Rabat's great unfinished monument stands on a bluff above the Bou Regreg river, and its story is one of ambition cut short. In 1195, the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur began building a mosque that was meant to be the largest in the world, with a minaret to match, and when he died in 1199 the work stopped. The Hassan Tower, a square shaft of red sandstone, rose only to about forty-four metres, half the planned height, and around it stand rows of broken columns that were meant to hold up the roof. The earthquake that flattened Lisbon in 1755 did more damage, but the tower still stands, a beautiful stump.
Across the esplanade stands the mausoleum of Mohammed V, the king who led Morocco to independence in 1956, finished in 1971 in white marble with a green tiled roof, and guarded by horsemen in red and white uniforms. Inside, a sunken chamber houses the white onyx tomb of the king, with those of his sons, including Hassan II, nearby, and the ceiling is a masterpiece of carved cedar and gold. Visitors are welcome, in respectful clothes, and the guards pose patiently for photographs.
Rabat is Morocco's capital, a calm and orderly city of over a million with broad avenues, jacaranda trees that flower in May, and a relaxed pace after the bustle of Casablanca and Marrakesh. The Kasbah of the Oudayas, with its blue and white lanes, the Roman ruins at Chellah and the lively medina are all within a short distance. Riding in the city is manageable, with roads well marked, though the traffic at rush hour is dense. The ride onward to Fes follows the A2 motorway, about two hundred kilometres east through cork oak forest and rolling farmland, an easy morning's run.
Fuel is everywhere in the capital, so fill before you leave. Parking near the monument is easy and free of the chaos of the old medina. Try sea bream from the grill at the fish market, and a glass of mint tea at a cafe by the river. Spring is the most pleasant season, and the light at the end of the afternoon turns the tower gold.