Morocco

Adapted from the guide to Morocco by   

Tangier, Casablanca , Marrakech...just the names of these cities stir a hint of spice in the nostrils. Morocco has been thoroughly mythologized, and for good reason. Travelers extol the country's unique living history, its shimmering light and its extraordinary art.

Bigger than Texas , Morocco measures some 1200 miles from tip to toe, dominates North West Africa ’s coastline, and envelops the great Atlas mountain range. Traveling from north to south vast swathes of highly fertile mineral rich soils give way to the equally expansive desiccated sands of the Sahara . Traveling west to east the welcoming cultivated coastal plains give way to the intimidating might of the Atlas. Morocco has also understood and invented itself historically as a grand entity, having at various stages during its development maintained dominion over territories extending from Senegal to France and at one time holding sway over equally impressive empires on both sides of the Mediterranean . It also played a crucial role in the evolution of Europe’s Renaissance and via its Andalusian satellite, Cordoba, infusions of Arabian learning were passed into European culture as were long forgotten classical texts from Ancient Greece that had been lost in Europe but remained preserved in translation in Arabia.

Morocco is the ideal starting point for the traveler to Africa or the Arab world. An easy flight from America , it is hectic but also friendly and stimulating. Open-air markets throughout the country are piled high with rugs, woodwork, jewelry and leather - said to be the softest in the world.

Full country name: Kingdom of Morocco
Area: 710,000 sq km Population: 31 million
Capital: Rabat; Major Cities: Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, Tangier, Meknès, Agadir
People: 55% Arab, 44% Berber, 0.7% foreigners
Language: Arabic, French, Spanish; Castilian, English
Religion: 99% Muslim, 0.3% Jewish, 0.7% Christian (mainly expatriate)
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Head of State: King Mohammed VI
Head of Government: Prime Minister Driss Jettou

GDP: US$107 billion; GDP per capita: US$3,200
Major Industries: Agriculture, manufacturing, fishing, tourism
Major Trading Partners: EU , US , Japan , Saudi Arabia , Brazil

Independence : 2 March 1956 (from France ); Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

National holiday: Throne Day, July 30

Legal system: Based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court.

Legislative branch: Bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Chamber of Counselors (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates for nine-year terms; one-third are renewed every three years); and a lower house or Chamber of Representatives (325 members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

Things to know before you go

Visas: All visitors require a passport. Citizens of the US do not need visas.
Health risks: None of special note in cities. Drink bottled water in rural areas.

Medicines to take with you: Imodium or another anti-diarrhea medicine; Ibuprofen or equivalent pain reliever; Sudafed or equivalent decongestant; medicines and vitamins that are specific to your needs, plus Band-Aids, Neosporin, etc. to make up a primitive first aid kit.

Time: Pacific Coast time plus eight hours.
Dialing from America : dial 011 212 then the number (8 digits with city code)

Weather in early June: Warm in Rabat , Casablanca , and Fez (80º-90º daytime); Warmer in Marrakech (90º-95º daytime). Hot in the Sahara (95º-100º daytime)

Dress Code: Dress conservatively, although things tend to be fairly casual in Marrakech. No special clothing is expected for women, though it might be best to refrain from shorts in the cities and towns. Bring clothing for both formal and informal occasions. Opportunities for jogging, swimming, and other sports abound, and clothing for these is no different than in America .

Electricity: 220V or 110V in major hotels; Weights & measures: Metric

Currency: Moroccan Dirham ($1 = 8.5Dh) There's a wide range of banks available for changing money and cashing travelers checks. Generally, hotels offer the same rates as banks. Cash advances with debit cards at ATMs cost $5.

Tipping: Around 10-15% of your bill is usual. A whole range of other services, some of which you may not notice or want, are also performed with the aim of pocketing a few dirhams. Remember that for many porters, guides and the like, this is how they make a living. On the other hand, overly aggressive hustling shouldn't be rewarded.

Other: It may happen that you are invited to a meal where most people eat with their hands. Feel welcome to join in, but do not hesitate to ask for utensils if this makes you feel more comfortable. Also, in general it is better to use your right hand for most types of exchange: shaking hands, receiving something from someone, passing something to someone, eating, etc.

History

Unlike other North African nations, Morocco has been largely occupied by one group people for as long as recorded history can recall. The Berbers, or Imazighen (men of the land), settled in the area thousands of years ago and at one time controlled all of the land between Morocco and Egypt . Divided into clans and tribes, they have always jealously guarded their independence. It's this fierce independence that has helped preserve one of Africa 's most fascinating cultures.

The early Berbers were unmoved by the colonizing Phoenicians, and even the Romans did little to upset the Berber way of life after the sack of Carthage in 146 BC. All the same, the Romans ushered in a long period of peace during which many cities were founded, and the Berbers of the coastal plains became city dwellers. Christianity turned up in the 3rd century AD, and several of Catholicism greatest figures were North African Berbers, including Saint Augustine and his mother Saint Monica.

Islam burst onto the world stage in the 7th century when the Arab armies swept out of Arabia . Quickly conquering Egypt , the Arabs controlled all of North Africa by the start of the 8th century. By the next century much of North Africa had fragmented, with the move towards a united Morocco steadily growing. A fundamentalist Berber movement emerged from the chaos caused by the Arab invasion, overrunning Morocco and Muslim Andalusia (in Spain ). The Almoravids founded Marrakech as their capital, but they were soon replaced by the Almohads.

Under these new rulers, a professional civil service was set up and the cities of Fez , Marrakech, Tlemcen and Rabat reached the peak of their cultural development. But eventually weakened by Christian defeats in Spain , and paying the price for heavily taxing tribes, the Muslim (or Moorish) rule began to wane. In their place came the Merenids, from the Moroccan hinterland, and the area again blossomed - until the fall of Spain to the Christians, in 1492, unleashed a revolt that dissolved the new dynasty within 100 years.

After a number of short-lived dynasties rose and fell, the Alawite family secured a stranglehold in the 1630s that remains firm to this day. Although it was rarely a smooth ride, this pragmatic dynasty managed to keep Morocco independent for more than three centuries.

Enter the European traders in the late 19th century, and a long era of colonial renovations. Suddenly France , Spain and Germany were all keen on hijacking the country for its strategic position and rich trade resources. France won out and occupied virtually the entire country by 1912. Spain clung to a small coastal protectorate and Tangier was declared an international zone.

Relatively speaking, the first French resident-general, Marshal Lyautey, respected the Arab culture. He generously resisted the urge to destroy the existing Moroccan towns and instead built French villes nouvelles (new towns) alongside them. He made Rabat on the Atlantic coast the new capital and developed the port of Casablanca . The sultan remained, but as little more than a figurehead. Lyautey's successors were not so sensitive. Their efforts to speed French settlement prompted the people of the Riff Mountains , led by the Berber scholar Abd el-Krim, to rise up against both colonial forces. It was only through the combined efforts of 25,000 Spanish-French troops that Abd el-Krim was eventually forced to surrender in 1926. By the 1930s, more than 200,000 French had made Morocco home. WWII saw Allied forces use Morocco as a base from which to drive the Germans out of North Africa .

With the war over, Sultan Mohammed V inspired an independence party which finally secured Moroccan freedom in 1956. Tangier was reclaimed in the process, but Spain refused to hand over the northern towns of Ceuta and Melilla (to this day they remain Spain 's last tenuous claim on Africa ).

Mohammed V promoted himself to king in 1957 and was succeeded four years later by his son, Hassan II. This popular leader cemented his place in Moroccan hearts and minds in 1975 by staging the Green March into the Western Sahara, an area to the south of the Moroccan border held by Spain . With a force of 350,000 volunteers, Hassan's followers peacefully were able to force a negotiated settlement whereby Spain withdrew. Morocco subsequently laid claim to the mineral-rich region as an historically integral part of its territory.

Western Sahara's Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia al-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario) didn't take kindly to the invasion and, together with its Algerian allies, embarked on a long and sometimes bitter war of independence against Morocco . In 1991, the United Nations brokered a ceasefire and more recently decided to 'remain seized of the matter'. In other words, Western Sahara's official status remains in question today: Morocco occupies the territory and adamantly claims it as its own. The Polisario wants to create an Algerian-backed independent state there. The United Nations together with the United States are looking for a solution that might at some point include a referendum on the wishes of the region’s inhabitants.

In July 1999 King Hassan II, who had served as absolute monarch for 38 years (despite late term, semi-democratic changes to the constitution), was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Sidi Mohammed.

King Mohammed VI has promised to purge corruption from the government, allow more freedom of the press and institute the democratic reform set in motion by his father. A baker's dozen of dad's cronies have indeed gotten the axe, and a national commission has been established to explore and deal with past abuses of the regime. Several journalists have been pardoned for anti-government writings, and reforms concerning women and minorities have created a landscape of dynamic social change.

With the backing of the King, the Moroccan parliament has approved one of the most progressive laws on women's and family rights in the Arab world. Polygamy will be virtually eradicated - it is now acceptable only in rare circumstances and only with the agreement of a judge and the man's first wife (even before the reforms polygamy was not widespread, but the reforms seem aimed at wiping it out completely). The age of marriage for girls has been raised from fifteen to eighteen, and wives now have 'joint responsibility' with their husbands in family matters. Justice Minister Mohammed Bouzoubaa recently said 'This is a crucial stage in the changes Morocco is experiencing at the constitutional, democratic, social and human rights level.'

Islamist deputies in Morocco ’s parliament fought against the new law and accused the king of bowing to pressure from Europe and the US . They led huge street protests against any change to the 'mudawana' family code. One Islamist deputy argued that 'There are men who, for physical reasons, cannot satisfy themselves with only one wife.' Religious Affairs Minister Ahmed Toufiq responded 'In that case they should seek treatment.'

Despite the controversy stirred up by his decision to guide Morocco through a sweeping series of reforms, it looks like the young king is determined to give it his best shot.

Relations with the United States

Morocco was the first nation in the world to recognize the newly independent United States of America . Indeed, the nation is the oldest ally of the United States in the Arab world, with an unbroken treaty of peace and friendship dating to 1786 (In early 2004 Morocco was named a “major non-NATO ally by President Bush). Morocco supported the American position during the Gulf War, has often served as a mediator in the Mideast conflict, and is one of the staunchest allies of America in the “war” against terrorism. The two nations recently signed a sweeping free-trade agreement, only the second between an Arab nation and the USA .

Culture

Today's Morocco is a mixture of the original Berber peoples combined with Arab, Roman, French, Spanish, and Portuguese influences. From the 'standard' Arabic culture, Morocco has developed an elaborate patchwork of artistic traditions. The thread holding it all together is music; from the classical style that developed in Muslim Spain and the storytelling musical traditions of the indigenous Berbers, through to the contemporary fusion of African, French, pop and rock. Although identified more with Algeria , rai (opinion) music is a burgeoning force in Morocco . Despite its distinctly Arab-African rhythms, it's probably the most thoroughly westernized style, combining a variety of electrical instruments to create a hypnotic effect.

Morocco is one of those religious frontiers where orthodoxy and local custom have met and compromised. The veneration of saints is frowned on by the orthodox Sunni Muslims but Islam, like Christianity, is made up of many sects and such festivals continue. Crafts are another staple of Morocco . Its maronquinerie (leatherwear) has been a highly prized item in the cargo of traders since the 16th century. An equally rich heritage lives on in the production of carpets, pottery, jewellery, brassware and woodwork.

From the outside looking in, Morocco has inspired all sorts of artists. The French Neo-Baroque artist Eugene Delacroix devoted bucketloads of paint to Moroccan imagery after a visit in the 1830s. Market scenes, harem life and lion hunts dominated his canvases from this point onwards. And if Delacroix was considered a little over the top at the time, a century later Hollywood was positively beside itself with Morocco-mania. First there was Marlene Dietrich in Morocco , followed by the 1942 classic Casablanca . By the time Peter O'Toole was swanning around Morocco as Lawrence of Arabia, the country had become a gloriously distorted fantasy land for countless Western baby boomers.

Spoken Moroccan Arabic (darija) is considerably different from the Arabic spoken in the Middle East . Various Berber dialects are widely spoken in the countryside and particularly in the mountains. Morocco tends to march to its own Islamic drum in terms of customs and way of life.

Moroccan food is among the best you can find anywhere. The national dish is couscous (finely ground semolina) which usually accompanies a tagine (a vegetable and lamb casserole). Sweet mint tea is the Moroccan drink of choice, but this doesn't mean the place is teetotal. There's no general ban on alcohol.

Environment

Spectacularly diverse, Morocco combines sand, sea and snow in a way that Club Med developers could only dream about. The southern coast stretches to the edge of the Western Sahara while to the north the bulk of Morocco 's population fills the foothills of the often snow-capped Atlas Mountains . The mountains provide a buffer against the country's dangerously rowdy eastern neighbor, Algeria .

Between the mountains and Morocco 's Atlantic coast are plateaus and plains which are fertile and well-watered. In the extreme south, at the edge of the Anti Atlas, the gorges, like the rivers that flow at their bases, gradually peter out into the endless sand and stony wastes of the vast Sahara .

The 'coolest of the hottest countries', Morocco 's colder months are most un-African. In the higher regions in particular, winter conditions can be positively Arctic. In summer, the mountains are hot during the day and cool at night. The rainy season between November and April is something of a misnomer, bringing only occasional light rain.

Cities: Marrakech

The city of Marrakech , the site of Friendship Fest Morocco , is a lively former capital famed for its markets and festivals. Known as the gateway to the Sahara, the city’s wildly beating heart is the Place Djemaa el-Fna, a huge square in the old city where characters seem to have stepped right out of the pages of the Thousand and One Nights into the narrow streets of the sprawling medina. Over the ages, caravans crossing the desert to and from Algeria , Mali , and Niger would stop here to rest. Rows of open-air food stalls are set up here and mouth-watering aromas fill the air. Jugglers, storytellers, snake charmers, magicians, acrobats and assorted benign lunatics take over the rest of the space. The souks (markets) selling all things imaginable amid twisting alleyways and narrow paths here are among the best in Morocco and a large budget hotel strip makes exploring the old city area cheap and easy. Tourists mingle with Moroccans, everyone shopping, eating, and seeking entertainment.

No cars are allowed in this area, so taxis drop you off at the edge of the square.  The average trip from a hotel to the medina costs about 20 Dirham, or $1 US.  The atmosphere is fantastical.  Snake charmers calmly slip their cold-blooded captives around the necks of passersby, asking only afterward for a few Dirhams in exchange for this touch with the exotic.  In the evening, large circles gather around musicians, dancers, acrobats, jugglers, storytellers, trained monkeys, young men boxing, and all sorts of other entertainment.  An especially large circle surrounds a group of dancing men colorfully attired in women's clothes. 

There are open-air eateries where cooks and waiters hawk menus.  All items are on display, including lamb heads and livers.  Kabobs of chicken, lamb, beef, and seafood are only side dishes to a variety of salads-eggplant, beet, spinach, and different types of slaws.  Trays of fried shrimp and calamari sit next to heaping platters of couscous, steaming pots of stewing vegetables, and of course olives, bowls and bowls of many varieties.  If you don't care for the soda served up at these stands, fresh-squeezed orange juice is sold at other stands, where men perform stunts and jokes to attract customers.

Among the many attractions of the ancient quarter is the rare Almoravid-style Koubba Ba'adiyn mosque annex, the magnificent Koutoubia mosque and the Palais Dar Si Said ( Museum of Moroccan Arts ). Trains and buses to this inland city run regularly from Casablanca and Rabat .

The New Town is modern and cosmopolitan, with office buildings, banks, hotels, restaurants, Internet cafes, and shops of all kinds. 

Casablanca

Those looking for a latter-day Humphrey Bogart round every corner will be disappointed. This is no sleepy dive. Morocco 's largest city and industrial centre is a huge brash metropolis where traditional Moroccan burnouses (cloaks) seem out of place among the natty suits and designer sunglasses.

This port city was deep in decline until the French decided to remodel it with wide boulevards, public parks and imposing Moresque (Moorish) civic buildings. Casablanca 's medina, or ancient quarter, is worth a look, and the Hassan II Mosque here is one of the largest in the world.

Rabat

The fourth of the imperial cities, Rabat is a curious mix of a long past and a highly modernized present. The city's glory days were in the 12th century, when the then sultan used the Kasbah (citadel) as a base for campaigns against the Spanish. It was during this time that the city's most famous landmarks sprang up. A haven for Muslims driven out of Spain in the early 17th century and a capital city only since the days of French occupation, Rabat 's ambience comes from Islam and Europe in fairly equal proportions. For every place of worship there are three or four European-style cafes. Few of Rabat 's residents are involved in the tourist racket, which means you can stroll through the markets without having to brace yourself against too much high-pressure salesmanship.

The city's most famous site is the Tour Hassan, the incomplete minaret of the great mosque begun by Yacoub al-Mansour. An earthquake brought construction to a halt in 1755. Alongside is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the present king's father. The Kasbah des Oudaias, built on the bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean , houses a former palace which is now a museum of traditional art. Beyond the city walls are the remains of the ancient city of Sala . Also known as Chella, it has Morocco 's best Archaeology Museum .

Between the city's landmark central park (Jardins Triangle de Vue) and the main train station, you'll find most of Rabat 's hotels and eating spots. The most obvious cluster of cafes and bars here offer up all the beer, kebabs, pizza, olives and ice cream you might need. The Mohammed V international airport is a short ride east of the city and there are plenty of shuttle buses.

Fès

The oldest of the imperial cities, Fès is arguably the symbolic heart of Morocco . Its labyrinthine streets and crumbling grandeur add to its air of intrigue and self-importance. The medina of Fès el-Bali (Old Fès) is one of the largest living medieval cities in the world and the gates and walls that surround it make it all the more magnificent. Unlike many walled cities of this vintage, Old Fès hasn't burst its banks. The population has instead exploded out towards the southwest and spread to the hillsides in an arc stretching north and south of the new city .

Within the old city, tucked among roughly 9,400 streets and alleys, is the towering Medersa Bou Inania, a theological college built in 1350. Not far from here the henna souq is a market specialising in the dye used for colouring hair and tattooing women's hands and feet. Next door to the old walled city is Fès el-Jdid, home to the city's Jewish community and many spectacular buildings. In between the two self-contained cities is the Dar Batha, now the Museum du Batha.

about the Fès Festival of World Sacred Music:

The top sacred music artists from Middle Eastern and Western religious communities gather each June in Fès, for a week of concerts, lectures, exhibitions, and intellectual and artistic exchanges. Performances have included the Sufi Whirling Dervishes of Turkey, Berber trance music, Arab-Andalusian music, Celtic sacred music, Christian Gospel, flamenco, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Morocco. These musicians are a part of a groundbreaking effort to bridge huge cultural differences and seek connection to God through musical expression.