The essence of Moroccan history can be felt in the old quarters of her cities. The areas are called Medina, which translates as city. These old cities are rich and vibrant, with fresh produce, textiles, crafts, clothing and restaurants offering visitors an experience that appeals to the senses. The smell of barbecued meat, the rich colors of fresh produce, the cacophony of trade, the taste of freshly squeezed juice and rich textures to experience. While it is a tourists dream, the majority of trade in most of the Medinas we visited was being conducted by locals.
Each Medina had it's own character. Rabat's Medina had wider alleyways than Fez, set out in a grid that is far easier to navigate than some of the others. There was a bit of construction at the far end of the Medina in Rabat, but it was still passable on foot. Generally, traffic in the Medina is restricted to foot traffic only. Although we sometimes encountered motor scooters. In Rabat, there was a bit of vehicle traffic at the far end of the Medina beyond the construction, but it was in an area where there were no shops. For the most part, navigating the Rabat Medina was very easy. It was the first we visited, so we didn't have a comparison. But in retrospect, I believe it was the smallest we visited.
The smell of food in the Medina was powerful. Particularly on the tram side of the Medina, which appeared to be where most of the traffic was centered. There were a few classy restaurants located along the main road, but we opted to take our chances inside the Medina. We found a small restaurant that was packed. They had chicken shwarma roasting on a spit, emanating a smell that drew me in. My wife and I both opted for the shwarma sandwich, which was served with french fries. The fries were hand cut, crisp and fresh. They were excellent. The shwarma was served on a tortilla that was pressed like a panini, which is what it pretends to be. While it is not an actual panini, the flavor was spot on. We also ordered a liter of soda to split. The sandwiches were also served with a side of harissa sauce that added a tasty fire to the sandwich. The bill came to around five dollars with the tip. Incredible. Good, fresh food in a restaurant that appeared to be very clean (considering it was a hole-in-the-wall). Deals like this are not uncommon in the Medina. My pro tip would be to find a place that looks clean and has a large crowd of locals dining inside. That is generally a good sign. We didn't get sick, so we must have chosen well. The restaurant was a three story affair, with a great rooftop view. We went to the top to snap a few photos.
One of the things I noticed when we were walking around the Medina were phone stores interspersed among the shops. They appeared to serve multiple purposes, although I am not sure. It appeared you could get "top up" cards, sim cards as well as prepaid phones in the shops. Some appeared to do repairs as well. What I liked about the shops was the throw back advertising. At least, I believe it was advertising. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if these advertisements were actually functional as well. In any event, I can best explain the throw back in the photo below.
I submitted a post several months ago where I talked about my penchant for local art. My wife and I purchase some form of art everywhere we visit. I started looking at paintings at the Rabat Medina, but generally wait until later in my trip to purchase art so I don't have to lug it around. It is usually an odd shape and I have to lug it around separate from my luggage. It was in Rabat that I first saw a painting that depicted the horsemanship contest known as Fantasia. I love the look of the art, which I originally thought was a tribute to Lawrence of Arabia. I did not like the colors of this painting, but I snapped a photo of it, and ultimately purchased a blue version of Fantasia during our visit to Essaouira.
Another painting that caught my eye in the art shops of Rabat's Medina was this one:
After navigating the medina, we decided to take a break in a coffee shop. We didn't notice until after we ordered that there were no women in the cafe. Only my wife. One other lady showed up later. But it was a bit odd. It seems that the cafe tends to be a gathering place for men. I wondered why they directed us to a corner. At first, we sat upstairs, but then moved into a corner inside (away from the incessant smoking in the outdoor area).
After coffee, mint tea and water, we ventured back out, ultimately heading to the Bouregreg Marina for a stroll before heading back to our hotel. The Medina was a fun place to explore. It is ranked as the #7 place to visit in Rabat according to TripAdvisor. It is definitely a place for tourists to get a feel for Rabat. It is touristy but also frequented by locals.
All photos are my own. They may be reproduced with prior permission.