I have just added a new gallery with images from Morocco taken during a visit some time ago. Follow this link to take a look; Morocco Photo Gallery. Some panorama photos is included as well.

Bab Agnaou is one of the nineteen gates of Marrakech, Morocco. (Bjorn Grotting)
Bab Agnaou is one of the nineteen gates of Marrakech, Morocco. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

The roundtrip started in  Marrakech at the foot of the Atlas mountains. This amazing city with its old medina, the largest souk (traditional market) in Morocco and one of the busiest squares in Africa, Djemaa el Fna, is absolutely worth a visit, and full of photo opportunities.

Morocco. Heri es- Souani, the old granary and stables for some of Moulay Ismails 12000 horses in Meknes. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
Morocco. Heri es- Souani, the old granary and stables for some of Moulay Ismails 12000 horses in Meknes. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

Next stop was Meknes which was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail. Main sights to visit includes the Bab Mansour gate (built in 1732), Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail (built in 1703) and Dar El Makhzen palace.

Volubilis is an archaeological roman site in Morocco situated near Moulay Idriss. Triumphal Arch in Volubilis. (Bjorn Grotting)

Volubilis has the best preserved Roman ruins in this region, and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Unforunately parts of Volubilis was demolished in the 18th century to provide building materials for Moulay Ismail’s palaces in nearby Meknes. Still enough of the site remains to make it a memorable visit.

Panorama. Moulay Idriss is a pilgrimage site for Muslims. (Bjorn Grotting)
Panorama. Moulay Idriss is a pilgrimage site for Muslims. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

Close by Volubilis is Moulay Idriss, a pilgrimage site for Muslims. It is named after Moulay Idris I, founder of the Idrisid Dynasty. Moulay can be translated to “Prince” or “Lord”. Idris founded both the city of Moulay Idriss and Fes.

Leather tanning in Fes, a very strong smell rises from the area. The medina in Fes, Fes el Bali, is on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. (Bjorn Grotting)
Leather tanning in Fes, a very strong smell rises from the area. The medina in Fes, Fes el Bali, is on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

Fes is the second largest city of Morocco, and the cultural and religious center of the country. Fes el Bali, the old, walled city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Entering the medina here is like moving back to the middle ages.

Panorama. Hassan Tower or Tour Hassan is the minaret of an incomplete mosque in Rabat, Morocco. (Bjorn Grotting)
Panorama. Hassan Tower or Tour Hassan is the minaret of an incomplete mosque in Rabat, Morocco. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

Rabat is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco
. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. The first settlement was known as Chellah, in 40 AD taken over by the Romans who named it Sala Colonia. Local rulers eventually took over in 250 AD. Rabat and  Salé formed the Republic of Bou Regreg in 1627. Run by Barbary pirates the two cities was used as base ports for launching attacks on shipping, the Republic of Bou Regreg finally collapsed in 1818
.

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, is the largest mosque in the country and the 7th largest mosque in the world. (Bjorn Grotting)
The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, is the largest mosque in the country and the 7th largest mosque in the world. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city and also has it’s largest port. It is the economic and business center of Morocco. It’s main sight is maybe the Hassan II Mosque, which has room for 25.000 people inside. The minaret reaches 210 meters in height, and is the tallest in the world. For some of us Casablanca may be best known trough the movie of the same name, with Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in the main roles. Nothing of the film was actually shot in Casablanca though.

Colourful blue fishing boats. Essaouira is a city on the Moroccan Atlantic coast. Fortress walls originally enclosed the entire city. (Bjorn Grotting)
Colourful blue fishing boats. Essaouira is a city on the Moroccan Atlantic coast. Fortress walls originally enclosed the entire city. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

Essaouira is a very charming city on the Atlantic coast. During the 1960’s and 70’s it was home to many celebrities like Jimi Hendrix, Cat Stevens and Leonard Cohen. The Medina of Essaouira is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city. Several small arts and crafts shops can be found here, like wood carving. The fishing harbour is quite small but still one of the major fishing harbours of Morocco.

Coastline. The Souss-Massa National Park on the Atlantic coast of Morocco was established in 1991. (Bjorn Grotting)
Coastline. The Souss-Massa National Park on the Atlantic coast of Morocco was established in 1991. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

The visit to Morocco ended in Agadir, famous for it’s nice beaches and mild winter climate. Main income here is tourism and fisheries. We also explored the area just south of Agadir, like The Souss-Massa National Park.

Morocco is a great place for photographers, with a large variety of nature, people and culture. I would not mind going back to see more!
 

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Bjørn Grøtting

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Photographer based in Norway. See a collection of my best photos in the portfolio. Licensing of images is done through Photoshelter or alamy.
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