Guard at the Hassan Tower

.RABAT     The capital wasn't nearly as big as Casablanca, but there was a lot to see in the center of town.  And with a population of just a million, Rabat seemed clean and quaint.  The old city wais surrounded by a fortress wall.  Parts of it were lined with palm trees that really added to the appearance.  The medina was a pretty good place to buy souvenirs and antiques (some of them real). 

The Hassan Tower, a major landmark of Rabat, was built in the twelfth century and matched the one in Marrakech.  It was built next to the former king's mausoleum, an impressive building with a lot of gold, mosaics, and royal guards.  Across the river was Rabat's sister city, Sale.  You went there to buy pottery.