Beyond Casablanca: the Ancient Capitals of Morocco

During the Fall 2014 Semester at Sea voyage stop in Morocco, a small group of students, staff members, faculty, and lifelong learners left Casablanca to explore three ancient capitals: Mekn√®s, Volubilis, and F√®s. The Bab el-Khemis Gate welcomed them to Mekn√®s, the capital of Morocco in the late 17th century.

The group then walked the ancient Roman city of Volubilis, which was the capital of the Mauretania Tingitana province of the Roman Empire in the first and second centuries and later the capital of Morocco in the 8th century. Today the partially excavated ruins are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In F√®s, the capital of Morocco at multiple times during the second millennium including as recently as 1925, the group visited Medersa Bouanania, whose courtyard is decorated in marble and onyx.

Inside the old medina of F√®s is the leather souk. Its tannery spreads out like a watercolor tray of stone vessels containing various liquids used in the tanning process. The tannery has been a part of the city for a thousand years with the process remaining largely unchanged during that time.

Beyond Casablanca: the Ancient Capitals of Morocco

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