Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Rabat, Morocco, Africa

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Rabat, Morocco, Africa

Rabat is the capital city of Morocco, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline and it also functions as the administrative centre of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region. It is located around 90 km northeast of the Morocco’s largest city, Casablanca. Rabat was honored with an award by CNN as the 2^nd “Top Travel Destinations of 2013”. The city of Rabat covers an area of 117 sq. km, while its highest elevation measures 135 meters. Rabat coordinates with 34°02′ N latitude and 6°50′ W longitude. Rabat holds many renowned tourist attractions, of which the landmark sites are the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Hassan Tower and Saint-Pierre Cathedral.

History of Rabat:

Rabat is relatively a younger city compared to other Moroccan cities, founded by the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu’min in 1146. The name of Rabat may be the modified form of the title Ribatu l-Fath (‘stronghold of victory’), indicating its importance in the Almohad’s wars in the second half of the 12^th century. Along with the rest of Morocco, Rabat also witnessed the rule of the French during the first half of the 20^th century.

How to get Rabat?

Rabat is served by Rabat-Salé Airport, with international flights from Paris, Amsterdam, Tripoli, Madrid, London, Brussels and Jeddah. The airport is located around 8 km away from the city centre, which can be crossed by taxi (around 15 euro) or airport bus shuttle.

Rabat can be reached by train from Casablanca (around 1 hour), Fez (about 2.5 hours) and Marrakesh (around 4 hour). The bus network of Rabat also covers all three above cities.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Rabat:

The Theatre Mohamed V is the biggest cultural centre in Rabat and the city is also home to many active cultural organizations, including Orient-Occident Foundation and ONA Foundation.

Specialty shops in Rabat can be found at Rue des Consuls, medina and Agdal and there is a mall by the name MegaMall, with bowling and an ice rink facilities.

Restaurants can be found anywhere in Rabat and tourist favor options are located at Old Medina.

Things to do in Rabat:

Visiting spas
Exploring beaches
City tours

Places to see in Rabat:

Mausoleum of Mohammed V:

The Mausoleum of Mohammed V is the site of the tombs of the renowned Moroccan king Mohammed V and his two sons. The building features the modern Alaouite dynasty architecture, was constructed in 1971. It is worth a visit.

Hassan Tower:

Hassan Tower in Rabat is situated on the opposite side of the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and its height reaches up to 44 meters. This iconic minaret with mosque was the dream project of Sultan Yacoub al-Mansour, but due to the death of the sultan in 1996, the project was stopped and later only minaret was completed.

Chellah:

Chellah is the old city of Rabat, founded by Carthaginians and it later came under the Roman and Arab rule. Now it is an abandoned site, although, allowed for visitors until 5:30 PM from morning. Entrance fee is 10 MAD.

Rabat Archaeological Museum:

Inaugurated in 1932, the Rabat Archaeological Museum holds a large collection of archeological artifacts found in the different regions of Morocco. Artifacts dating from Pre-Roman and Roman civilizations are highlights here.

Kasbah of the Udayas:

The Kasbah of the Udayas is a fortified site in Rabat, located at the gateway of the River Bou Regreg. It was constructed by the Almohads on the destroyed site of the Almoravids’s kasbah. Currently the Kasbah features a mosque, a palace and many other attractive historic houses.

Other places of interest in Rabat include:

Medina of Rabat
Zoo de Rabat
Andalusian Gardens
Royal Palace of Rabat
Cathedrale Saint-Pierre
Plage de Rabat
The Currency Museum of the Bank Al-Maghrib
Exotic Gardens of Rabat Sale
Russian Orthodox Church
Les Jardins Exotiques de Bouknadel
Rabat Old Town
Oudaia Museum

Best time to visit Rabat:

Rabat experiences a Mediterranean climate with mild and temperate climate year round and the ideal time to visit Rabat is from May to August.

Accommodation options in Rabat:

Rabat is a city for all types of tourists with all sorts of well facilitated accommodation centre. Nice budget options can be found at the Old Medina of the city. Some reputed hotels in Rabat are as follows: