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Tragic last words of five-year-old trapped in well

<p dir="ltr">The final words of a five-year-old boy have been <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/world-gripped-by-tragic-story-of-fiveyearold-rayan-who-fell-down-well-in-morocco/news-story/c4d4dd221d46589028437e3cdb75323e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> by family members, following the young boy’s death after being trapped in a Moroccan well for days.</p><p dir="ltr">A male relative told <em>Reuters </em>news agency that Rayan Awram called out begging to be saved while waiting to be rescued.</p><p dir="ltr">He said the family first realised Rayan was missing when they heard sounds of muffled crying, using the camera light on their phone to find him.</p><p dir="ltr">“He was crying ‘lift me up’,” the relative said.</p><p dir="ltr">Rayan fell into a 32-metre shaft outside his home in Ighran, a village in northern Morocco, on Tuesday evening.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-cf9b128e-7fff-681a-41f3-4f6fb2cadadc"></span></p><p dir="ltr">On Sunday, footage emerged showing Rayan being carried out of a tunnel constructed by rescuers, before the boy was rushed to an ambulance where his parents waited.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Photos the moments when Rayan,5, was removed from the 32 meter deep well in northern Morocco before he was announced dead. <br /><br />Innalillah. Rest in peace Rayan 💔<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaveRayan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaveRayan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%84_%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#الطفل_ريان</a> <a href="https://t.co/Cx8t79imxK">pic.twitter.com/Cx8t79imxK</a></p>— Tun Fadzil 🇲🇾🇵🇸 (@FAZHAJAZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAZHAJAZ/status/1490091910861848577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2022</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr">It was later reported that the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, confirmed that Rayan was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.</p><p dir="ltr">The monarch expressed his condolences to the boy’s parents, Khaled Oram and Wassima Khersheesh.</p><p dir="ltr">Reports from Moroccan media said resuscitation specialists entered the tunnel alongside rescue crews, fearing Rayan may have needed life-saving medical care.</p><p dir="ltr">AFP correspondents reported that rescue teams moved at a snail’s pace for fear of triggering a landslide.</p><p dir="ltr">The risky earth-moving operation saw drill teams work by hand to avoid any vibrations that could bring soil down on the stricken child, according to local authorities.</p><p dir="ltr">“Eighty centimetres (less than three feet) separate us from Rayan but the drillers are working painstakingly to avoid any mishap,” engineer Mounir al-Jazouli told a local broadcaster.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c24fc5c9-7fff-8140-56dc-d85c5fe47145"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Abdelhardi Tamrani, an official in charge of the rescue, said a camera inserted into the well where Rayan was stuck had shown him lying on his side.</p><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/tribute-rayan.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Tributes to the five-year-old have flooded social media after the news of his passing on Sunday night. Image: @ShaykhAshiq (<a href="https://twitter.com/ShaykhAshiq/status/1490230757759107073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>)</em></p><p dir="ltr">The efforts of the rescue teams gripped Moroccan residents, attracting onlookers who encouraged rescuers with applause, sang religious songs or prayed, chanting “Allahu akbar” (God is great) in unison. The operation even sparked sympathy in neighbouring Algeria, a regional rival.</p><p dir="ltr">Though rescuers had tried to get oxygen and water down to the five-year-old, AFP correspondents reported that it was unclear whether he was able to use them.</p><p dir="ltr">As night fell, they continued to work non-stop, using powerful floodlights that gave a gloomy air to the scene.</p><p dir="ltr">“I keep up hope that my child will get out of the well alive,” Rayan’s father told public television 2M on Friday evening. </p><p dir="ltr">“I thank everyone involved and those supporting us in Morocco and elsewhere.”</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c33c611f-7fff-dd16-ae34-d58823f8b28d"></span></p><p dir="ltr">The rescue mission sparked an outpouring of sympathy online, with the Arabic hashtag #SaveRayan beginning to trend.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you, everyone who worked to rescue little Rayan. We will not forget your efforts and work. God bless Morocco 🇲🇦. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rayan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rayan</a> <a href="https://t.co/GKJNwx64EK">pic.twitter.com/GKJNwx64EK</a></p>— Younes JEDDI (@YounesJeddi) <a href="https://twitter.com/YounesJeddi/status/1490305077453721604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr">One person paid tribute to the rescue team working non-stop for days on end, saying, “they are real-life heroes”.</p><p dir="ltr">A volunteer at the site simply said he was there to help.</p><p dir="ltr">“We’ve been here for three days. Rayan is a child of our region. We won’t leave until he’s out of the well,” he said.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8b8b93c3-7fff-2205-1a0a-a50c1ec42aa9"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Pregnant woman’s record-breaking birth

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Malian woman who was expecting to give birth to seven babies at a Moroccan clinic left doctors in shock after she had an additional two babies and became the first recorded woman to survive nonuplets.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a statement from Mali’s Minister of Health, the five girls, four boys and their mother “are all doing well”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">25-year-old Halima Cisse gave birth via caesarean section on Tuesday, May 4 in Morocco, having been sent to Morocco for special care according to Mali’s top health official.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reporters from the Associated Press saw some of the babies wiggling their hands and feet inside incubators in Casablanca’s private Ain Borja clinic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Cisse had been expecting seven babies and was sent to Morocco for the births by doctors, under government orders, because hospitals in Mali are poorly equipped to care for cases of multiple pregnancy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The clinic’s director, Youssef Alaoui, told Moroccan state TV Ms Cisse had given birth prematurely at 30 weeks, but is now in a stable condition after heavy bleeding for which she received a blood transfusion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to The Guinness Book of World Records, its current record for most living births at once is eight, and it is currently verifying the Morocco birth.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The current record-holder is American Nadya Suleman, who in 2009 gave birth to eight premature but healthy children.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Alaoui said that Ms Cisse had not used fertility treatments as far as he was aware.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Yacoub Khalaf, a professor of reproductive medicine at King’s College London said such births would be extraordinarily unlikely without fertility treatment, and that multiple births pose several dangers to the mother and her children.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said the mother “was at severe risk of losing her uterus or losing her life”, while the babies “could suffer physical and mental handicaps”.</span></p>

Family & Pets

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Insights from Morocco into how smartphones support migration

<p>For undocumented migrants and refugees travelling to new countries, accurate information is vital. Because of this, smartphones – mobile phones that perform many of the functions of a computer, like accessing the internet – have become an important tool. They give migrants access to applications such as Google maps, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. These can provide them with information from social media and close contacts.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/workorgalaboglob.13.1.0062?seq=1">recent study</a>, my colleague Filippo Bignami and I investigated the role of smartphones in irregular migration. We wanted to know how they helped migrants reach their destination and what kind of information migrants accessed using them. Our focus was on sub-Saharan migrants arriving in Morocco, specifically in the city of Fès, on their way to Europe.</p> <p>We found that smartphones supported migration flows by providing migrants with access to online information before and during travel and when they arrived at their destination country. They affected their migration routes and choice of final destination. They also helped migrants to share information with each other.</p> <p>The smartphones were equally used by traffickers. They allowed them to contact prospective irregular migrants and provide them with information.</p> <p>From what we’ve seen, smartphones are being increasingly used to minimise risks and address migration challenges. Policymakers can use this information to better support their journey, and ensure their safety, by engaging them through smartphone applications.</p> <p><strong>Meeting migrants</strong></p> <p>We first investigated how the use of smartphones and social media influenced migration journeys. Then we explored how they influenced decisions regarding their final destinations. Finally we looked at how they affected the financing of migration.</p> <p>To do this, we conducted interviews with 27 migrants from January 2017 until March 2018 and followed them for a period between 4 and 8 months.</p> <p>We met the migrants in the neighbourhoods where they lived, in streets, and cafes. They gave us information about their use of technology, migratory routes, demographic and socio-economic profiles, daily lives, relations with society and their migratory project.</p> <p>It made sense for us to focus our study on Morocco which, since the mid-2000s, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/26/hundreds-storm-border-fence-spanish-enclave-north-africa-ceuta-spain-migration">has been</a> a transit country for many refugees and African migrants wishing to reach Europe. They do this either through the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, or through the Canary Islands.</p> <p>It’s <a href="https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/125569/Naama_Mbarek_Helsinki.pdf?sequence=1">estimated</a> that migrants come from over 10 countries in Africa, in particular; Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Congo and Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Guinea, Benin, Ghana, Niger, and Cameroon. According to <a href="https://www.hcp.ma/file/217998/">Morocco’s Statistics Office</a>, between 15,000 and 25,000 African migrants enter Morocco each year. Many aren’t able to complete the trip, and stay in Morocco, but each year it’s believed that <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40504374">over</a> 8,000 irregular sub-Saharan migrants cross to Spain.</p> <p><strong>Influence of smartphones</strong></p> <p>We found that the intention to migrate was significantly influenced by mobile technologies in addition to the traditional push-factors, such as conflict, civil war, economic hardship, and family impact.</p> <p>Smartphones made the process relatively faster and smoother. They guided migrants in their quest to reach their destinations. For instance, they used Google to access news or maps which provided them with information on the directions to take to reach their destination country. These applications could also show when the best time, or place, was for border crossings.</p> <p>If migrants were in difficulty or lost they could use the phones to ask for help. They used specific applications like WhatsApp or Messenger for communication.</p> <p>These apps were also key for the migrants to stay in touch with family, friends and traffickers. Aside from emotional support, this was an important way in which migrants could continue to finance their travels. As one interviewee stated: <em>“When I need money I make a call to my parents through WhatsApp, and they send it via Western Union really fast.”</em></p> <p>The phones also provided for cooperation and communication between migrants. They helped each other choose the safest routes and share other information.</p> <p>The accessibility of smartphones made some migrants more confident and independent. Because of their access to information, some were making their journeys without smugglers.</p> <p>When they reached their destination, the sharing of news and photos about their journey – and how they managed to cross borders – motivated more young people to migrate.</p> <p>And it’s not just migrants that use them. Smartphones allowed traffickers to recruit prospective immigrants and quickly disseminate information.</p> <p><strong>New opportunities</strong></p> <p>We have seen evidence of how mobile technologies are transforming societies, migration processes, migrants’ lives, their social aspirations, and migration movements.</p> <p>This information could be used to develop policies to protect migrants’ rights and to support migrants’ participation and integration. Such knowledge is a good starting point for policy-making to revise the current regulations, so as to integrate the migrants in education, health care and housing facilities, the job market, and other sectors.</p> <p>Thus, smartphones and social media are reshaping not only migration movements but also migration policies with the daily use of mobile technologies.</p> <p><em>Moha Ennaji‘s most recent books are “Managing Cultural Diversity in the Mediterranean Region” and “Muslim Moroccan Migrants in Europe”.</em></p> <p><em>Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/moha-ennaji-333834">Moha Ennaji</a>, Université Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/insights-from-morocco-into-how-smartphones-support-migration-147513">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Travel Tips

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Mouth-watering Moroccan lamb with lemon spinach

<p>Are you interested in what going gluten free tastes like? Or do you have issues with IBS? Either way we have you covered with this hearty lamb dinner which will have them asking for seconds!</p> <p>Recipes and images from THE Two-Step Low-FODMAP DIET and Recipe Book by Dr Sue Shepherd (Pan Macmillan, RRP $39.95).</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>Moroccan lamb</li> <li>2 teaspoons ground cumin</li> <li>2 teaspoons ground coriander</li> <li>1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger</li> <li>1 teaspoon sweet paprika</li> <li>1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper</li> <li>1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon</li> <li>1⁄4 teaspoon salt</li> <li>4 large lamb leg steaks, approx. 180 g each</li> <li>60 mL (1⁄4 cup) garlic-infused olive oil</li> <li>1 × 425 g can crushed tomatoes</li> <li>250 mL (1 cup) gluten-free, onion-free beef stock</li> <li>Lemon spinach</li> <li>60 mL (1⁄4 cup) lemon-infused olive oil</li> <li>100 g baby spinach leaves (or baby kale leaves if desired)</li> <li>salt and freshly ground black pepper</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong></p> <p>1. Combine all the spices in a plastic bag. Brush the lamb steaks with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and place in the bag.</p> <p>2. Toss in the spice mix to ensure an even coating.</p> <p>3. Refrigerate for 2 hours if possible (the lamb will still be tasty if this is not done).</p> <p>4. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium–high heat. Sear the lamb for 1–2 minutes on each side.</p> <p>5. Add the tomatoes to the pan with the stock. Lower the heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes, slightly covered, or until the lamb is tender and the sauce thickens.</p> <p><strong>To make the lemon spinach</strong></p> <p>1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the spinach and toss through until the spinach just wilts.</p> <p>2. Season to taste, and serve with the lamb.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/moroccan-lamb-with-lemon-spinach.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Royal blue beauty: Duchess Meghan stuns in $6000 show-stopping dress in Morocco

<p>So quickly the royal trip to Morocco has come to an end for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, however the glowing mum-to-be and the gorgeous outfits she’s pulled together during the three days will be talked about for a long time.</p> <p>The incredible <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/duchess-meghan-turns-heads-in-stunning-red-cape-dress-in-morocco">angelic red cape dress</a> Duchess Meghan wore for her grand entrance into Morocco was just the beginning of her impeccable royal tour wardrobe. Since then, the looks have only gotten better.</p> <p>Seven months into her pregnancy, the royal member graced a flowing blue dress with frilled sleeves for a private event at the monarch’s residence in Rabat on Monday evening, during one of Harrry and Meghan's last official engagements in Morocco.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">The Duchess of Sussex with The King of Morocco. <br /><br />Their Royal Highnesses presented letters from Her Majesty The Queen to The King. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoyalVisitMorocco?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoyalVisitMorocco</a> <a href="https://t.co/6dy6ZNQZwG">pic.twitter.com/6dy6ZNQZwG</a></p> — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1100104728132894724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>This gorgeous dress is believed to be a custom version of a chiffon gown from the brand Herrera worth almost AUD$6000. The show-stopping outfit featured a flattering crew neck and fitting waistline.</p> <p>When meeting with the King of Morocco and his son the Crown Prince of Morocco, Moulay Hassan, there was no sign of his wife, Princess Salma.</p> <p>Dubbed the “missing princess,” Lalla Salma, who is now 40, has not been seen by public eyes since the end of 2017 when she visited the Mohammed VI Museum in Rabat. Her disappearance has received endless speculation in concerns to her whereabouts.</p> <p>To see the gorgeous show-stopping outfit the Duchess of Sussex wore during her final day in Morocco, scroll through the gallery above. </p>

Beauty & Style

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Duchess Meghan turns heads in stunning red cape dress in Morocco

<p>Just days after the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/you-ll-never-believe-the-extreme-cost-of-duchess-meghan-s-new-york-baby-shower">star-studded baby shower that cost a whopping AUD$420,000</a>, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has touched down for a royal visit to Morocco for a three-day tour.</p> <p>The royal couple are not ones to shy away from making a fashionable statement when they were greeted by the British Ambassador to Morocco, Thomas Reilly. Wearing an incredibly chic Valentino cape gown at Casablanca airport, it’s hard to believe she could outdo herself. But today the gorgeous royal showed up for an event at the British Ambassador’s home and blew us away with her cream kaftan-inspired Dior gown.</p> <p>Opting for subtle nude accessories and heels, the Duchess glammed up a little extra for the reception last night with diamond earrings and a Dior clutch.</p> <p>The makeup was simple and stunning, with an elegant up-do for the mother-to-be – proving to be an excellent choice for the warm African heat.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive in Rabat for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoyalVisitMorocco?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoyalVisitMorocco</a>!🇲🇦🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/5sXqyAeZtF">pic.twitter.com/5sXqyAeZtF</a></p> — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1099427095116238848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Her henna tattoo was also shown off, a good-luck charm for her pregnancy. Just on day two, the Duchess presented the designed tattoo to two young girls at a school in the Atlas Mountains.</p> <p>“Hi girls, so cute. What are your names? So sweet,” she told five-year-old Rania and two-year-old Rayhanna.</p> <p>Showing them the henna, she added: “Nice, isn’t it? So pretty!”</p> <p>The plant-based ink is deemed a symbol of good luck and a blessing for significant events, such as birth.</p> <p>While meeting young children in Morocco, Duchess Meghan opted for simple attire – going with a stylish navy blazer, black pants and shirt with matching heels.</p> <p>Prince Harry and the heavily pregnant Duchess plan to spend three days visiting charities and schools, however, will not be doing any of their usual walkabouts to meet the public due to security concerns.</p> <p>Swipe through the gallery above to see the stylish Duchess during her trip in Morocco. </p>

Beauty & Style

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The 5 things you need to do when visiting Morocco

<p>From the twisting, bustling alleyways of the Medina to the fresh sweet taste of mint tea, Morocco is a wonderful assault on the senses. These are the five things you must do in this incredible country. </p> <p><strong>1. Shopping</strong></p> <p>If you love delicate glass tea sets, intricately-woven carpets and expertly-made leather handbags, you will love shopping in Morocco.</p> <p>Sharpen your bargaining skills and head to the markets for the most authentic experience. The Souk Market in Marrakech is the one most often featured in films. Wander through the vast twisting alleys and you will find anything your heart desires from spices and perfumes to leather goods and souvenirs. Be prepared. This is a wonderful assault on the senses. Take good shoes, a bottle of water and a secure bag.</p> <p>Many Morocco tours also take some time to visit a tannery. Here you can see exactly how leather goods are made. To counter what may be an overpowering smell, the owners hand out sprigs of mint. Hold one to your nose as you listen to the workers detail the process of tanning a hide and turning it into luxury goods.</p> <p>Make sure you also seek out a carpet-maker, particularly in Fez. Colourful threads hang from the walls and the intricate Moroccan carpets are woven on-site.</p> <p>Moroccan argan oil is world-famous for making hair shine and heal. The best place to buy it is in Marrakesh. Speak with your tour operator to make sure the oil you find is authentic.</p> <p><strong>2. Ancient ruins</strong></p> <p>The empire of Rome once stretched all the way to Morocco. The best-preserved example of the ancient Roman ruins can be found at Volubilis, between Rabat and Fez.</p> <p>Volubilis was founded in the 3rd Century BC and was once the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania. The Romans saw this isolated city as a strategic outpost for their empire. It grew into a vast city under their occupation from the 1st century AD. Volubilis lies on a fertile plain surrounded by wheat fields. The city’s wealth came from olive production. Grand residences were decorated with beautiful mosaic tiles, marble and bronze. It once had terraced gardens and a triumphal arch. The 42-hectare site is UNESCO-listed.</p> <p>“It is one of the richest sites of this period in North Africa, not only for its ruins but also for the great wealth of its epigraphic evidence,” UNESCO says.</p> <p>Local tribes overtook the city in 285AD. Rome never re-took it.</p> <p><strong>3. Food</strong></p> <p>Moroccan food is influenced by Berber, Jewish, Arab and French cultures. The result? It is delicious.</p> <p>Morocco’s most famous dish, couscous, is made from small steamed balls of crushed duram wheat semolina. The word couscous is derived from the Arabic word Kaskasa which means “to pound small”. In Morocco, the dish is often called seksu or kesksu. It’s served with chicken, lamb or mutton and vegetables cooked in a spicy broth or stew.</p> <p>When in Morocco, you need to try the sweet version, called Stouff – steamed couscous served with almonds, cinnamon and sugar.</p> <p>Tagine is another must-try Moroccan dish. Tagine is served everywhere, from roadside stalls to fancy restaurants. This delicious meat stew is slow-cooked inside a cone-shaped clay pot.</p> <p>Khobz, a crusty bread baked in communal wood-fired ovens is another delicious Moroccan staple. You can buy it fresh from street vendors all over Morocco.</p> <p>The one Moroccan staple you can expect to have every day is mint tea. Simple, fresh leaves steeped in water and served in glass teacups. It’s a ritual you will take home with you. No more mint teabags. Fresh is the way to go.</p> <p><strong>4. Fez</strong></p> <p>Fez is Morocco’s oldest imperial city. Less crowded than Marrakesh, Fez is known as a centre for traditional art and artisans. Fez’s old town, or Medina, is UNESCO World Heritage listed. It’s a maze of narrow streets, bustling souks and shopfronts selling traditional food and crafts.</p> <p>Fez is home to the world’s oldest university – the University of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859. The mosque and university are off-limits to tourists. But you can visit the public library, also one of the oldest in the world.</p> <p>If you love Moroccan tiles, head to Medersa Bou Inania. This building was once a theological college. It is the only religious building in Fez open to non-Muslims. Inside you will find breathtaking mosaics, fine lattice screens and incredible stucco-work.</p> <p>Gardeners should check out Jnan Sbil Gardens, just outside the Medina walls. Sultan Moulay Hassan donated the gardens to the people in the 19th century. Wander along the pathways and breathe in the scent of citrus and eucalyptus.</p> <p><strong>5. Hammam scrubs</strong></p> <p>Just as you need to do Turkish baths in Turkey, in Morocco, you need to do a hamman scrub.</p> <p>The traditional bathhouse is quite the experience. The first step is to steam and soak. Guests split off by gender, remove their clothes and head to the steam rooms. Take some water from the buckets inside the room and pour it over your head. Or soak in wonderful pools like the one above. </p> <p>Next comes the scrub. The masseuse will scrub every inch of your body, delighting in the removal of dead skin cells. Once you’ve been scrubbed, head back to the steam room to relax. Our top tip – make sure you pay to have your own scrubbing mat, otherwise, they will recycle. </p> <p>You will never view a massage in the same way again.</p> <p><em>Written by Alison Godfrey. Republished with permission of <span><a href="https://www.mydiscoveries.com.au/stories/5-things-you-must-do-in-morocco/">My Discoveries</a></span>. </em></p>

International Travel

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Inside Rabat – the capital of Morocco

<p>Before I left for Morocco, almost every person I spoke with about my itinerary suggested I cut Rabat out.</p> <p>"I was there seven years ago, it's just not worth it."</p> <p>Despite comments like these  I took my chances and went, hoping to discover that the naysayers were wrong. As I wander through the narrow cobbled laneways of Rabat's 12th-century UNESCO-listed Oudaias Kasbah on my first morning in the city, with its Yves Klein blue and whitewashed squat buildings bordered with potted palms and ferns, and doorways dripping with fuchsia bougainvillea, I start to believe they were.</p> <p>I could be in Greece, I think, as my local guide Aziz and I pass through an ochre-coloured stone archway leading on to a vast windswept patio. The Atlantic Ocean stretches off to our left, the Bouregreg River to our right. As I watch surfers plunging into the waves, kids playing in the shallows and windsurfers rigging up below, I can't help but sigh.</p> <p>"Is anything wrong?", Aziz asks.</p> <p>"No, not at all. I was just thinking how surprised I am by how beautiful Rabat is," I say with a laugh.</p> <p>"There are lots of surprising things about Rabat," says Aziz mysteriously as he walks back through the archway. I trot after him and we start snaking back through the kasbah, stopping en route to watch a Gnawa musician sing an African Islamic spiritual song, to admire some hand-woven woollen Berber rugs, and to photograph the intricate zellij mosaic work and blue pillared archways of the kasbah's Cafe des Oudaias.</p> <p>We pass through a gate into the Andalusian gardens, overflowing with palms, jacarandas and bougainvillea, fountains and ponds. The city has been Morocco's political and administrative capital since independence in 1956, and people say that because of all the bureaucrats living there Rabat is dull. And yet Rabat is having a renaissance, and maybe even becoming cool.</p> <p>As we drive through the wide streets, passing the whitewashed bougainvillea-clad houses that characterise the city, Aziz points out the new tramway that opened in 2011, the new "condos" that are popping up around the city, and the Bouregreg Marina which was given a big refresh three years ago.</p> <p>"The Ritz Carlton is also planning a big urban resort in Rabat, and just over there," says Aziz, sitting up in his seat and pointing to a vague area by the river, "is going to be a new opera house this year – it will be very modern, like Sydney's!" he says, settling back into his seat. "Everybody was thinking Rabat was really boring, but as you can see, things are changing."</p> <p>Even the city's famed Hassan Tower, which we visit the following morning in Yacoub Al Mansour Square, is being rejuvenated. We pass ceremonial guards on horseback at the square's main gates, and see that the never-completed minaret of the never-completed grand mosque, which was started in 1195, is shrouded in scaffolding. What we can see are the remains of the unfinished mosque, including the 800-year-old walls and partial columns that help me understand the massive scope and size of the building that was intended to be the largest mosque in the world.</p> <p><img width="500" height="250" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/23314/shutterstock_262811918_500x250.jpg" alt="rabat"/></p> <p>We cross the square to the opulent mausoleum of King Mohammed V, who died in 1961. The stately white structure with its distinctive green tiled roof is both a tomb and a mosque, says Aziz, and is guarded by men clad in bright red uniforms with gold buttons, white gloves and green capes. Inside from the balcony, surrounded by white marble and granite floors, and a stunningly carved ceiling hung with chandeliers, I look down into the tombs of the erstwhile Moroccan king and his two sons.</p> <p>That afternoon Aziz takes me to Chellah, the medieval fortified necropolis on the southern edge of town. As we walk through the ruins Aziz points out huge storks nesting in the treetops and the tops of the minarets. "When I came here as a kid to play, I'd wonder why the tourists were taking pictures of these old rocks," he says with a laugh as he leads me to the oasis-like gardens filled with huge fig, peach, avocado and pomegranate trees. "This was our Garden of Eden."</p> <p>We finish up our day outside the Rabat Royal Palace, the official residence of the king of Morocco that lies right in the heart of Rabat. As we stand outside the majestic tiled sandstone entrance watching guards in white balloon pants and blue Fez hats march by, I think how glad I am that I ignored the naysayers and left Rabat, this fascinating cultural hub on the cusp of new beginnings, in my itinerary.</p> <p>What an incredible trip! Have you ever been to Morocco, or anywhere else around that part of the world, and how did you enjoy the experience?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Written by Nina Karnikowski. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/03/best-picnic-spots-in-the-world/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>6 best picnic spots in the world</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/03/hippo-stuns-guests-by-swimming-in-pool/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Hippo stuns guests by taking a swim in the pool</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/03/where-to-see-elephants-in-the-wild/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Where to see elephants in the wild</span></em></strong></a></p>

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