By Air

The Rabat International Airport is in the nearby town of Sale.The city has limited international connections, with most tourist flying into nearby Casablanca and then coming into Rabat by train or coach.The airport itself is very tiny,possessing limited facilities (only one runway,one conveyor belt, etc.)so it's definitely not the best way to get into the city.However,the airport is undergoing some major renovations,with the hope of relieving all the flights from Fez, Marrakesh and Casablanca, so it should improve in the not too distant future.

By Train

Rabat is well served by train and you can get frequent connections to most places.Marrakesh is a pleasant 4 hour journey,2.5 hours (if you take one of the new express trains,and 3.5 hours on other trains) and Casablanca 1 hour.There are two stations in Rabat - Centre Ville (Medina/Downtown) and Agdal.A tram and a taxi station are located just next to the downtown train station.Be warned that some travelers report that trains are frequently delayed by over an hour.

By Bus

It's possible to get a bus from almost any town in the country to Rabat. Note,however,that the buses often do not stop at the central bus station,but instead go through the city.It may be a good idea to ask someone which is the correct stop,or use a decent street map to work out where you are.It is easy to miss the main stop and find yourself heading out into the suburbs again,which is not too bad-about a 20-25 MAD ride in to downtown.

Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Hassan Tower, Chellah, Kasbah of the Udayas, Rabat Archaeological Museum, Mohammed V University, Bank Al Maghrib Museum, Royal Palace

Mausoleum of Mohammed V

Is a historical building located on the opposite side of the Hassan Tower on the Yacoub al-Mansour esplanade in Rabat, Morocco.It contains the tombs of the Moroccan king and his two sons,late King Hassan II and Prince Abdallah.The building is considered a masterpiece of modern Alaouite dynasty architecture,with its white silhouette,topped by a typical green tiled roof.Its construction was completed in 1971.Hassan II was buried there following his death in 1999.

Hassan Tower

Is the minaret of an incomplete mosque in Rabat, Morocco.Begun in 1195 AD, 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 Yacoub al-Mansour died and construction on the mosque stopped. The tower only 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 tower,made of red sandstone,along with the remains of the mosque and the modern Mausoleum of Mohammed V, forms an important historical and tourist complex in Rabat.

Chellah

Is a necropolis and complex of ancient Roman Mauretania Tingitana and medieval ruins at Rabat, Morocco.It is the most ancient human settlement on the mouth of the Bou Regreg River.The site was abandoned in 1154 in favour of nearby Sale.The Almohad dynasty used the ghost town as a necropolis.In the mid-14th century, a Merinid sultan, Abu l-Hasan, built monuments and the main gate,dated to 1339.These later Merinid additions included a mosque,a zawiya,and royal tombs, including that of Abu l-Hasan.

Kasbah of the Udayas

Is a kasbah in Rabat, Morocco located at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river opposite of Sale.It was built during the reign of the Almohads.When the Almohads had captured Rabat and destroyed the kasbah of the Almoravids in the town, they began reconstructing it in AH 544 / AD 1150.They added a palace and a mosque and named it al-Mahdiyya, after their ancestor al-Mahdi Ibn Tumart.After the death of Yaqub al-Mansur (AH 595 / AD 1199) the kasbah was deserted.The Almohads brought significant changes to the Rabat area, including the destruction and rebuilding of the Kasbah of the Udayas and turning Chellah into a royal necropolis.

Rabat Archaeological Museum

Is an archaeological museum in Rabat, Morocco. Opened in 1932,it contains the most extensive collection of archaeological artifacts found in Morocco.It contains prehistoric and pre-Islamic collections including an extensive collection of objects uncovered by archaeologists working in Volubilis,Banasa and Thamusida,and were first put on display in 1930-1932.This includes human remains from the middle palaeolithic period (probably Neanderthals) to the neolithic (4000 B.C.).A further find in 1957 saw the museum expand considerably,after which it became a National Museum and it has housed the National Museum collections since 1986.Pre-Roman and Roman civilisations are well-represented in the museum with a number of notable Hellenistic-style bronzes such as the Dog of Volubilis,and the marble 'Ephebe Crowned With Ivy and Head of a Young Berber.

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