An Archaeological Study Tour

Morocco
Oct. 3 – 19, 2008
Led by Professor Kenneth J. Perkins

Morocco is a land of contrasts, where rolling fertile plains disappear into the beauty of the empty Sahara and the endless Atlantic coastline confronts the rugged snow-capped Atlas Mountains. As we journey through the great Roman and Islamic cities and the remote kasbahs and ksour, we will study Morocco’s 6,000 years of archaeology, art and architecture. We will benefit from the rich cultural heritage and fascinating traditions forged from the heritage of the Berbers, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Portuguese, French and Spanish, all of whom have called this California-sized country home. The tour emphasizes medieval Islamic Morocco and the Imperial Cities of Rabat, Meknes, Fez and Marrakech, from which the Moroccans ruled an area that stretched from Spain to Timbuktu. We will also enjoy many other aspects of this enchanting country, including modern mosques, desert dunes, awe-inspiring canyons, beautiful handicrafts displayed in sumptuous bazaars and everywhere, superb Moroccan cuisine.

Friday, Saturday, October 3 & 4: TANGIER: Departure from New York in the evening via Royal Air Maroc. Our arrival into Casablanca is Saturday morning, with a direct connection to Tangier. In the late afternoon we will have a walking tour of the medina with a stop to visit the Old American Legation, which now holds an art gallery. This evening we will meet with Professor Perkins for an orientation lecture and dinner. El Ninzah Hotel.
Meals: Dinner

Sunday, October 5: TANGIER: We begin the morning with a visit to the Archaeological Museum, housed in the old Royal Palace. We then drive to Cap Malabara to view the Strait of Gibraltar and continue along the Mediterranean coast to Tetouan, a lovely white town with a strong Spanish atmosphere. We will visit the Archaeological Museum, which houses the artifacts from Lixus, and the Museum of Folk Art. Lastly, we will stroll in the charming medina, which consists of tiny squares, Andalusian houses and many very small mosques.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, October 6: RABAT: En route to Rabat we will stop to visit Lixus, one of the best preserved Phoenician trading posts on the coast of North Africa, and if access is possible, Roman Banasa. Upon reaching Rabat, we will visit the Chellah necropolis. Hilton Hotel.

Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Tuesday, October 7: RABAT: Today we will visit the city’s important Islamic monuments, including the walls and splendid gateway of Oudaias Kasbah, built in the reign of Yacoub el Mansour (1185-99), the Royal Palace (Mechouar), the Mohammed V Mausoleum and Hassan’s Tower (originally the minaret of a large mosque). After visiting the Archaeological Museum, we will spend the afternoon at Sale visiting the Madrassa of Abu el Hassan, provided it has reopened.

Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, October 8: MEKMES: En route to Volubilis we visit Moulay Idriss, perched on top of a great massif. This little holy city is venerated as the burial place of the founder of Islam in Morocco and is the fifth holiest Muslim city. After visiting the shrine we continue to the Roman site of Volubilis. Dating from 25 BC, this royal residence and capital of Mauritania Tingitana is one of Morocco’s most ancient cities. The city prospered under the Romans, eventually reaching 15,000 inhabitants. However, by the time Moulay Idriss I arrived, the Romans had withdrawn and the city was eventually abandoned. After completing our visit, a short drive brings us to Meknes and the Zaki Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, Friday, October 9 & 10: FEZ: Our touring of this imperial city will include Bab el Mansour Gate and el Hedim Square, the gateway of Berrima. Lastly, we visit the 19th-century palace and museum, Dar Jamai, and continue to Fez, the most ancient and picturesque of the imperial cities on the north-south caravan route. We will explore the medieval medina with its narrow streets and tiled fountains at every corner, the Attarine Madrassa, known for its delicate decoration and fine tiles, the recently restored 18th-century Nejjarine Funduk, Dar Batha Museum and Karaouine University, as well as the souks of this charming city. Our hotel, the famed Palais Jamais Hotel, is located at the entrance to the medina.We will have an afternoon at leisure and two nights at the famed Palais Jamais Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily & 1 dinner

Saturday, October 11: ERFOUD:n early departure takes us through the Middle Atlas Mountains, stopping at the mountain resort of Ifrane and a Berber village, Azrou. We continue through these beautifully forested mountains and Zad Pass to the mining town of Midelt, where we will have lunch. Our drive this afternoon continues via the Ziz River Valley and several strikingly unusual fortified villages to Erfoud, the gateway to the Sahara. We will spend the night at Hotel Xaluca Maadid, arriving in time for a beautiful desert sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, October 12: ERFOUD: This morning we continue through oases whose palm groves are watered by the Ziz River. Professor Perkins will give us an in-depth tour of the ruins of ancient Sijilmassa, an important trading center until the Middle Ages.We then return to Erfoud.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, Tuesday, October 13 & 14: OUARZAZATE: Our drive to Quarzazate takes us through the spectacular Todra Gorge, which has been compared to the Grand Canyon. Following the Dades River, we continue along the Kasbah Trail, the landscape dotted with ksour (fortified villages), protected by their red or yellow walls, and the villages of the Draoua people, to the lovely Berbere Palace Hotel in Ouarzazate. A day’s excursion to UNESCO-supported Ait Benhaddou, a fortified ksour built around several decorated kasbahs on a steep mountain slope. We will stop for tea at Tiffeltout, a kasbah belonging to the powerful Glaoui family and return to Ouarzazate.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, October 15, 16, 17 & 18: MARRAKECH: Driving through the High Atlas via the Tizi N‘Tichka Pass, at an altitude of 2,260 meters, we arrive in Marrakech in time for lunch. Marrakech’s historic sites are prime examples of Moorish-Andalusian architecture. Our touring will include the great Mosque of Koutoubia, the tomb of the Saadian Kings, Ben Yousuf Medressa, al-Badi Palace, Dar Si Said Museum, the Almoravid Qubbah, the Majorelle Gardens and Museum, as well as Marrakech’s sumptuous souks and Jamaa el Fena Square, famous for its riotous storytellers, jugglers, musicians and snake charmers. We will return to the breathtakingly beautiful High Atlas to visit Tin-Mal, the massive fortified mosque from which the Almoravid dynasty made their first unsuccessful attack on Marrakech. After a day at leisure, we will have our farewell dinner at the renowned Yacout restaurant. Hotel Le Meridien.
Meals: Breakfast daily, 3 lunches & 1 dinner

Sunday, October 19: Our Royal Air Maroc flight departs early, connecting in Casablanca for New York.