Although I’ve been in Rabat for about five weeks now, I have just begun to appreciate how much there is to enjoy around the Moroccan capital. Take for example this madrasa in Sale, just on the other side of the Bou Regreg estuary. It made an excellent day trip for me and my three-year-old traveling companion.

I drove next to the medina walls until I saw the Great Mosque, one of the oldest religious establishments in the country, and an empty lot where I parked the car and quickly found a guide to show us the rest of the way. After quietly making our way past the mosque, we found ourselves surrounded by school children on their way home.

Our destination was a Merinid madrasa built under the Almohad Sultan Abu al-Hassan Ali in 1333.

Inside I was delighted by the lovely examples of Merinid artistry and my daughter by the student cells and narrow hallways of the upper level. They structure looked as if it had gone through a recent renovation. The railings and walls were sturdy and we enjoyed opening and closing the doors of the small student rooms.

Our guide (in the red shirt) kept an eye on the stroller while we went exploring.

The next day, my daughter asked to go to the castle again, and I knew she meant the madrasa in Sale.