Islamic Tour to Spain and Morocco

Arrive in the morning to Madrid airport where your host guide and driver will be waiting for you to greet you then transfer you to your hotel. Lunch Halal is in a restaurant. The afternoon will be devoted to visit and explore the historic, islamic and cultural sights of Madrid. Continue on to Toledo (the old Islamic Moorish city) which is only an hour drive south of Madrid, Here is where it all stated, the fall of the vandals and the rise of Islamic civilization. Visit the the Historical Mosque build by Mussa Ibnu Ali in 999 ad, later to become the Church of Christo de la Luz, the ramparts entering the city from its oldest gate Bad al Saqra to the old Moorish city. There is another mosque located near the souk called Mosque of the Tornerias. This Mosque has special arches similar to the Grand Mosque of Cordoba, tow courts and a wonderful Mihrab. The best panoramic view over the city is from the Alcazar, a famous Palace of Muluk Tawa”if “Muslim Kings of Spain”. We will end our tour in the Zocodover square, this use to be the livestock market from the 10th century . Dinner is in a Halal restaurant.

After breakfast in the hotel we will take off to Granada crossing a beautiful part of Castilla la Mancha to the most rewarding province of Andalusia. Granada is a jewel nested at the foothills of Mount Shulayr at the Sierra Nevada overlooking one of the most fertile plane in Spain “la Vega”. Granada holds the Moorish Alhambra Palace, and its exotic gardens of Generalife. You will also visit the old Moorish quarter of Albaicin the most elite neighborhood of Moorish times, dignitary palaces, Moorish baths and fountains, Medersas schools and notable dwellings are still witnessing a glorious time in Islamic Spain. A Glorious Islamic City is still standing proud to hold emblem of “la ghaliba illa Allah” No Glorious but Allah. Granada is indeed unique in its history as the last outpost of Muslim Spain and also home of many Christian monuments, including the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella idolized as the Catholic Monarchs of Spain and the lords of the Hispanic new found world of Latin America. Initially two historic achievements the End of Moorish sovereignty in Spain and the discovery of a new world both happened coincidently in 1492 ad. Lunch is on the road (Pick nick). Dinner will be in a halal restaurant.

The full day will be devoted to sightseeing of notable places in Granada. This will include the Alhambra Moorish Palace and its famous Generalife Gardens, Albaicine Kasbah, the Panoramic Mirador of Saint Nicolas, the great Mosque of Granada.

We will arrive to Cordoba in the morning, Andalucia’s most northern province. One of its many treasures is the Mezquita, a mosque of exquisite beauty and unrivaled Moorish architecture, built a little over twelve centuries ago. Our visit starts at the bridge of Mussa ibn Nussair Torre de la Calahorra then progress strolling to the old city of la Juderia then end it at the legendary mosque of the Khalif Abderrahman Addakhil founder of Moorish Spain and the first Umayyad Monarch. As you walk through this city, pay special attention to the wide, lavish patios of Moorish heritage to enjoy a sophisticated architecture designed to stimulate without being ostentatious. Depart in the afternoon from Cordoba to Sevilla. Visit on the way the ruins of Imperial Al Medina Azahra. Continue on to Sevilla. This luminous city, that is immediately captivating, possesses an aura of happiness any visitor can easily detect. Undeniably, for the connoisseur it is Spain’s most beautiful metropolis. Sevilla earned the reputation of a place to enjoy the potency of life. The lively streets of this enticing city manifest the realm of Spanish life from within, and one can’t help but become Spanish. The traditional theatrical exhibitions you will encounter in basically every square are indeed an art form unique to Sevilla. Dinner will be in a Halal restaurant.

After breakfast your local guide will take on a monumental visit of Sevilla. This is the most beautiful esthetically and most lively city in Spain. Your visit will cover the sites and sounds of Sevilla. From the Roman site of Italica to the striking Museo de Bellas Artes, the Alcazar Palace, the Tower of Torre del Oro, not to miss of course the one and only Giralda still proudly standing, overlooking the Guadalquivir to witness the glory of Moorish civilization. Discover which of Sevilla’s glorious monuments would be your favorite. A stroll in horse carriages will be devoted to visit the Casa de Espana and the gardens of Queen Louisa la Loca. Dinner will be at a Halal restaurant.

Departure from Sevilla to Tarifa. You will admire the beautiful diversity of landscapes that will lead you to cross the dramatic white villages in Andalucia to Tarifa at the strait of Gibraltar, the columns of Hercules separates Europe from Africa. Lunch will be on the road. Continue in the afternoon to Tangier by ferry then proceed to Fez. You will reach Fez in the afternoon with sightseeing of the Ramparts, the Gates, the Borjs (forts) and the Andalous part. Dinner is at the hotel.

Undeniably fascinating, Fez stimulates the senses with its haunting yet beautiful sounds, visual splendor, and evocative smells. The most ancient of the imperial capitals and the most complete medieval city of the Islamic world, Fez is reminiscent of a city suspended in time, unfazed by the constantly evolving world outsides of its walls. Fez owes nothing to the Western world, save electricity. Time spent in Fez will reveal much about the sophistication of the Moroccan artisan, providing an unparalleled learning experience to those who cross its path. Your morning will be spent visiting the Medina. Our specialized guide will take you on a historic discovery of the city of Fez starting at the King’s Palace and its Meshwar with ramparts and majestic gates.

Next, you will explore the Jewish quarter, a 15th century citadel with all its Moorish maze architecture and medieval glory. Visits to Sephardic synagogues and mausoleums of holy Rabbis will be the highlights of this part of town. Then, we will drive to the Merinides hill to visit their necropolis. Here you will enjoy the best panoramic view on the old walled Medina, brimful with its countless minarets to call for the prayers in a city that has responded to these calls for 12 centuries. Drive down the hills to the gate of Bab Guissa to leave your vehicle and enter an ancient world. Fez has preserved its Medina as it was centuries ago. Not even a bicycle is able to be used as tool of transportation. Only donkeys, mules and horses are able to help moving all what the city produces and needs as supplies.

The first guilds you will immediately encounter are the cobblers, the saddlers and black smiths interlaced by some caravansaries for tribesmen who come from the surrounding areas to trade and supply their needs. Down the hill to Juteya you will encounter all sorts of crafts but noticeably carpenters and leather workers as one of the traditional tanneries is not far. This walk will lead you to El Ashabine square with its variety of activities. From there, you will wind your way to the Sgha square which will lead you to Attarine then Souk el Henna and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idris, the founder of Fez. Next to it, you will visit the Nejjarine square with its famous fountain, its guild of carpentry and the museum of folk arts at the Fondouk.

You will walk to the tannery and on to visit the great Mosque university of Al Quarrawiyyine, passing by Shemma’ine, the market of dried fruits. After that, you will visit the Medersa Attarine and walk to Sbetryyine, a guild of book binders, which will lead you to the Seffarine Square, where the tapping of metalworkers is still deafening passerby as it was the case for centuries. You will break for lunch then continue exploring the marvels of Fez Medina. These will highlight the Dyers souk, Foundouk Tetouani and the shrine of Sidi Ahmed Tijani. You will end your walk at foundouk Lihoudi where a local Fez family will host you for traditional mint tea in their home. Finally, you will return to your hotel for dinner and other accommodations.

You will spend your day discovering the rural environs of the Atlas Mountains’ Berber villages, wards, and nomadic settlements. Covered with evergreen pines, tall cedar trees, and poplars and laced with flowing streams, your first view of the Middle Atlas will appear oddly un-Moroccan. Passing by Immouzzer, with a quick stop at the Swiss-like town of Ifrane, you will soon come across the first real town of the Middle Atlas, Azrou. Azrou is an important market center for the region’s Berber tribes, located at a major junction of mountain routes. Your driver will take a little detour in a cedar forest to introduce you to one of the oldest inhabitants of this region, the Barbary apes. This may also coincide with the encounter of a nomadic family at its temporary encampment. As nomads are very hospitable people, we are invited at least for a mint tea under their tents whenever we encounter them.

At Azrou, We will take the road towards El Hajeb to connect with the highway to Marrakech. Finally, we will reach the foothills, which overlook the magnificent oasis city of Marrakech Alhamra. Some of the aforementioned stops will include visits to Berber villages, scenic views, and traditional markets. You will conclude your day with dinner and other accommodations at your hotel.

You will devote your morning to the exploration of Marrakech’s many historical sites, starting at the Menara, a magnificent pool surrounded by flowerbeds, reflecting the image of an exquisite Moorish edifice. It was constructed in 1866 for dignitaries, who enjoyed glorious sunsets with the ethereal Atlas Mountains as a backdrop. The pool also functions as an innovative irrigation system that is serving dry life in the desert. Your tour will cover many impressive sites, including the Koutoubia Minaret (which is identical to la Giralda, a tower found in Sevilla, Spain), and the Saadien tombs, which demonstrate Moorish architecture at its best. The tombs consist of sixteenth-century mausoleums, which had lain walled-in and undiscovered until 1917. Next, you will explore the gardens of the Agdal then the Marjorelle. Finally, you will return to your hotel for dinner and other accommodations.

You will begin your day with an excursion to the Ourika Valley, where you will visit the traditional Berber Souks, as well as the Jewish shrines. After lunch, you will visit the Berber Museum of Arts and Crafts to learn about the dwellers of these mountains and their products before you discover their workshops and sophisticated, hand-made products. You will return to Marrakech for dinner and other accommodations at your hotel.

In your last day in Morocco, you will depart for the Casablanca Airport early in the morning. There you will catch a flight back home with a lifetime’s worth of memories packed neatly into your suitcase.