Ghosts of the Old Medina

Today was a pretty perfect Saturday. A big portion of the ISA students went on their own trip to Chefchaouen, so there were only a few of us here for the tour of the old Medina. It was a brisk morning with a bit of light rain, but just enough to make the air cool and comfortable. We toured several really fascinating elements of the oldest part of Meknes. First, we saw the mosque that used to be the personal worship ground for King Moulay Ismail and his royal family. The building is now the king’s mausoleum where he and his family members are buried. Every surface of the mosque is precisely crafted and decorated with intricate Moroccan adornment. It was by far the best example of Moroccan style art I have seen so far. One of my favorite things about other cultures is the amount of dedication and detail that goes into their architecture. Something I wish America had more of is a sense of building structures to last the test of time. It adds so much history and character to the landscape of a place.

Something else we saw that ignited my inner history nerd was the 17^th century underground prison. Mouhsine convinced our tour guide to take us down in to the actual prison, which spans 15 kilometers underground (but is now blocked off to only a small accessible portion). It was completely dark except for the light from holes in the roof for ventilation, and you could feel the moisture in the air settle on your skin. It was amazing to imagine that nearly 3,000 people used to inhabit the dank walls, without cells or bunks but only chains and bodies. Very fascinating and also very creepy.

We finished our morning with a trip to the large market of the old Medina and a horse drawn carriage ride. The girls were in a pink “princess” carriage, of course. We walked for quite some time around the alleys of the Medina, just spending time exploring and observing the culture. I love seeing the shop owners preparing their wares and interacting with each other. With the huge walls and cobblestone alleys, it feels like being in a completely new world.

The rest of the day was a pleasant lazy Saturday. There were only three of us in our apartment and we basically took a half-day siesta. Plus, I got to have a long Skype date with my wonderful fiancé, which was the perfect end to my first week in Morocco.