Casablanca, Morocco - Parc de la Ligue Arabe

Parc de la Ligue Arabe, which translates to "Arab League Park" in English, is a commonly visited park in Morocco. It is a combination of designs from architects Albert Laprade and. Henri Prost whom used American, French, and German features for the layout. It is not a big as Central Park, and is only about 74 acres but the largest in the city. It was built in 1919 to provide a place for Moroccans and tourists to visit, participate in leisure activities or, play games.

• Features:

- football field in the middle of the park
- small cafes
- Palm trees
- Yasmina amusement park
- Cathédrale du Sacré Coeur

Rabat, Morocco - Andalusian Gardens

The Andalusian Gardens of Rabat were built in the 1800s by the French and are 3-5 acres big. They were built to lead up to the Andalusian Palace, which is now a museum, and give the palace a beautiful surrounding.

• Features:
- Museum of Oudayas
- Blue terrace
- Various flowers: hibiscus, agapanthus, daisies, hydrangus, marigolds
- Orange trees

• Events: On June 17th of 2013 one of the gardens was opened by the King of Morocco

Famous People Related: 

Moulay Ismail: Lived inside of the Andalusian Palace and was the first Almohad sultan to unify the country

Marrakech, Morocco - Majorelle Garden

The Majorelle Gardens are in Marrakech, Morocco, and are the most visited places in Morocco. They were designed by the French painter Jacques Majorelle in 1924 and were finished being built by 1947; the year the gardens opened. Combined, the Gardens take up 12 acres of land, including its buildings and fountains. 

Features: 

• Bleu Majorelle: intense color of blue used by Majorelle on the walls of the buildings and inside the garden. 

• 15 different species of birds who are endemic to North Africa such as the:

• the African blue tit
• great tit
• turtle doves

• Majorelle Blue Square Fountain

• Water Lily Pool which has water lilies and Asian lotus flowers

• Yves Saint Laurent Memorial which is a monument of a roman column from his home in Tangier, Morocco. 

• Palm trees
• bamboo
• cacti

Famous people connected:

- Yves Saint Laurent: Algerian designer, whose fashion line is famous worldwide; especially in the United States.

- Louis Majorelle: The French painter, Jacques Majorelle was ironically the son of the famous French designer Louis Majorelle.

Marrakech, Morocco - Jemaa El Fna

Jamaa el Fna is a square and market place in Marrakesh's medina quarter (old city). It remains the main square of Marrakesh, used by locals and tourists. Marrakesh was founded by the Almoravids 1070-1072. After a destructive struggle, it was falling to the Almohads in 1147. Following this, Jamaa el-Fna was renovated along with much of the city. The city walls were also extended by Abou Yacoub Youssef and particularly by Yacoub el Mansour from 1147-1158. The surrounding mosque, palace, hospital, parade ground and gardens around the edges of the marketplace were also overhauled, and the Kasbah was fortified. Subsequently, with the fortunes of the city, Jamaa el Fna saw periods of decline and also renewal. 

 Interesting Facts about Jemaa El Fna:

• Djemaa el Fna means ‘assembly of the dead’ because once upon a time Christians and criminals were executed and made an example here.
• In the evening, snake charmers, fortune tellers, monkeys & musicians transform this city center into a medieval circus.
• The Koutoubia Mosque right beside Djemaa El Fna is named after the bookseller’s market that used to be located there. At night the mosque is beautifully lit.
• The souks or markets of Marrakech just adjacent to Djemaa El Fna are where you can buy almost anything, from spices to shoes, jalabas to kaftans, tea pots to tagines often over glass after glass of what might be considered the national very sweet drink–hot mint tea.

Rabat, Morocco - Hassan Tower

Hassan Tower or Tour Hassan is the minaret of an incomplete mosque in Rabat, Morocco. Begun in 1195, the tower was intended to be the largest minaret in the world along with the mosque, also intended to be the world's largest. In 1199, Sultan Yacub al-Mansour died and construction on the mosque stopped. Tradition says that Hassan Tower was commissioned by Yacoub EL Mansour and designed by an architect named, Jabir, who modeled it on the minaret of Koutoubia that he had designed earlier. The tower reached 44 m (140 ft), about half of its intended 86 m (260 ft) height. The rest of the mosque was also left incomplete, with only the beginnings of several walls and 200 columns being constructed. The mosque was considered the cornerstone for establishing a new Muslim city.The mosque was not only a place of worship, but also a learning sanctuary and meeting venue.

Interesting facts about the Hassan Tower:

•  From the inside, the tower is ascended by ramps instead of stairs, which mirrors the architectural genius of the minaret. 
• The Hassan Tower is now one of the most prestigious historical monuments in Morocco. The eight-century old tower, adorned by charming gardens around it, was listed in 1995 as a world heritage by the UNESCO.
•  They also manifest the great architectural and mathematical knowledge of the time, and the advanced building know-how of that era, when cities in Morocco and Muslim Spain where a showcase for civilized taste, culture and learning.

Casablanca, Morocco - Casablanca Twin Center

     The Casablanca Twin Center is a complex of two skyscrapers located at Casablanca, Morocco. The two structures, the West Tower and the East Tower, have 28 floors each. The centre houses a complex of shops, offices, and a 5 star hotel, and lies at the heart of Casablanca in the Maarif district, at the crossroads between Zerktouni Boulevard and the Boulevard Al Massira Al Khadra. The architect was the Spanish Catalan Ricardo Bofill Levi. The central square is a landscaped shopping centre on three terraces, offering a perspective on the urban scale, when seen from the exterior. The two towers are the tallest buildings of Morocco, or of the Maghreb region of north Africa. They rise through 115 metres to a total of 28 floors each. The total floor area is 93 000 m², with a 7.2 metre high atrium. There are 15 elevators (lifts) in the Twin Centre. The towers were inaugurated in 1998 and became a landmark in Casablanca.

Interesting Facts about the Casablanca Twin Center: 

•   There are 15 elevators (lifts) in the Twin Centre
• The towers houses offices, dwellings and commercial establishments, the latter on the first five floors. Terraces, bars and restaurants occupy the top floor. Three basement car parks complete the programme.
• Casablanca Twin Centre is currently the most representative building of modern, enterprising Casablanca.

Rabat, Morocco - Kasbah of the Udayas

Rabat, Morocco-Kasbah of the Udayas

The Kasbah of the Udayas was constructed by the Almoravids in CE 1140 but then reconstructed by the Almohads in CE 1150 after defeating the Almoravids in a battle. The Almohads added a mosque and a palace while reconstructing the Kasbah. The Kasbah was a tribute to al Mahdi Ibn Tumart, who was one of the ancestors of the Almohads. The wall that protects the Kasbah of the Udayas has a 2.50 width and has a height between 8 to 10 meters. 

 Interesting facts about the Kasbah of the Udayas include the following:

•  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognized the significance of the Kasbah of the Udayas and added it to the World Heritage Tentative List in 2006.

• The Kasbah of the Udayas became a place of refuge and a pirate hideout after being deserted by the Almohads when their leader Yaqub al-Mansur died. 

• The Kasbah has the oldest mosque in the city of Rabat. 

Famous people connecting to the Kasbah of the Udayas 

• Yaqub al-Mansur

• al Mahdi Ibn Tumart