|
With bargain flight destinations appearing beyond the usual European frontier, now is the time to spread your wings. Cheap Marrakech hotels are in abundance, and offer some of the best boutique accommodation a traveller could wish for. Where better then to start your exploration of Morocco’s majestic mosques? But before you go, here’s a brief but indispensible list of dos and don’ts, to help you seamlessly experience the spiritual side to Morocco. Dress Code: When you think of dress, think Sunday-best. Bare arms or legs are a definite no for men and women, and shoes are to be left at the door (or carried in a bag, best taken with you). In addition, ladies will be expected to wear headscarves once in the building, and preferably on the mosque’s grounds too. Behaviour: Modesty and manners are the name of the game. Keep noise levels to a minimum and enjoy the tranquillity. If you feel compelled to capture on camera some of the magnificent images you’ll undoubtedly see, be aware of tourist notices, just as you would in any gallery. If in doubt, just ask. Bear in mind also, the mosque is not the place to indulge in Morocco’s celebrated street cuisine. When to visit: If possible, avoid the five daily prayer times (unless of course you’re Muslim and intend to pray). Only mosques with designated visitor areas will allow visits during these times. Outside of prayer, if the customary large crowd doesn’t give it away, then a green transporter on the street outside is a sure sign that a funeral‘s in progress. Here then are some of the most beguiling mosques that Morocco has to offer. Stay in Morocco hotels in Marrakech to visit Koutoubia Mosque inthe heart of the city, its name derives from al-koutoubiyyin, (literary meaning ‘librarian’). Completed between 1184 and 1199, and built in the traditional Almohad style, it inspired mosque and church design throughout Spain and Eastern Europe. No more than 100 km from Marrakech, dominating the High Atlas village of Tin Mal, you’ll find the UNESCO World Heritage Tin Mal Mosque, built in 1156 to commemorate Mohamed Ibn Tumart (founder of the Almohad dynasty). This enchanting village is considered the cradle of the Almohad, whose Twelfth-Century empire once stretched from Northern Africa into the heart of Spain and Portugal. To see perhaps Morocco’s greatest achievement, head for cheap hotels hotels in Fes, where you’ll find the world famous mosque of Al Karaouine or Al-Qarawiyyin. Founded in 859, and funded by Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Al Karaouine soon developed into a place of religious, political and scientific instruction, making it, according to the Guinness Book of records, the oldest continuously operating academic degree-granting university in the world. The university played a key role in Islamic – European relations throughout the Middle Ages, producing, among other academic gems, the maps that enabled the European explorations of the Renaissance. And of all the mosques in Casablanca, you have to walk into this one. Hassan II Mosque is the seventh largest in the world, and at 210 meters, it boasts the world’s tallest minaret. Inspired by the Qur’an statement that ‘the throne of Allah was built on water” Hassan II Mosque was constructed on reclaimed land over the Atlantic Ocean, and comprises glass floors views to the sea below.
Related Articles -
Marrakech hotels, Morocco hotels, Cheap hotels,
|
