Another blogging win for Fez !

The View from Fez has been chosen to receive a Iglu 2011 Blog Award. It came as something of a surprise as we had not entered. However,the judges wrote...

The team at Iglu selected a list of hundreds of contenders for this award, before whittling them down to just ten. The ones in this section are here because they represented their country in such an admirable way. Without sites like these, the world would be a more inaccessible place.

Country guides make any journey easier as they consolidate the information into one convenient package. These are clever information portals that will help show you how to get around, find a bed, feed yourself and generally enjoy the culture. It also helps you identify where money can be saved, and how to look after yourself and your property. The Iglu awards have gone to those country guides which really take you by the hand and show you the sights.

So without further ado, we've compiled the top ten. These have passed through the hands of our team of experts, and have been picked out of the initial shortlist of many hundreds of country guide blogs. Obviously if you want to to go Zimbabwe, these blogs won't be of enormous help. But for prospective tourists or even the curious, the blogs down here are truly in a league of their own.

http://www.iglucruise.com/igluawards2011/categories/winners/country-guides.htm

Once again, I would to express my congratulations for your well-deserved recognition.

 

Morocco's Elections ~ Date change

Morocco's government has changed the date of the proposed parliamentary election. According to Communication Minister Khalid Naciri, the elections will now take place early in November instead of the scheduled date of September next year.

HM King Mohammed VI has said he wants early elections to follow through on a package of constitutional reforms that were designed to reduce the risk of the "Arab Spring" uprisings reaching his country.

Reuters are reporting that setting the new date has involved delicate negotiations between the interior ministry, which oversees elections, and some political parties who say more time is needed to prepare fraud-proof elections.

"The (interior) ministry has proposed to political parties that November 11 be the tentative date for early parliamentary polls," Khalid Naciri, told Reuters.

"Now the parties and the ministry will need to agree on the election system that needs to be adopted, the election laws and whether we should have separate national lists for (electing) women and young people."

Under the constitutional reforms, approved in a referendum last month, the king will hand over some of his powers to elected officials, but he will retain a decisive say on strategic decisions.

In a July 30 television address, the monarch said the constitutional changes should be implemented swiftly. "Any delay may jeopardise this dynamic of trust and squander opportunities offered by the new reform," King Mohammed said. "It's important to start with the election of a new parliament so that we we can proceed with the appointment of a head of the government."

Getting the most out of The View from Fez

Over the last few months The View from Fez has had a big increase in the number of regular readers and so for newcomers, here is a quick guide to getting the most from our site.

SEARCHING THE VIEW FROM FEZ

The first thing to remember is that the site is totally searchable. There are over 3000 stories on the blog and chances are the topic you are interested in has been covered.  Simply type a key word into the search box located at the top left of the page.

There is also a list of topics further down the blog on the left hand side.

If you can not find what you are looking for, please feel free to contact us via email. Our contact page link will give you more information and our email address.

SPECIAL FEATURES

We have special pages or collections of stories covering some general information about areas such as Moroccan Recipes, Suggested Reading and a collection of photographic essays. On our photo journal you will also find all the entries in our fifth birthday photo competition.  So no matter if your interest is in Berber bread making, a beginners' guide to buying Moroccan carpets or some glorious photographs of a traditional Moroccan wedding, you will find them here.

KEEPING UP TO DATE

You can keep up to date with The View from Fez in a number of ways: During the last couple of months we started a Facebook page which hosts condensed versions of stories as well as weather forecasts and exchange rates. You can also follow us on Twitter.

 By clicking on the "follow" link at the top left of our blog's main page you can get email notification of new stories.

OUR THANKS

Thanks to the support of our sponsors we now have a great team of photographers and writers in Fez as well as correspondents around the country. Thanks are also due to our loyal readers. We have had almost two million visitors since we started and that number is growing steadily. This last year we recorded 675,330 visits. We are also pleased that our pages are being syndicated even more widely through our special relationship with Lonely Planet, and many other smaller sites.

Meanwhile, just out side the Medina...

Sidi Mustapha's neighbours, the Abdellah's, had recently bought a camel and kept it in their backyard, right beside Mustapha's back yard. It was a problem because it kept Mustapha awake all night with its incessant rasping and belching sounds.

One night, unable to stand the noise any longer, he got out of bed and headed off to the Abdellah's to sort out the problem once and for all.

On his return to his bed, his wife asked him what he had done about the camel.

“Hah! I purchased the camel and brought it over to our back yard. Now we will see how the Abdellah's tolerate the noise!"

Morocco would like half the tourist income from the Alhambra

One of Morocco's many great contributions to the world's cultural heritage would have to be Al-Qal‘at al-Ḥamrā’ - "the Red Fortress" - the Alhambra. It is ironic that Spanish Christians spent 800 years trying to kick the Moors out and, having succeeded, are now making so much of the city's income from their legacy. However, if one visionary Moroccan Government Minister has his way, that may be about to change.

Built by artisans whose ancestors had brought with them the building and design skills from Fez and whose descendents would eventually return there, the Alhambra is a complex of royal palaces, grand courtyards with exquisite fountains, and delightful formal gardens.

Constructed under the Moorish Nasrid dynasty in the 14th century, today this Moorish architectural gem brings millions of euros into the local economy and entrance fees alone raise half a million euros a year. It is the most significant surviving example of Muslim architecture in Europe.

The Nasrid Palaces, The antechamber, the Mexuar, is a gentle introduction to a series of elaborately decorated salons and courtyards, each more magnificent than the last. Following classic Islamic design principles, there is either a fountain or a channel of water in the centre of each courtyard. The intricacy of the plaster and tile work decorating the walls is breathtaking and took the army of artisans more than 30 years to create.

Another memorable sight was a gigantic star-shaped design in the ceiling of the Sala de los Abencerrajes, made of stalactites of carved plaster. This is supposed to be the room where the last Muslim ruler, Boabdil, invited to dinner a family with whom he had fallen out, then had them killed – an act which must have made subsequent guests nervous.

After Boabdil surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella, the fate of the Alhambra was shaky for a few centuries. Subsequent generations of Christian rulers put their stamp on it, by demolishing sections and re-building in styles they preferred.

In 1812, Napoleon's troops attempted to blow up the place while decamping. The fact that the Alhambra still exists today is due to a soldier who made sure the explosives didn't detonate. Instead, the site was left to fall into decay. Drawings show the wonderful Court of the Lions with holes in the paving and weeds growing through the marble. We have the advent of tourism to thank for its restoration.

Now, Morocco is claiming half the income from tourists who visit the Alhambra Palace in Granada.

The Moroccan Culture Minister, Bensalem Himmich, has proposed that a mixed company be established between both countries to run the Granada monument, considering it would be justice for Boabdil, the last Moorish King of Granada. He was expelled by the Catholic Kings, spent the last years of his life in North Africa.According to the Minister, "Boabdil’s descendents were Moroccan".

The Minister, who has made this suggestion to both the Spanish Government and the Junta de Andalucía, considers the mixed company could manage both the visitors and conservation. He claimed that such an arrangement could ‘open bridges of cooperation and friendship between our two countries’.

Later on Wednesday however, the Moroccan Embassy denied that their Culture Minister had called for income from the Alhambra. 'After consulting with the Ministry, we have no data to verify these declarations'.

References to the story have also disappeared from the two Moroccan sites.

We don't expect any further mentions of this story to surface anytime soon.

Photographs and reporting from Spain: Suzanna Clarke

Two Hundred and Fifty Dirham Coin for only Five Hundred!

A significant marker of the twelfth anniversary of HM King Mohammed VI's ascension to the throne is a commemorative 250 dirham coin, issued by Morocco's central bank, Bank Al Maghrib.

The obverse of the coin bears the image of the Sovereign as well as "Mohammed VI" and "the Kingdom of Morocco" struck in Arabic, with the dates "2011-1432".

The face of the12th anniversary coin is written in Arabic and French, along with an image of the Royal Palace of Rabat, olive branches, the royal arms and the fiscal value of 250 dirhams in numerals and Arabic letters.

The coin is available at Bank Al Maghrib agencies, but before rushing out to purchase your piece of numismatic history, be aware that the actual purchase price is 500 dirhams.

Not All Ramadans are Equal - opinion

For the faithful, Ramadan is a time of spiritual and physical cleansing - a month long detox that is welcomed each year. However, as Ibn Warraq reports for The View from Fez, daylight hours vary from country to country and this does cause some very real health problems and its timing may need some adjustment.

The thirty day Ramadan fast between sunrise and sunset is not simply about refraining from food, drinking, sex and smoking. It is a time for prayer and reflection. However, not all Ramadans are equal. The hours between sunrise and sunset may not vary much in places like Mecca in Saudi Arabia, but spare a thought for those living elsewhere. The problem is the difference between the Islamic and Gregorian calendars. As the Islamic calendar is eleven days shorter than the Gregorian, Ramadan moves back by that number of days each year.

Why is this a problem? Well, if you are a practising Muslim living in Sweden, Norway and Finland, for example, where the sun may not set until around midnight and rise again only a few hours later, the length of the fast and the lack of real sleep becomes a major health issue.

Reporter Murad Ahmed, writing in the Times, says it is also a problem for British Muslims who complain that fasting in August with sunrise at between 3am and 4am and sunset between 8pm and 9pm, means going without food and water for 16 hours a day! As he points out, "...nutritionists will say that though this may be good for the soul, it is not great for the body".

Murad Ahmed recalls that when he first started fasting as a youngster, Ramadan was in the middle of December. "The sun set at about 4pm, perfectly timed for a meal after I got home from school".

All the best medical advice is that you need to eat breakfast to restore energy after sleeping and to drink water all day to maintain concentration. Islam has been very adaptive when it comes to Ramadan. For obvious reasons, airline pilots are not allowed to fast and there are exemptions for pregnant women, the sick, the elderly, the very young and those travelling.

The rules that made sense in Arabia back in the 7th century are being adapted and scholars have suggested that to overcome the negative health consequences of extreme fasts, people in countries such as Finland forget about local time and simply fast during the hours of daylight occurring in Mecca. Many Muslims are now adopting this sensible approach.

What is so heartening about this is that with pragmatism and flexibility, Ramadan can avoid being a health risk and remain a time of commitment and inspiration.

Breaking the Ramadan Fast in Fez

For visitors to Morocco, the month of Ramadan can be a very interesting time. One of the great joys is the moment each evening when the fast is broken. Our special correspondent, Rose Button, gives a personal account of a wonderful evening in the Fez Medina.

Photo: Suzanna Clarke

 I am sitting and watching the sunset over the city of Fez. I have always thought this is one of the most beautiful times, when day turns to night in spectacular colour display - especially over the warm cities of Morocco. And today it is even more special. I am waiting to hear the beautiful call to prayer that resonates as mosque after mosque joins the chorus.

 Now the setting sun is turning more orange. Every change is like a ticking clock, for once it slips below the horizon the call to prayer will follow and it will be time to break my fast; to nourish and hydrate my weary body with water and food. In one way I am eager for the sun to set and in another , I want its beauty to last for longer.

Photo Rose Button

Ramadan is a great and strange time to be in Morocco - to see the usually busy coffee shops empty; shops closed and locals just sitting and waiting, or sprawled asleep. And about two hours before L’ftar, the Ramadan breakfast, the souqs (markets) are bustling with locals buying fruit and vegetables. They purchase fresh, hot bread from the bakery, freshly squeezed juices by the bottle to give the hit of sugar, water and vitamins that weary bodies need, and lots of sticky sweets. Then abruptly the stalls close, as everyone returns to their family to break the fast together.
 
During the month long period of fasting, emotions can run wild. There is a man who normally sits placidly selling cigarettes. Now I see him leaping up and down and shouting to everyone who passes, urging them to buy his cigarettes at low prices. Crowds squabble over the best figs or the last of the juice bottles. But mostly, everyone just waits.

Photo: Rose Button

 People ask me where I will break the fast and if I say I am alone, I am almost dragged to peoples’ houses. It is not possible to break the fast alone, as we are all in this together.

The sun slides lower and as the first meal is prepared; I can smell the gorgeous food. Today I have found it tough. I have wanted to drink and drink. As it is not an option, I have been dithery and ended up having an afternoon sleep, which felt much better. I still have a day job to do.

photo: Rose Button

I am a Kiwi living in Morocco and I am not a Muslim. I have chosen to fast to gain an understanding and link with Moroccan people. I also think of it is an opportunity for me to practice discipline; to learn about my body and how to take care of it. I have fasted before in England and that was different - there was not the togetherness and spirit that I feel here. In England I had to work so could not rest when I felt tired, like I did today. I like being part of this community, this culture, this way of life and want to experience all as many aspects as possible.

It is time for the sun to say goodbye. I hear the canon fire, which is the signal to eat, and then the call to prayer sounds and enjoy it even more than I usually do. In the minutes that follow there is an unusual silence in the city; no traffic and no talking as everyone disappears into their houses to break the fast with friends, family or with someone they dragged off the street.

Photo: Rose Button  

My fast is broken with dates, fresh fruit juice, harira soup, briouats (pastries) and other homemade goodies.

Hamdoulah bezzef! Ramadan Mubarak said.

Lonely Planet - a must have guide book for Morocco

Lonely Planet is the the most popular guide book for Morocco and now there is a new Moroccan edition available in the better book shops. The care and attention to detail that the authors have delivered means that this is once again the "must have" guide book for Morocco. The View from Fez team will do a full review of the book in the near future.

CLICK IMAGE TO ORDER

In addition the Lonely Planet website is a valuable source of information and articles on Morocco. A recent article by Stefanie Di Trocchio, for example, gives the following very handy hints to prepare the first-time visitor for a wonderful time in the country.

Moroccans are famously hospitable and love showing visitors their country. You’ll meet plenty of friendly folk who’ll ease your path, but these tips will make your trip even easier.

•   Go in spring when lots of Morocco is lush and green. Don’t underestimate the extremes of summer and winter – they can be brutal. Ramadan is an interesting time to travel, but be aware that many restaurants and cafes will be shut during the day. In 2011, Ramadan begins on 1 August and finishes on 30 August. The dates change from year to year, so check it out online (www.when-is.com/ramadan.asp) before you go.
•   A few words of basic Arabic will take you a long way. Try es salaam alaykum(hello, literally ‘peace be upon you’), ‘afak (please – it has a glottal stop before it, like the sound between the vowels in ‘uh-oh’. If you’re talking to a woman it’s ‘afik; to a group, say ‘afakum) and shukran bezzef (thank you very much) for starters.
•   Stay in a riad – a traditional Moroccan house built around an internal garden.Marrakesh, Fes and Essaouria are classic riad destinations.  Check out Lonely Planet Hotels & Hostels for recommendations.
•  Load up your pockets with small change. Tipping is an integral part of Moroccan life, and a few dirham for a service willingly rendered can make life a lot easier. Tipping between 5% and 10% of a restaurant bill is appropriate. Also tip taxis, guides and small boys who help you find your way out of the complex maze of streets in the old parts of town.
•   Don’t engage a faux guide (false guide) for the day. They’re illegal. Engage an official tourist guide through a tourist office instead.
•   Petit and grand taxis are a great way to get around, but be prepared to wait – grand taxis won’t leave until all six cramped places are full. If you’re a woman travelling alone in a grand taxi, it’s a good idea to buy the two places in front for yourself.
•   Treat bargaining in souks as a friendly game. It’s an intrinsic part of the culture and is always expected of you, so just ignore the first price a merchant puts forward.
•   If you’re offered a mint tea by a local, sit down to enjoy. Mint tea is the hallmark of Moroccan hospitality, and it’s impolite to refuse it. A sit-down tea session takes about half an hour.
•   If you’re a woman travelling alone, try to ignore unwanted attention. You’ll hear cries of gazelle! and perhaps even get the odd marriage proposal, but the best thing to do is to avoid eye contact. If it persists, threaten police involvement. It’s surprisingly effective.