Quranic Art exhibition in Meknes

If you are around the Fes area at the moment, take a side trip to Meknes and check out the exhibition entitled “Quranic Art, the Experience of Contemporary Iran” which is currently underway in the historic city. Meknes was the capital of the Alawi dynasty during the reign of Moulay Ismail (1645-1727) and is a place you should visit if you have the opportunity..

Some Iranian officials and Moroccan cultural, scientific, and academic figures attended the opening ceremony on April 28 at Bab el-Mansour, the ancient ruin in Meknes. The Iranian Embassy in Rabat, in collaboration with Iran’s Quran Museum and the Tareq Ibn Ziad Center in Morocco, organized the five-day exhibition, which is also scheduled to be held in the Moroccan city of Rissani for three days. The exhibition features 50 Quranic scripts, some rare Qurans, and some examples of Quranic illumination by Fariba Maqsudi, Mahindokht Salek Mahdavi, and five other Iranian artists. Iranian and Moroccan artists are participating in several workshops on Arabic and Persian scripts as well as scholarly gatherings which are being held on the sidelines of the event.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Back in Fez in six days.

In less than a week we will be back in Fes. The length of time away has been excruciating and it will be with a profound sense of relief that we walk through the gate into the Medina next Saturday.

Back in Fes we will continue to post. First up will be regular reports and updates about the Sacred Music Festival and also other events coming to Fes in particular and Morocco in general. As we have mentioned previously, The View from Fez will be setting up a whole new wireless system in our riad and as this will take some time, there may be a few pauses in our usual daily posting. We will try and fill in by using the R'cif internet cafe - but not certain how well that will suit our needs.

If you have specific questions about Fes, houses, accommodation and so on, feel free to email us at fes.riad@gmail.com and we will get back to you as fast as possible.


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

The bloggers target extreme Islamic treatment of women.

In the last few days there have been some fascinating posts from a couple of my favourite bloggers. Both of them have commented on Islamic woman and the absurd nature of some of the dress codes and demeaning treatment. Sabbah has a great post To Dress and Undress! which begins with the picture of a woman who is certainly not about to set any speed records in the pool, and then he moves on to lingerie shops in Saudi having the windows blacked out.



Meanwhile over in Cat in Rabat land the attention is turned to the news that women will be allowed into sporting stadiums. "For the 1st time since 1979, Iranian women will be allowed to attend sporting events in public, in front of men, in stadiums! Women had been barred from sporting events because (at least officially) of the "cramped nature of sporting events as well as the profanities shouted by male spectators"

Read the Cat's post here: He shoots, she scores!


The ban on women attending major matches was imposed in 1979 when the country's newly adopted Islamic code forbade women from watching men play sport.

There were regular protests against the ban, especially when women supporting visiting foreign teams were allowed into stadiums to watch their side.

Meanwhile officials in the capital, Tehran, last week launched a campaign to insist women obey Iran's strict Islamic dress codes.

Hopefully the next Iranian revolution will emancipate women from the bizarre dark-ages time warp they are in now.



Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Train travel in Morocco

We have had several questions about train travel in Morocco. The simple answer to most questions is "yes" - it is easy, and cheap. If you want a modicum of comfort book a first class ticket. Remember to take some food and water to share with others in your compartment. You will quickly discover that most Moroccans will share their food with you, so be prepared to reciprocate. Simple, bread, fruit, cheese and so on, is fine.

Link to Moroccan train timetable

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Most viewed posts - week ending April 29

Each week we track the most popular posts so that we can get an idea of what you like to read about. Here are the top posts from the last seven days.

A rare Islamic experiment

Learn Moroccan cooking in Fes

Morocco at a glance - A quick tour.

Joujouka - Sufi Trance Masters

Fes Festival of World Sacred Music Program

Black Widow - A novel on the aftermath of Beslan.

And our favourite blog this week is a French language blog.



Moroccan journalist, Nadia Lamlili, won the CNN Francophone General Award, an annual prize in recognition of African journalists. Lamlili's award was for an article on migration to the north shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The piece focused on the intentions of migrants, the difficulties they encounter and the groups that profit from the human tragedy. Nadia's Blog.

And this week from Global Voices: Moroccan blog roundup


Tags: Recipes Morocco Islam
Fes, Literature

Entering the spider's house.

Intrepid traveller Chris Patten, writing in The Financial Times, has an interesting time in Fez. Here is part of his article with a link to the original and full version.

Fes, which duelled with Marrakech for centuries for primacy in the Arabic Morocco state, is less comfortable than its rival, which is not to say that our stay there was bereft of modest luxury. We put up in a splendid riad called La Maison Bleue in rooms hardly changed since the owner’s grandmother lived in them.

Dinner was served in the covered courtyard to the accompaniment of live Moroccan music. A dozen dishes of delicious cooked vegetables were typically followed by pastilla (the fish one even better than the pigeon) or couscous and then the ubiquitous tajine.

The local Moroccan wines were part of the deal: a drinkable Semillon and a better Cabernet du President; which president I never discovered.

In hotter weather this riad’s sister establishment, Maison Bleue Le Riad, may be a better bet; it has a spa and swimming pool and a great view over the walls of the old city up to the Merenid Tombs.

It is worth scrambling up to this landmark, or taking a taxi, to get a clear idea of the lie of the land in Fes. The medieval “citadel of fanaticism” (as it was called) is in front of you in the pear-shaped bowl of the Sebou valley; off to the right is the new quarter built by the French and beyond that the road to Casablanca where the young Arab Amar in Bowles’s novel is finally abandoned by the Americans who had discovered him with all his quaint and savage cultural traits.

Much of The Spider’s House follows Amar through the labyrinthine Fes as he hunts and is, in his turn, hunted.

That the city has been preserved owes much to the French resident- ­general Louis-Hurbert Lyautey in the last days of colonial rule there and subsequently to Unesco. Fes was saved from the fate of so many cities in developing countries where, in a paradoxical gesture of national independence, so much local architecture is demolished to be replaced by pastiche Western.

Exploring the narrow streets of Fes leaves lingering memories – the stink of horse and donkey piss, the perfect pyramids of ground spices (yellow, red, orange and blue), the butchers’ shops with lines of sheep heads giving you an understandably doleful look, the tanneries and leather shops with piles of yellow babouches, the occasional visit to a medersa – the colleges of the ancient university – with their intricate wood carvings and blue tiles, and the evening roost of storks and alpine swifts on their rooftops.

Fes is not dangerous but it does seem alien, and in January the cultural difference is enhanced by the sheep being led into the city to have their throats cut by every family that can afford to buy one for the feast of Aid El Kabir, commemorating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac.

Bowles captures all this in a novel set in the dying days of French colonialism. Gertrude Stein described him as “a manufactured savage”.

Dwelling himself on the frontier between sophistication and barbarism, Bowles is the perfect eye-witness to the Hobbesian world that he believes we all inhabit whatever our imagined civilised superiority. As Francine Prose observes in her excellent introduction to the edition of The Spider’s House published by Ecco, Bowles’s fiction is “the last place you would go for hope, or even for faint reassurance that the world is anything but a horror show, a barbaric Darwinian battlefield.”

Bowles is far more relevant to today’s discussions about clashing civilisations and the roots of terrorism than others regularly cited, such as Joseph Conrad. One activist in the novel notes the efficiency of violence in gaining American attention. Amar himself contemplates the difference between political Islam and jihadism – “they saw . . .  factories and power plants rising from the fields . . . he saw skies of flame, the wings of avenging angels, and total destruction”.

He understands the terrorist’s grim compensations not of accomplishing a specific political aim but “of seeing others undergo the humiliation of suffering and dying . . . If you could not have freedom, you could still have vengeance, and that was all anyone really wanted now”.

Bowles clearly believed that we all – not just non-Moslems – live in the frail surroundings of a spider’s house and what others may take as his great insights into different cultures he clearly regards as so much nothingness. He presages the first part of his novel with the ‘Song of the Owl’ from The Thousand and One Nights: “I have understood that the world is a vast emptiness built upon emptiness . . . And so they call me the master of wisdom. Alas! Does anyone know what wisdom is?”

THE FULL STORY: Chronicle of Terrorism foretold.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb travel

A rare Islamic experiment.

Muhammad Mahfudh is a happy man. He has just presided over an experiment that, by anyone's standards is a gamble in the world of Islam. In what is seen as a huge step in the right direction by moderate Moslems, Morocco has just graduated its first team of women preachers to be deployed as a vanguard in its fight against any slide towards Islamic extremism.

"This is a rare experiment in the Muslim world," proudly stated Muhammad Mahfudh, director of the centre attached to the Islamic Affairs Ministry that trained this first class of 50 women.

According to another Ministry spokesman Hamid Rono, "This is the first of its kind in the Islamic world".

This pioneer group of Murshidat, or guides, who finished a 12-month course in early April, were trained to "accompany and orient" Muslim faithful, notably in prisons, hospitals and schools and be paid a salary of 5,000 dirhams ($560) a month.

Samira Marzouk, in her 30s like most of the others, exclaims how "proud" she is to be part of this first group. She sees their mission as one to "fill in the gaps that prevent a solid framework for religion. We are going to teach a tolerant Islam by focussing on the underprivileged classes."

They graduates will work with women and children in poor ghettoes seen as fertile ground for extremist recruiters.The idea of the Murshidat, spearheaded by HM King Mohammed VI and the government, took off after Islamic extremist attacks in the Casablanca on May 16, 2003 claimed 45 lives and left dozens of others wounded.

The King who had already started reshaping religious structures to rein in any extremist drift in his North African country, which borders Algeria where violence between government forces and armed Islamic extremists has caused more than 150,000 deaths since 1992.

But the synchronised suicide bomb attacks that struck Jewish and foreign targets gave new urgency to the initiative. More than 2,000 people were arrested in vast police sweeps after the May bombings as the king pledged that the attacks would be the last to rock Morocco. Investigators concluded that those behind the incident had indeed sought recruits in the teeming slums around Casablanca, the kingdom's biggest city.

Marzuk, with a diploma in Arab literature who said she knew the Quran by heart, was quick to specify she was "not going to take the place of an imam The imamate in Islam is restricted solely to men who are apt at leading prayers, notably those on Friday," she said. "The Morshidat will be in charge of leading religious discussions, give lessons in Islam, give moral support to people in difficulty and guide the faithful towards a tolerant Islam," she added.


Another graduate, Laila Faris, a lively young woman who holds a degree in Islamic studies, said she saw the Murshidat's role as promoting "the true face of Islam We will help attenuate any drift towards Islamic extremism," she said, stressing that "an overall approach is needed to dealing with radical Islam".

During the year-long course, the curriculum ranged from Islamic studies to psychology, sociology, computer skills, economy, law and business management. Sports was the only subject dropped from the women preachers' training because the schedule was just too tight," regretted Mahfudh, who hopes to include it for the second batch of Murshidat trainees, whose applications are now being accepted.

For the Islamic affairs minister, Ahmed Taoufiq, the Murshidat will also "instruct women on their basis religious duties". He stressed that religious radicalism was not part of Morocco's culture "but you can never prevent evil one hundred percent".

Sadly there are still some of Morocco's Islamic fundamentalists who are not supportive of the initiative. However, for one Islamist deputy, Mustafa Ramid, with the Islamist Justice and Development party (PJD), the main opposition group with 43 seats in the 325-member parliament, the Murshidat is a "positive" development. "I see nothing more to say about this initiative because in Islam, men and women are equal," he said, pointing to Egypt which has "eminent women scholars of Islam".

But the head of the youth group in Morocco's most radical Islamic fundamentalist association, Al-Adl Wal-Ihssane (Justice and Welfare), forecast it would have no effect on the ground. "The power behind this initiative is the same as the one that commits acts contrary to Islam, notably degrading moral values," said Hasan Bennajih, whose group is part of an Islamist movement that claims to to preach non-violence and although unrecognized by authorities, is still influential with a radical minority. "This initiative, then, will only have a limited impact on the population," said Hasan Bennajih.

However, for a majority of Moroccans, this is another step towards tolerance and equality and to be applauded.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

The Borj Nord Arms Museum in Fès re-opens

The Borj Nord Arms Museum in Fès is re-opening this week after it was revamped on the instructions of King Mohammed VI.

Borj Nord, or northern fortress tower of the old town walls, was built in 1582 by Saadian Sultan Ahmed El Mansour Eddahbi to secure the protection of Fès. The structure is testimony to the evolution of military architecture and warfare. The Tower and walls were constructed to sustain heavy canon balls.

This XVIth century fortress remains true to its military tradition since it has been transformed into the Arms Museum. The collections have been built up mainly with royal donations and include a number of rare pieces. The restoration was assigned to the Moroccan Military History Commission that asked specialized research offices, in cooperation with the Culture Minister and other relevant departments, for counselling on the new look of the museum.

The press release said the re-opening of the museum is part of the activities celebrating the FAR (armed forces) 50th anniversary.

The museum is displaying in 13 rooms 775 military items out of the 5000 arms collection, which includes weaponry from the pre-historic axe to the modern rifle. Many civilizations are represented: Indian, European and Asian.

The collection also includes fine Moroccan items: daggers encrusted with stones or rifles and outstandingly, a 5-meter canon weighing 12 tons, used during the Battle of the Three Kings (Battle Of The Wadi Al-makhazin ).

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Brand Morocco?

Morocco is so much in vogue at the moment that the unwary consumer is likely to buy the latest "Moroccan " design only to discover later that the item has little or nothing to do with Morocco. I was recently interested to search out some Moroccan earrings and necklaces and found that around 75% of the products had little or no Moroccan content.

A case in point is the work of Carmen Salerno from Rio and her brand "Annbar". According to her advertising, Brazilian designer, Salerno, finds in Morocco the inspiration for creation of her necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets. Carmen, who lives in the city of Niterói, in the southeastern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, produces semi-jewels that reproduce the Moroccan style and have raw materials imported from the Arab country. The products made by Salermo have clasps and details in Moroccan silver, famous for its pureness. They are sold under brand Annbar. In Arabic, anbar is a perfume essence.

One of her press releases claims... "The Moroccan style is present in the semi-jewels produced by designer Carmem Salerno, from Rio de Janeiro. The businesswoman makes necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings under brand Annbar. Some of the products also include Moroccan silver."
"Moroccan" necklace produced out of Indian bone and Moroccan silver
It all began with the designer's passion for Oriental culture, especially the Moroccan. "On my wrist I have a moon and a star (tattooed), the sitting room in my house has Moroccan design," stated Carmen. The businesswoman, however, is not Muslim and is not of Arab descent.

The Moroccan silver used in the products is imported from a trading company in Los Angeles, in the United States. Apart from raw material, the exoticness of Morocco is in the products. The designer travelled to the Arab country around four years ago to learn more about the local culture. "I spent 15 days researching and was enchanted," she said.

Maybe I am being a little bitchy, but perhaps she needed a few more days in Morocco?


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

New debit card scheme for pensioners.

A lot of ordinary Moroccans, particularly those in rural areas, still work in the cash and barter economy. It is not uncommon to find people who do not have a bank account. For most people this is fine, but there are times when it can be inconvenient, especially when all they want to do is access social security payments. Well, help is on the way in the form of a new cashcard.


Barid Al Maghrib is a multiple service business with international coverage. Set up in 1998, it provides messaging, postal and financial services. Now the business has joined forces with the Moroccan Social Security Department (CNSS)and signed an agreement on 20 April that will establish a cash card payment procedure to allow CNSS benefits to be paid to claimants who do not have bank accounts. The new product, which will be launched in June, will allow card holders to access funds through the various services run by the CNSS.

The new card, under the Visa label, will also serve as a debit card for withdrawals from all automatic teller machines run by Barid Al Maghrib and banks affiliated with the Centre Monétique Interbancaire and for electronic payment for goods at retail outlets.

Saïd Ahmidouche, director general of the CNSS, said that this partnership will strengthen ties between the two institutions, which are firmly committed to a global modernisation process to benefit their customers and users.

Anas Alami, director general of Barid Al Maghrib, expressed hope a similar process can contribute to the successful implementation of compulsory health insurance.

Adding that the launch of the card does not contribute to profit-making, he was careful to explain that the project has a social dimension that will benefit most of the Moroccan population now. Alami feels the cards will make the electronic payments available to all Moroccans without any distinction. Barid Al Maghrib has promised to ensure a 95 per cent availability rate across its automatic teller network.

The card will bear the logos of the CNSS and Barid Al Maghrib and be valid for a period of three years at a price of 20 dirhams annually. Owners will thus have easy access to payments made by the CNSS with the simple-to-use card.

Created in 1961, the CNSS manages all social security payments for employed individuals. Currently, it covers 163,026 affiliated companies, 1,757,847 contributing workers and 300,501 pensioners.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Learn Moroccan cooking in Fez.

Here at The View from Fez, we enjoy great Moroccan cooking and although we pride ourselves on making our own preserved lemons and cooking a mean tagine, we certainly don't have the skills of Lahcen Beqqi. Recently he has started running small classes on Moroccan cooking so that you can learn the secrets of the local cuisine.

As he says, "Moroccan cuisine is said to be one of the most important cuisines in the world and Fes is considered to be the capital of Moroccan cooking. Every visitor to Morocco can savor the delights of its gastronomy when they taste tagines, pastilla, and couscous in the various fine Moroccan restaurants. However, few tourists get the chance to experience the preparation of Moroccan cuisine; something that is essential to understanding the culture. When you take cooking lessons with me, you will experience first-hand the process of food preparation that Moroccans perform every day, from choosing your own fresh ingredients in the open-air market, to cooking in a traditional Moroccan house."

Lahcen is not only a great chef, but an excellent teacher and his lessons in Moroccan cuisine are more than simply cooking. The lesson starts in the morning, at around 9:30, when he takes you on a trip to the open-air market (or the “souk” in Arabic), where you will buy all of your fresh ingredients. Lahcen will teach you how to pick the freshest goods. You will also be able to pick up a local wine for your meal. After grocery shopping, you will return for your lesson, which will be held at Dar El-Hana, a beautiful traditional Moroccan home restored to be a guest house. In the beginning of the lesson, Lahcen will provide you with typed and printed recipes for the meal that you will be making. He is more than happy to accommodate vegetarian needs, as well. Finally, what is more satisfying than to eat food that you have prepared? You and Lahcen will eat your dish for lunch, when you may choose to try eating “à la Marocaine”, using bread and your right hand, instead of a fork and knife. The length of the lesson depends on the cooking time for the dish, but usually, a lesson will last about 5 hours (from the grocery shopping to eating).

Lahcen is a Berber from the south of Morocco, in the High Atlas. He grew up in Amellago, a small agricultural village in the Gris Valley. Amellago is situated between Imilchil, where the annual Marriage Festival is held, and Merzouga, the entry to the tallest sand dunes of the Sahara. Lahcen’s father is a shepherd and a farmer, so Lahcen spent his childhood in the mountains, taking care of the herd, and in the field, helping his parents farm the land. When he was 10 years old, his parents sent him to another town for school. This is when Lahcen learned to cook for himself. After he got his baccalaureate and finished high school, Lahcen worked in a small restaurant and he became fascinated by the work of the chef. This is when he decided that he wanted to make cooking his career. He went to hotelier school, but he got his most valuable experience when he worked in Azrou alongside a Moroccan chef named Aziz, who had been trained at the world-renowned cooking school in Laussane, Switzerland. With Aziz, Lahcen learned how to make cooking an art. Since then, he has continued to perfect his art. He is adventuresome in his cooking, yet at the same time remains dedicated to exploring Moroccan cuisine from every region of the country. As well as teaching cooking lessons, Lahcen works at a guest house in Fes as the chef de cuisine.

Here's one of Lahcen's great recipes:

Lamb, Prune, and Date Tagine

This dish is a traditional Moroccan tagine. Because it is sweet and it includes dates, it is often served when a family has company over.

For 3 people

* ½ kilo of a shoulder of lamb
* 250 grams of dried prunes (around 30 prunes)
* 6 dates (pitted)
* one big red onion, sliced
* 200 grams of roasted almonds
* one cinnamon stick
* one pinch of ginger
* one pinch of saffron (pistils)
* one pinch of salt (or to taste)
* one pinch of pepper (or to taste)

Wash the prunes and put them in one liter of water. Let them sit. Put ginger, saffron, and lamb in a big pot. Cook on medium flame. Mix for one minute. Add olive oil and onion. Leave for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Take the prunes out of the water and put them aside. Keep the water! Pour it into the pot with the lamb. Let the meat cook for 1 ½ hours (or however long it takes to cook) on a medium flame. *You can also leave it on a low flame and let it cook longer. Add the prunes and dates in the last 15 minutes.

Visit Lahcen's website for more details. Moroccan Cooking Lessons

Samir's fish tagine with preserved lemon and chermoula

Preserved Lemons Samir Style



See all our Moroccan recipes here: MOROCCAN MENU!

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb recipes

Moroccan News Briefs - #26

Moroccan News Briefs published in The View From Fez draw on open source material, contributions from readers, as well as material from Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP), Morocco Times and official Moroccan Government press releases.

Chinese president starts official visit to Morocco.

Chinese President Hu Jintao began an official visit to Morocco on Monday (24 April). The first visit by a top Chinese leader to Morocco this century will included talks with HM King Mohammed VI and the signing of several agreements concerning co-operation on trade, culture, medicine and health between the two governments.


HM King Mohammed VI, accompanied by HRH Prince Moulay Rachid and the President of the People's Republic of China, Hu Jintao, chaired the Royal Cabinet in Rabat which included the signing ceremony of seven bilateral cooperation agreements in the fields of tourism, health, culture, economy, public works, scientific research and trade.

A Moroccan-Chinese memorandum agreement relating to the implementation plan of organised travels for Chinese tourists to Morocco was signed by the Minister of Tourism, Handicraft and Social Economy, Adil Douiri, and the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Li Zhaoxing.

A protocol agreement related to sending a Chinese medical mission to Morocco was signed by the Minister of Health, Mohamed Sheikh Biadillah and the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The third agreement, signed by the Minister Delegate to Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Taib Fassi Fihri, and the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, deals with an application programme of the cultural agreement for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008.

The fourth agreement touches on the economic and technical cooperation between the two countries, according to which Beijing will grant Rabat 40 million yuans (1 Chinese yuan = 0.124772 US dollars).

It was signed by the Minister of Finance and Privatisation, Fathallah Oualalou, and the Chinese Minister of Trade, Bo Xilai.

The fifth agreement, signed by Oualalou and Xilai, concerns the exchange of letters on the supply of public work materials.

The sixth agreement, which bears on the scientific and technological cooperation, was signed by the Minister of National Education, Higher Education, Staff Training and Scientific Research, Habib El Malki, and the Chinese Vice-Minister of Science and Technology, Li Xueyong.

The seventh agreement concerns the purchase of phosphoric manures for the year 2007 between the Chinese Corporation SINOCHEM and the Moroccan Cherifian Office of Phosphates (OCP).

After Morocco, Hu will continue his African tour by visiting Kenya and Nigeria.

Morocco, UAE sign judicial co-operation agreement

On Friday (21 April), Morocco and the UAE signed a co-operation agreement targeting the judicial and criminal fields. The agreement was signed in Rabat by Moroccan Minister of Justice Mohamed Bouzoubaa and his UAE counterpart Muhammad Nakhira Al-Dhahiri. The agreement provides for the exchange of information on judicial arrangements, legal research papers and publications and legal opinions. The agreement also encourages participation in judicial-related seminars, which will lead to the exchange of expertise between the two countries.

Infant mortality drops in Morocco

Morocco is among the nine developing countries that recorded a drop in infant mortality rates, according to a world report on the follow-up of the Millennium Development Goals published in Rabat Friday (21 April). According to the 2005 report of the World Health Organisation, the death toll among Moroccan children under five years old was estimated at 3.9 per cent in 2003.

Morocco ready to open dialogue with associations supporting Polisario

Khalihenna Ould Errachid, chairman of the Moroccan Royal Advisory Council for the Sahara Issues (CORCAS), affirmed that his institution is ready to open a direct dialogue with all the associations supporting the Polisario Front for a fruitful co-operation. "The objective of this dialogue is to contribute together to the current process aiming at finding a definite and peaceful solution to the Sahara conflict," he said in a message to the concerned associations. "We at CORCAS are convinced that dialogue is the best way to resolve conflicts," he added. The message further calls on the Polisario Front to accept negotiations to put an end to the three-decade conflict as quickly as possible.

Moroccan king condemns Dahab bombings

King Mohammed has condemned the bombings in the Egyptian tourist town of Dahab as "odious criminal aggressions". He sent a condolence message to President Hosni Mubarak, expressing his indignation and condemnation at these "cowardly" and "barbarous" acts, which claimed over 20 lives and injured many more. The monarch also expressed his "brotherly solidarity and compassion" with the Egyptian president and people.

Would-be immigrants rescued in Tangier

Some 16 illegal immigrants were rescued in the port of Tangier on Monday as they were suffocating inside a trailer that was transporting melon to the European market.

The customs and port police discovered the illegal passengers, all Moroccans including a minor, hiding between boxes inside the Spanish-registered trailer, heading from the southern city of Agadir to the Spanish port of Algesiras.

The would-be immigrants, including the Moroccan driver of the trailer, were evacuated to Tangier hospital. They were later handed over to local police for investigations.

The would-be immigrants confessed they paid from USD150 to USD500 to a person who facilitated their access to the truck in Agadir.

Expulsion of Moroccan journalist from Madrid conference

Reporters without Borders (known by French acronym: RSF) strongly denounced the Spanish police "manu militari" expulsion of Maghreb Arabe Presse correspondent in Madrid, Said Ida Hassan, from a press conference on the Moroccan Sahara issue.

"We were astounded by the attitude of the Spanish police forces in this issue," RSF wrote in a press release published on Tuesday. "We do not understand why the police denied access, for a public conference, to an accredited journalist who is perfectly in order."

This April 21, Ida Hassan was denied access to a conference held in the Madrid Ateneo cultural center on the Moroccan Sahara issue.

This issue opposes Morocco to the Algerian-backed separatist Polisario, which lays claims to Morocco's southern Sahara provinces.

The Paris-based organization rejected the treatment as "unacceptable," requesting explanations from "the person in charge of the center, and from the Spanish authorities (...) about these less than democratic practices."

The NGO deplored that “the journalist, as well as about ten human rights Sahrawi militants, were denied access to the conference venue, and were pushed by the Spanish a hundred meters far from the conference.”

“Contacted many times by the Reporters, the Madrid Ateneo cultural center refused to give any commentary,” it noted.

Morocco one of Africas top internet users

Morocco is among the four African countries which count the biggest numbers of internet users in a continent where only 22 million people use the net.

According to Reed Kramer, one of the founders and director of AllAfrica.com “It is only South Africa, Egypt, Kenya and Morocco which have a large numbers of internet users. However Africa is witnessing the fastest increase in the numbers of users in the world".

Citing the figures of the institute of research and marketing ‘Internet World State', Kramer underlined that more than 22 million people use the net every hour in Africa, that is 2.5% of the 900 million people living in the continent. But, this number has increased by 400% since 2000.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

The countdown to Fez

In exactly one week Zany and I head back to Morocco, taking only a short break on the way to catch up with friends in Dubai. So from the May 2 there will be pause in posting until we get the riad wireless and internet connection up and running. There is a good internet cafe in Rcif and we will post from there until we are connected at home.

Once we arrive we will be plunged into the preparations for the Fes Sacred Music Festival as well as organising the renovations of Riad Zany and the purchase of a small dar for friends to stay in next year.

If you email us during the first few weeks of May, please be patient, we will answer you as soon as we can, inshallah.


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb travel

Morocco excavates Copper Age remains

Archaeological excavations in Khemisset (50km east of Rabat) have led to the discovery of archaeological remains that date back to the Copper Age and most particularly to the Campaniform civilization (3000-1800 B.C).

The discovery of Copper Age housing constructions, graves and furniture remains in the cave of Ifri N'Amer Ou Moussa is a first of the kind in Morocco's archaeological research history. According to the Ministry of Culture, "It gives the ground to enrich our knowledge about the culture of Copper Age period in Morocco." The Ministry added that the exceptional aspect of the cave has gained importance by the discovery of a human skeleton buried in a funerary structure.

Archaeologists also found several metallic objects notably bony items (a needle eye) and some campaniform fragments of ceramics, in addition to objects that were made by the first civilised men, representatives of the campaniform civilisation, which till now had not been discovered in Morocco.

The research has been carried out since early April by the Rabat-based National Institute of Science, Archaeology and Heritage (INSAP). Ifri N’Amer ou Moussa is a 20m-wide, 14.50m-deep and 17.50m-long cave. It is located some 100m south of the Souk Sebt cave.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Moroccan playwright Abdesslam Chraibi dies

Moroccan theatre has lost one of its most outstanding figures. The playwright and actor Abdeslam Chraibi died on Sunday following a car accident near the northern city of Ksar El-Kebir.

Chraibi, who was member of the National Committee for Supporting Theatre, was on his way back from Larache where he had paid his last service to the Moroccan drama. He had attended a play performed by a local group.

The fatal accident dropped the curtain on Chraibi's life as an icon of the Moroccan theatre. Chraibi, who was in his sixties, was one of the intellectuals who marked the Moroccan arts history. He started his career in theatre as an actor and playwright in the 60s in his native city, Marrakech, with the troupe Al Wifak and then with the national groupe Al Maamoura.

He later co-founded the troupe Al Wafaa al Marrakshia with other emblematic figures of the Moroccan theatre like Abdeljabbar Lawzir and Mohammed Belkas.

As a playwright, Chraibi is known for his successful plays “Al Harraz”, “Sidi Keddour El Alami”, and “Meksour Ljanah”, which discussed issues related to the Moroccan society, traditions, and culture.

The artist also wrote scripts for television, including the outstanding serial “Inssane fil Mizane”.

He collaborated with many theatre leaders, such as Tayeb Seddiki, and worked in Casablanca's municipal theatre.

Many members of the National Syndicate for Theatre Professionals and officials from the Ministry of Culture went to Larache to supervise the transportation of Chraibi's body to Marrakech where he will be buried.



Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Moroccan Football Drug Scandal

The Moroccan football federation has declared that five players from its Olympic squad have been suspended after failing dope tests.

The five individuals involved currently play for the clubs, Raja Casablanca, Wydad Casablanca, Moghreb Fes and Ittihad Tanger but were not named. by the federation, but the five tested for a derivative of cannabis resin were named by another source as Hicham Idrissi al Amrani and Zakaria Jouhari of Raja, Yassine Zocho (Wydad), Abderahmane Mssassi (Moghreb Fes) and Mourad Atta (Ittihad Tanger).

The players took the tests, at the Moroccan training camp in April and they revealed traces of Marijuana in the samples.

This comes after Morocco's African cup of nations team did not make it out of the group stages of the tournament, earlier this year, much to the nations disappointment.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Being Berber - a question of cultural identity in Morocco

Now here is an interesting woman. Michelle Medina is in Morocco on a Fulbright Fellowship studying identity in Moroccan cinema, as well as directing a documentary on the topics of Morrocan subjectivity, her father and love. On top of that she has written a fascinating article on Berber identity. Here is an extract, followed by a link to the original.

Walking through the streets of Rabat, Morocco, I clearly stood out as a foreigner. Although my features might allow me to “pass” as Moroccan, my blue jeans and running shoes clearly distinguished me from the old men in long robes and young women in sunglasses and high heels. Thus, it confused me when a hannut (storefront) vendor, planted in front of red, orange and yellow mountains of spices, asked me in Darija (the Moroccan language), “Ante Shilha?” (“Are you Berber?”)

Berbers, or Imazighen, are Morocco’s indigenous people, who populated the country long before the Arab conquest in the late 600s. I wondered if the storekeeper’s question was posed in jest, sincerity, scorn or praise. My initial reaction was defensive. “La,” I replied. (“No.”) “Do I look Berber to you?” At my apparent aversion to being called Berber, the shopkeeper lowered his head. Embarrassed, I asked him if he was Berber, and he smiled and nodded.

Upon returning to my host family, who self- identify as “Arab,” I asked them what connotations the label, “Berber,” had in the city. My mother, who stood over the kitchen stove sautéing olive-oiled sardines, explained that “Berber” can be something of a disparaging label, as it is aligned with terms like “cheap” or “hard.” She said that Berbers are a people who still have a very rich culture; however, as she spoke, she scrunched up her face and shook her head disapprovingly. My 16-year-old sister explained, “She doesn’t like the Berbers.” Surprised, I asked, “Leematha?” (“Why?)

“Ohhhhh,” my host sister said. “She says she doesn’t dislike them. She just doesn’t understand them.”

Puzzled, again I asked, “Leematha?” My sister replied, “Language. She doesn’t understand them.”

In subsequent conversations with my host mother, I sifted through translation dictionaries as she utilized her French, Spanish, Darija and snippets of Arabic to try and speak to me; I would try out my Arabic and modest knowledge of Spanish. Using our five languages and collective sign language, we spoke about the Berber language, people, culture and identity, which seemed to be integral components of Morocco and yet were acknowledged only quietly. My mother described Berbers as a rural people, known for being hard bargainers, diligent workers and skillful dancers—dancing and music being an important aspect of Moroccan and Berber culture. However, dancing in many of Morocco’s urban centers is believed to be akin to prostitution. Thus, as my mother hinted, Berber women are described both as strong and hard working as well as sexual and loose. I asked her one day, “Oohmi, ante Shilha?” (“Mom, are you Berber?”), to which she responded by opening her eyes wide and shaking her head. Clearly, this was not a label with which my mother wanted to align herself.

Many people in Rabat seemed reluctant to admit to any Berber origins or family, including professors at the university where I took classes. One teacher with whom I spoke alluded to his origins outside of the city. In time, I gathered enough bits and pieces of his story to discover that he grew up in a rural Berber village speaking Shilha, the Berber language (also referred to as Tamazight). Despite his background, he chose to label himself as “Arab.” He did not admit to being Berber and went so far as to disparage other scholars at the center who supported Berber politics, calling them militants.

Full article: BEING BERBER

Another interesting article is by James Pickett - Again, here is an extract and a link.

What has been termed the “Berber Awakening” was and remains a central issue in Morocco. Demands for cultural and lingual recognition began in the 1960s, and intensified in the 1990s, raising controversial questions. What rights should the Imazighen have? Should they be allowed to teach their languages in the schools? How compatible is Imazighen culture with Islamic culture? Which identities are to take precedence—Moroccan, Islamic or Imazighen?

LINK: Something New. Cultural Consciousness in Morocco

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb Berber

Women's rights - Global Rights

Promoting Women's Rights:
A Resource Guide for Litigating International Law in Domestic Courts.

The NGO, Global Rights, together with a group of Maghreban lawyers have published a 135-page practical guide guide to promoting women's rights throughout the Maghreb.

The book, whose purpose is to help lawyers use international law to promote women's rights at home, is the latest result of more than six years of collaboration between Global Rights and activists from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. The practical guide will be distributed as a book and CD-Rom to lawyers from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

The first part of the guide considers how lawyers can integrate international human rights standards into their daily litigations and domestic court cases that involve women's rights.
The second part of the publication presents the results of the research undertaken on the issue in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

The creators of the guide held intensive interviews with lawyers and other legal professionals, as well as gathering and analysing judicial decisions from a diversity of courts across their respective countries.

Their final reports suggest a series of “next steps” for local lawyers to take in order to promote women's rights through domestic litigations that use international standards.

The Global Rights is a human rights advocacy group which aims at challenging injustice and amplifying new voices within the global discource and conducts women's rights advocacy programming through partnerships with local groups in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen. They currently operate an office in Morocco.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Moroccan Fashion - Faded Jeans Factory.

Moroccan fashion is hot at the moment. (See our earlier story - Moroccan fashion grows in popularity. ) So what has that to do with faded jeans? Faded Jeans must come from somewhere. Silly me, I thought they faded in the sun. No, seriously now, it is not the Moroccan sun that does it, but a new Moroccan-Italian consortium that will build faded jeans factory to cost three hundred million MAD

Italian companies Martelli Lavorazioni Tessilli Spa and Eletti SRL and Moroccan group La Financière Hatt have formed a consortium for the construction of a $24.6m industrial unit for faded jeans near Rabat. The factory, to be constructed on six hectares in Ain Aouda, is due to become operational in 12 months and create 500 new jobs. The investment agreement providing was signed by Moroccan Minister of Industry, Trade and Economy Upgrading Salaheddine Mezouar, Martelli Chairman Luigi Martelli and Martelli-Maroc Chairman Badr Eddine Snoussi in a ceremony chaired by Morocco's Prime Minister Driss Jettou on Friday

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

King pardons remaining Sahrawi prisoners

"No single prisoner held because of the territory's dispute will be left behind bars. Forty-eight, all of what remained of the prisoners, were pardoned by the king." - Government official

King Mohammed VI has pardoned a further 48 Sahrawi prisoners as part of a drive to end a 30-year dispute between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front over Morocco's Western Sahara. The king pardoned 216 Sahrawi prisoners last month after his six-day visit to the territory where he vowed Western Sahara would remain part of Morocco.

Morocco has centuries-old rights over the territory rich in phosphates, fisheries and possibly offshore oil, but the Algerian-backed Polisario Front launched a low-level guerrilla war against Morocco's armed forces claiming it was an independent state after Spain withdrew in 1975. While there is little support for the Algerian claims, the two sides have been observing a UN-sponsored ceasefire since 1991.

The pardoned detainees were jailed late last year for between 10 months and five years for anti-Moroccan riots in Laayoune, the main town in Western Sahara. They were sentenced for offences including sabotage of public property and using weapons against public officials.

"The pardon by his Majesty King Mohammed underlines that the situation in the territory and in Morocco in general was changing towards a better future of reconciliation, democracy and prosperity," said Khali Henna Ould Errachid, chairman of the Royal Consultative Council for Sahara Affairs.

"The decision to free the remaining prisoners was meant to signal that we had begun together moving to cement our full reconciliation."

"All the pardoned prisoners will be released later today," a senior government official said.


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Sufi music master class during Fes Festival

Ali Alaoui, teacher of oriental percussions at Music'Halle, Toulouse, is organising a master class of rhythmic & polyrhythmic knowledge each day of the week from 2 to 9 June 2006 during the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music.

The master class is open to all levels of experience and involves complete immersion with the festival.

Students will see a presentation of traditional and sufi Moroccan style music and will discover the mystic rituals associated with the famous "sufies nights". Students will practice body rhythm and will learn many oriental and maghrebin instruments (def, tarija, derbouka, bendir...) associated to oriental and maghrebin rhythm and polyrhythm. Ali Alaoui will produce at the festival with ensemble Moultaqa Salam the 5th June.


Master Class languages : French, Maroccan, English
Price : 300 euros
See details at the association website : www.assoamal.free.fr
Contact : giselemv@wanadoo.fr
Tel : Gisele (master class communication)
00 33 (0)5 61 40 02 40
00 33 (0)6 89 77 45 35
Ali Alaoui (teacher) 00 33 (0)6 73 84 19 26

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Fes Festival - British Airways shock cancellation

According to Mary Finnigan, the UK Co-ordinator of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music....

Without explanation and at very short notice British Airways have cancelled their London Gatwick-Marrakesh-Fes flights between May and September 2006. This means that people from the UK wanting to come to the Fes Festival 2-10 June now have limited choice of travel options. I have enquired about this via the Chairman of GB Airways who operate the flights as BA and will post further information here if/when it arises. Meanwhile I suggest that the best way to get this decision reversed is to write to BA to protest via their web site www. ba.com

To protest at BA's decision to cancel their flights Gatwick to Fes ending on 29 May --just a few days before the start of the festival -- go to: BA AIRWAYS LINK

The route is www.ba.com then click on Contact us in buttons above masthead on Home Page. Then click on email us. The more complaints they receive the more likely people are to get their flights back.


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

The 12th annual Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

Updated Provisional Programme 2 – 10 June 2006


Friday 2 June
08:30 p.m. Bab Makina

William Christie and Arts Florissants - (France)
Rameau, Mondonville, Rigel, Mozart

Saturday 3 June
04:30 p.m. - Batha Museum

Hassan Haffar and Omar Sermini - (Syria)

08:30 p.m. Bab Makina

First part : Keyvan Chemirani - Rhythm of Speech (Iran, India, Mali)
second part : Abida Parveen - (Pakistan)

Sunday 4 June
04:30 p.m. - Batha Museum

Agrupación Música - Missa Criolla - (Argentina)
17th & 18th century Music of Latin American Cathedrals


08:30 p.m. Bab Makina

Za Ondekoza - Taiko Drumming from Tokyo, (Japan)
« Running, beating, and dancing on the Earth »

Monday 5 June
04:30 p.m. - Batha Museum

Yungchen Lhamo - (Tibet)

08:30 p.m. Bab Makina

El Llibre Vermell - Capella de Ministrers and Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana – (Spain)
Direction : Carles Magraner

Tuesday 6 June
04:30 p.m. - Batha Museum

Jordi Savall and Monserrat Figueras -(Spain)
Ancient Music of the Cherifian Kingdom (Morocco) and the Kingdom of Spain : Creation

08:30 p.m. Bab Makina

Antonella Ruggiero - (Italy)
Sacrarmonia with the Arké Quartett and Ivan Ceccarelli - percussions

Wednesday 7 June

Volubilis :
- Songs of the Brotherhoods of Morocco, - El Boussairi - (Marocco)

Thursday 8 June
04:30 p.m. - Batha Museum

Black Voices –« Spiritual Journey » Sacred songs A capella (England)

08:30 p.m. Bab Makina

Enrico Macias and Lotfi Bouchnak - (France and Tunisia)

Friday 9 June
04:30 p.m. - Batha Museum

Aygun Baylar - (Aïzerbadjan)
– Mugam from Azerbaïdjan - Mystical songs

08:30 p.m. Bab Makina

Saber Rebaï - (Tunisia)
Songs of Abou al Hassan ash-Shusturi

Saturday 10 June
04:30 p.m. - Batha Museum

Mystical songs of the Women of the Maghreb - (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia)

08:30 p.m. Bab Makina

First part: Cantates pour la Mare Nostrum – Mômeludies : Children Chœur with Romain Didier and Enzo Enzo (France)

Salif Keita - « M’bemba » (Mali)

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Bhiri - Malek majiti ya rajel

Have just been listening to some music I have never heard before - Bhiri - Malek majiti ya rajel - anyone know anything about it?

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Moroccans win top places in Arabic calligraphy.

When 150 participants from 35 Arab and Islamic countries lined up in Sharjah in the UAE for a contest in Arabic calligraphy, the pressure was on and, brushes and nibs at the ready, they waited for the starting pistol... Or maybe not. Actually I have no idea how they run a calligraphy contest. Maybe it is judged on neatness? Spelling? Content? Anyway, what I do know is that as the contestants bent over their scrolls, the organisers had set up a display of more than 700 Arabic calligraphies.



At the end of the contest Moroccans Hakim Ghazali and Abdellah Hariri, emerged with the 1st and 2nd prizes. As I am in the UAE next week I will try and find time to check it out. If you are passing through Sharjah, the exhibition will run until June 11. Among scheduled activities there is an Arab calligraphy International conference and a number of workshops on this subject

According to experts, the Moroccans were awarded the prizes for their particular and unique handwriting, as well as innovation and modernism, The international jury believe the value of the this year's contest is high as this is the first Arab competition in the calligraphy field.

The sponsors of the contest organised the ceremony in "Borj Al Arab" in Dubai to congratulate first prize winner Ghazali, who just came back with the first prize of the international calligraphy contest in Hamburg (Germany).

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Marrakech-Menara airport upgrades to 3.8 million passengers a year

The Marrakech-Menara airport has opened a new terminal that will boost the airport capacity to upwards of 3.8 million passengers a year. The new 4,600 sq. metre terminal was inaugurated by equipment and transport minister, Karim Ghellab. It will be operated by the Atlas-Blue company, subsidiary of Morocco's airliner Royal Air Maroc (RAM), and able to receive up to 800,000 passengers a year.

Atlas Blue, which started operating in October 2004 and has to date carried over 820,000 passengers, also received a new Airbus A 321 plane to reinforce its fleet and raise the number of aircraft to seven. RAM CEO, Driss Benhima said the low fare airliner is considering the introduction of another two aircraft by 2013.

Minister Ghellab hailed the airport extension, pointing out that it raises the reception capacity of the Marrakech-Menara airport to 3.8 million passengers a year, adding the construction of the third terminal one will be begun in 2007.


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Ten things to do in Fez

Sadly many tourists only schedule a couple of days in Fez. They leave knowing they could have spent at least a couple of weeks exploring the Medina and taking trips to Volubilis and Meknes. So for those who have limited time, here is a quick check list. There are, of course, a dozen other places that could be added, but this will do as a starting point.

Merinid Tombs.

This is a fascinating area north of the medina where the ruins of the once magnificent palace and necropolis dating back to the 16th century are perched on the hillside overlooking Fes, offering a good view of the city below. Once magnificently clad in marble they have been looted by thieves over the centuries, leaving only the bare shells behind.

Below the tombs are the old remains of the city's wall dating back to the 12th century, built as a defence against marauding tribes and incorporating the leper quarters that were there at that time.

The Souks

Also known as the markets, a wonderful area with all kinds of wares and crafts on display, each in its own allocated area or street which probably has remained unchanged for hundreds of years. Everything you need for a magical Aladin theme, from slippers and spices to carpets and genie lamps to be found here. The whole area is saturated with history and interesting stalls, nooks and crannies. Right in the centre of the Souks is the kissaria, where luxury items and export specialities of the area such as colourful, rich brocades and silks or intricate jewellery are sold. Take a taxi to Fez el-Bali near the Ech Cherabliyine Mosque and explored the area on foot.

Musee des Armes

This is a 16th century fortress was commissioned by the Saadian sultan Ahmed El -Mansour and stands on a raised area overlooking the city. The building houses an amazing collection of weapons (at least 8000 pieces) from all over the world and date back to prehistoric times. Intricately decorated silver daggers and other priceless pieces are on display in chronological order in 16 different rooms in the building. Many of these were donated by various Alaouite sultans, one of whom being the Moulay Hassan I.

Fondouk el-Nejjarine

This is probably the most well known building in Fes and was declared a national monument in 1916 and a World Heritage Site. Built as a stopover for trading caravans in the 18th century it currently holds a privately run Museum of Wood which has beautiful displays of the unique wood carving skills that the Moroccans are famous for. The elegant fountain and delicate arches on the interior are prime examples of the craftsmanship and love of beauty that is so typically Moroccan. The building is near to the Henna Souk area of Fes el-Bali.

Bou Inania Medersa

A medersa is an institute which serves as a blend of cultural, religious and eductional upliftment and those in Morocco were of top quality and held in high regard. This lovely building, built in 1350, has much worth admiring and has served as a combination of student residence, mosque and school. The central courtyard is paved with onyx and marble and is enclosed by a cloister on three sides. Beautiful friezes, stuccowork and stained glass windows in a Moorish architectural setting blend together forming the uniqueness and richness that is typical of Moroccan style and craftsmanship. This is one of the few Islamic religious buildings open to non muslims and is well worth the visit.

Sofitel Palais Jamai

Spoil yourself rotten! This 19th century hotel which is located above the medina (which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List). The hotel was originally built in 1879 for the Grand Vizir of Jamaïa and is surrounded by superb gardens and the architecture is truly gorgeous. So don your jellaba (loose traditional tunic) or silken kaftan robes and float around like royalty for a night. With the reputation of being the most beautiful hotel in the country, it would be easy to play the role of Berber princess or swashbuckling sultan in this 101 Arabian Nights setting.

Sample Moroccan specialities and pots of mint tea or international and French cuisine at their 3 restaurants. Very pricey but worth it for those who are used to being treated like royalty.

Musee Dar el-Batha

This museum is a few minutes walk from Bab Boujeloud and is housed in a palace built in 1873 by Moulay el-Hassan. There is a impressive tiled courtyard with a fountain and a beautiful Andalusian garden encompassing the area. You may need some time to properly take in all the displays that are spread over 12 rooms in the building. 11th century gold embossed leatherbound books, Andalusian manuscripts dating back to the 8th and examples of illuminated calligraphy will be of interest to bookworms, historians and scholars.

Fine old specimens of Moroccan craftsmanship such as Berber jewellery, ceramics, embroidery and calendabras and other everyday articles used hundreds of years ago can be seen in rooms 2 to 5 of the museum. Woodwork has always been a highly esteemed craft in Morocco with exotic woods such as cedar, thuya and citron used for beautifully designed chests and furniture examples of which are on display. Zellij tilework adorns most mosques and fine buildings in the country and the display of this colourful art is not to be missed.

Le Palais de Fes

15 Rue Makhfia. Take in the stunning view of the medina of Fes from the terrace while enjoying authentic Moroccan cuisine at this restaurant. The building was an old residence and has been adapted to accommodate group bookings and even has a carpet shop on one floor. All you need to complete the picture is an obliging genie and you could be away on a magic carpet ride over the city.

Dar el- Makhzen

This is a palatial complex in the centre of Fes el-Jedid which still serves as residence to the King of Morocco when he is in the area. Surrounded by high walls and guarded by huge bronze doors set in an imposing Moorish gateway which remains permanently shut are palaces (yes, more than one) and official government buildings. Until 1912 Fes el-Jedid was the administrative centre of the country.

The brass and bronzed doors are richly decorated with intricate engravings and are particularly impressive. Apart from the palaces and offices there are gardens, a zoo, mosque and medersa (Koranic school).

Sefrou - A side trip

Take a bus trip to the nearby town of Sefrou if you are in the area in June. This is when the locals celebrate the harvest of the cherries. Join in the festivities and the procession to the tomb of the prophet Daniel, which is in the Kef el-Moumen Caves up the river. The festival continues for several days and culminates in a colourful procession and the coronation of the Cherry Queen.

Experience the folklore of the area through the folk dancing and singing. If you are lucky a fantasia may be held. This is a colourful display of horsemanship where the riders get to show off their riding skills, beautiful steeds and elaborate saddles.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Moroccan fashion grows in popularity

The influence of Moroccan fashion is spreading worldwide. According to fashion expert, Rachida Alaoui (Medina Shop Online) , it comes from a long tradition and an ancient heritage.

The burnous, the caftan, the jellaba, the haÃk and other garments are signs of how Moroccan urban clothes have spread throughout time. The blooming of dress traditions from their Andalusian heritage and the Moorish and Spanish fashions long interested the western travelers and ambassadors from the 16th to 18th centuries, and "oriental" fashions conquered the 19th century Romantics, as well as Matisse in the 20th century.

Traditional garments have constantly evolved, with new fabrics, colors and patterns, integrating foreign influences - oriental, Andalusian, Ottoman, and finally European - but have always maintained their predominant position and social meaning, in spite of modernity and the appearance of western clothes. This special vitality has been noticed by French fashion designers, such as Mariano Fortuny, Paul Poiret and Yves Saint Laurent, who, with bright and original designs, have used Moroccan patterns, styles and ornaments in their creations, and have been irresistibly influenced by the enchanting splendor of Moroccan garments.

Not everyone can make the trip to Morocco to explore the wonderful souqs of Fez or Marrakech, but there is certainly no lack of opportunity to find Moroccan fashion online. A quick search will reveal thousands of enterprises selling Moroccan goods.

In the UK one of the most well established is Moroccan Bazaar. Established in 1970, the firm has been at the forefront of the supply of fine Moroccan artifacts for over three decades. Situated in Park Royal North West London, they also run a worldwide service through their website.

In the USA one of the major importers who sells via the web is Just Morocco.

At the end of the day, buying online is not the same as purchasing something from deep in the medina, where, exhausted but exhilarated by the bargaining, you can at least refresh yourself with a cup of mint tea and the thought that your purchase comes with some great memories of Morocco.



Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb Moroccan Fashion

The Russians Rock Rabat!

An interesting report in the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) describes what must have been a very entertaining evening in Rabat when the legendary Red Army Ensemble came to town.

Prince Moulay Rachid, younger brother of king Mohammed VI, attended, Wednesday in the Rabat Mohammed V Theater, the concert of the academic ensemble of chorus of the Alexandrov red army, in its first show outside Russia.

But hold it right there. "...in its first show outside Russia" ?? Not quite true. At last count the ensemble has toured more than 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. One of the most famous tours, and one of which I have wonderful memories, was the outrageous teaming up with the Finish punk rock band, the Leningrad Cowboys.


In June 1993 the Leningrad Cowboys pulled off the most amazing production: "Total Balalaika Show", a joint concert with the full 160-member Russian Red Army Ensemble. The event was described by Variety magazine as "the most incongruous - and inspired – crosscultural pairing since Nureyev danced with Miss Piggy".


The setting for this sensational show was grandiose: the biggest stage ever built in Finland, in the Senate Square in Helsinki and witnessed by an enthusiastic audience of 70.000 people!

The Helsinki concert was followed in 1994 with a second Balalaika-joint-concert of the Leningrad Cowboys and the Red Army Ensemble. The "NOKIA Balalaika Show" took place at Berlin’s Lustgarten, where 60.000 people enjoyed the concert, which witnessed the farewell march of the allied troops. The show started with Beethoven, was followed by familiar hits like “Let’s work together” & "Gimme all your lovin" --- ending up in spectacular fireworks. All together, the Berlin concert received fantastic global media coverage and highly positive response.

The Red Army Choir have a long and interesting history. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945, the Ensemble performed around fifteen hundred concerts for the Red Army fighters.

Back in Russia, the Ensemble concert teams perform at military unit locations, military academies, military hospitals, Moscow squares, and the Moscow region towns as well as "hot beds", remote military bases, Russian towns and abroad, maintaining and developing best traditions set by its founder Major General A.V. Alexandrov, the People's Artist of the USSR. In the last couple of years the Alexandrov followers visited the Dniester Republic, Tajikistan and Chechnya regions.

The Ensemble repertoire consists of above two thousand musical and vocal compositions, among them: the Russian folk song Kalinka (arrow-wood), military song Zemlyanka (trench shelter), Den' Pobedy (the Victory Day) "full with tears in the eyes", the Russian and World classics, folklore songs, gypsy romances, spiritual music and around 15 dancing compositions. But I digress... back to Rabat and the report from MAP.


In his welcome address, culture minister, Mohamed Achaari, deemed that the presence of Prince Moulay Rachid evidences the excellence of relations between Morocco and Russia. He underlined that the excellence of these relations is not only serving bilateral cooperation, but also the promotion of peace, justice and equity worldwide.

For his part, Russian ambassador in Morocco, Alexandre Tokovinine said such events contribute to the consolidation of cultural links between the two countries.

The chorus, which was orchestrated by Lev Koulikov, charmed the audience with the choreographic shows titled "Invitation to Dance," "Marine Dance," "Cossack Dance," and "The Palech Box."

It also played Morocco’s national anthem.


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Asphyxia deaths in Morocco blamed on gas heaters.

Over the last year there have been a surprising number of asphyxiation deaths in Morocco and although gas leakage was suspected it had never been tested. Now the proof is in. Research on the incidents show that a majority are caused by gas water-heaters and that inappropriate installation is the main culprit. This was confirmed today by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Salahddine Mezouar (pictured left).


The Minister explained that usually the incidents take place because of a lack of suitable ventilation. He pointed out an example of a recent incident in El Jadida where the tragedy happened because of gas leaking from a water-heater, which was installedin a kitchen without a gas evacuation pipe.

According to Mezouar, about 31 water-heater types have been checked since the beginning of the year and of that number only one model has been banned from sale as it does not conform to safety standards.

Mezouar also stressed the need to increase the control of gas water-heater importation as their use has soared owing to their very low price (around USD 40). The number of families that used water-heaters, he underlined, has quadrupled during last three years.


In order to avoid similar incidents, the minister recommended against the use of water-heaters. He also called for checking the quality of attachments such as gas regulators and rubber pipes.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news