Life...The Vivere

MOROCCO is like a TREE...

March 25, 2018

"Morocco is like a tree whose roots lie in Africa 

but whose leaves breathe in European air."

King Hassan II (1929-99)

This is the metaphor used by King Hassan of Morocco to describe a country that is both profoundly traditional and strongly drawn to the modern world. It's this double-sided, seemingly contradictory  character that gives Morocco its cultural richness.

This is an iconic picture of how I remember Morocco...

as is this...

Morocco is a country that's unique in the Muslim world. It's diverse culture has been shaped by 3,000 years of history, by a variety of ethnic groups whose roots go far back in time...also by its geographic location, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west, sub-Saharan Africa to the south, Europe to the north and the Mediterranean countries to the northeast.

Our first flavor of the Kingdom of Morocco brought us to Casablanca, the kingdom's economic hub. Definitely not as atmospheric as other Moroccan cities, it best represents the modern kingdom.

It's clear that locals here are more interested in business than tourism...that's why there's little for the tourist to see. THE only real attraction is the grand Hassan II Mosque, standing silhouetted against an incredibly blue sky. Situated on a bluff with the Atlantic Ocean waves crashing against the shore behind it, it's larger than St. Peter's in Rome and it's said that it can hold 80,000 worshipers. Opening in 1993, it's the second largest religious building in the world (after the mosque in Mecca.)

The legendary RICK'S CAFE from the movie, CASABLANCA with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman (among others) was worth a visit...good food and lovely atmosphere. It was indeed, romantic... and oozed old-time Morocco. The only thing missing was the piano player because we went there for lunch.

For me, the REAL Morocco began when we got to the ancient, very traditional city of Fes in the Middle Atlas mountains... the spiritual capital of the Kingdom. Stepping back six centuries into the medieval world of Fes, there's something raw about a place where 70,000 people still choose to live in the maelstrom of a medina so dark, dense and dilapidated that it remains the world's largest car-free urban area. Portions of the medina (oldest part of the city... enclosed by a wall) are undergoing reconstruction. 

Fes is home to the oldest university in the world. Too, I noticed, on this visit, that there were cats everywhere. Residents seem to care for them as they roam freely, not appearing to belong to anyone in particular. Dog sightings were rare!! Here are a few representative photos...

Donkeys cart goods down the maze of alleyways as they've done since medieval times. (This photo was taken on my 2016 trip with ORIGINS SAFARIS.)

Because we visited the souks (marketplace) on a holy day this time, it was pretty empty, but I remember my last visit here...it was charming and crazy wonderful!!

Almost all Moroccan...indeed all Arab  cities with some history...have their medinas: typically walled in, medinas contain narrow, twisting and turning, labyrinthine streets and alleyways where shops (souks,) restaurants, markets, fountains, palaces, mosques...

and homes all line the streets in buildings seemingly too close together and too old to stay up much longer! Some souks are no larger than  small caves.

Despite the chaotic feel of the medina, it's laid out according to specific considerations... the religious and the ethnic quarters (neighborhoods,) a  distinction between home and workplace... and according to the items sold. The location of craftspeople, from the medina's center to its periphery, depends on the craft's rarity and its pollution level. In Fes, for example, the tanneries that apply color to animal hides and produce all the beautiful Moroccan leather products, are near the  medina's edge because of the air pollution they generate. When we visited a tannery, we were given a sprig of fresh mint to hold under our noses to counteract the strong smell of the animal hides and dyes.

 

Fes' souks extend for over a mile, maintaining the tradition of urban crafts with artisans crafting their wares much as their forefathers did centuries ago. You can find anything and everything in the souks. Paul Bowles, an American author who lived in Morocco said of the medinas...

"Lose oneself in the crowd-to be pulled along by it-not knowing where to and for how long...to see beauty where it is least likely to appear."

...and that beauty is not always obvious. It's interesting to note that generally, Moroccan residences may be glorious, but you can't always tell that from their exteriors. We found our riad (guest house)  off a very narrow, battered, uphill alleyway. This was our Fez neighborhood...

Intriguing... even somewhat shocking... to find the absolute beauty and luxury behind the walls of  such different surroundings... when buildings we observed from our guest house rooftop were falling apart...and our riad was in the middle of it! When we first saw the neighborhood and the narrow winding alleyway we had to climb, we were a bit dubious about where we'd end up. But, suddenly, there was a narrow doorway that opened into  a private world...a guest house... an  absolutely extraordinary oasis with gardens and fountains...where we were welcomed and served the national drink of Morocco, sweet mint tea...so sweet, it made my teeth squeak!! It was delicious and was THE drink to have throughout our journey in the Kingdom of Morocco! We were once again reminded not only that you "can't judge a book by it''s cover,"  but also, how generally spoiled we are as residents of the USA.

Continuing on, VOLUBILIS and MEKNES lie at the heart of an agricultural area that has been Morocco's grain store since ancient times. First VOLUBILIS...on the radar since the 1st century BC. It's a partly excavated Roman city, commonly considered  the ancient capital of the Roman-Berber kingdom of Mauretania. It's one of Morocco's best preserved  Roman ruins and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. It's most amazing features are the many beautiful mosaics preserved in situ. Extraordinary to see these mosaics... centuries old ...still telling their stories.

Speaking of mosaics, we visited a workshop that specializes in the art of mosaics. It takes craftspeople many, many years to perfect the art of creating all these intricate shapes and then fitting them together to make incredibly detailed pieces... whether it's a table, a fountain or a wall in a mosque. It's a traditional craft that's been passed down through the centuries throughout Morocco.

Quieter and smaller than its grand neighbor, Fes, imperial MEKNES is more laid back. Yet, it still has all the winding narrow medina streets and grand buildings required for an imperial city (a once- historical capital) and ancient home of the Moroccan sultanate.  The heart of the Meknes medina is a large square, Place el-Hedim,  with a lot of local flavor. There's always something going on... musicians, kids playing games, snake charmers, monkeys ready to interact with you... we even saw someone offering rides on an ostrich! You could make a real case for animal cruelty here...sad, but entertaining. It's a place where locals meet to catch up on the day's events and a great place to people-watch. One edge of the square is lined with cafes and restaurants...behind these, a covered produce market.

Heri es-Souani, (pictured above) was the king's (in earlier times, called "the sultan's,") immense granaries and stables... providing housing and food for 12,000 royal  horses. It was  built by Moulay Ismail, who was sultan from 1672-1727.  His legacy... the foundation of modern Morocco. He was the ruler responsible for putting Meknes on the map as one of Morocco's four imperial cities. The granary's massive vaulted walls and its tiny windows very effectively created cool storage conditions...now empty and roofless, but very impressive and atmospheric to view.  

Koubbat as-Sufara, once a reception hall for foreign ambassadors, has the same feeling as the granary with its similarly arched walls and mammoth network of rooms below ground. I loved that it's now being used to exhibit the work of local artists.

This network of rooms below ground was a mystery when discovered. Historians now believe that it was used for food storage, although our guide told us it was used as a dungeon for the Christian slaves who provided labor for Moulay Ismail's building projects. Haven't decided which story I want to go with...


I've left you with a lot to take in...this is Part One of our Moroccan Adventure. Part Two includes a stay in the desert, a visit to Moroccan Hollywood where very famous and familiar movies have been made, and a view of our final stop...the very happening and exciting city of Marrakech!  Please join me in a few days when I'll post Part Two.


Thanks for stopping by...see you soon?


Big Hugs,
abby