Safi, Morocco Week 85 8th - 9th December 2012
                 
Further south. Still along the coast.

The towns are a mixture between Oualida which looks relatively new and older towns.

 
Becoming ever drier.
 
And now a few goats, sheep, plus the occasional camel.
 
Stopped briefly for lunch parked at the top of the cliffs.
 
And so to Safi.

Surprised at the peacocks in the campground.

 
Safii is primarily a port which has some Portuguese remains.

This is the wall around the medina.

 
Safi is the port for a large potash export facility.

The rail line runs between the town and the sea.

Had to find our way across it to the cliff top fortress.

 
Whic is sadly closed. Rumour has it because a couple of tourists fell off.

Possibly built around 1508 and taken by the local population in 1541.

Either this or the town wall was restored in the 1960's.

 
Separate to the fortress is the medina.

At the top is the Sultan's palace. The Kechla.

 
Trying to find our way to the Kechla.
 
From one of the walls we could look across at the pottery quarter.

Port in the background.

 
The town gets newer the further away from us.
 
Pottery is a major industry.
 
The Kechla contains the pottery museum.

But first a fine pair of bronze canon.

Conrad Wegawaert, whose name appears on the canons, was a 17th century Dutch director of the National Foundry in the Hague.

We are a little confused as the number on the canon, 1120, is possibly a year in the Hijri calendar which translates to 1708 in our Gregorian calendar. Wegawaert died in 1664.

Very nice canon though. We think the first bronze ones we've seen on our trip. 

 
The Sultan's quarters inside the Kechla.

At least we think so.

 
Very ornate. The rooms off the courtyard were mostly closed.

The last Portuguese left Morocco in about 1769 (give or take a year or two).
 
The pottery museum has a few pieces from the Phoenician times and lots of 20th century pieces provided by local manufacturers.
 
So we made it across to the pottery quarter.
 
Seven generations is a long time.
 
All colourful. All with a use.
 
Dimly lit workshops.
 
Hand painted.

We got the photograph because a Moroccan film crew had a rather large camera beside us.

We were shown "old kilns" (beehive kilns?) but noticed the large stationary gas bottles and concrete blocks alongside the scrubby branches from gum trees.

We ignored the hussling and pressure to buy "something small". The habit of doing something then asking for payment afterwards is not something we enjoy..

And so we retreated to our walled campground.

 
Essouira, Morocco Week 86 10th - 15th December 2012
 
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