Cork forests, a synagogue, and roman ruins

Sunday, October 03, 2010
Fez, Fès-Boulemane, Morocco
A full day of travel from Rabat to Fes. Rather than taking the main highway, we traveled the scenic route. The bus is very comfortable, with 32 seats for the 15 of us. Our first stop was in a Cork forest, that was the site of a US army base during WWII. The trees concealed the encampment from German planes. It takes 28 years for cork trees to reach maturity, then the bark can only be harvested every 8 years during the approximately 80 year life expectancy of the tree. The forest is also home to wild boars that dig for truffles among the tree roots. All of the cork harvested in Morocco is used for wine bottle stoppers. We made another stop at a roadside stand where farmer was swelling turkeys, honey, olive oil, and eggs. Although our quest for turkey eggs to take to the desert was not satisfied, we had some great views of the fertile farmland and the rolling terrain.

We traveled on to Meknes, one of the 4 Imperial cities of Morocco, for a short stop . First we visited an synagogue in the Old Mellah and then we visited a historic Jewish cemetary across the street. At one time there was a large Jewish community, now only one family remains in the old Mellah and 3 more families live in the suburbs, so the cemetary is now cared for by a Muslim woman.  To show our respect we left small stones on several of the graves.   Meknes is known as the green city because of its association with agriculture. It is famous for olive oil and wine and we drove through large vineyards and orchards of olive trees as we approached the city.  We stopped at Bab Mansour el-Aleuj, one of the finest gates in Morocco, and the Place el-Hedime, or Square of Ruins, which links the medina and the kasbah. We then travelled to the outskirts of the city for a great view of the skyline, and to have lunch in a local restaurant. Shortly after our arrival, we heard a lot of music and discovered that a wedding celebration was being held in another part of the restaurant. The male guests were being welcomed by music and dancers . The bride and other women were participating at another celebration in a different location.

After lunch we drove through the countryside to the ruins of the Roman town of Volubilis. The town was established in the 3rd Century BC by Mauretanian kings and was annexed by the Roman Emporor Claudius in 45 AD. Highlights of Volubilis include a Triumphal Arch, the Basilica and Forum, and a number of beautiful and well-preseved mosaic floors. Being accustomed to the well-rotected historical sites in the United States, I am always surprised at the freedom for visitors at sites in other countries. Although there are guards stationed at the entrance, visitors are free to wander throughout the 99 acre site, and examine the ruins. The site was clean and there was no obvious vandalism.

After touring Volubilis, we partially retraced our route and then headed on to Fes where we will spend two nights.

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