Morocco – The Atlas Mountains and The Sahara Desert

 Morocco
May 102024
 

April 2024

Just a few years ago, I spent a very long time in Morocco. However, I had an opportunity to return with a wonderful gentleman, Professor Trevor Marchand.  We visited many places I had seen, but we also ventured into and through the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert and the home of the Berber Communities.

The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb, North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Atlas Mountains consist of several ranges: the Anti-Atlas, High Atlas, and Middle Atlas in Morocco, all of which we drove through; the Tell Atlas (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), Aurès Mountains (Algeria, Tunisia), and the Saharan Atlas (Algeria).

The Atlas Mountains were the hardest hit by the 6.8 magnitude September 8, 2023 earthquake.

Driving through the ranges gives you a sense of the way of life in this part of the world. Looking closely, you can see two people and a laden donkey heading up the mountain to market.

Driving Through the Atlas Mountains

Snow on the highest mountains

The Berbers are still a semi-nomadic people when herding sheep.

Taourirt Kasbah (the former palace of the el Glaoui clan, built in the 19th century

The Berbers are essential to understanding Morocco’s history. They are a diverse group of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arabs.   Berbers are divided into many diverse ethnic groups and languages. Historically, Berbers across the region did not see themselves as a single cultural or linguistic unit, nor was there a greater “Berber community” due to their differing cultures. They also did not refer to themselves as Berbers but had their own terms to refer to their own groups and communities.  They started being referred to collectively as Berbers after the Arab conquests of the 7th century, and this distinction was revived by French colonial administrators in the 19th century. Today, the term “Berber” is viewed as pejorative by those who prefer the term “Amazigh”.

Since the late 20th century, a transnational movement—known as Berberism or the Berber Culture Movement—has emerged among various parts of the Berber populations of North Africa to promote a collective Amazigh ethnic identity and to advocate for greater linguistic rights and cultural recognition.

The Berber alphabet is called Tifinagh and is globally universal (the center script on this street sign). It was prominent until around the 12th century and gradually replaced by the Arabic alphabet. Because of their geographical isolation, the Tuaregs have continued to use it. More and more people are learning to read and write in Berber, thanks to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who in 2004 granted the teaching of Amazigh in schools. The new Constitution adopted in 2011 also officially recognized Berber as Morocco’s second official language.

For the Berber men of the Sahara, the traditional dress is the Deraa, a tunic, usually blue, with openings on the sides to keep the body ventilated. They also wear turbans to protect themselves from the sun and sand.

A Berber woman preparing to take supplies across the river at the bottom of the Todgha River Gorge,

A Berber woman selling oils and spices in the Marrakesh market

 

The archeological site of Sijilmassa is a view of one of the most extremely important towns in the history of Morocco and the Berber people in particular.

 

Founded in the ninth century, Sijilmasa is located in the Tafilalt Oasis along the northern edge of the Sahara Desert in southeastern Morocco. It was a vital link in the African gold trade. Its mint struck gold coins as early as the tenth century, and evidence strongly suggests that West African gold passed through the area by the fourth century. Much of Sijilmasa was abandoned in the late fourteenth century.

This gate was restored by the Moroccan government to show what it would have looked like in its day.

Thanks to the availability of the camel, Berber-speaking people began crossing the Sahara Desert around the fifth century. From the eighth century onward, annual trade caravans were the norm. Gold was the main commodity of the trans-Saharan trade.

From the seventh to the eleventh century, trans-Saharan trade linked the Mediterranean economies that wanted gold, and could supply salt, to the sub-Saharan economies, where gold was abundant. This gave rise to the fact that ounce for ounce salt was worth as much as gold.

In the eighth and ninth centuries, Arab merchants operating in southern Moroccan towns, such as Sijilmasa, bought gold from the Berbers and financed more caravans. These commercial transactions encouraged the conversion of the Berbers to Islam.

Above is Tafilalt, Morocco’s largest Saharan oasis. The oasis comprises fortified villages and palm groves stretching 30 miles along the Wadi Ziz River. Its old capital was Sijilmassa. It was a windy day, and the air was full of sand.

A nice picnic spot in the Todgha River Gorge,

An Oasis near the Todgha River Gorge

 

 

Bringing Water to the Desert

 Morocco
May 102024
 

April 2024

Ancient water systems are fascinating. The Qanat system originated approximately 3,000 years ago in what is now Iran. On the margins of the Sahara Desert in Morocco, the isolated oases of the Draa River valley and Tafilalt have relied on qanat water for irrigation since the late 14th century.

The Qanat is a water supply system that allows water to be transported over long distances in hot, dry climates without losing much of the water to evaporation. The system has the advantage of being resistant to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods, and to deliberate destruction in war. It is almost insensitive to precipitation levels, delivering a flow with gradual variations from wet to dry years.

A series of Access Shafts go for miles and miles and are many.

These water systems are constructed as a series of well-like vertical shafts connected by a gently sloping tunnel. This tunnel taps into underground water and delivers it to the surface by gravity without the need for pumping. The vertical shafts along the underground channel are purely for maintenance purposes, and water is typically used only once it emerges from the daylight point.

Standing in the underground tunnel. The south’s black Berbers (haratin) were the hereditary class of qanat diggers in Morocco who built and repaired these systems. The work was very dangerous.

Looking up an access shaft from the canal

Traditionally, the holes above the access shafts were covered and not used for retrieving water, as is shown here.

Traditionally, the first water that entered the village from the Qanat system went directly to the ablution area of the mosque; from there, it found its way to homes and businesses.

Architecture of Morocco

 Morocco
May 102024
 

April 2024

Berber Architecture

The Berbers built traditional kasbahs and fortifications. The Berber clans were often fending off invaders, so they were assembled for practical purposes, built with protection and security in mind. They functioned as trading posts or were strategically located to ward off adversaries.

Walking one of the streets inside of a Kasbah

In Morocco, the term “kasbah” in the Atlas Mountain regions denotes a fortified residence. Kasbahs would be complete towns with mosques, hammams, and the homes of many families.

One of the most common types of construction in Morocco was rammed earth, an ancient building technique also known as “pies.” This type of architecture was once the primary form of architecture used in the Sahara Desert Region of Morocco.

It generally used local materials and was widely used thanks to its low cost and relative efficiency. This material consisted of mud and soil of varying consistency (everything from smooth clay to rocky soil), usually mixed with other materials such as straw or lime to aid adhesion. The addition of lime also made the walls harder and more resistant overall, although this varied locally as some areas had soil that hardened well on its own while others did not.

The walls were built from bottom to top, one level at a time. Workers pressed and packed the materials into sections ranging in length, each temporarily held together by wooden boards. Once the material was settled, the wooden restraints could be removed, and the process was repeated on top of the previously completed level.

This process of initial wooden scaffolding often leaves traces in the form of multiple rows of little holes visible across the face of the walls. In many cases, walls were covered with a coating of lime, stucco, or other material to give them a smooth surface and to better protect the main structure.

This type of construction requires consistent maintenance and upkeep, as the materials are relatively permeable and more easily eroded by rain over time. In parts of Morocco (especially near the Sahara), kasbahs and other structures made with a less durable composition (typically lacking lime) can begin to crumble apart in less than a couple of decades after they’ve been abandoned. As such, old structures of this type remain intact only insofar as they are continuously restored.

Wood was also extensively used, primarily for ceilings and other elements above eye level, such as canopies and upper galleries.

Wood generally came from Moroccan cedar trees, which are still highly valued today. These trees once grew abundantly on mountain slopes across the country but are now partly endangered and limited to forests of the Middle Atlas.

Other types of wood were occasionally used, including palm wood.

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This building in Marrakesh has wood reinforcing running vertically throughout.  This is peach wood and acts as a sort of expansion joint during earthquakes.

Looking up through one of the air shafts, notice the use of palm wood in the structure.

The roof construction is especially interesting. Reeds provide an overhang to protect the walls from rainfall and are then mudded over to protect the reed structure.

Aït ben Haddou casbah, a World Heritage Site

Aït ben Haddou casbah, a World Heritage Site

The site of the Aït Benhaddou ksar (fortified village) has been fortified since the 11th century during the Almoravid period. None of the current buildings are believed to date from before the 17th century, but they were likely built with the same construction methods and designs as had been used for centuries before

This was an interesting project for UNESCO. How do you preserve a living city? Inside the village, there are many merchants, mainly catering to tourists, but it is also home to many people.

It was preserved, thanks in part to the fact that it is a popular Hollywood filming location. According to UNESCO reports, the ksar has “preserved its architectural authenticity with regard to configuration and materials” by continuing to use traditional construction materials and techniques and by largely avoiding new concrete constructions. A local committee is in charge of monitoring and managing the site.

This gentleman paints with sugar and coffee and then heats the painting to bring out the colors.

Timbuktu 52 days

Modern Architecture of Morocco

On my last visit I was able to glimpse the Grand Theater of Rabat by architect Zaha Hadid. I say glimpse, as it was not open yet, it still is not.

The Mohammed VI Tower is on the left, with the Grand Theater on the right.

The Mohammed VI Tower is the tallest in Africa and is being built by BESIX and Six Construct.

The 820-foot-tall Mohammed VI Tower is designed to be visible from a distance of 30 miles.

The 55-story building contains a luxury hotel, offices, high-end apartments, and a viewing terrace at the top, serviced by 40 elevators.

The structure can withstand strong winds, seismic events, and flooding from the neighboring Bouregreg River. The tower is braced 70% by its concrete core and 30% by the structure of the steel porticos on its façade.

Morocco – Architectural Elements

 Morocco
May 102024
 

April 2024

Zellij Tile

Morocco isn’t Morocco without the Zellij tile.

Zellij is a style of mosaic tilework made from individually hand-chiseled tile pieces. The pieces were typically different colors and fitted together to form various patterns, most notably elaborate Islamic geometric motifs such as radiating star patterns. This form of Islamic art is one of the main characteristics of architecture in the Western Islamic world. 

 

Zellij Tile in a Madrassa

After the 15th century, traditional zellij fell out of fashion in most countries except Morocco, where it is still produced today.

Zellij tile on a horseshoe arch

Zellij on the floor

Stone

Muqarna vaulting is often compared to stalactites or honeycombs.

A horseshoe arch adorned in carved stone.

Brass

Brass doors and lamps are found all over the Islamic world.

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Star design found in the ornamentation of a brass door.

Tile

Green roof tiles are the predominant roofing choice in much of Morocco.

Wood

One of the more assertive characteristics of Moroccan architecture is the Tazouaqt, or the art of traditional painting on wood. In cities known for Tazouaqt, such as Fez and Marrakech, wooden works are not considered completed until painted.

Tazouaqt

An unpainted wooden ceiling

Flat Plaster

Tadelakt

Tadelakt

Tadelakt is a waterproof plaster surface used in Moroccan architecture to make baths, sinks, water vessels, interior walls, especially in hammams and exterior walls (as shown here), ceilings, roofs, and floors. It is made from lime plaster, rammed, polished, and treated with Black Soap to make it waterproof and water-repellent.

Black Soap

Black Soap, or Olive Soap, is added to speed surface carbonation and impart water resistance. The soap chemically reacts with the lime plaster, forming lime (calcium) soaps. Calcium soaps are insoluble in water and fairly hard.

You will find this type of plaster finish world,wide and it is done differently in every place.

In Morocco, the traditional application technique is:

  • Mix plaster powder with water for 12 to 15 hours prior to the addition of pigment.
  • Apply the plaster in one thick coat with a wooden float, and smooth the plaster with the same.
  • Before the plaster sets, use a flat, smooth, hard stone to compress the plaster, then a plastic trowel for the final polish.
  • After that, polish using stones or abrasives harder than the plaster, to provide a smooth, sometimes shiny, finish.
  • And finally, seal with a black soap solution.

Long-term maintenance of tadelakt requires regularly resealing the surface with a soap solution.

 

Carved Plaster

Carved plaster is, to me, one of the most awe-inspiring architectural elements in Islamic art.

This is called Gebs, the Arabic word for gypsum, the mineral that makes up plaster.

The most widespread application is for geometric designs. Arabic calligraphy is also a common application to express passages from the Qur’an or poetry. Plaster is so well adapted to be carved in organic, curvilinear forms that decorations of highly stylized scrolling vines, leaves, and flowers are one of the more common designs found using this medium.

Today, since Gebs is mostly used in interiors, Plaster of Paris, or a low-fired gypsum plaster is used. At a minimum, the plaster should be applied to a thickness of 3/4″; however, some applications of up to two inches thick can be found. Gypsum plasters have an initial set anywhere from mere minutes to a few hours. The plaster application is typically carried out a day before the carving begins. Depending on ambient humidity, the plaster will take a week or two to install fully. It is highly workable during this time, and the working time can be extended if necessary by continuing to wet down the plaster each day. The initial set renders the surface hard enough to carve while the moisture content within keeps it workable and prevents it from becoming too brittle and prone to fracture.

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Odds and Ends – Morocco

 Morocco
May 102024
 

April 2024

Valley of the Roses

The M’Goun Valley is known as the Valley of the Roses in Morocco and is famous for its roses.

No one knows how roses first came to the Atlas Mountains; however, according to legend, they were carried here centuries ago by a Berber merchant from Damascus; the species that grows here is Rosa damascena, the Damask rose, which originates from ancient Syria and is known for its intense perfume.

During the main growing season between April and mid-May, the valley produces between 3000 and 4000 tons of wild roses. Local distilleries such as the one shown above, buy some to make rose water, soaps, and potpourri, but the majority are bought by big French perfume houses.

Next door to the distillery and rose product store was this convenience store.  I was fascinated with the store’s product display.

Fossils

Morocco contains some of the world’s richest fossil sites. It all began when French geologist Louis Gentil discovered trilobite fossils near Casablanca in 1916. More than 50,000 Moroccans earn a living in the mineral and/or fossil mining and export trade, and the fossil industry is worth more than $40 million annually. In the region we visited, Tafilalt, the fossil industry is essentially the only employer, and it has been called the “trilobite economy.”

The Desert

Traditional Berber necklaces at a small stall in the desert. Sadly, much of what is for sale today is made from synthetic materials.

The top left symbol is the Hand of Fatima. The top right figure is the Berber Flag. The bottom left is the Amazigh fibula, a classic Berber jewelry design. The bottom right is the star found on the Moroccan flag.

This is Ramadan.  He was born at the end of Ramadan this year, hence his name.  He was a very, very friendly fellow.

Professor Marchand and Ramadan

Camels of the Erg Chebbi Dunes

The Erg Chebbi Dunes in the Sahara

Camping in the Erg Chebbi Dunes of the Sahara

The Market

Sheep head was my dinner one night in the market of Marrakech.  It was at Chez Lamine, a famous restaurant for Tanjia.

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I also ate snails

All the spices in the snail broth

Chebakiya – Made with Honey, sesame, cinnamon, saffron, anise, and orange flower water.

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Random Fun Shots and Thoughts

Unique and creative lighting

I had camel meat on my previous visit to Morocco

Caution: Donkey in the Medina

Hitching a ride to school

I loved this lamp on our table in a restaurant in Marrakech

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Casablanca

 Casablanca
Jan 062020
 

January 5, 2020

El Jadida

A one and one-half hour train ride from Casablanca is El Jadida. Within the city of El Jadida is the small town of Mazagan, founded in 1506.  Considered one of the Severn Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World, Mazagan was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, on the basis of its status as an “outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures” and as an “early example of the realization of the Renaissance ideals integrated with Portuguese construction technology”.

The cistern is famous especially for the thin layer of water that covers the floor, and which creates ever-changing reflections from the little light that pours in from the skylight and the beautiful shapes of the columns and the roof.

The cistern, the number one reason to visit the town, was built under the fortified town in 1541 by the Portuguese. It first served as an armory before being transformed into a rainwater reserve to provide water during the Arab sieges.  Eventually, it was simply forgotten, and then in 1916, a merchant discovered it when attempting to expand his shop. There are 6 naves, 25 columns and a skylight in the center.

The odd shape of the 19th-century Mosque is due to the fact that it was originally the Torre de Rebate which was originally part of the cistern.

During the siege of the Arabs, the bastions were equipped with several cannons.

A wander around the town:

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The town sits on the water and there are fish markets with restaurants attached serving wonderfully fresh fish.

Casablanca

Casablanca is Morocco’s biggest city and its commercial capital. Casablanca was founded and settled by Berbers by at least the seventh century BCE. It was used as a port by the Phoenicians and later the Romans.

In the early 15th century the town emerged as a safe harbor for pirates and privateers, leading to it being targeted by the Portuguese, who bombarded the town, destroying it in 1468. They used the ruins of the town to build a military fortress in 1515. The town that grew up around the fort was called Casa Branca, meaning “white house” in Portuguese

The post office on Mohammed V Square, built in 1918.

Between 1580 and 1640, the Crown of Portugal was integrated to the Crown of Spain, so Casablanca and all other areas occupied by the Portuguese were under Spanish control. As Portugal broke ties with Spain in 1640, Casablanca came under fully Portuguese control once again. The Europeans eventually abandoned the area completely in 1755 following the Lisbon earthquake which destroyed most of the town

In the 19th century, the area’s population began to grow as Casablanca became a major supplier of wool to the textile industry of Britain. By the 1860s, there were around 5,000 residents. By 1921, this rose to 110,000. Today Casablanca is a town of 6 million.

A plaque dedicated to the 2003 Casablanca bomb attacks These attacks were the deadliest terrorist attacks in the country’s history. Forty-five people were killed (33 victims and 12 suicide bombers). The suicide bombers came from the shanty towns of Sidi Moumen, a poor suburb of Casablanca.

Muhammad V Square had been occupied by barracks of the French colonial troops before the plan of Henri Prost and Joseph Marrast established it as a large square in 1916. It became the heart of the expanding European city. At the time, it was named Lyautey Square, in honor of France’s first Resident-General in Morocco.

General Lyautey’s nouvelle Casablanca brought about an architectural style known as Mauresque, which blended traditional Moroccan designs with the more liberal influences of early-20th-century Europe. By the 1930s, Mauresque architecture began to reflect the Parisian Art Deco style.

The buildings of this architecture can primarily be found in the blocks surrounding Muhammad V Square.

Here are just a few examples of some of these wonderful buildings:

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Hassan II Mosque is the largest mosque in Africa and the 3rd largest in the world. Its minaret is the world’s second tallest minaret at 689 feet. It was designed by French Architect Michel Pinseau and built in 1993. It will hold a maximum of 105,000 worshippers; 25,000 inside the mosque hall and another 80,000 on the mosque’s outside ground.

Non-believers are allowed to visit the mosque on tours given hourly in all languages.

The front door

The ablution room

The women are segregated into the wood enclosed area that is suspended from the marble columns

Looking from the middle of the mosque to the back

A look at the artwork in the mosque

Some fun facts about Casablanca:

Mohammed V International Airport used to be a United States airbase. The base operated from 1951 to 1963, until the United States agreed to leave after American intervention in the Lebanon conflict of 1958.

The movie Casablanca was not filmed in the city, also, there were plenty of foreigners living in the city at the time because of the war, but there were far more Arabs living there than the filmed portrayed.

The city accounts for one-third of the entire country’s economy and over 50% of its industrial labor. It also has one of the highest GDPs in Africa.

Tourism is not a big item in Casablanca, it is truly the business and financial center of the country. So what you see here are the highlights of the town.

Moving Medinas Into the Future

 Fes, Morocco
Jan 052020
 

December 2019

Morocco has six Medina’s on the World Heritage List, and I started to wonder why. Was it to protect them from Urban Renewal, or was it something else? This brought up a question for me which no matter how many people I asked, or articles I read, I still did not really get an answer.  That question is how do you bring the Medina forward to function in a more modern world, and not lose exactly what makes the Medina the Medina.

I must note here that as I started to do a deep dive into this question I realized that it had been brought up by UNESCO, The World Bank, The Moroccon government and thousands of charitable organizations, and as of yet, there are no solid answers.  The concentration of these organizations has been in Fez, so much of this conversation will be focused on that Medina.  However, I still have questions as to why all six? They each are important to their own town, and yes they are a part of not only the history of each town, but also of the ancient history of Morocco itself, and individual buildings within them are often important, but the spaces themselves are all very much alike from town to town.  While I believe the point of making all six a world heritage site is an attempt to hold onto a culture, I question whose culture?

Also, this is simply a personal exploration, I have no answers, just questions.

The walls of the Fez Medina stretch for over 8 miles, some are in poor shape.

In its sphere of cultural programs, UNESCO’s stated role is to act as a champion of diversity against globalization and to protect distinct cultural identities.  This is a noble concept but it hides so many issues regarding the act of actually preserving the Medinas, versus the way of life of the people that actually inhabit it.

Placing Medina’s on the World Heritage List ensures that they will not be torn down or altered too drastically, preserving the architecture, but does it preserve anything else?

Countries from all over the world are coming together to help Fez recreate or restore many parts of the Medina, and a few have proposed some radical changes as well. One can easily argue that this is progress, and it has happened and is happening across history and across the world, but as the world population grows and the disparity between have and have nots increases exponentially, isn’t it time to also look at how these improvements are uprooting the poor and their way of life.  This can be easily countered with, these improvements are for the greater good.

Part of this progress is the wealthy coming into the Medina’s buying up rundown Riads or Dars ( riads have a garden (the Arabic word riad means garden), and dars have a courtyard) and turning them into tourist hotels. This is bringing jobs.  There are now construction jobs as buildings are being either restored or replaced.  As the Riads and Dars, become hotels they will employ staff to cater to the tourists. This is the upside of this new movement.  The downside is the fact that the middle class, exactly who the government wants to move back into the Medina’s, have already been priced out of the market, as it has been primarily the wealthy that have purchased these properties.

How does Tourism play into this?

Moroccan Tourism Observatory has reported that more than five million tourists visited Morocco in the first half of 2019. The number represents a 6.6 % increase compared to the same period last year, and that tourism is considered as one of the main foreign exchange sources.

With the development of tourism, Medinas became a destination for foreign tourists. This very development, however, caused a collapse in some crafts in favor of trade.  It became very difficult to maintain the traditional activities and crafts of the souks within the Medina, all because adapting to the needs and expectations of tourists had become a priority.

This street is just as you enter the Fez Medina from the Blue Gate. It is called Rainbow Street and is listed in every Chinese guide book as the place to shop

This increase in tourism to purchase trinkets made in China has also lead to the proliferation of hucksters and con-men that are making visiting the Medina’s less and less enjoyable.  A simple google search of articles regarding being scammed in Morocco will bring up a million results.  This is not good for the industry, I have watched women leave the Medina out of fear, and the stress level of the overwhelming amount of men approaching you to be your “guide” makes one question the desire to even enter into these historic spaces with the treasures they have to offer.

The Government of Morocco proposed a project to boost artisanal household incomes once they discovered that tourist spending on local artisan products was substantially lower than in comparable foreign markets. This was due in part to the fact that many artisans lacked the training and skills necessary to modernize production and capitalize on this growth. The Artisan and Fez Medina Project was designed to stimulate the growth of these arts and tie them back to the culture of the Medina. However, China has flooded the market with look-a-likes at far cheaper prices, and going home with an original Moroccon craft can be hard to guarantee to a less-knowledgeable buyer.

Part of this program, oddly enough,  was to move the pottery industry out of the Medina due to its polluting effects.  The potters burned the remains of the olive oil production process, olive cake, to fire the kilns, creating a dark sooty smoke.  Eventually, this type of kiln was completely outlawed and kilns are now natural gas, expensive, as Morocco has no natural source of Natural Gas, but far cleaner.

One of the outlawed kilns once used in the pottery business

The olive cake is one of the by-products that is generated when processing olive oil. The physical composition of the olive cake is skin, pulp, the stonewall, and the kernel.

The Fez Medina was founded in 808 and is the largest pedestrianized Medina in the world. It was placed under World Heritage Protection in 1981, and in 1989 the Moroccan government created ADER Fès (Agency of Development and Restoration) to allocate funds and devise projects for the conservation of both the Medina and its culture.

According to Fouad Serrhini, Director General of ADER Fès, “The most important challenge for us is safeguarding the Medina itself – its rehabilitation and the improvement of living conditions for the inhabitants, tradesmen and craftspeople who work there,” “And beyond that to ensure it remains a jewel of cultural tourism.”

Iraqi architect Alaa Said who runs architectural tours of the Medina has said “Preserving the Fez Medina is a very particular challenge because we can’t just turn the whole city into a museum,” “Too strong a dose of modern development could destroy the fantastic character of the city. It’s been key that planners and national authorities find a good balance between conservation and development and provide a framework where the Medina remains a viable, living city equipped with necessary services and amenities.”

Therein lies the largest problem as I see it.

Mail Delivery and Bread Baking

There are officially eight neighborhoods in the Fez Medina.  They each still have their own central bread baker and their own mosque.  Mail was often delivered to the baker and when he saw the recipient he would give that person his mail.  In time each neighborhood was given its own post office.  Today the mail is centralized as in most world cities.

Bread is still traditionally made by women in the home and then taken to the central baker to be baked.  This once was also true with Tajine.  The purpose of this is to keep the possibility of fire down.  Today most homes cook with propane, but bread is still baked the old fashioned way. Hopefully, that will never go the way of the post office.

Upgrading the Water System.

Part of the River Remediation and Urban Development Scheme has uncovered parts of the Fez River that runs through the Medina.

The upgrade of the Medina’s water system is one thing everyone can agree on is a priority. The water of Fez is scarce and of low quality.  The Medina sits in a gap between the Saiss plain and the Sebou valley.  This gap is the only way for water to go down from the Atlas Mountains.

The presence of water in street fountains, houses, and religious buildings are a result of a system built by the Marinid Dynasty over 800 years ago utilizing the then abundant water. The medina was designed with three kinds of water circuits, water from the river for domestic tasks,  spring water to drink and a sewage system.  Each house was connected to these three circuits. This all worked on a natural hydraulic system of water flowing from high to low, with rats doing their part in keeping the system clean.  Over time roads replaced the water channels and homes replaced the gardens that were inside the Medina causing an overload and breakdown of the system.

This particular fountain, I was told, is the only one that is still functioning from the original system

This system worked very well until it didn’t.  Lack of maintenance and simply age caused a serious breakdown in the flow of water and its separation from waste.

The Medina is now served by a new water and sewage system, but there is more to be done.

Most every fountain in the Fez Medina has been replumbed and decorated with new tiles.

A thesis project by Harvard educated Moroccan, Aziza Chaouni, was to uncover the Fez River.   The project won many awards and part of it has been realized.  The project is called the River Remediation and Urban Development Scheme.

However, part of this is based on closing the tanneries, a very controversial subject as the tanneries are one of the primary tourists draws to the Fez Medina.  The tanneries are a serious cause of the toxicity and pollution due to the chemicals involved, at the same time, the cleaning up of the Fez River is very important.

While the tanneries technically sit outside of the Medina, they are downstream from the town, so the river continues to flow through the tanneries to the valley. This water is then used for agriculture, making the toxicity from the tanneries an issue further down the line.

Just down from the photo above of the River Remediation Project, and just above the tanneries is this person throwing trash into the freshwater

Garbage Collection 

On the plus side, Fez’s garbage collection is excellent. The city collects between 700 and 1000 tons of garbage every day. Waste collection also occurs every day of the week. Households put out their trash in various containers, then a man with a donkey comes, retrieves that trash and walks it out of one of the eight gates to a larger trash station. The walk must be a highly difficult one once the collectors start reaching the interior of the Medina and I imagine designing the collection route would be fascinating. Fez’s waste collection service, Ozone, employs 1,160 people and has an annual budget of 138 million MD (approximately $14 1/2 million US).  Like everywhere in the world people still simply toss their trash into the streets, in the Fez Medina, however, there are employees who walk the streets during the day sweeping and collecting this trash.

Emergency Services

When world organizations gathered to work on the Fez situation they looked at the Medina, not as a resource, but rather as a bottleneck to modern urbanism.  It lacked and still does, access roads for any form of emergency services, almost one-quarter of Fez el Bali  (the older section of the Medina) is inaccessible by motorized vehicles. The company hired by the World Bank, in 1991, to produce a feasibility study, proposed cutting a large transportation swath through the historic district, many groups, led by UNESCO,  objected and the bank rejected the proposal.

There is still no system.  If a fire occurs, I am told people simply run.

However, if a sick person needs to be transported people gather together with donkeys, or carts or even their own hands to pass the person, through the quickest route, to an emergency vehicle outside the walls.  There are volunteer groups, but also neighbors do help neighbors in these situations.  This works for now, but the lifespan of the Moroccon people has increased significantly with good health care, and this lack of emergency services will definitely become a problem in the future. The Medina is also a highly unwelcoming space for anyone with the slightest handicap.

Police presence is another issue.  While most Moroccans will tell you that you are safe as a tourist, and I agree with this, the streets of the Medina simply do not feel safe at night.  There is no lighting, and most restaurants must offer porter services to walk you home as getting lost is so easy to do.

The most efficient type of transportation inside the Medina is the donkey

Sadly, the donkey is being replaced with wheeled carts that can be dangerous as their drivers go down the hills at rather high speeds yelling for everyone to get out of the way

Part of the Fez Medina restoration is these new workshops. You can see the open Fez River running through the middle of this project.

The opening up of the Fez River and building restoration just upriver from the Tannery

When walking in this area of the Medina, one can feel the overwhelming modernization and the lack of character.

Culture and Poverty

The rejection of the concept of cutting a swath of roads through the Medina changed the entire conversation regarding its future.  UNESCO and the World Bank established a new goal of placing the cultural value of the Medina first with the goal of reducing poverty at the heart of the new proposal.

In the 1980s there was a severe drought in the countryside and many people moved into the Medina, as a result, the homes are overcrowded and 30% of the population lives below the poverty line.

What this newly stated goal actually means may be the reason very little has been done.

Commerce

Like so many places in the world, the merchants of the Medina need more imagination.  An excellent example is the number of slipper salesmen.  It is the mindset that, if my neighbor makes money that way, I must be able to make money that way.  In the end, no one is making any money.  There are a few fast food carts popping up, which are highly needed, especially for those working in the Medina.  These were nice to see.  More coffee shops where one could just sit and people watch would be even nicer, even the locals bemoan the lack of places to stop for coffee or tea.

However, everything one needs can be bought in the medina, including junk food.

School Supplies

Key making and even television sets

The Marrakech Medina in Comparison

The Marrakech Medina was added to the World Heritage list in 1985: “due to its impressive collection of monuments including the discernible Koutoubia Mosque, the splendid Ali ben Youssef Medersa and the opulent Bahia Palace. Within the ramparts are also numerous souks, hammams (public bath) and funduqs (caravansarai) that make Marrakech yet another Moroccan city where it pays to wander at leisure. And at the center of all this is Djemaa El-Fna, the city’s main square and a veritable open-air theatre with snake charmers, henna artists, and food vendors all vying for your attention.” (Description from UNESCO)

I will agree with the saving of the important monuments and the ramparts, but the Medina that I witnessed has the feeling of a large walled tourist destination.  There are still sections on the edges where the poorer reside, but a good many of the homes have been purchased by foreigners (particularly the French) and are simply small hotels run from afar. As mentioned above this creates employment for local craftsmen, it has also resulted in a surge in property prices. With less accommodation available, locals are forced to move to distant neighborhoods or live in subdivided, often illegal buildings. Commercial rents in the medina have gone up as well

In a recent World Travel and Tourism Council report, Coping with Success,  destinations were assessed using criteria including “threats to culture and heritage”, “alienation of residents” and “overloaded infrastructure”.  Not quite as flooded with tourists as Venice or Barcelona, Marrakech is at a tipping point in terms of overcrowding and performed especially poorly in the “Negative TripAdvisor reviews” category.  And yes, I realize as I write this, that I am a tourist, and therefore, automatically a part of the problem.

When you can buy fake Louis Vuitton covered footballs, you know you are in a ridiculously bizarre  tourist shopping spot

There is no longer the feeling of a neighborhood, as there is in Fez. However, you can still get your laundry done, and buy your groceries, but the space allotted to these ventures aimed at locals is a very small fraction of the Medina, which is truly geared to selling, feeding, and entertaining outsiders.

The laundry service in the Marrakech Median even seems to be upscale from the hidden hole-in-the-wall laundries of other Medinas

Saving the Ramparts and ancient walls of the Medina is listed as one of  UNESCO’s highlights of preservation, and yet so many of the walls are crumbling to the point of destruction that they are being completely rebuilt, negating any historical value.

As I said when I began this post, these are not judgments, they are simply observations.  I am still curious what the aim of UNESCO is in regard to this many Medina’s being placed on World Heritage Lists, which truly limits their ability to change, (for the good or bad).

I am a true believer in the protection of not only culture but history and the symbols of this history.  I believe in preserving historically important sites, in fact, I feel that is more important now than ever, with the world weather and its effects in constant flux.  Sadly, the situation of these Medinas is forcing people to either live in squalor or sell to an enterprising outsider to make a profit and change the character of the Medina.  It is a circle that most likely does not have a satisfying answer.

An Aside

When I decided to go down this rabbit hole I hired a well-respected guide of the Fez Medina to walk and to talk.  He was not completely sure what my goal was, but after an hour or so he understood what I wanted and began to open up.  I won him over when after some amazing chickpea soup and lamb sandwich from a street vendor, I confessed it was the best meal I had had the entire time I had been in his country.  The soup came from one vendor, the sandwich from another and we sat at the table in front of the guy who sold me the lemon juice to go with my meal.  This is a true community.  Even more interesting and telling, to me, when asked the price of the soup, the man simply said pay what you think it is worth, we insisted on paying the going rate of about $1 for a bowl of soup with bread.

Lemon juice, in this case, is lemon juice and mineral water. You add sugar to taste. This is called a Citron Presse in France.

My guide and I talked of preconceived notions and he told me a wonderful story of his understanding of America.  He said when ATM’s first arrived, most Moroccans had no idea their purpose.  This is true in many underdeveloped countries, the wealthy get it right away, but the less privileged don’t have bank accounts to even care what they are.  He said Americans were so amazing, they put a card into a machine and their government just gave them money.  I asked if he thought the streets of America were paved in gold and he sheepishly admitted that yes, when he was young he did.

Chickpea soup with a 1/4 inch of local olive oil on the top and local bread for slopping up the remains.

I complained that most every restaurant meal I had been served was entirely too many courses, too much food, and while Tajine is nice, it is not something I want every single day.  He agreed, saying that the food of Morocco was so varied and wonderful, but Tajine is considered a food of status and something important to feed your guests, so if someone does not feed you Tajine they are not being a good host.  I wish more restaurants would get away from the traditional tajine, so did he, he told me of a sandwich in the south of Morocco that sounded too good to be true, but alas, I will never know as restaurants don’t think foreigners want to be served such humble food.

You can find tajine absolutely everywhere

Morocco is a fascinating country, and its Medina’s are the heart of many of the most famous cities.  It will be fun to watch how they evolve into the next century.

 

The Characters of the Medina

 Morocco
Jan 042020
 

December 2019

The gentleman on the left is playing Krakebs a large iron castanet-like musical instrument primarily used as the rhythmic aspect of Gnawa music.

Gnawa Dancers

These dancers can be seen in most every Medina in Morocco.  They are simply creating a form of Gnawa music for the tourists and, as you can see, with hopes you will throw money in their hats.

UNESCO added Morocco’s traditional Gnawa to the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH) while I was in Morocco, although I do not believe they had this type of tourism music in mind.

Gnawa music originates from the Gnawa ethnic group, who were brought to Morocco from sub-Saharan Africa beginning around the 11th century. They were trafficked as slaves and probably originated from Mali, Senegal, Chad, and Nigeria.

Krakeb. The sound of the krakeb represents the sound of horses hooves hitting the ground as the Gnawa were carried away in grain sacks and the rattling of shackles that used to hold them captive.

The enslaved Gnawa people were used in Morocco mostly as soldiers. By 1200 A.D., there were over 30,000 black soldiers in Morocco, and the practice of using black slaves to maintain power had become institutionalized.

 

The Gnawa people practice a mystic, spiritual version of Islam, combining Islam with sub-Saharan West African traditions. Gnawa music is designed to place the participants of the ceremony in a trance, where they can communicate directly with the spirits that inhabit them.

Gnawa Musicians in a more typical setting

The Water Seller

The Water Sellers, in the local dialect, are called Gharrib. Historically these were important traders in the Desert environment, but now they cater to the tourists for entertainment.

Their costumes are red, they wear wide Berber hats for shade, and a bandolier that holds a slew of shallow brass cups. Originally these Berber hawkers would fetch water from cisterns on the outskirts of the city and serve it to visitors in their brass cups from a goatskin bladder. Apparently, even when flavored with mint or lemon, the water always tasted of goat.

The water-seller held his money in a pocket of the leather pouch you see on his right hip.  Tradition says that if the seller liked a coin or it was unusual he would stick it on the outside of the pouch.  Over time, these pouches could become quite ornate.

This is what has replaced the water sellers, I am not sure either is very sanitary.

The Snake Charmers, Monkey Handlers and other Animal Acts

There are no photographs of these acts as they are truly animal cruelty and I have no intention of paying someone to further this type of “show”.

Snake charmers were once magicians or healers; they needed to know how to handle snakes correctly – possibly to remove them from the homes of frightened villagers – and how to cure a snake bite. Snake charming is the practice of ‘hypnotizing’ the creature and luring them up into an erect pose, to the sound of music.

Magical origins aside, the snake charmers of today are a cruel money-making con. When the snakes rise up to the tune of a flute, it has nothing to do with ‘being charmed’; their owners starve the creatures, feeding them only when they emerge from the basket. There is no fear of being bitten as the majority of snakes you see in Morocco have had their fangs removed and, in some cases, their mouths are sewn shut. A small gap is left for their forked tongue to flick out and to allow the snakes to get a small amount of water, but the snake will only survive like this for a few weeks.

The Monkey guys are the ones in the square playing with Barbary monkeys they have chained to a stand or to themselves. The monkeys are often dressed in costumes like soccer jerseys and have diapers on them so they don’t do their business on the street. These monkeys are poorly treated and made to take pictures with tourists for money.

You will find these acts in many Medinas, but primarily in Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech and El Jadim Square in Meknes.

A Very Random Fact 

You will find holes in all the walls of every Medina in Morocco and just as many stories as to why they are there.

I heard, “the builders were so smart, they put holes in the walls to keep them from falling over in the strong winds”,

Another popular story is that they were formed by cannon blasts. Considering that the gates to the medina were locked every night and the walls themselves acted as a form of protection, this has a ring of truth.

Another story suggests that, as the pisé-cement walls gradually crumble, small holes are formed; the holes are then enlarged by birds looking for somewhere to nest. Yes the birds roost in them, and they seem to be excellent trash receptacles for the lazy, but this is still not the reason.

The truth is the walls are in such bad shape that they are in constant upkeep and the holes are very simply there to brace the scaffolding needed during these times.

Wandering the Desert outside of Marrakech

 Marrakech, Morocco
Jan 032020
 

January 2, 2020

Palmeraie

If you drive into Marrakech, you will most likely pass Palmeraie (palm grove). It is a palm oasis of several hundred thousand trees situated at the edge of the city’s northern section, it is 5 miles long and easy to spot.

Palmeraie was created during the Almoravid period, using a khettara network. Khettara is a network of underground channels and ditches that bring water down from the High Atlas mountains.  There is a very good exhibit about how the system works at the Water Civilization Museum in the Palmeraie area.

The 1000-year-old tale of this area refers to this garden of palm trees as “the ardent children of the African earth and sun” It is said that while searching for land to establish the Almoravid dynasty, Sultan Yussef Ben Tachefine, and his men camped at the plain of Haouz. His soldiers, after consuming palm-dates had thrown the date seeds around and some of them had dropped into holes created by their lances and these sprouted into trees. Many centuries later the same plain had become an oasis of 50,000 trees.

In the town planning norms of the 1920s, buildings were not allowed to be built higher than the palm trees.  Sadly,  in recent years urbanization has really invaded the area, leaving it to appear as though it is just a long stand of palm trees with camel rides being offered every 100 feet.

The pace of destruction of the Palmeraie is staggering. In 1929, The French measured the palm grove at about 40,000 acres – an area nearly 50 times that of New York’s Central Park. By 1998, it had declined to nearly 30,000 acres. Since then, the grove has shrunk by nearly half, to an estimated 16,000 to 19,000 acres.

There are so many people offering tourists camel rides that they actually come out in the morning and chalk parking spaces.

Drought and heavy pumping for agriculture and golf courses around the grove have drastically lowered water reserves. Ten years ago the water table was just 30 feet underground – is now at some 65 yards, beyond the reach of the trees’ roots and anything but the deepest of wells.  I saw many of the trees being watered with water trucks.

Simultaneously, Marrakech has become a top tourism destination. Even small plots in the palm grove now fetch as much as $1.5 million, creating pressure to sell developers.

Cactus Theimann

This was one of the hardest places to find.  I had hired a driver who put it in his GPS and we ended up, three times, at a hotel.  He refused to ask directions. I finally spotted it way off in the distance and a long dusty pothole-filled road got us there.

Cactus Thiemann is said to be North Africa’s largest cacti farm.

The largest cactus (in the center of the photo) is 80 years old and was brought to Morocco by Thiemann, overland from Europe in an improvised military vehicle.

Started by Hans Thiemann, an agricultural engineer and cacti lover who grew tired of growing in Germany’s greenhouse conditions. His farm now operates as a garden and research facility and has provided expertly grown cacti to the botanical beds of famous gardens throughout Marrakesh, including Jardin Majorelle.

Thiemann died in 2001, and the nursery is now managed by his widow Fatima and two daughters Magda and Roselinde, who are just delightful.  I simply arrived, and while they told me there would be no guide to take me around, I could walk the grounds on my own for a mere $15.  It was worth it.

Signs are in front of each variety to help you identify them.

You are also given a map that has photos of each type of cactus and where they are growing to aid you in your wandering and education.

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Carved Dead Trees

These are actually in the New Town area of Marrakech.  At the roundabout of Avenue Mohammed V and The Route de Targa – take the Route de Targa.

These are often attributed solely to Moulayhafid Taqouraite.  After some digging, I found that there were several artists involved, including Abdelhaq Elyoussi.  It was a project sponsored by B’ARTS in 2009. Apparently they brought people from all over the world to work on it.  These were dead trees and the intention was to give them new life on this very busy street.

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This was the end of my time in Marrakech.  It was a very crowded week as it was the holidays, and had I planned better I would not have gone during this time due to the extreme overcrowding.  However, I found respite in the divine Riad I stayed at and should you find yourself in need of accommodations in Marrakech and Mamounia is out of your price range, consider Riad Dar Kasal.  It is run by husband and wife team Franck and Mikiyo and a staff that are just so kind and helpful.

Anima

 Marrakech
Jan 022020
 

January 1, 2020

Anima is the creation of Andre Heller, an Austrian with a fascinating background.  It is a stunningly designed garden in the middle of the desert ornamented with sculpture.  It is a delight, but frustrating, as there is not one word about who the artists are, and there is no pamphlet handed out, or book to buy, to tell you.

So here is a collection of photos from the garden for one to enjoy.

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The view of the Atlas mountains is stunning from the cafe rooftop

This piece goes for quite a long way punctuated with mirrors that reflect the colorful benches that face them.

Even the tree supports become art

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I am pretty sure this is a Keith Haring, but as I mentioned, there is no way to be sure.

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Even the trees are palettes

This was, without a doubt, my favorite piece.

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At intervals, this wonderful tile head spews mist

The Jardin Majorelle​

 Marrakech
Jan 012020
 

December 31, 2019

The Majorelle Garden was designed by the French artist, Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962). In 1917 Majorelle was sent to Morocco to convalesce from a serious medical condition, and after spending a short time in Casablanca, he traveled to Marrakech fell in love with the vibrant colors and street life and stayed.

The Villa Bou Saf Saf, which Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé renamed Villa Oasis

In 1923, Majorelle purchased a four-acre plot and built a house in the Moroccan style. In 1931, he commissioned the architect, Paul Sinoir, to design a Cubist villa for the property, (which now houses the Berber Museum). Gradually, he purchased additional land, eventually extending the grounds to 10 acres. Majorelle began planting a luxuriant garden which would become known as the Jardins Majorelle (Majorelle Garden), which became his life’s work for almost forty years.

The garden proved too costly to run and in 1947, Majorelle opened the garden to the public with an admission fee designed to defray the cost of maintenance. At times, he sold off parcels of land to fund the growing garden. Following his divorce in the 1950s, Majorelle was forced to sell the house and land. After this, the garden fell into disrepair. The garden and villa were rediscovered in the 1980s. Fashion designers, Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé set about restoring it and keeping it from being bulldozed by a hotel developer.

The special shade of bold cobalt blue was inspired by the colored tiles Majorelle had seen around Marrakech. This color, having been used so extensively in the garden and its buildings, was named after him, bleu Majorelle—Majorelle Blue.

Brightly colored pots are everywhere and make for wonderful splashes of color in what is mainly a cactus garden

I had the good sense to arrive as close to opening as possible, the garden, during the Christmas/New Year Holiday is known to have a line over 2 hours long.  In fact, when I left, this was the case.  I was fortunate to walk right in and enjoy the garden before it filled with people.

The painter’s studio has been transformed into The Berber Museum housing the exquisite personal Berber collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.

He passed away on June 1, 2008, in Paris. His ashes were scattered in the rose garden of the Villa Oasis; a memorial was built in the garden, designed around a Roman pillar which was brought from Tangier and set on a pedestal with a plate bearing his name so that visitors can remember him and his unique contribution to fashion. “It is a way for artists to live on… ”
After Yves died, I donated the Jardin Majorelle and the Villa Oasis to the foundation in Paris which bears both our names.”
Pierre Bergé, Yves Saint Laurent, Une passion Marocaine

The garden is such a delightful place to stroll, and it really needs no explanation.  Enjoy the photos.

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The Yves Saint Lauren Museum, just down the street opened in  2017. It houses an important selection from the Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent’s collection, which comprises 5,000 items of clothing, 15,000 haute couture accessories as well as tens of thousands of sketches and assorted objects.

The building was designed by the French architecture firm Studio KO, founded by architects Olivier Marty and Karl Fournier.

The outside of the building is composed of cubic forms adorned with bricks which create a pattern resembling threads of fabric.

A word to the wise, one ticket can be purchased for the Garden, The Berber Museum, and the YSL Museum.  This will save a considerable amount of time if there are crowds, as you only have to stand in the entry line, not both the ticket buying line and entry line.

Marrakech, Medina

 Marrakech, Morocco
Dec 312019
 

December 30, 2019

There comes a time in a country when you realize that much of what you are seeing is the same.  The historic sites in the Medina of Marrakech is that time for me.

Much of the more sought after tourist spots are under renovation, and those that were open were so similar to the sites I have seen all over in the Medinas of Morocco.

I have a lot more to see in Marrakech outside the Medina, which I am truly looking forward to.

So here is a really quick look at the Marrakech Medina.

Palaces of the Medina

Bahia Palace

The Bahia Palace, meaning brilliance in Arabic, was built between 1866 and 1867 by Si Moussa. It housed the Resident-General under the French Protectorate.

Si Moussa was the Grand Vizier of the Sultan, a former slave who slyly rose to power in 1894 when he managed to gain complete control over the state until his death in 1900.

The palace houses council rooms with Zellig fireplaces. Each of the rooms is decorated in Moroccan style with carved stucco and painted cedar wood.

It was so odd to walk into a Moroccan palace and see a fireplace.

One of the spectacularly painted cedar ceilings of the Bahia Palace

A painted cedar ceiling and carved plasterwork at the Bahia Palace

 

Dar Si Said Palace with its spectacular chandelier in the center courtyard

Another view of the central courtyard of Dar Si Said

Dar Si Said now serves as the Museum of Moroccan Arts.  It was formerly the house of the brother of Bou-Ahmed, Sisi Said.

 

Dar Al BachaBuilt in 1910, the Dar el Bacha, which means “house of the pasha”, was the residence of Thami El Glaoui, who was given the title of pacha of Marrakech by the Sultan Moulay Youssef in 1912. Some of its more famous guests were Charlie Chaplin, Josephine Baker, and Winston Churchill. The palace was renovated by the Fondation Nationale des musées (FNM) of Morocco.

The tile at Dar Al Bacha is some of the finest I have seen

Dar el Bacha is a prime example of Moorish architecture, with fountains and orange trees in the central courtyard, traditional seating areas, and a hammam. Features that have been restored, include the carved and painted cedar wood doors, black and white checkered marble floors, ceilings covered in colorful zellige mosaics and columns painted with natural pigments such as indigo, saffron, and poppy.

The Mellah

Mellahs are an important part of the history of the larger Moroccan cities, and their Jewish cemeteries are always worth a visit.

The cemetery in Marrakesh, Miaara, is the largest in the country. It was established in 1537 and is still a working cemetery today. The Miaara cemetery is part of the Kings program to help restore the Jewish cemeteries of Morocco.

Religious Buildings

The Ben Youssef Madrasa is an Islamic college named after the Almoravid sultan Ali ibn Yusuf (reigned 1106–1142). It is the largest Madrasa in  Morocco.  The building of the madrasa was re-constructed by the Saadian Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib (1557–1574). The building was closed down in 1960, refurbished and reopened to the public as a historical site in 1982.  It is closed again for renovation, surrounded by high walls the dome is as close as one can get at this time.

This is the interior of dome of the water system you see above.  It was open on my trip in April of 2024 and I was able to tour this magnificent structure.  It was the area for ablution and next to it is the water system that served the mosque.

The Koutoubia Mosque

The Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakech. Decorated with curved windows, a ceramic strip, pointed merlons, and decorative arches; it is also surrounded by gardens.  Completed during the reign of the Berber Almohad Caliph Yaqub al-Mansour (1184-1199), it inspired other buildings such as the Giralda in Seville and the Hassan Tower in Rabat.

Tombs

The Saadian tombs date to the time of the Saadian dynasty sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603).  Abandoned for centuries, the tombs were rediscovered in 1917 by aerial photography and were then renovated.  They have recently undergone another thorough renovation.  For a real feel of what these buildings are like on the interior, view this post on the tombs in Tunisia that are presently undergoing restoration.

Saadi Tombs

Carrera marble columns of the Saadi Tombs

In the garden are the graves of soldiers and servants.

Shopping

The Marrakech Madina has turned into a Disneyland type shopping mecca for tourists. The shops, unlike all the other Medinas, are huge, the streets are wide with constantly zipping motorcycles and Vespas, and the grifters seemed to be more prevalent.  The same things are sold all over the country, however, here they are simply more expensive.

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A sure sign there are more tourists than locals is when the ATM has a waiting line.

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Motorcycles rule the pathways of the Medina in Marrakech

Meknes, Morocco

 Morocco
Dec 262019
 

December 26, 2019

Meknes was first settled in the 9th century by the Miknasa a southern Tunisian Berber tribe.

In the 11th century, the Almoravids further developed Meknes as a military settlement. They built mosques, hammams and kasbahs, one royal palace and a madrassa.

The city was captured by several dynasties but eventually became a capital city under Sultan Moulay Ismaïl (1672–1727), the founder of the Alouite dynasty.

Moulay Ismail managed to build a city wall nearly 30 miles long with twenty gates surrounding more than 50 palaces.

Bab Mansour was the last important construction project ordered by Sultan Moulay Ismail. It was to be an elaborate homage to himself. The architect who designed the gate was a Christian convert to Islam named Mansour Laalej (whose name translates to “victorious renegade”) who sought to work his way into the sultan’s court. His name also contributed to the name of the gate (Mansour means “victorious” in Arabic).

Behind these high defensive walls are twenty-five mosques, ten hammams, a few remaining palaces, a huge granary, remains of fondouks (caravanserai) and private homes, all from the Almoravid, Merinid and Alawite Periods.

It was Moulay Ismail’s goal to make this the most beautiful of all the Imperial cities. Something only a man, who was a great admirer of Louis XIV and was often called the Moroccan Louis the 14th could inspire to.

The two gentlemen were allies and in 1682, Ismail sent Mohammed Tenim, to be his ambassador in France. French Baroque painter Charles Antoine Coypel depicted the Moroccan ambassador’s visit in his painting titled Mohammed Tenim, Ambassadeur du Maroc à la Comédie Italienne.

Sultan Moulay Ismail was a man of excesses. A ruthless tyrant, he had a harem of 500 wives and concubines and fathered hundreds of children.  (The Guinness Book of Records has that number at 800).

It is said he beheaded over 36,000 people, a number historians find a tad too large, but they do agree the number could be as high as 20,000. It is said some of his justification for this was his view that: “My subjects are like rats in a basket, and if I do not keep shaking the basket, they will gnaw their way through.”  From all I could read he was an equal opportunity beheader, your religion or color was of no consequence.

After Ismail’s death in 1727, when his son moved the capital to Marrakesh, the city started its decline. The 1755 earthquake that devastated Lisbon also brought down a lot of Meknes.

In 1912 the French turned Meknes into their military headquarters. Today it is primarily a town supported by agriculture, in particular, the olive trade, and industries that spew black smoke into the environment from their smokestacks.

El Hedim Square was built in the years 1672-1674, the Mansour Gate is in the front of the square.

The story is told about El Hedim Square that the Sultan demolished homes to make way for a grand entrance to one of his new palaces. It apparently got its name, The Square of Demolition, because it stored materials he pillaged from around Morocco, especially from Volubilis.   Some say it also served as an execution arena.

Mulay Ismail had this artificial lake, Sahrij Swani, constructed to guarantee the supply of water, in times of siege or drought, to the palaces and mosques of the town, as well as to the public baths, homes, gardens and the orchards that surrounded the town that provided the city with food.  The water came from the River Bufekrane, which comes down from the Middle Atlas mountains crosses the southern part of Meknes and feeds the lake and parts of the town.

Because of the strategic nature of this water source, a defensive wall was built surrounding the lake, of which only a portion remains today.

The Sahrij Swani, also called the Basin of the Norias, is only one part of a major compound that includes grain silos and/or a stable and a house referred to as “The House of the Ten Norias”.

The House of Ten Nories is a series of ten small rooms surrounding a central chamber. Originally each room contained a noria, or deep well, that reached the underground water source by means of a chain of buckets.  This water was then pumped into the lake via underground pottery pipes.

One of the water wheels inside of the House of Ten Nories

A hallway leading to some of the smaller rooms that housed the Nories

According to Meknes de Bab en Bab  by Hammad Berrada, the rooms off of the water wheels were silos specifically built for food storage and in particular wheat.

The walls of this structure are especially thick to maintain a constant temperature for proper storage.  Mules from all over the country brought grain to these silos, which was often taxes paid by tribes outside of the city.   These silos also held the fodder for the 12,000 horses in the Sultan’s stud farm.  Adjacent to this building is a building that has 22 arcades each consisting of 14 arches, and that, according to Meknes de Bab en Bab is where the Sultan’s horses were kept in high style.

At this point, there are conflicting articles.  According to Andalusian Morocco: A Discovery in Living Art, sponsored by the Moroccan Government, the stables were the silos and their explanation of the House of Nori’s is scant at best.

A native of Morocco I spoke with said, that Meknes de Bab en Bab is the accurate one.

 

What remains of the Grain Silos or are they stables?

At least the grain story seems to holds true, according to the 19th-century historian al-Nassiri:  “Mulay Isma’il also ordered for the construction of a granary to be built inside the Kasbah which would be used for provisions, with vaulted corridors for the storage of wheat and other grains, which could hold enough grain to feed every inhabitant of Morocco”

In the far corner is the Koubba el Khayatine, the rest is the roof of the “prison”

The Koubba el Kayatine is a very small tiled room where Ismail received foreign ambassadors. A stairway just to the right the Koubba el Khayatine pavilion leads to the Habs Qara, vaults which are said to have served as a prison for the European slaves who worked on the construction of the imperial city. It is claimed that the underground chambers ran for over 4 miles and that up to 40,000 slaves were incarcerated here each night in total darkness (the tiny windows in the roof were made by the French).  It is just as likely that it was grain storage.  Again, the history of Meknes is a bit fuzzy when it comes to reliable sources.

Habs Qara consists of long hallways of arches all intersecting at various places. There are not really any rooms.

Place Lalla Aouda was once the parade ground where Moulay Ismail inspected his famed Black Guard, which started with some 16,000 enslaved men from sub-Saharan Africa.

In 1699, Ismail gave orders to enslave all black Africans in Morocco, even those who were born free or who were Muslim, and, consequently, he violated two of the central tenants of Islamic law. Moroccan registers show that Ismail enslaved over 221,000 black Moroccans between 1699-1705.

The  Black Guard were primarily descendants of black captives brought to Morocco from sub-Saharan Africa, as slaves.  At age 10 both boys and girls were trained in certain skills, and at age 15 those boys that were chosen entered the army. They would marry and have children and continue the cycle. Ismail’s black soldiers formed most of his standing army and numbered 150,000 at their peak.

Ismail was always surrounded by a bodyguard of eighty black soldiers, armed with muskets and scimitars. At his throne, he was attended by a servant charged with twirling a parasol above his head at all times (a legend says that on at least one occasion, Ismail pulled out his sword and murdered an attendant who had allowed the sun to briefly fall upon him).

After Ismail’s death, the quality of the Black Guard went downhill, as they were no longer paid as well. The main group was dissolved in the 19th century.

The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail

Built before he died to ensure its grandeur, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail has been closed for renovation since 2016.  It has a scheduled re-opening sometime in 2020.  Non-muslims were admitted prior to the closing, it is not known if that will be the case after the renovation. Sadly what is considered the best museum in all of Morocco, the Dar Jamal Museum, is also closed for renovation.  That is the way of travel.

For 60 MDH you can see the Bou Inania Madrassa.  It is so similar in design to so many that one encounters in Morocco with its interior courtyard, classrooms of to one side and small living cubicles on the second floor. What is always so beautiful in these buildings is the craftsmanship of the interior courtyards. Built in 1341, the madrasa is considered one of the best monuments the Marinids have left.

The interior courtyard of the Bou Inania Madrassa

Before the founding of Israel in 1948, Morocco had the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world, with more than  200,000 citizens, fewer than 2,500 still live in Morocco today. A wave of attacks and economic boycotts of Jewish businesses helped drive thousands of Morrocco’s Jews to emigrate mostly to Israel.

A rehabilitation program, dubbed “Houses of Life,” began in 2010 under the purview of the Moroccan government to restore the Jewish cemeteries spread throughout Morocco. Many of the Jewish cemeteries were in severe decay with eroded gravestones, treacherous pathways, and unclear boundaries.

Thus far in the restoration, crews have demolished 32,480 feet of old walls, built 137,795 feet of new walls, installed 159 new doors, laid 534,966 square feet of pavement, rehabilitated damaged mausoleums, and cleaned and restored many graves.

They are still working on this in Meknes.

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Small Cities outside of Meknes

Just 50 or so miles from Meknes is the town of Sefrou, known for its Sefrou Cherry Festival, a UNESCO-endorsed event held every June. Originally launched in 1920, and lasting three days, the festival consists of a beauty contest for the title of Miss Cherry, folk music, traditional cuisine, performances, and sporting events.

A small waterfall in the west of Sefrou makes for a nice quiet respite.

The modern town of Ifrane was established by and for the French administration in 1928 due to its Alpine climate. It was conceived as a “hill station” or colonial type of settlement. It is now a resort town high up in the mountains where people can find relief from the summer heat. Ifrane is also a popular altitude training destination.  The place mimics a Swiss ski village.

A hotel on the main square of Ifrane

As you enter the main square you can not help but see the number one photo attraction of the town, the stone lion. The popular story of the origin of Ifrane’s lion involves an Italian prisoner of war sculpting it out of an outcrop of limestone, however, this is not true as the lion dates from at least 1936 thus predating World War II.  The mystery continues.

Because of its elevation, Ifrane experiences snow during the winter months and a cool climate during the summer

I spent three full days in Meknes, and truth be told, that is two too many.  Meknes makes a nice day trip from Fez, as would the three other cities I explored from here. The Medina is sprawling, but like so many other Medinas spread across Morocco and Tunisia, it really has nothing new to offer.

If you do come to Meknes for a night or two know that it is a very crowded and very loud city.  There are not many quality places to stay in Meknes, but I found the Riad Lahboul to be delightful.  It has a stunning terrace for getting away from it all and a more than kind and helpful staff.

The New Medina – Fes el-Jadid

 Fes
Dec 222019
 

December 22, 2019

The Fes el-Jadid is the new part of the Fes Medina founded by the Marinids in 1276 as an extension of the older section, Fes el Bali . Here are some of the highlights of the area.

Bab Semmarine

The original gate, Bab Semmarine, that marked the entrance to Fes el-Jadid was destroyed and then rebuilt in 1924

The architecture of Fes el-Jadid is distinctly Andalusian

The Mellah

Stories have placed the Jews in Morocco since the sixth century after the destruction of the first temple in Jerusalem.  The Jewish community was basically tolerated under Arab rule. In the seventh century, when Jews became known as dhimmi, or “protected persons” they were free to practice their religion, but they were barred from various jobs and required to pay a special tax. Some years they were allowed to live in the cities, other years not.

The first official mellah was established in the city of Fez in 1438. In the first half of the 14th century, the Marinid Dynasty founded, alongside Fez, the town of Hims, which was originally for the Christian militia. In 1438 the Jews were driven from the old part of Fez to Hims, which had been built on a site known as al-Mallah, “the saline area”. Ultimately, the term came to designate Jewish quarters in other Moroccan cities.

For a long time, the mellah of Fez remained the only one, it wasn’t until around 1557 that the term mellah appears in relation to Marrakesh. Then, around 1807, sultan Sulayman forced Jews to move to mellahs in the towns of the coastal region.

The Ibn Danan Synagogue

In 1948, after the establishment of the Jewish state, almost all Moroccan Jews emigrated, some fleeing persecution and some encouraged by the Jewish Agency. As a result, nowadays mellahs are really only inhabited by Muslims leaving the mellahs as a tourist destination with a forgotten history.

The mellah, along with the cemetery is all that remains of this period of time.  There are no functioning synagogues in the Jewish quarter.

Built by the  Ibn Danan family in the 17th this synagogue was saved by the World Monuments Fund in collaboration with the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, and the Judeo-Moroccan Cultural Heritage Foundation after falling into terrible disrepair post-WWII. The synagogue reopened in 1999. Today, Ibn Danan is thought to be the only complete Moroccan synagogue in existence, with wooden benches, oil lamps, embroidered tapestries, and the original gazelle skin Torah scrolls seen to the right of this photo.

The woman’s bath is under the main floor of the synagogue

The Cemetery

This area of thousands of tombs freshly painted in 2019, was established in 1883. Some have engraved inscriptions, the more recent in French and older ones in Hebrew. There are small chambers for burning candles in some of these tombs, many of which had candles burning when I visited.

The tomb of Solica

Solica was born in Tangier in 1817. The local governor is said to have offered her great wealth to convert so that her beauty would be a credit to the Muslims – and then tortured her when she refused. She was transferred to Fez, where she was beheaded in 1834, at age 17. For her steadfastness, she is also venerated by Moroccan Muslim women.

This black-and-white tomb with a large fireplace for burning candles (the Sephardic cemetery ritual) belongs to Rabbi Yehuda Ben Attar (1655–1733), who, the story goes, was imprisoned by the sultan in order to raise ransom money; the Jewish community had already been taxed to poverty, though, and the rabbi was thrown to the lions. When he began to pray, the lions sat quietly in a row, as if they were his students. The apparent miracle earned him his freedom and the sultan’s apology.

Dar al-Makhzen

Dar al-Makhzen is the Fez Royal Palace of the King of Morocco.  There is a royal palace in each Imperial City, Rabat, Marrakech, Tangier, and Fez.

Fes, Morocco

 Fes
Dec 212019
 

December 19, 2019

Fes (Fez) overwhelms when you are 10 miles out.  There are over 1.4 million people living in this, the second-largest city of Morocco.

Looking down on the Medina from the Merenid Tombs

The city consists of two old medina quarters, Fes el Bali (old) (808CE) and Fes Jdid (new)(1276CE), Ville Nouvelle constructed during the French colonial era and then the sprawling suburban area outside of those three centers. The medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is the oldest medieval city in the world and is believed to be one of the world’s largest urban pedestrian zones (car-free).

This post is all about the buildings inside the Medina.  The Medina is a living structure with over 200,000 people living inside of the walls.  This means they do their shopping and dining, but they also go to school, pray and work here.

The best way to begin a trip to the medina is through the famous Bab Boujloud or Blue Gate.  Built as late as 1913, this gateway into the heart of the Fez medina was actually designed and completed during the French occupation of Morocco.

The structure is a triple-arched gate that makes use of Moorish architectural forms, with pointed horseshoe arches and a crenelated top. Both the inner and outer facades are covered in tiles featuring the classic Moroccon designs of arabesques and geometric patterns. The outer facade is predominantly blue and the interior facade predominantly green-ish.

The actual doors of the gate seem to close and lock from the outside; perhaps an indication that the French administration saw it partly as a means of controlling the movement of the inhabitants inside the medina?

Not far from the Blue Gate, but not easy to find in the maze of narrow streets, is a water clock.

The Dar-al-Magana or Arabic for Clocktower

Built in 1357, the clock consists of 12 windows and 12 platforms holding brass bowls. The motion of the clock was presumably maintained by a kind of small cart that ran from left to right behind the twelve doors. At one end, the cart was attached to a rope with a hanging weight; at the other end to a rope with a weight that floated on the surface of a water reservoir that was drained at a regular pace. Each hour one of the doors opened; at the same time, a metal ball was dropped into one of the twelve brass bowls. The rafters sticking out of the building above the doors supported a small roof to shield the doors and bowls.

Here is a grainy historical photo of the clock:

The bowls were removed in 2004 and the clock mechanism is being reconstructed by ADER, a foundation for the reconstruction of monuments in Fes.

Across from the water-clock is the Bou Inania Madrassa.

Founded in 1351–56 the madrassa (or medersa) is considered one of the best examples of Marinid architecture and is the only madrasa in Fes with a minaret. The Marinid dynasty was an Arabized Berber dynasty formed in 1244 and the 4th Arab dynasty of Morocco.

According to history, religious leaders of the Karaouine Mosque advised Abu Inan Faris to build this madrasa. It was the last madrasa to be built by the Marinids.

The madrasa was renovated in the 18th century.  In the 20th century, major restoration work was performed on the load-bearing structure, the plaster, wood, and tile.

The madrasa is one of the few religious places in Morocco that is accessible for non-Islamic visitors.

A sample of just some of the magnificent plasterwork and tiles.

More of the plasterwork at Bou Inania Madrassa

Just one of the over 9000 streets inside the Fez Medina

The Museum of Wood is filled with the items you expect. You go to see the building itself

The Museum of Wood is in the Fondouk Nejjarine, originally built in the 18th century as a caravanserai. These types of buildings were typically built in a square or rectangular shape around an inner courtyard, usually with a fountain in the middle.

This is one of the more spectacular caravanserais I have ever seen. You enter through a monumental gate leading to a central courtyard or sahn. The rectangular courtyard is surrounded by a three-story gallery. The rooms for the guests were located on the upper floors. At the beginning of the 20th century, the fondouk was used as a police station by the French colonial authority. The building was restored between 1990 and 1996.

At this point, one would be terribly lost.  I hired a guide for my first day in the Medina.  I do not think I would have, but the woman that manages the Riad where I am staying strongly suggested I do.  She found me a certified and knowledgeable guide. She was right, I needed a guide, I would never have found half of these places without him.

Fez, and the Moroccon state, was begun by Moulay Idriss I, his son Moulay Idriss II  continued his legacy.  This is the tomb of the son.

The Zaouia of Moulay Idriss II is a zawiya (a shrine and religious complex; also spelled zaouia). It contains the remains of Moulay Idriss II the son of the founder of Islam in Morocco.

plasterwork around the entrance to The Zaouia of Moulay Idriss II

Going around a few more corners you enter into a part of the medina that has been completely restored. It burned in the 1950s and was restored then, but it has undergone another complete restoration bringing into the modern age.  I even saw a gentleman insert a key and watch his metal storefront roll up and he was open for business.

Another beautiful madrassa in the Medina is The Al-Attarine Madrasa. It was built by the Marinid sultan Uthman II Abu Said in 1323-5. The madrasa takes its name from the Souk al-Attarine, the spice, and perfume market.

The interior of the Al-Attarine Madrasa is very similar to the Bou Inania Madrasa, however, this one still has its interior fountain.

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Around a few more corners is Al-Karaouine.

Al-Karaouine, is the oldest existing, continually operating higher educational institution in the world according to UNESCO and Guinness World Records. It was founded by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 with an associated madrasa, which subsequently became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the historic Muslim world. It was incorporated into Morocco’s modern state university system in 1963. As it is a mosque, non-believers can only take a photo from the open door.

Walking down a few more narrow streets you pop out into a lovely open-air plaza, the Place Serffarine.  You can not miss it, long before you arrive you will hear the sound of the copper beaters pounding away.

Copper Beaters Souk at Place Seffarine.

Some of the wonderful colors found at the protected shops of weavers.

A UNESCO protected trade is weaving and can be found deep in the Medina.  A word of warning.  The sales pitch here is that the silk is from the Agave plant.  I honestly believe that the people that are working in the weaving sites believe this to be true. However, what they are actually purchasing is Rayon.  Please read this article before buying Agave Silk items from Morocco.  They also do some beautiful work in wool and cotton, so don’t skip the weavers just because of their “silk”.

Each neighborhood has its own baker, I was told this was to keep the chance of fires breaking out to a minimum.  The women make their own bread at home and then bring it to the central baker for baking.

The largest tourist attraction of the Fez Medina is the Chouara Tannery.

You know you are getting close when you see the hides hanging from the rooftops

The Chouara Tannery is one of the three tanneries in the city. Built in the 11th century, it is the largest tannery in the city. The tanning industry has been continually operating in the same fashion since its inception.

The choosing of the skins normally takes place early in the morning. These were goat skins dropped off in the afternoon

Hides of cows, sheep, goats, and camels are processed by first soaking in a series of the white liquids – made from various mixtures of cow urine, pigeon feces, quicklime, salt, and water – in order to clean and soften the tough skins. This process takes two to three days.

They are then soaked in a dye made from natural ingredients such as poppy for red, indigo for blue, and henna for orange. After the dyeing, they are dried under the sun.

The two other tanneries are deep inside the Medina.

One of the tanneries deep in the Medina

This is just a sampling of what Medina has to offer. Here are some statistics to help with understanding why this place takes days if not years to navigate and understand.

These are the statistics for Fez el Bali, the old part of the Medina they do not include Fez Jdid, the newer portion, which I was unable to find.

Area:  220 ha (UNESCO data) –  0.849425 square miles for us not on the metric system.
Population:  300,000 inhabitants in 1980 / 200,000 in 1993 / 156,000 in 2002
Population Density: 136,363 inhabitants / km2 in 1980 /  90,000  in 1993 / 71,000 in 2002
Number of businesses:  5,330 (artisans workshops) making up for 42% of the total workshops in the Fes municipality (2005 data by Al Akhawayn University. The Chambre d’Artisanat de Fes could not provide data!). 
Craftmanship: source of income of 75% of the medina population. Textile and leather employs more than 67% of the regional workforce
Revenue: estimated $1.1 billion a year  (based on figures provided by Invest in Morroco)
Number of tourists/year:  350,000 (2006 data by Observatoire du Tourism) 
Tourists/Year growth rate:  9% (data Observatoire du Tourism)

Eight miles of wall surrounds the Medina of Fez

Looking down into the Medina

I do not think it possible to post enough photos to show how overwhelmingly large Fez is.

Did you know that the name for the “fez” hat comes from the city of Fez? Morocco produced the dye, made from crimson berries to color the hat.

And yes:

A day trip out of Fes

 Fes, Morocco
Dec 202019
 

December 20, 2019

Volubilis

Volubilis was founded by the Berber people in the 3rd century BCE and was part of Mauretania. Mauretania is the Latin name for a region in ancient Northwest Africa. It stretched from central present-day Algeria westwards to the Atlantic and included northern Morocco.

After the fall of Carthage, the kingdom of Volubilis became a client state of Rome. King Juba was the Roman founder and expander of Volubilis, and despite being a Berber he was married to the daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra and had very Roman tastes regarding architecture.

A map showing the areas of Northern Africa under Roman rule

The Triumphal Arch was built by the Volubilis town council in honor of Emperor Caracalla and his mother Julia Domna in 217 CE. It was meant to thank them for having bestowed upon the inhabitants of Volubilis, Roman citizenship and tax exemption via the “Edict of Caracalla” or the Constitutio Antoniniana

Built on a shallow slope below the Zerhoun mountain, Volubilis stands on a ridge above the valley of Khoumane and overlooks a rolling fertile plain.

In 44 CE Claudius annexed Mauretania directly as a Roman province and placed it under an imperial governor.  At this point in its history, it began to grow rich exporting grain, olive oil and wild animals for use in gladiatorial spectacles to the rest of the Empire.

By the 2nd century, the city was one of the Empire’s most important outposts with around 20,000 residents.  however, in 285 Volubilis was overrun by local tribes and was never re-captured by Rome.  The city continued to be occupied for centuries.  There are Christian inscriptions dating to the 5th and 6th centuries, and by the time the Arabs arrived, it was being occupied by the Awraba, a Berber tribe that originated in Libya.

There are several mosaics still in-situ at Volubilis, but I felt they were not up to the art form of mosaics I have seen elsewhere. They were somewhat juvenile in their artistic endeavors.

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If you look carefully you can see a white crane nest atop of one of the columns

In the late 8th century, Volubilis became the seat of Idris ibn Abdullah, the founder of the Idrisid dynasty and the Moroccan state.

Although it is most likely people continued to live around the site, it appears to have been finally and completely abandoned by the 14th century.

The ruins remained intact until the mid-18th century when they were largely destroyed by the Lisbon earthquake. In the following decades, Moroccan rulers looted the ruins for their marble, which was used in the construction of several imperial buildings in Meknes. The ruins were only identified as those of the ancient city of Volubilis in the late 19th century when they were partially excavated by French archaeologists while Morocco was a French protectorate.

In 1997, Volubilis was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Moulay Idriss Zerhoun

Easy to see from Volubilis is the hill town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun.  The town is one of Morocco’s most important pilgrimage sites.

Situated on Mount Zerhoun, Moulay Idriss Zerhoun (often called, simply Moulay Idriss) gets its name from both the mountain and its founder, Moulay Idriss el Akbar, a sixth-generation descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Today, he is considered Morocco’s most revered wali (spiritual guide/ protector).

Idriss sought refuge in present-day Morocco after being forced into exile from Medina and persecuted for anti-Abbasid activities.

The Abbasid dynasty was the third of the Islamic caliphates to succeed Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad’s uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (566–653 CE), which is where it gets its name.

Idriss united the Berber tribes of this area in Morocco by claiming descent from Muhammad. He is now considered to be the founder and leader of Morocco’s first Islamic dynasty, called the Idrisid dynasty, which he ruled from 788 to 791.

While Idris first came to power in Volubilis, he built his capital city higher on the mountain as it was easier to defend.  Stones from Volubilis were used to help build this new capital.

Idris was originally buried at Volubilis but after his death, his body was moved to Moulay Idriss Zerhoun where his tomb can be viewed only by believers.

This is as close as a non-Muslim can get to the mosque

The town’s holy status meant it was closed to non-Muslims until 1912. It wasn’t until 2005 that non-Muslims were allowed to stay overnight in the town.  It was King Mohammed VI who decreed that all visitors could enter the holy town. The move was part of the King’s Western-Moroccan friendship plan meant to make Moulay Idriss better known in the Western world.

As you wander the square the smells from grills serving kefta are divine and makes it worth a stop for a few skewers.

Sidi Chahed Dam

Along the road from Fez to Volubilis, you pass the Sidi Chahed Dam and Reservoir. Almost unknown to most Moroccans, and creating one of the largest lakes in Morocco, this massive dam can supply over 30 million gallons of backup tap water to the city of Meknes, and irrigation for about 90 farming communities.

The Blue City

 Chefchaouen
Dec 182019
 

December 18, 2019

Chefchaouen

This is by far the most tourist town I have seen in Morocco. There are more tourists and tourist groups in this small town than I have seen in all of my travels in Morocco put together. Yes, it is off-season, but if there are this many tourists in Chefchaouen at this time of year, I can not imagine what it is like peak or shoulder seasons.

On my arrival, it was storming, raining and very cold

Chefchaouen sits in the Rif mountains and was founded as a small kasbah in 1471 by Arabs. In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen to form part of Spanish Morocco.

In September 1925, in the middle of the Rif War, a rogue squadron of American volunteer pilots, including veterans of World War I, bombarded civilians in Chefchaouen. Colonel Charles Michael Sweeney had proposed the idea to French Prime Minister Paul Painlevé, who “warmly welcomed the Colonel’s request.”

The incident is horrifying and worth reading about which you can do here.

The Rif War was an armed conflict fought from 1920 to 1927 between the colonial power Spain (later joined by France) and the Berber tribes of the Rif mountains.

Despite this, the people of Chefchaouen apparently love the Americans, and everyone that approached me to be a “guide” through the medina had a relative in Arizona.

Spain returned the city after the independence of Morocco in 1956.

The Chefchaouen region is one of the main producers of cannabis in Morocco.  Cannabis is not legal in Morocco, however, I found it interesting that so many articles I read about this town found it necessary to mention this fact.

Chefchaouen is most famous for its blue walls. There are several theories as to why the walls were painted blue, one is that the blue keeps mosquitos away, another is that Jews introduced the blue when they took refuge from Hitler in the 1930s. The blue is said to symbolize the sky and heaven and serve as a reminder to lead a spiritual life.  However, according to some locals, the walls were mandated to be painted blue simply to attract tourists at some point in the 1970s.  Considering how many blue and white towns there are around the world, I am going to go with the last explanation.

I also read that the walls were only painted blue halfway up the houses and the rest was left white, as the women, unable to climb ladders, did the painting.  Once ladders became more prevalent the men began to paint the walls and they painted the whole house blue.  In my humble opinion when you trip into the alleys with full blue painted homes, you really feel like you are on the set of a Smurf show.

Bread is a vital part of the culture of all Morocco. Women kneed their dough in the morning; flatten it into round loaves and cover it with a cotton cloth. Then, they place it onto a tray or wooden board and take it to the neighborhood baker.  In Chefchaouen it was difficult to find exactly where this baker was, so I followed a woman with a tray and watched as she handed the baker her bread.

One of the things to do is tour the Moroccon-Andalusian architectural style Kasbah, which sits within the Medina walls. It was built by Sharif Moulay Ali Ben Rachid In 1471.  It has thirteen towers and a prison that sends shivers down one’s spine, to imagine captives actually being forced into those conditions.

The interior courtyard of the Kasbah now holds a lovely Andalusian inspired garden

What appeared to be the most comfortable part of the prison. The small rocks are set so unevenly it is actually very hard to walk and stand in the room.

For those unable to sit

 

I came to Chefchaouen because everyone should spend at least one day in this quaint, tourist town.  I stayed at the Lina Ryad and Spa.  It is a stunning little blue and white hotel with a great spa that I gladly utilized to just wind down after 41 days on the road.

A great meal served by the family, who are adorable in their craziness is Bab Ssour.

Some sites from one of the more photographed cities of Morocco:

The Maroccon’s love their cats

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There is actually very good shopping in Chefchaouen.  It is important to bargain.

One of the more colorful shops that has the concept of display down to an art form is La Botica De La Abuela De Aladdin, it sells soaps and spices with lots of ways to make gift baskets of these items.

Soap at La Botica De La Abuela De Aladdin

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Looking out at Chefchaouen from one of the ramparts of the Kasbah

Almost all of the older citizens of Chefchaouen continue to wear the traditional clothes of this area

Fresh squeezed orange juice is found everywhere in Morocco and is a real treat.

The Labors of Hercules

 Tangier
Dec 162019
 

December 16, 2019

Cave of Hercules

The land entrance to the Cave of Hercules, just outside of Tangier.

The cave is part natural and part man-made. The man-made part was used by Berber people to cut stone wheels from the walls, to make millstones, thus expanding it considerably.

It was believed that the cave is one end of a subterranean ley tunnel over 15 miles long which passes under the Strait of Gibraltar and emerges at St. Michael’s Cave in Gibraltar. Legend has it that the Barbary macaques entered the Rock of Gibraltar from Morocco this way.

Mythological tradition also holds that the Roman god Hercules stayed and slept in this cave before doing his 11th labor, which was to get golden apples from the Hesperides Garden, which some ancient Greek writers said was located nearby at Lixus.

The water entrance to the Cave of Hercules

Inside the Caves of Hercules where you can see the markings where grinding wheels were removed.

Berber grinding wheels

Lixus

Lixus is an Amazigh (Berber) name that means “golden apples” in Arabic.

The amphitheater of Lixus

The city of Lixus is the oldest archaeological site in Morocco and one of the oldest Phoenician establishments in the western Mediterranean. The site itself was not open to the public until this year.

Lixus was first settled by the Canaanites in the 12th century BCE and was later controlled directly from Carthage. When Carthage’s empire fell to Rome during the Punic Wars, Lixus along with Chellah, and Mogador became outposts of the province of Mauretania Tingitana.

Lixus flourished during the Roman Empire, mainly when the emperor Claudius (CE 41-54) established the province of Africa with full rights for the citizens. Lixus was one of the few Roman cities in Berber Africa that had an amphitheater.

The Muslim invasions destroyed the Roman city.

Looking out to the Atlantic gives one a good idea of how the area has silted since Roman time.

Some ancient Greek writers placed the mythological garden of the Hesperides, where Hercules gathered the golden apples for Eurystheus, at Lixus. The name of the city was often mentioned by writers from Hanno the Navigator to the Geographer of Ravenna and confirmed by stamps found on its coins.

Most of Lixus has not been excavated, and so far only 10 percent of its 190 acres have been uncovered.  Lixus joined the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1995.

 

Tanks for making Garum a fermented fish sauce used as a condiment in the cuisines of ancient Greece, Rome, Carthage and later Byzantium.

If you have not read the Didius Falco books by Lindsey Davis or enjoyed colatura di alici over pasta, you may not know what Garum is.  Here is an old recipe:

What is called liquamen is thus made: the intestines of fish are thrown into a vessel, and are salted; and small fish, especially atherinae, or small mullets, or maenae, or lycostomi, or any small fish, are all salted in the same manner; and they are seasoned in the sun, and frequently turned; and when they have been seasoned in the heat, the garum is thus taken from them. A small basket of close texture is laid in the vessel filled with the small fish already mentioned, and the garum will flow into the basket; and they take up what has been percolated through the basket, which is called liquamen; and the remainder of the feculence is made into allec.

– from the 10th-century Byzantine manual Geōponika: Agricultural pursuits, Vol. II, pp. 299–300; translated from the Greek by Thomas Owen; London 1806.

Assilah

A small town between Linux and Tangier is Assilah.

From 1912 to 1956, Asilah was part of Spanish Morocco. In  1978 the then-mayor, Mohamed Benaissa, and painter Mohamed Melehi were instrumental in organizing an art festival, the International Cultural Moussem of Asilah.  It is credited with having promoted urban renewal in Asilah and is one of the most important art festivals in the country. It played a role in raising the average monthly income from $50 in 1978 to $140 in 2014. The festival features local artwork and music and continues to attract large numbers of tourists.  There is a tradition of painting murals on the walls to be left until the next year’s festival.

Asilah is now a popular seaside resort, with modern holiday apartment complexes on the coast road leading to the town from Tangier. The old neighborhoods are restored and painted white, and the wealthy from Casablanca have their weekend getaways here.

When I visited it was absolutely empty, I was told by my driver it wakes up in the evening, however, I have a feeling, judging by the amount of truly excellent restoration I saw as I walked the town, it is really a weekend/summer type of community.

One of the more intriguing murals

The walls of the medina of Asilah still stand, intact. In fact, much restoration is occurring to keep them that way

Just a few fun sites around this sleepy town.

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Cape Spartel

Not far from the Cave of Hercules is the Cape Spartel, the northwestern extremity of Africa’s Atlantic Coast.

The lighthouse at Cape Spartel

Built by Sultan Mohammed III in 1864, this lighthouse was maintained by Britain, France, Spain, and Italy until Morocco’s independence from France in 1956.

On a clear day, it is possible to look out on the horizon and see the meeting point of the dark blue Atlantic and the turquoise Mediterranean.

You may also see Gibraltar if the conditions are correct

Tangier: A city with a fascinating history

 Tangier
Dec 152019
 

December 14, 2019

Tangier (French Tanger, Spanish Tánger, Arabic Ṭanjah) has an interesting connection with the United States. Morocco was the first country to recognize the USA as an independent state after the revolutionary war and since Tangier served as Morocco’s diplomatic headquarters the United States dedicated its first consulate here during the George Washington administration. In 1821, the Legation Building in Tangier became the first piece of property acquired abroad by the U.S. government—a gift to the U.S. from Sultan Moulay Suliman. The building housed the United States Legation and Consulate for 140 years, the longest period any building abroad has been occupied as a United States diplomatic post. In 1980 the building was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark (the only one in a foreign country). While the building is now a museum run by a foundation, it is still owned by the US government.

Thanks to the fact that Tangier is the entryway to the Mediterranean it was first settled as a trading base by the ancient Greeks and Phoenicians.

The Vandals attacked from Spain in AD 429 taking the town from the Romans. They were followed by the Byzantines, and then the Arabs, with Tangier being passed between various Arab factions. Then the Portuguese arrived, only to hand it to the British 200 years later as a wedding gift for Charles II. Morocco regained control of the city in 1679, destroying much of the city in the process. Tangier remained under Morocco until the mid 19th century.

While the rest of Morocco was divided between France and Spain, Tangier was turned into an “International Zone”. France, Spain, Britain, Portugal, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Italy, and the USA all had a piece of the town. This lasted from 1912 until shortly after Moroccan independence in 1956, when the city was returned to the rest of the country. This period was temporarily interrupted on June 14, 1940, when Spain under the Franco dictatorship took advantage of the outbreak of World War II to occupy Tangier. All the existing institutions of the international zone were abolished and the city was annexed in full to the Spanish protectorate. This situation ended with the end of the war.

During this famous Interzone period, high brow and low brow expats flooded in, forming half the population, and a wild, anything-goes culture.

Tangier has always been very open to other religions as well.  The first Jews migrated to Tangier after the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, a second wave of immigration occurred from Iberia during the 1492 Alhambra Decree. By 1925 Jews were assigned three out of the twenty-six seats on the Legislative Assembly giving them significant political power. Most Jews were not affected by the war having been offered protection by Mohammed V who stated: “We have no Jews in Morocco, only Moroccan citizens.”

There is also a small Christian contingency in Tangier that worships at St. Andrews Church. In 1880, Hassan I of Morocco donated land to the British community to build a small Anglican church. The first was found insufficient to handle all of the parishioners with this new one being built in 1894 and consecrated in 1905. Interestingly it is dedicated to the Patron Saint of Scotland, rather than to Saint Cassius of Tangier.

The Lord’s Prayer in Arabic over the altar.  As Terence MacCarthy said, “It would appear unlikely that the architect, building committee, priest or congregation, ever questioned the linguistic or theological propriety of this decorative identification of the Christan God of the New Testament who declared Christ to be his beloved Son with Koranic Allah, who castigates those who so testify as monstrous blasphemers.”

The interior is designed as a fusion of numerous styles, notably Moorish. The belltower, shaped like a minaret, overlooks the adjacent cemetery.

The minaret type bell tower peeking above the trees.

You enter the church grounds after bursting out of the insane hustle of the medina, through a small gate and into a quiet garden oasis.  This oasis, is in fact, the graveyard.  This is what I came to see.

Buried here, and adding to the stories of the time when Tangier was an anything-goes community are some interesting people.  David Herbert a former Consular-Warden, referred to by Ian Fleming as ‘the Queen of Tangier, who was known for his vibrant personality, frequent lavish parties, good taste, and ruthless snobbery’. The manager of the parade bar, Jay Haselwood, who according to Truman Capote, “Served up the asses of Arab lads and lassies – without charge of course, just as a courtesy of the house”, and Colonel William Ellis, who is reputed to have poisoned both his wives.

The gravesite of Sir Harry MacLean (1848–1920). a Scottish soldier, and instructor to the Moroccan Army.

There are also a large number of more “socially acceptable” people buried in the cemetery. Such as Emily Keene, who introduced the cholera vaccine to Morocco. The journalist, explorer, and socialite Walter Harris. There is a memorial for Squadron Leader Thomas Kirby Green, one of the prisoners of war shot during the ‘Great Escape’. There is also a sobering section of war graves of entire downed aircrews, their headstones attached shoulder to shoulder.

Tangier had its heyday making its mark on literary history that will most likely never be seen again. William Burroughs, high on drugs, wrote Naked Lunch while living in Tangier. America writer Paul Bowles, whose first novel, The Sheltering Sky, about Tangier, lived here for over fifty years. Tennessee Williams, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Ibn Battuta, Samuel Pepys, Alexandre Dumas, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Walter Harris, Jean Genet, and Canadian writer Brion Gysin also called Tangier home at times.

Gran Teatro Cervantes was built in 1913 by the Spanish and dedicated to Miguel de Cervantes, is today most noted for its dilapidated Art Deco facade. The theatre was once considered one of the most prestigious in North Africa.

When the Interzone period ended, Tangier entered a long period of decline. The city was nothing more than a dreary port overrun with criminality. Even their King, Hassan II, hated it and refused to fund anything in Tangier. The remnants of this period abound in the older part of town.

Since 2007, however, Tangier has been the site of major development, most notably its new port, Tanger Med, and the high-speed TGV train line to Casablanca that I used to get here. This $320 million infrastructure program will, alas, benefit primarily the upscale and suburban neighborhoods of the city.

The TGV that presently goes from Casablanca to Tangier

The port sits well below the older part of town

Inside of the train station is a giant shopping mall with McDonald’s, Starbucks and high-end stores. It is 10 miles away from the old part of town. Serving the wealthier suburbs.

On the top of the hill, in the oldest part of Tangier, sits the Kasbah, surrounded, spilling down the hill by the medina.  While poverty is quite obvious in these areas, the Kasbah holds several very high-end designer boutiques. Just outside are several more, while the government money does not appear to be entering this part of the town, quite obviously these artists and business owners believe there is a market here.

Here you will find Boutique Bab Kasbah showcasing the designs of Salima Abdel-Wahab, Topolina the Tangier shop of french designer Isabelle Topolina, Galerie Laure Welfling, and Au Fil de Tanger just to name a very few of the great spots I have tripped over.

There are also a couple of very chicly designed restaurants, even if the food doesn’t quite live up to the modern hip atmosphere.

Rabat, Morocco

 Rabat
Dec 132019
 

December 13, 2019

Day 2 in Rabat was spent finding a few more UNESCO World Heritage sites and exploring a little history.

Chellah

The entry to the Chellah

Chellah is a walled ruin of a town that was designated a World Heritage Site in 2012, it houses both Roman ruins and a medieval Muslim necropolis. Abandoned in 1154 and damaged further by the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 it is an interesting site to visit, with the storks’ nests being the most interesting thing of all.

Chellah once sat on the Bou Regreg (now a little over a mile away) and was built by the Romans in around 40 CE  It may have previously been a site occupied by the Phoenicians or Carthaginians as early as the 3rd century BCE.

It was one of the two main Roman naval ports on the Atlantic and lay on one of the two Roman roads in Morocco that led down from what is now modern Tangier. It contained a principal Roman way (the Decumanus Maximus), a temple (to Jupiter), a forum and a triumphal arch.

The area remained linked to the Roman Empire even after the withdrawal in the 4th century of the occupying Roman legions. A Roman military unit remained there until the end of the 5th century.

The Chella continued to exist as a town of the Christianized Berbers but was mostly in ruins when the Muslim Arabs arrived in the 7th century. The Byzantine governor of the area surrendered to the Arabs in 683. With the extinction of the Umayyad dynasty in 1031, the Almoravids assumed control of the Maghreb (present-day Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco) and erected new buildings.

White storks nesting on the minaret

By 1147, the Almoravids had been overthrown by the Berber Almohads, who used the site as a royal burial ground. It was made a sacred necropolis, or chellah, by the Marinids in the 13th century; the Muslim sanctuary complex of a mosque, minaret, and royal tombs was finished in 1284. The tall minaret of the now-ruined mosque was built of stone and zellige tilework.

There is a considerable amount of recreation (in the name of restoration) taking place on the necropolis of Chellah.  While I realize this has been going on since the beginning of Archeology, I worry that history is being destroyed in order to make the ruins more understandable to the public.

Today the site is a tourist destination with a small garden area.

The site is littered with Roman columns and statues, often with Latin inscriptions.

The White stork  (Ciconiaciconia) population at Chella consists of approximately 75 nests inside the site and 25 nests outside.  The nest’s renewal rate is around 7% per year, and they prefer to be grouped together with nests close to each other.

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Bastion of Tears

The fortifications that ring much of Sale (the commuter town just over the river from Rabat) were built out of necessity brought on after a two-week siege with Spaniards. On February 2nd, 1260, 12 Spanish ships anchored just off of Sale, and while the locals were celebrating the end of Ramadan, they rushed in killed many and rounded up over 3000 to be shipped off to Saville as slaves.

A prison, built under the bastion by Sale pirates used to be filled with slaves who were sold in North African markets. The remnants of a city that was renowned for being an international hub of piracy, looting and slavery for centuries.

A cemetery sits under much of the wall that runs along the seashore and wraps much of the town of Sale

Jardin d’Essais

Listed as one of the sites of Rabat that make it a UNESCO World Heritage site is this “Test Garden”.  The Jardin d’ Essais, or literally the Garden of Botanical Trials is the largest public garden in Rabat.

A beautiful greenway cuts through part of the garden making for a perfect place to stroll

Created between 1914 and 1919, under a joint initiative of the sultan  Moulay Hafid and the French Protectorate, the garden was designed by Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier.

After having gone through extensive renovations due to years of neglect the gardens were reopened in 2013. The over 600 species of plants include rare varieties of tropical, sub-tropical, succulents, and an arboretum.

Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier developed an arboretum at Vincennes and the gardens of the Champ-de-Mars below the Eiffel Tower. In 1925 he became Inspector of Gardens for the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts and undertook projects in the Americas. In 1925, Forestier moved to Havana for five years to collaborate with architects and landscape designers.  In Spain, he designed the Maria Luisa Park in Seville and the gardens of La Casa del Rey Moro in Ronda.

The Botanical Garden

In 1951, Marcel François, a French horticultural engineer bought 10 acres of flat and exposed land in Sale and opened the  Sidi Bouknadel Exotic Gardens, a horticultural and artistic achievement declared a national cultural heritage site in 2003. Francois, traveled collecting plants from China, South Asia, the Savannah, Congo, Japan, Brazil, and Polynesia. He then set about duplicating these gardens at Sidi Bouknadal.  Today the garden is more of an overgrown large park with lots of rather fun follies but does not really resemble what I believe may have been there in the 1950s.

Urban Renewal

The Grand Theater, designed by the late  Zaha Hadid can be seen while driving on the bridge between Sale and Rabat.

It is part of the Bou Regreg Valley Development Program, launched by King Mohammed VI in January 2006.

The development project’s purpose is to transform the urban landscape on both sides of the Bou Regreg river.

Covering an area of 15,000 acres, the project contains several other facilities including the Heritage House, the Museum of Archeology, the House of Music and Performing Arts, skate parks, and swimming pools. It also has an ambitious transportation portion with the development of a ring road and an extension of Rabat’s excellent tram system.

A last note.  I have been staying at the Dar Shaan in the Medina and can not say enough good things about it. I highly recommend the Dar Shaan for lodgings and the restaurant La Ziryab, for its exquisite surroundings and wonderful Moroccan food.

Rabat, Morocco

 Morocco, Rabat
Dec 122019
 

December 12, 2019

Rabat is the capital of Morocco and yet it is not really high on the tourism trail.  The major purpose of my visit is that much of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The World Heritage sites included in this post are The Hassan Tower and Mosque, The Tomb of Mohammed V, The Kasbah of the Oudayas and the Medina.

The Hassan Tower and Mosque

The Hassan Tower

What remains of the mosque.

In 1195 Sultan Yacoub al Mansour ordered the construction of the Hassan Tower and mosque.  Mansour had made Rabat the capital of his empire,  built the city walls, restored the Kasbah of the Oudayas and created the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, this was to be his crowning achievement, the world’s largest mosque with the world’s tallest minaret.

Yaqub al-Mansour was a member of the Almohad Caliphate, a Berber Muslim empire in the Maghreb (Northwest Africa) and Iberia. The tower, according to some traditions, was designed by an astronomer and mathematician named Jabir ibn Aflah who was also supposed to have designed Hassan’s sister tower, the Giralda of Seville in Al Andalus (modern-day Spain). Both of the towers were modeled on the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech but also drew influence from the ancient Egyptian Lighthouse of Alexandria for its height and its series of ramps to facilitate climbing to the top.

Sadly, the sultan died in 1199 and the project was never completed.  What had been accomplished was 145 feet of the minaret and about 200 columns for the mosque. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 did major damage to what had been left standing.

Guards stand at the entry to the entire site but are there for the tomb of Mohammed V

Mausoleum of Mohammed V

On the same site is the Mohammed V Mausoleum built in the 1950s for Mohammed V and two of his sons, the former King Hassan II and his brother Prince Abdallah.

There are guards at the entry to the tomb, and most everyone felt the need to have their picture taken with them. This particular guard took it all in stride.

Designed by Vietnamese architect Eric Vo Toan, this is often said to be one of the most stunning examples of modern Moroccan architecture from the Alaouite era ( The Alaouite dynasty is the current Moroccan royal family). It is truly spectacular with its white marble calligraphy on the exterior and the plasterwork and marble floors inside, it is worth the time to visit.

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Kasbah des Oudayas

Occupying the oldest part of Rabat is the Kasbah des Oudayas.  It is predominantly a residential area with long winding narrow streets painted in blue and white that look as though an Instagram stylist had been hired to make sure every step you took was a pleasing one.

One of the streets of the Kasbah of the Oudayas.

The Kasbah of the Oudayas

The Kasbah of the Oudaysas was originally built in the 12th century to defend the territory of the Almohad dynasty.  It stands on the banks of the Bou Regreg river, the best location to protect the city from pirate ships and invading forces.

Looking up at the Kasbah of the Oudayas from the waterfront

Sultan Yaqub al-Mansour hired an Arab tribe (the Oudayas) to defend the city. He refortified the structure adding the western ramparts and built a palace for himself. Despite his large investment in the city, the Kasbah of the Oudayas was somewhat deserted after his death.

The courtyard of the palace, which is now used as an art exhibition space

The oldest extant structure in the Kasbah is a mosque. Dating from the 10th century, it was restored in the 18th century using funds from an English pirate known as Ahmed el Inglizi.

Attached to the Kasbah is the Andalusian Garden. This three and one half acre garden was built by the French in 1880 as a gateway to Mansour’s old palace. It is filled with traditional Andalusian flowers and shrubs, including orange, lemon and banana trees.

Rabat is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg, opposite Salé, the city’s main commuter town.  While there is a new motorway, there is also quite a trade in rowing people across the little spit of river.

There is also a small fishing contingent.

Looking out onto the mouth of the river Bou Regreg and the Atlantic Ocean from the Kasbah of the Oudayas.

Interesting flowers in the Andalusian Garden

Trees in the Andalusian Garden

Pottery for sale in the Kasbah

The Medina

A medina quarter is a distinct city section found in a number of North African cities, and in Malta. A medina is typically walled, with many narrow and maze-like streets. The word “medina” simply means “city” or “town” in modern-day Arabic.

As I have been traveling I have noticed that while each Medina has its own flavor, they are all very much alike.  What has struck me is how they are the hub of commerce in so many cities, Rabat included.

As I get bumped around due to the amazing amount of people shopping, for the simplest things, such as socks and underwear, screwdrivers, and coffee pots, I wonder how something like Amazon will change the future of this ancient commerce mecca.

The shoe of Morocco, the traditional slipper, is available from so many stores I lost count.

Hookahs are such a part of life here

What is a medina in Morocco without one hundred rug stores?

Like so many places in North Africa, the doors define the medina

 

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Women making bread are on every street in the medina of Rabat.  This woman is making Msemmen (also called Rghayef or Meloui), a traditional, pancake-like bread.