alleys of Marrakech

Horses that pull the tourists around the central part of Marrakech

Photograph of the caretakers of the Hassan II Mosque, which is one of the largest mosques in the world.

The big square of Marrakech

Moroccan children playing soccer in the streets

Photo of an ancient door in Marrakech

Mosque in Marrakech, Morocco

Another photo of a mosque in Marrakech, Morocco

Donkey hauling supplies in the big square of Marrakech, Morocco

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Albion, NY, USA
January 11, 2008