Posts Tagged ‘Hassan II Mosque’

Travel Exploration Casablanca Shore Excursions, Your Casablanca Tour Guide

Monday, September 17th, 2012

Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca Shore Excursion

Sailing into Casablanca is an unforgettable experience, with glimpses of the Hassan II Mosque and the Casablanca Corniche. Centuries of history await to be unraveled in the seaside city known for its Art Deco Architecture and Moroccan flavor in this legendary city that is coupled with Moroccan history, Jewish History and the economic capitol of Morocco. There are Gothic churches, a Jewish Museum, Synagogues, parks, the Cathedrale du Sacré Coeur, Moroccan grand bazars and markets to explore in Casablanca,. The awe-inspiring Hassan II Mosque in Morocco, set along the majestic Atlantic Ocean is one of the largest mosques in the world within its waterfront setting and has a fascinating interior and exterior of architecture to match.

Why book with Travel Exploration Morocco?

  • Unforgettable Casablanca Tour experience: Our shore excursions are private tours of Casablanca and tailor made by a Morocco Travel Expert.
  • Professional Licensed Tourism Drivers and Expert Historical Guides for your Casablanca Tour.
  • Unbeatable Private Tour Prices: Don’t pay cruise line prices, when you can take a private tour.
  • Worry-free guarantee: We guarantee a timely return to your cruise ship.
  • 24/7 Support: Our Casablanca Shore Excursions have a local expert managing your arrival and departure

Things to do & See on  a Casablanca Short Excursion:

  • Hassan II Mosque
  • Parc de La Ligue Arabe
  • Cathedrale du Sacré Coeur
  • Place Mohammed V
  • 18th Century Bastion
  • Habous Market
  • Stroll along the Casablanca Corniche
  • Shop at Casablanca markets and bazars for hand made Moroccan crafts

Casablanca Shore Excursions: Private Tour & Jewish Heritage Options:

  • Temple Beth-El Jewish Synagoge
  • Museum of Moroccan Judaism
  • Jewish Mellah in Casablanca
  • Jewish Cemetery

For more information about Casablanca Shore Excursions 

For More Information About Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate
Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.
Casablanca Shore Excursions, Casablanca Tours, Casablanca Private Tours, Casablanca Port Tours, Hassan II Mosque, Morocco Travel, Casablanca Travel, Travel Exploration Morocco


Casablanca Site seeing Tours, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

Casablanca, Arial View of Port & City

Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city as well as the its chief port. As the biggest city in Morocco, Casablanca is the primary place where cruise ships dock. A Casablanca site seeing tour is the best way to spend the day ashore when arriving on a cruise. Many Holland America Cruises and Oceania Cruises dock in Casablanca overnight or for the day. With 24 hours in Casablanca there’s a lot to see and do. A site seeing excursion that offers a little taste of Morocco is the perfect way to get to know this fascinating city who made its name in the 1940’s film “Casablanca.”

There are various types of site seeing Casablanca tours that can be arranged:

Casablanca Architectural Tour: A Casablanca Architectural Tour includes visiting the Hassan II Mosque, Saint Catherine’s Church and the Art Deco District along with other architectural interests. The option of having lunch in Rick’s Café, an architectural haven in Casablanca is available. 

Casablanca Jewish Heritage Tour: A Casablanca Jewish Heritage Tour includes visiting the Jewish Museum in Casablanca, the Jewish Synagogue, and the old Jewish Mellah in the medina. The option of a kosher Jewish lunch is also available.

Casablanca Site seeing Tour: A Casablanca Site seeing Tour includes visiting Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque, Parks, the Art Deco Distrcit and other fascintating sites and monuments. Lunch at Casablanca’s seaside corniche is the best way to top off the visit

For more information about an Casablanca Tour

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best ofMarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel ExplorationTravel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or 1 (917)703-2078 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Ramadan Ambiance in Morocco, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

Ramadan in Morocco and other Islamic countries is an unusual time when in addition to heightened spirituality, a special atmosphere permeates the culture unlike the rest of the year.  This is even more true when the month falls outside of the school year, as most of it does this year, 2010.  Normal schedules are completely turned around during Ramadan, and people enjoy special foods and family celebration.

Red Harira, Moroccan Soup

A typical Ramadan evening in Morocco and other Islamic countries, breakfast or “Laftour” is served after sunset and consists of red or white harira, hard-boiled eggs sprinkled with salt and cumin, a sticky-sweet pastry called shebakkia, dates, freshly-squeezed orange juice, coffee with milk, and often milkshakes made with both avocado and banana.

Shebakkia, a sticky-sweet Ramadan pastry

Sometimes in the evening, some of the more unusual Moroccan specialties are consumed, such as cooked lamb’s feet, sheep’s brains, or even cow’s head.

Sheep's Brains

Most people in Morocco and other Islamic countries go out late in the evening during Ramadan and stay out at night much later than normal.  (This is because the three meals of daytime are eaten at night, and the third meal falls about 4 AM.) The streets can be more crowded at midnight than during the daytime rush hours.  Many stores and restaurants open up in the evening and stay open until after midnight.  Some restaurants stay open until 3 AM.

Inside a Moroccan Supermarket

Because of staying up so late, many housewives will go to bed around 5-6 AM, and get up again around 10-11 AM.  It will be too hot at that time (over 100°F/37°C) to go out shopping, so they will prepare foods for the evening from what is available at home.  Around 3-5 PM, most people will rest or sleep.  After the evening breafast around 7:00 PM, most people rest or sleep another two hours, then get up for the evening.  Many housewives and families will go shopping in the supermarkets between 10PM and Midnight.  Others just go out  because it’s cooler than the daytime, and because everybody else is out.

People who pray have a much more rigorous schedule for getting up, and may need to shower for religious reasons before 10 AM, as well as keeping to rigorous prayer schedules.

Corridor in the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

The fast currently starts about 4:30 AM and finishes around 7:00 PM.  So now that most students have not yet started back to school (mid-September in Morocco), most are staying up all night until about 5-6 AM, and sleeping late until 3-4 in the afternoon.  This is not really a recommended practice, as it shortens the hours of fasting, but it is not absolutely forbidden.  Correctly, a person should get up by 11:00 at the latest.  However, even for those who do get up, many of them are resting or sleeping several of those hours, but later in the afternoon.

For those who do have regular working hours, the hours of work are generally considerably shortened.  Schools open 60-90 minutes later than normal (9:30 -10:00 AM), and instead of closing for lunch, work straight through to an earlier closing time (2:30 – 3:00 PM).  Businesses often work 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, or from 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM.

The last ten days of Ramadan are a very special time, because it is when the Koran was revealed.

The Ablution Room in the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

Some people even go to the mosque and pray all night for all of the last ten nights, since no one is sure of the one actual night during that period when the Koran was revealed.  This practice is called Itiqaf, and is also felt to offer worshipers protection against excessive socializing, sleeping and talking, and turn worshipers’ attention toward Allah.

For more information about Ramadan in Morocco

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or 1 (917)703-2078 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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