SISTER VISITS!
Here are my sister June and friend Wayne in the lovely Jardin Majorelle which Yves St. Laurent helped fund in Marrakech. A wonderful, quiet place and escape from the very noisy hustle and bustle of the medina, Jma Fna. There are cactus here from all over the world, as well as other flora. Most of the other tourists visiting the Gardens were French.
On the left is the exterior of the
Hassan II Mosque which was built between
1986 and 1993 for the 60th birthday of former Moroccan king Hassan II. The Hassan II Mosque has space for 25,000 worshippers inside and another 80,000 outside. The right photo shows part of the expansive (and expensive!) interior. 10,000 traditional Moroccan artisans worked for six years to turn these raw materials into mosaics, stone and marble floors and columns, sculpted plaster moldings, and carved and painted wood ceilings. The mosque also includes a number of modern touches: it was built to withstand earthquakes and has a heated floor, electric doors, a sliding roof, and lasers which shine at night from the top of the minaret toward Mecca. Many Casablancans have mixed feelings about Hassan II Mosque. On one hand, they are proud that this beautiful monument dominates their city. On the other, they are aware that the expense (estimates range from $500 to 800 million) could have been put to other uses. To build the mosque, it was necessary to destroy a large, impovershed section of Casablanca. The residents did not receive any compensation.
This is a photo of Volubulis, which are Roman ruins near Meknes. Beautiful mosaics still exist after all this time! We had a great guide who has a degree in history and explained much to us in a 1 1/2 hour tour. It is believed that this spectacular city was constructed around 40 AD and that it was built on an old settlement which dated back to the third century. The extremely fertile lands that surrounded the city produced olive oils and grains that were exported to Rome.
Here are my sister June and friend Wayne in the lovely Jardin Majorelle which Yves St. Laurent helped fund in Marrakech. A wonderful, quiet place and escape from the very noisy hustle and bustle of the medina, Jma Fna. There are cactus here from all over the world, as well as other flora. Most of the other tourists visiting the Gardens were French.On the left is the exterior of the
Hassan II Mosque which was built between
1986 and 1993 for the 60th birthday of former Moroccan king Hassan II. The Hassan II Mosque has space for 25,000 worshippers inside and another 80,000 outside. The right photo shows part of the expansive (and expensive!) interior. 10,000 traditional Moroccan artisans worked for six years to turn these raw materials into mosaics, stone and marble floors and columns, sculpted plaster moldings, and carved and painted wood ceilings. The mosque also includes a number of modern touches: it was built to withstand earthquakes and has a heated floor, electric doors, a sliding roof, and lasers which shine at night from the top of the minaret toward Mecca. Many Casablancans have mixed feelings about Hassan II Mosque. On one hand, they are proud that this beautiful monument dominates their city. On the other, they are aware that the expense (estimates range from $500 to 800 million) could have been put to other uses. To build the mosque, it was necessary to destroy a large, impovershed section of Casablanca. The residents did not receive any compensation.
This is a photo of Volubulis, which are Roman ruins near Meknes. Beautiful mosaics still exist after all this time! We had a great guide who has a degree in history and explained much to us in a 1 1/2 hour tour. It is believed that this spectacular city was constructed around 40 AD and that it was built on an old settlement which dated back to the third century. The extremely fertile lands that surrounded the city produced olive oils and grains that were exported to Rome.
posted by Connie Genger | 7:08 AM
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