I returned from a recent family trip to Morocco, flooded with images and emotions, inundated with facts. Finally, I understood why generations of artists, writers, filmmakers and cooks were inspired by Morocco. It took me several months to process what I saw, review photographs, collect my thoughts and decide that Morocco deserves two posts: this post on what we saw and the next post on what we ate.
Morocco always fascinated my husband Weldon. So several months ago we planned our trip to explore this mysterious land, sampling Morocco over 10 days. We were eager to see and eat as much as possible during our short stay.
We started in Marrakech, Morocco’s principal tourist attraction, wandered through the High Atlas Mountains, then motored on to the Atlantic coast at Essaouira, meandered through the souks in Fez, ending in its biggest city, Casablanca.
Morocco is a country of geographic, linguistic and ethnic diversity. Geographically, Morocco’s landscape changes every few kilometers: from a fertile plain surrounding Marrakech through patches of arid land to the greenery and craggy vistas of the High Atlas Mountains, through plains of citrus trees and argan orchards near Agadir on the way to the rocky Atlantic coast in Essaouira, over the northern plateau to Fez and along the Atlantic coastline to Casablanca.
Linguistically, Moroccans are multi-lingual, using Modern Arabic in personal communications and French in business and government administration. Although approximately 80% of Moroccans are ethnically Berber, only 12 million Berbers (just under 30% of Morocco’s population) live in traditional settlements in the High Atlas Mountains of central Morocco and speak their native tongue, Tamazight, an Afroasiatic language.
Marrakech
Our first stop was the Berber city of Marrakech (also spelled Marrakesh), Morocco’s fourth largest city, an oasis located in the fertile Haouz plain, south of the Tennsift River at historical and cultural crossroads. We quickly discovered that de facto there are two Marrakechs. The modern metropolis with wide, tree-lined boulevards and the ancient settlement in the center called the Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985.
The contrast between the two Marrakechs is striking. Modern Marrakech has a distinct French appearance with its broad boulevards lined with cafes, restaurants, assorted commercial activities, elaborate mansions and beautiful gardens. The Medina with its dusty labyrinthine passages of red sandstone, inaccessible by car, occasionally punctuated by bustling squares and souks and stunning, ornamented doors leading to mysterious riads, harkens back to prior centuries.
Entering through the Medina’s gates feels like entering a giant movie set just as the director shouts ACTION and everyone on the set starts to move. As we made our way, following a porter carting our luggage through winding passageways to our riad accommodations, we dodged men and women in native dress, donkeys, vibrant markets and street life, interrupted by speeding motorcycles and bicycles.
The intense activity, noise and smells overwhelmed the senses. We found relief in the quiet of the riad.
Every alley, every street in Marrakech attracts tourists. Streets and cul-de-sacs are lined with shops and stands selling native handicrafts. Pottery, ceramics, metalwork, brightly colored woven textiles and rugs create a kaleidoscope of tempting images.
Numerous spice dealers, herbalistes, selling a wide range of spices, scents, teas and salves emphasize the significance of flavor and aroma in Moroccan cooking and culture.
In some squares, Moroccan women line up to buy finely ground henna to use as a hair rinse.
Stalls in countless souks sell olives, preserved lemons, fermented butter, pickles, meats, fish, bread, fruits and vegetables.
As we strolled through the Medina, we focused on exploring the town’s cultural heritage, architecture and street life. Certain sights caused us to linger, to look more closely.
The Palace of Bahia (which means palace of the brilliant) is a 19th construction located in Marrakech’s Medina. It is a masterpiece of Moroccan architecture and a major cultural heritage monument. The palace buildings include about 150 richly decorated pieces of ornamental carved wood latticework (moucharabiehs), marble, carvings and paintings on beech and cedar wood, stucco, painted mosaics (zellige), and the first stained glass windows in North Africa. The intricate details and workmanship capture the eye. I could not help but wonder how many hours or days or months it took to create each of these masterworks. Some of the buildings are organized around riads with verdant and refreshing courtyards and gardens planted with fragrant orange, banana, cypress, hibiscus and jasmine trees and irrigated by a system of subsurface irrigation channels (khettaras).
The Mellah (means salt spring or salt march, also known as the Jewish Quarter or Quartier juif) refers to the area in the Medina where Jews were confined in 15th century Morocco. An address in the Mellah was initially an advantage since it was a prime location, typically near the king’s palace, protected within the Kasbah walls, more easily watched and, of course, taxed by the government. However, since Jews were not allowed to own land or property until French colonization in the late 19th century, the Mellah became overcrowded and poor. Thus, within the Mellah, Jews worked as bakers, tailors, sugar traders, spice merchants, artisans and jewelers in the small shops of the area. The Mellah became a small city within the Medina which included synagogues, an outdoor market, fountains, and balconies overlooking tight alleyways and streets.
Now, only the remnants of the Mellah remain, rugged and run-down, with a handful of shops selling herbs, spices and crafts. Few Jews reside in the region. The Lazama Synagogue near the Jewish Cemetery still holds services and attracts tourist, tracing their Moroccan roots.
Saadian Tombs are a magnificent mausoleum complex, home to the remains of 60 members of the Saadi dynasty, which ruled Morocco between 1554 and 1659. The tombs were rediscovered during a ground survey in 1917 and have since been returned to their former splendor. The complex, located near the Koutoubia Mosque, is breathtaking in its design with soaring domed ceilings, intricate wood carvings and imported marble statuary. Throughout this necropolis, colorful tile mosaics and lattice-like plasterwork stand as a testament to the skill of 16th-century artisans. Two main mausoleums supported by massive marble columns together contain 66 tombs; while the rose-filled garden entombs over 100 members of the royal household in graves decorated with carved Islamic inscriptions.
Nearby Koutoubia Mosque (also known as Kutubiyah, Kotoubia, Kutubiya, Kutubiyyin, Kasbah and the Booksellers’ Mosque), is the largest mosque and tallest structure in Marrakech. The name koutoubia originates from the Arabic word for bookseller dating from the time when booksellers would trade at the entrance to the mosque and in the surrounding gardens. While booksellers are no longer present, vendors still sell small trinkets and snacks when locals gather at dusk under the shade of the orange trees.
Located in the southwest corner of the Medina at the edge of Jemaa el Fna Square, the mosque, decorated with curved windows, ceramic trim, pointed merlons and decorative arches, is illuminated at night; it also has a large plaza with gardens. The minaret, 77 meters (253 feet) high, is decorated with an arrow and orbs. The mosque, built of pink sandstone and completed during the Hispano-Moresque period, is characteristic of simple yet masterful craftsmanship and luxury. The Koutoubia Mosque is argued to be most beautiful and proportioned mosque in the world. Unfortunately, we were only able to appreciate the mosque from outside as Islam dictates that non-Muslims are not permitted to enter.
Jardin Majorelle: A verdant oasis in the French-built section of Marrakech, Jardin Majorelle was the brainchild of French painter Jacques Majorelle, who took up residence in Marrakech in the 1920s and devoted over forty years of passion and dedication into developing this landscape. Surrounded by high earthen walls, this botanical garden is home to exotic flora, soothing water features and an informative Berber Museum, which exhibits traditional dress from various regions of Morocco, farm and household artifacts and provides fascinating insights into Berber culture. Majorelle died in 1962 and the gardens were abandoned and became overgrown until 1980 when the French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé bought the property and restored it.
Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent made Morocco his second home and it is easy to understand why. The Jardin Majorelle is as much a garden as a home with paths winding through tall shoots of bamboo and labeled displays of mind-boggling cacti and deciduous trees. Saint Laurent’s remains are tucked away at the end of one walkway in a simple urn.
Visitors enter the garden through a typical Moroccan wood door, like an entrance into a riad, and have no idea what is inside until crossing the threshold and seeing a very small, intimate pink courtyard with a fountain. The cacophonous sounds of the city are drowned out as the gurgling fountain creates a calming sanctuary.
Beyond the courtyard are lush gardens with an eclectic assortment of plants surrounding an occasional pool. The air is fragrant. Pools covered with water lilies and lotus flowers are serenely beautiful. A bend in the path reveals a cobalt blue building with Moorish charm and a hint of Art Deco.
We enjoyed this break from the intensity of the Medina.
Jemaa el Fna, Marrakech’s main square, declared a UNESCO Masterpiece of World Heritage in 2001 for bringing urban legends and oral history to life nightly is a bustling carnival with its snake charmers, traditional storytellers and intoxicating pop-up night market. By nightfall, its noise, frenzy and scale are overpowering.
It is a raucous sensory spectacle with Berber musicians playing native tunes at maximum decibels. Gnaoua troupes sing, henna tattoo artists beckon passersby and water-sellers in fringed hats clang brass cups together, hoping to sell drinks. Smoke rises from the grills as the touts use their best calls to attract stunned tourists to dine at their stalls. As a market, theater, and public gathering place, Jemaa el Fna is Marrakech’s center of Moroccan cultural traditions, both ancient and new.
Centuries ago the plaza was the site of public executions, hence its name Jemaa el Fna, which means “assembly of the dead.” Today the market bridges the old and new sections of Marrakech, and it serves the community as a vibrant hub for trade, social life, and cultural expression.
High Atlas Mountains
A day later, venturing into the High Atlas Mountains in central Morocco gave us an opportunity to leave the hustle and bustle of urban Marrakech and explore varied terrain and have lunch with a Berber family.
Berbers, the original inhabitants of Morocco, have a unique language and culture and stand as one of the last bastions of tradition in a modern world. Our Berber guide told us they are proud of the contributions they made in shaping Morocco.
The High Atlas Mountains are home to a large Berber population that lives in earthen adobe houses without electricity, running water, paved roads or access to other modern conveniences. Not every village has a primary school. Education is hard to achieve; children routinely walk several kilometers to school and, eventually, drop out in adolescence. Only a small number of students complete high school and even fewer proceed to college or university.
The small village we visited is an encampment from another world, another century. The houses were built into the mountain itself at a height of 1,780 meters (5,840 feet). But this village was fortunate to have a primary school.
We visited a Berber family which supplements their income from farming and sheep herding by opening their home and hosting tourists for lunches and dinners. We dined al fresco on a traditional Berber meal on a porch overlooking a valley.
To a tourist’s eye, the mountain vistas are stunning and distracting from the reality of the isolated life in these Berber villages where survival must be hard. Berbers must be self-sufficient, especially when snow seals the village off from the rest of the country for long periods each year.
Essaouira
A few days later, we arrived in Essaouira (also known by its Portuguese name, Mogador), a port city and resort on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Essaouira, looks and feels like an old European city. It was established as a fortress by Portuguese explorers in the 18th century. Its seafront ramparts called Skala de la Kasbah, designed by European engineers, are still lined with old brass cannons that protect the entrance to the old Medina, which unlike the serpentine mazes in other Moroccan medinas, is known for its perpendicular street layout.
A fleet of blue wooden fishing boats, a shipbuilding enclave and a large fish market in the harbor highlight Essaouira’s ties to the sea. The panoramic view from the ramparts that sweeps from town to port to islands and sea and rock-thrashing waves underscores the historic significance of that spot; I could see why Portuguese navigators, venturing out to discover the world, built a fortress on that promontory. Essaouira is a charming seaside blending of past and present.
Fez
Our next stop was Fez (also Fès), a northeastern Moroccan city often referred to as the country’s cultural capital and the country’s second-largest city. Fez is a modern city with a 13-century-long history. And, like Marrakech, it is a blend of two cities: a harmonious merger of the remnants of the 8th and 13th century imperial cities with the 20th century French-built Ville Nouvelle. As a result, Fez is an open-air museum, an accumulation of treasures over time.
This oldest Moroccan imperial city is primarily known for its Fez el Bali walled Medina, unchanged for centuries and considered to be the best-preserved medina in the Arab world. The Medina also houses the world’s oldest university. Currently, Fez’s Medina is home to 156,000 inhabitants living amid medieval Marinid architecture, vibrant souks and old-world atmosphere. Here, ancient traditions are practiced every day.
With more than 9,000 narrow alleyways, the Medina houses every kind of artisan: tanners, carpet and cloth wavers, coppersmiths and potters. The lively souks radiate with exotic old-world atmosphere, enticing aromas of local cuisine and, at times, an overwhelming intensity when jammed with hundreds of merchants and skilled artisans, crowds of locals, cats and tourists brave enough to find their way through the maze. The Medina’s perpetual state of congested chaos creates a constant excitement, both seducing and frightening visitors.
Casablanca
Our final stop was Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city and the country’s and North Africa’s main port. To a romantic, Casablanca is a mythical place that exists in a dream inspired by the 1942 film starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart which was filmed in Hollywood. The reality in Casablanca is nothing like the movie gin joint, now replicated in a reconstructed Rick’s Café. Looking at the dilapidated buildings, I found it hard to shake off this dream.
With a 3.8 million population, it is Morocco’s ugliest city from the four cities we saw. It resembles a financial center of any third world country. It is grim and gray, and its streets smell of fish (fishing and canning are two of its biggest industries). It hard to see much beauty or charm in the gritty and industrial neighborhoods.
But Casablanca is also the most cosmopolitan of Morocco’s cities with wonderful restaurants, nightclubs, fast food chains and high-end boutiques, beautifully restored French colonial buildings, good markets and an authentic old part of town. But urban sprawl captures and holds attention and much of it not attractive. City planning appears to be non-existent as crumbling buildings are jumbled with new construction and architectural landmarks. Exploring Casablanca requires effort and, by comparison to the other Moroccan cities we saw, it was a disappointment.
Casablanca’s medina is quite small and not as well-maintained as those in Marrakech, Essaouira and Fez. But it offers a nice contrast to the wide streets and modern/dilapidated architecture that marks the rest of Casablanca. The city’s French colonial legacy, in addition to French which is spoken by virtually everyone, is seen in its downtown Mauresque architecture, a blend of Moorish style and European art deco and the broad boulevards in the heart of old Casablanca.
Casablancans are rightfully proud of the enormous Hassan II Mosque, standing partly over the ocean, with its 210 meters (689 ft) minaret topped with lasers directed toward Mecca.
Completed in 1993, Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in Morocco and the world, is a testament to incredible craftsmanship. It was built over seven years by almost 10,000 traditional Moroccan artisans creating its intricate mosaics, stone and marble floors and columns, sculpted plaster moldings, carved and painted wood ceilings. It has room for more than 100,000 worshipers.
Non-Muslims are not allowed inside, however, but there is plenty to marvel at outside, and official tours allow foreigners access to certain public parts.
Unlike Marrakech, Casablanca has a busy restaurant scene enjoyed by both locals and visitors. La Corniche, the city’s waterfront boulevard, basically a street lined with restaurants and nightclubs, umbrella-shaded beach cafés, chic lounges, ocean-view restaurants, unparalleled Atlantic views and menus with European flair.
It decidedly has a French feel; it wouldn’t seem out of place on the French Riviera. We enjoyed lunches and dinners in this cosmopolitan atmosphere, although there was little truly Moroccan about it.
This first trip to Morocco provided an excellent introduction and groundwork for future exploration. We merely sampled Morocco and I feel I have only a scant understanding of this diverse country. There is much more to see and explore further. I hope to return to Fez and Marrakech and also to visit Tangier, Chefchaouen and Rabat. But aside from major cities, much of non-urban Morocco deserves a closer look, especially in the south and in the east, closer to the Sahara Desert.
One year ago:http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/discovering-perus-foodways-part-2/
Two years ago:http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/sausage-and-white-bean-stew
Three years ago:http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/spaetzle-the-ubiquitous-noodle/