Tangier, Marrakech and Agafay desert part of tour Star, 25, was in 2016 first to wear hijab in a US pageant DUBAI: American Somali model Halima Aden this week was on a tour exploring Morocco’s tourist hot spots. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle The catwalk star, who grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp before fleeing to Minnesota with her family, on Monday shared a series of images from her trip on Instagram with her 1.3 million followers. She wrote: “It was such a special experience, and I made some lifelong friends and memories.” She also took to her Stories to talk about her experience with tour guide Fadwa Yaxin, who she said “went above and beyond. She made my stay unforgettable and so special.” The 25-year-old model spent her first two days in Tangier, a city in northwestern Morocco on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Aden got a guided tour of Tangier’s Medina, the old town famous for its labyrinthine alleys. Along the way, she visited several local markets or souks, the Grand Mosque, the Kasbah, Dar El-Makhzen Museum and the Grand-Petit Socco squares. She then visited Marrakech, the fourth-largest city in Morocco that lies near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. She went on an evening stroll to the lively Djemaa El-Fna square. This vibrant square is home to acrobats, storytellers, water sellers, dancers and musicians who put on lively shows for visitors. Aden then embarked on an adventure in Agafay desert, just a few minutes away from the beautiful and lively city of Marrakech. From the edge of the Wad N’Fiss river to the vast plains of Haouz, and through the foothills of the Atlas toward Amizmiz, the Agafay desert spans several hundred hectares, offering a breathtaking display of rocky lunar-like landscapes, canyons, plains and stony hillocks. Aden is noted for being the first woman to wear hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, where she was a semifinalist. Following her participation in the pageant, Aden received national attention and was signed to IMG Models.