2 Best Sights in Rabat, Casablanca, and the North Atlantic Coast, Morocco

At the end of the 12th century, Yacoub al Mansour—fourth monarch of the Almohad dynasty and grandson of Abd al Mu'min, who founded Rabat—planned a great mosque. Intended to be the largest in the Muslim world, the project was abandoned with the death of al Mansour in 1199. A further blow to the site occurred with the strong tremors of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, and this tower is the only significant remnant of al Mansour's dream. A few columns remain in the mosque's great rectangular courtyard, but the great tower was never completed (which is why it looks too short for its base). Note the quality of the craftsmanship in the carved-stone and mosaic decorations at the top of the tower. From the base there is a fine view over the river. Locals come here at dawn to have their wedding photos taken.

Perched on the banks of the Bou Regreg River, the sinuous white curves of this Zaha Hadid--designed structure contrast with the nearby ancient Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum. Billed as the largest in Africa, the theater will seat 1,800 people in its auditorium when it opens. There will be a second, smaller theater as well as a restaurant, cafés, a bookstore, and outdoor auditorium that seats 7,000.