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A Walk Through Meknes

Sarah Mamlet
March 1, 2019

After arriving in Rabat and staying in a hotel for two nights, our group took off for Meknes, one of Morocco's imperial cities. We were placed into host families, given classes every morning in Darija (the Moroccan dialect of Arabic), and taken on tours of historical sites and cultural activities and lectures. In our free time every afternoon, we would explore the city and wind up at cafés, drinking tea and avocado juice.

Let's walk starting from my host family's appartment in the downtown Hamria neighborhood.

City street, viewed from a roof

Walk to the older parts of the city, along the ancient walls.

Old wall and minaret

Soon enough we reach the bab, the gate to the old city.

Ancient city gate

In front of the gate is a wide open space, traversed by tourists and traffic, before you get to the souk leading into the old medina.

City gate, with a crowd in front of it

The walls of this open space are covered in intricate mosaics.

a mosaic wall

Before even entering the walls, the souk spills out into piles of pottery and tajines for sale.

a pile of pottery in a market

Entering into the crowded passages of the souk, shopkeepers sell vegetables and spices, meats, and pastries.

A shopkeeper in the market

 

Everywhere you turn your head, your eye is overwhelmed with visual stimulation.

Spices in the market

The narrow passages of the crowded market wind out into the streets of a residential neighborhood in the old medina. A group of boys stop their ball game to pose for souaira, a photo.

a group of young boys pose for a photo

One little boy, Brahim, has his favorite pose down pat. He motions to follow him.

Brahim poses for a picture

He walks confidently through the maze of the Medina.

Brahim walking down a Medina street

Brahim knows these complicated streets by heart, and shows me through the the most scenic route.

Brahim between colored walls

Finally the narrow streets let out into a parking lot, overlooked by a sandstone gate. This is the first glimpse of sky I've seen since we left the open space before the market.

An ancient gate over a parking lot

Through the gate, across a busy highway, is a large valley, with half the city on the hill on the other side.

View of a city across a valley

Walk along the hills to watch the sun set over Meknes, the skyline marked by minarets.

Sunset over Meknes

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Sarah Mamlet

<p>My name is Sarah, and I'm from New England but I study psychology (and math, and religion, and everything else) at Vassar College in the Hudson Valley. When I'm not doing schoolwork, you can find me singing in a choir, at ballet class, or binge watching TV shows with my friends.</p>

Destination:
Home University:
Vassar College
Hometown:
Acton, MA
Major:
Psychology
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