Learn Arabic in Rabat: Social Life
School arranged clubs
Clubs meet either weekly, bi-weekly or on a monthly basis. Clubs are free to join.
Calligraphy
Calligraphy class is held in bi-weekly sessions, each two hours in length. Our Calligraphy instructor, Mohammed Markhoukh speaks no English, so CC is another great opportunity to practice language skills and increase vocabulary. For the artistically inclined, it is truly a fantastic exercise.
Cooking Club
Cooking club is a special chance for students to learn how to make some of the most famous Moroccan dishes. Students and their instructor go as a group to the souk to shop for the needed ingredients and then the following day prepare the dish together. As with all courses at Qalam wa Lawh, the language of instruction is Arabic.
Discussions
Islamic Studies Club, Media Club and Literary Club are round-table discussions and Q&A sessions where Intermediate and Advanced level students have an opportunity to sharpen their discourse and debate skills.
Special Guest Lectures and Cultural Events
As another opportunity to educate our students about the culture, history, religion, and lifestyle of the Arab world, the school regularly organizes guest lectures, round table discussions, Musical presentations, and special events.
Local Excursions
The best thing about studying in Rabat is the chance to explore the treasure of fantastic sites and cultural experiences that this amazing city has to offer. Every course taken at the Rabat language school includes two weekly excursions to Rabat’s most famous historic and cultural sites. These excursions are an integral part of our curriculum and include handouts with relevant vocabulary as well as informative summaries about the sites. Students are accompanied on these excursions by Arabic instructors, and the excursions are conducted in Arabic in order to further the student’s experience of immersion.
Souks
Rabat’s central souks are located in the Madina kadeema (old city) and are a great place to interact with true Moroccans and also a great place to shop. The wide rues of the Rabat Madina make it a comfortable and hassle free place to do this type of visiting.
Hassan Tower
When construction began in 1195 CE, Hassan tower was intended to be the tallest minaret in the world. However, the project was never completed. While the massive structure is amazing by itself, the site also provides amazing views of both Rabat and Sale. The tower is also located about 100m from the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.
Chellah
Believed to be the earliest human settlement on the Bou Regreg, Chellah was established in Pheonecian times before eventually becoming a Roman city. At the fall of the Roman empire, it was abandoned until aproximately 900CE when the Arabs repopulated the area. The city was finally abandoned in the late 12th century.
Kasbah of Oudaya
Sometimes reffered to as Chellah’s “sister” fortress, the Kasbah of Oudaya was built by Moulay Yacoub Al Mansoor, an Almohad Caliph. Inside the walls students visit an ancient military prison, gardens, museum, and the famous blue and white rues of Oudaya.
Rabat Museum of Modern Art
Open since 2014, the Rabat Museum of Modern Art is the city’s newest and most exciting treasure. The Museum houses an extensive collection of contemporary art from both International and Moroccan artists.
National Archaeological Museum
This museum has housed the National Museum collections since 1986. The prehistoric section brings together human remains from the middle palaeolithic period to the neolithic (4000 B.C.), proving the continuity and size of the population at this time. The Islamic archaeology section is constantly growing with finds coming from the excavations of VIIIth and IXth century sites.
National Library
The library contains more than 340 000 books and 60 000 manuscripts. Designed by the architects Rachid Al Andaloussi and Abdelouahed Mountassir, the building is a combination of three cubic volumes overlapping each other and an impressive tower.
Dar Al Hadith Hassania
Rabat’s largest and most prestigious Islamic University, Dar Al Hadith offers some of the most beautiful architectural engravings and tilework that Rabat has to offer.
Oulja Pottery
Oulja is a traditional artisan exhibition and pottery factory located in Rabat’s sister city of Sale. While visiting Oulja, students have a unique opportunity to watch traditional masters as they display their methods and crafts.
The Beach
The expansive Atlantic coastline is located just fifteen minutes by taxi from the language school. There are amazing views, and several beaches within each reach of the city.
Weekend Excursions
Weekend excursions are planned on a regular basis at the school. Participation is optional, but highly encouraged! Most activities are free (except for food) and weekend trips are planned with the idea of making them as affordable as possible. The following are just a few examples of activities and trips in which students regularly participate.
The Atlas, Errachidia, Arfound and the Sahara
3 day, 2 night trip to camp in the desert. Students take a two-hour camel trek to Berber camp-site. Cost 1500dh (including transportation, hotel, safari and some meals). Can go any weekend, minimum 8 students to go.
Chefchaouen and Tangier
2 day, 1 night trip to visit Morocco’s upper atlas mountains and Mediterranean coastline. Final destination Chefchaoun, a tiny mountain village of breath-taking beauty. Cost 950 Dirhams (including transportation, hotels and some meals). Can go any weekend, minimum 8 students to go.
Fes, Meknes, and Volubilis
2 day, one night trip to Morocco’s religious and cultural capitals. Tour the old cities and all major imperial sites. Stop en route at the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Cost 950 Dirhams (including transportation, hotel and some meals) minimum 8 students to go.
