Cable Car Plan for Mount Zalagh?

Sketch of proposed "incline rail"

An intriguing article with the above illustration came across our desk at The View from Fez today. The article from a Spanish source suggested that there may soon be official announcements of a proposed cable car and tourist development on Mount Zalagh. Ibn Warraq went to investigate.

The view from Mt Zalagh at night

"Madrid - Sources close to the BSMF Spanish consortium say that CEO M J Martinez will soon announce a deal between BSMF and German group Deutsche AL-SA, to construct a tourist cable car or incline railway and reception / restaurant area on a proposed viewing platform at the top of Mount Zalagh (900m) adjacent to the Moroocan city of Fes."


To say I was bemused would be mild. Why is it that every mountain and landmark needs to be exploited? I was reminded of the Sufi master Abu Madyan: "At the beginning of my spiritual journey, I attended the lectures of several spiritual masters. When I heard the explanation of a Koranic verse or a saying of the Prophet, I used to immerse myself in it completely. I would flee to an uninhabited place on Jebel Zalagh and apply myself to the exercises to which God had inspired me ..." I wonder what the great Abu Madyan would have to say. However, many other people I spoke to thought it was a good idea if the proper safeguards were put in place.

According to Dr Hans Huppel, a design engineer with Deutsche AL-SA "A preliminary feasibility study has gathered information about rock types, wind velocities and suitable areas for the viewing platform. There is also the issue of earthquakes. Tectonic data on the Quaternary stress fields derived from our fieldwork and from literature, consistently with the revised focal mechanisms in the region, indicate active shortening oriented NNW–SSE to N–S in northern Morocco. The data collected seem therefore to indicate the thrusts of the Rides Prérifaines". He went on to say that an environmental impact study would be undertaken in the coming months. "This will be an exciting project linking Spanish investment and German know-how," Dr Huppel enthused.

When pressed about the route the cable car would take, Dr Huppel declined to comment other than to say, "All options are being considered. For example, if an aerial cable system is too wind-effected then an incline railway is possible". Observers suggest that the present road route would not be feasible, nor provide the optimum cost effectivness if an incline model was adopted.

Other sources suggest that any development could be expanded to include a small hotel, but stressed that both the German/Spanish initiative and any accommodation construction would not be allowed to impact on the mountain's skyline profile.

A Fassi tourism consultant, who declined to be named, said that he favoured the project but added a cautionary note. "All the strict planning codes would need to be adhered to and local authorities fully informed on every stage of the project."



Mount Zalagh is popular with mountain bikers and Professor Pat Dangar of Johannesburg, SA (pictured above), said he would welcome a viewing platform and restrooms, as long as the sky-cable option was chosen as an incline railway would probably cut across the mountain's many trails. "Sky would be my pick," he said. "Heck, the last thing I want to do is have to stop on a good ride to let a train go past! But, the view from Mount Zalagh is extraordinary and sadly most visitors are unable to avail themselves of the time or transport needed to enjoy it."

For those interested in further technical information and photographs of the project, please follow this link: Technical Info

Asian flavours in Fez

Sometimes it makes a good change to sample some of the other flavours of Fez, like the Asian restaurant in Avenue Hussein de Jordanie in the new city.


Kai Tai is a new incarnation of an Asian restaurant that had been around for a while, and is opposite the entrance to the Jnan Palace Hotel. It offers Japanese dishes such as sushi, sashimi and teppanyaki, as well as various Thai curries, and is licensed.

The View from Fez team started with a selection of sushi, served with a bowl of miso soup and a salad. In fact, you have to finish your soup and salad before the staff will bring the sushi. The soup is curiously lacking in flavour, though it does contain tofu and fresh mushrooms. The dressing on the cabbage and carrot salad is good. The sushi was served with preserved ginger, wasabi and an insipid soy sauce, and was excellent.


We sampled a Pad Thai with prawns too, as that's a staple of Thai restaurants and a good indicator of authenticity. It was served with three prawns and lemon to taste, and we asked for some chilli. It was pretty good.

Prices are reasonable. The serving of 14 pieces of sushi (with a couple of pieces of sashimi included) was Dh135 and the Pad Thai Dh85. A bottle of very pleasing Medaillon white wine cost Dh200. But the service leaves a lot to be desired. There's no maitre d', and the waiters have to be greatly encouraged to do their job.

With its bamboo theme and pared-down decor, Kai Tai is pleasant way to spend an evening. It may not be Moroccan food, but the Moroccan patrons love it.

Major Hotel Developments in Morocco

While many people visiting Morocco prefer to stay in a traditional riad or dar, there are those who feel more at home in a major hotel. On The View from Fez we have often featured new riads opening across the country, but today we update the latest news about the big hotel chain, Ramada.

Ramada Fez

According to the UK Independent, "...In a boost to Morocco's burgeoning tourism market, the owner of the Ramada hotel group has announced that it plans to construct eight properties in the North African country.

At the opening of the new Ramada Fes, Fawaz Majid Al Badr, the CEO of hotel owner the Al-Tameer investment group, told reporters and guests that the Kuwaiti group would build a further seven properties in the country.

Al Badr is quoted by the ANSAmed news agency as giving the locations as "in Marrakesh, Rabat, Casablanca and Agadir."

Pool at the Ramada Fez

The new $14m (€10.4m) Ramada Fes boasts 133 rooms, three restaurants and a spa.

The support of Ramada will be a welcome boost to the Moroccan government's program to increase tourism income, which has been reduced to 2007 levels by the global economic downturn.

In 2001, Moroccan King Mohamed VI laid out plans to reach 10 million tourists per year by 2010, helped in part by the creation of six major tourism sites on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines and the creation of 15,000 rooms in Morocco's major cities.

Whilst building work in six resorts of Mogador, Lixus, Mazagan, Saidia, Taghazout and the Plage Blanche is still underway, tourist arrivals, particularly from Europe, have boomed.

According to official figures, tourist arrivals went from 4.3m in 2001 to 7.8 million in 2008, making the 10 million mark a real possibility (despite the downturn) by the end of the year. Inbound visitors from France make up the majority of arrivals - accounting for 1.7 million visitors in 2008."

Musical Journey through the Fez Medina

The View from Fez recently reported on the Night in the Medina planned for Monday 7 June as part of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music. We now have the full programme:

Ben Danan Synagogue, Mellah, Fes el-Jdid at 20h00 and 21h30 - Gülay Hacer Toruk and ensemble from Turkey: Sacred and popular songs of Anatolia


Gülay (pictured above) was born in Turkey but has lived most of her life in France. She has dedicated her life to the music of Turkey and the Balkans, and also works with Greeks, Bulgarians, Azeris, Armenians and Iranians.

Riad Mokri, Oued Souafine, Ziat at 20h00 and 23h30 -Ustad Gholam Hossain and his ensemble from Afghanistan: Rabab lute and Sufi songs

In partnership with the Aga Khan Initiative for the Music of Central Asia (AKMICA) this concert will be held in one of the most beautiful riads in the medina.

Riad Mokri at 21h00 - Camille and Clement Ducol from France: 'God is sound: prayers of the world', and Bach, 'Le Canon Perpetuel

Camille Ducol

Dar Adiyel, Oued Rchacha, Guerniz at 20h00 and 22h00 - Epi from Mongolia: Nomad songs from the Steppes

Dar Adiyel serves as a music conservatory. Epi plays a horse-head fiddle and performs overtone and undertone chant.

Dar Adiyel at 21h00 - Rajab Suleiman Qanun Trio from Tanzania: Oriental music of Zanzibar

Rajab Suleiman

The most famous of all taarab musicians in Tanzania, Rajab's concert will include taarab songs, traditional ngoma tunes and rhythms, references to the classical Arab and Turkish qanun compositions and taqasim (solo qanun) pieces.

Dar Pacha Tazi, Derb Sidi l'Khayat, Batha at 21h00 - Musicians of the Nile from Upper Egypt: Tanoura and stick dance by the Mizmar Baladi ensemble from Luxor.

Les Musiciens du Nil.

This group is very well known in world music circles, having performed with Peter Gabriel and many others. The mizmar is the Egyptian hautbois or type of oboe and the tabla baladi is a large double-skinned drum. They also play the arghoul, a type of clarinet of Pharoanic times.

The circular Tanoura dance recollects the whirling dervishes of Konya. The dancer wears multicoloured robes that swirl out around him as he turns in ecstatic trance.

Batha Museum at 21h00 - Kiya and Ziya Tabassian: sitar and tombak music from Iran.

In partnership with the Canadian Arts Council and the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres of Quebec, this concert promises both ancient and contemporary Iranian music.

Batha Museum at 23h00 - The Constantinople Ensemble and the Barbara Furtuna Ensemble.

Corsican ensemble Barbara Furtuna

These two ensembles will join forces with Kiya and Ziya Tabassian for a concert entitled 'Canti di a Terra'. The Constantinople Ensemble from Montreal (who performed at the Festival some years ago with Francoise Atlan) features a quatuor and offers Corsican polyphonic song from the heart of the Mediterranean as well as ancient Persian music.

Moroccan Photography Competition #12

Today's entry comes from Chandra Chase.

Stork in Fez - Photographer Chandra Chase

(Click image to enlarge)

Chandra took this picture of a stork (they have a wonderfully onomatopoeic local name - lac-lac!) on her recent visit to Fez. You will find stories of her travels here: Chandraland

Moroccan Photography Competition #11

James Ashby from Canada has submitted today's entry in The View from Fez Moroccan Photography Competition.

Breakfast on the roof of a riad in Marrakesh, april 2009

Photographer James Asbey (click image to enlarge)

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

A regularly updated collection of all the photographs is now available on The View from Fez Photo Journal

Moroccan News Briefs

Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed al Nahyan victim of glider crash in Morocco

Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed al Nahyan, chairman of the board of trustees of the Zayed Foundation for Charity and Humanitarian Works and managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, was a victim of a glider crash, on Friday near the Moroccan capital, Rabat.

The Sheik is a younger brother of the ruler of Abu Dhabi, who is also president of the United Arab Emirates, but is not immediately in line for succession. Reports say the pilot of the glider was rescued and is in good condition. The search for the sheik was continuing. It is believed that the glider crashed in a lake.

The pilot, a Spanish man, was recovering today in a Rabat hospital, said Maria-José Martinez, a representative of the Spanish Embassy in Rabat, referring to the man as a co-pilot.

Moroccan gendarmerie were stationed along roads leading to the lake on Saturday, and security officials barred access to the promontory near where Sheikh Ahmed disappeared.

The lake, near farmland and valleys, is a popular spot for recreation and fishing.

Sheikh Ahmed was 27th on last year’s Forbes list of the world’s most powerful people. He is the chairman of the board of trustees of the Zayed Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian Works.

He is well known in Oum Azza, a tiny farming village several kilometres from the crash site, where locals say he has often given charity to poor families when visiting.

Maya Gold & Silver Resumes Drilling at the Amizmiz Gold Project

There are hopeful signs for precious metal production in Morocco. Maya released a statement today saying that it was pleased to announce that it had initiated its 2010 drilling program with two drill rigs. The drill program will consist of 35 to 40 diamond drill holes for approximately 6,000 metres. Untested high priority targets remain to be followed-up and a numerous rich gold and silver showings associated to strong IP anomalies discovered recently will be tested.

Hole A-1 is in progress at 175 metres with a 90 degree azimuth and 45 degree dip to test the southern part of the TIQLIT geophysical anomaly.

Guy Goulet, President & CEO said "We are extremely pleased to resume the drilling program on our Amizmiz Project. We also look forward to announce the new drill results from our property".

Moroccan Telco may sell stake

Reuters is reporting that Morocco's second-biggest telecoms firm, Meditel, is in talks with several foreign operators to sell a stake in the company, although no deal has been agreed for now, its managing director said on Thursday.

Meditel, which competes with former monopoly Maroc Telecom, has said it has the know-how to grow on its own after the loss last year of two major investors, Spain's Telefonica and Portugal Telecom.

Their stakes of 32.2 percent each were sold to Moroccan private group Finance.com and state investment vehicle CDG for $1.15 billion in September.

Finance.com and CDG said at the time they were not ruling out the possibility of a new shareholder if it added to Meditel's value. They also say they are open to a listing of Meditel on the Casablanca stock exchange.

"Of course, we are constantly solicited by foreign operators and responses are made," Meditel's Managing Director Mohamed Elmanjra told reporters during a presentation of its 2009 results in Casablanca.

"Nothing is closed. There are ... talks with lots of foreign operators," he said. "But to say that something is done or signed is not at all the case."

Emirates Telecommunications Corp. (Etisalat) has said it is still interested in Morocco after losing out in the bidding for the Spanish and Portuguese stakes last year.

The Mawazine "battle of the bands"!

According to the online journal Magharebia, judges for fifth Mawazine Generation talent contest are zeroing in on Morocco's up-and-coming musical talent in a first round of eliminations that began March 15th in Meknes.

Musicians are in hot competition for the grand prize: a three-year recording deal, help producing an album and videos, national distribution and the possibility of performing at the 9th Mawazine World Rhythms Festival in May.

Elimination rounds will also be held in Marrakech on March 27th, Agadir on April 3rd, Casablanca on April 10th and Rabat on April 17th. The competition, launched February 15th, has attracted musicians in all genres, including hip-hop, fusion, rap and electronic music.

Morocco and Turkey - announce "sister cities"

Turkey's parliament speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin, who is currently paying a formal visit to Morocco, met with Casablanca's Regional Governor Mohammad Halab. Sahin said, "there have been positive relations between the parliaments of Turkey Morocco. The two countries signed Interparliamentary Cooperation Protocol on March 25."

Sahin also welcomed signing of sister city agreement between Casablanca and Istanbul, "I believe that this agreement will further boost bilateral relations."


Ali Sahin met with Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi of Morocco in capital Rabat on March 25.

Do Moroccans Trust Obama?

Morocco Business News is carrying and interesting report that states that the majority of Moroccans have no confidence in the American President Barack Obama, revealed a survey conducted recently by the research agency Sunergia.

Commissioned by the Moroccan daily L'Economiste, the survey found that 57% of Moroccans do not trust President Obama's rapprochement strategy towards the Arab and Muslim world, against 36%.

The study conducted in February showed that more men distrust the American president than women, as two out of three men's responses were negative, compared to 53% among women.

Concerning the Palestinian cause, most Moroccans doubted Obama's ability to solve this problem, although young people (below 40) were more pessimistic than old ones who were little hopeful.

Moreover, an overwhelming majority of respondents agreed that the Zionist lobby has great influence over American policies in the Middle East.

Thus, more than 80% of Moroccans said that the American administration's submission to the Zionist lobby will prevent any solution to the Middle Ease problem.

It is worth nothing that the survey addressed a representative sample of 603 people through the phone, from all over Morocco.

However, L'Economiste voiced its amazement, in an article titled "Bizarre, Bizarre!", over the fact that at the beginning a third of respondents declined to answer the question concerning America.

It explained that these people answered most of the form's questions except those relating to America and the American president, which pushed the research agency to reconstruct its sample.

"It was an incredible surprise," says the daily on its Wednesday publication, adding that the problem was not a refusal to answer the whole survey and not because it was commissioned by the L'Economiste or conducted by Sunergia.

The problem was simply that they refused to answer the questions concerning America and its policies in the Arab world, it further explained, expressing its inability to understand why.

Moroccan Photography Competition #10

Today's entry in The View from Fez photography competition comes from Nabta Idries

Morocco - Photographer Nabta Idries.

(click image to enlarge)

Nabta Idries says that she took her photographs in Morocco last spring. She has sent us several photographs and we will feature another at a later date.

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

A regularly updated collection of all the photographs is now available on The View from Fez Photo Journal

Travel Writing about Morocco #30

It is a while since we took a look at travel writing about Morocco. You will find our series archive here: Travel Writing Index. Our occasional series usually looks at professional travel writers and journalists, but today Ibn Warraq turns his attention to blogs. Here is his report.

There are some superb blogs about Morocco. In my view a top list would include Talk Morocco, Ibn Kafka, Morocco Blogs and Pres du Puis. By the way. Talk Morocco has been shortlisted for the Deutsche Welle Blog awards... you can vote for it on the link. However, what about travellers who drop into Morocco and blog about it? Fortunately many of these are fun to read. Then there are the "others"!

Today I came across one of these "others". The blog post was so startlingly ill-informed that it is worth a read, much like a cautionary tale. While it is true that on a first trip to a new country it is very easy to be a little disorientated. Happily, most people do a bit of research before touching down. Sadly, some don't.

The blog post, Young, Broke and Abroad, makes interesting reading. Now it would be petty to critique someone's "first impressions", but basic observational skills would have been an advantage to the blogger. Here are the opening paragraphs...

Travel gives me perspective. My view of life was sharped by a trip to Morocco. Over a five day journey we ventured into Morocco and drove all around the country. We stopped in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakesh and Fez.

We saw the “real” Morocco of the small towns in the Berber Mountains – we even met a Berber family and had mint tea in their home. While in Fez, the biggest city to the East in Morocco – I became wildly aware of how GOOD we have it at home. This old City center or Medina is in the top 100 world heritage sites – which is a fancy way of saying it operates exactly how it did 200 years ago.

So far so good, apart from the comment about 200 years ago which ignores education, literacy, Iphones, Facebook, internet, WIFI, ATMs, credit cards and so on, which are all part of the Medina. But what took my breath away was what followed.

Running water is almost non existent and meat is cut with lumberjack looking saws that hang and drip blood everywhere. Meat is packed in lard and plastic due to the lack of refrigeration.

For a start, the water supply to Fez has been around since about the 11th Century and is a marvel of early engineering that has been the subject of many international studies. Water is plentiful. And refrigeration? The Medina is full of refrigerators... and look... what is that behind the head of the camel in the photograph? Mmm... yes, a refrigerator.

UPDATE

The author of the blog, Chandra, kindly took the time to respond to us, for which we thank her. It is always good when a conversation can be entered into. Here is part of what Chandra had to say.

"In response to what you posted about my personal blog entry: Yes, we are very well aware that technology has come into parts of the old medina - but, it is not everywhere. Also I said a lack of refrigeration, not NO refrigeration. Yes, I do know there were some refrigerators... like in the picture, that is why I said a "Lack" of refrigeration, not that the technology does not exist. In the section of the old medina we were in, almost every vendor was NOT using running water. I just wrote a blog entry of what I saw."

Chandra says that she wrote only about what she saw that day and that's fair. Hopefully she will return to Fez and we can show her more of the Medina. Inshallah - Ibn Warraq

To see all our travel writing stories go here: Travel Writing Index

A Night in the Medina: an innovation for the Fes Festival

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music has come up with an innovative idea this year - a Night in the Medina, where you can wander from one concert to another as you please, at various magnificent palaces and monuments.

Mongolian overtone/undertone singer Enkhjargal Dandarvaanchig, or Epi

From 20h00 on Monday 7 June, you can choose one, two or any number of the seven concerts that will take place throughout the medina and beyond. The venues include the Batha Museum, the festival headquarters Dar Pacha Tazi, Dar Mokri, the music conservatory Dar Adiyel and the Ben Danan Synagogue museum in the Mellah.

There will be a different artist at each venue. You might, for example, like to see the Mongolian Epi playing his 'horsehead fiddle' or morin hoor and singing his amazing overtone/undertone chants.

You might prefer Sufi songs from Afghanistan with Ustad Gholam Hossain, Iranian sitar and tombak (drum) with Kiya and Ziya Tabassian, or even Sufi music and dance from Luxor with Les Musiciens du Nil.

Iranian Kiya Tabassian

The Festival office has not yet let us know which artist will be at which venue. And admittedly, it's quite a way from the Ben Danan Synagogue to Dar Adiyel, so careful choosing is required. We'd suggest groupings of venues such as the Synagogue/Batha Museum/Dar Pacha Tazi, or Dar Mokri/Dar Adiyel. If anyone manages to get to all seven venues in the course of the evening, let us know!

If you're coming to Fez for the festival, Fez Riads has accommodation in traditional medina guesthouses at various prices, and a ticket-collection service where your festival tickets are delivered straight to your guesthouse.

R'cif facelift continues in Fez.

The disruption of traffic at R'cif continues, but all in a good cause. The new bus and taxi ranks are in place (even if the taxis ignore them) and work continues on façades. The new face of R'cif will look very elegant ; once work is completed.

The arch being hauled into place
(click image to enlarge)

The exciting news is that the main new gate is well under construction. Today saw the erection of a major arch which will become the entrance to the public pedestrian space. While this is exciting, locals say it may well be another 18 months before work is completed. In the meantime The View from Fez will keep you updated.

If you have not seen the grand plan, check it out here: R'cif Facelift

Moroccan Photography Competition #9

This entry in The View from Fez photo competition is from Jerome Lorieau.

Coffee shop in Fez - Photographer Jerome Lorieau

Jerome Lorieau says: I am pleased to send you this photograph taken in October 2008.

I took this picture on a journey through Morocco while exploring its Imperial Medinas. I came across this tiny traditional looking café when walking through the Medina. I must say that I could not resist having a mint tea in it while observing the busy street life and hearing the lively conversation of the card players in the café.
I really enjoyed wandering the streets and lanes of Fez, having the feeling of getting lost and losing every sense of direction. As a travel photographer, I visited many places but nothing fascinated me more than the ancient city of Fez. Unfortunately I only stayed 3 days in the Medina. However, I already plan to come back in 2010 and spend more time in Fez in order to experience for longer its everyday life, its people and to document its culture

If you wish to see more about my Imperial Moroccan Imperial Medinas series, please visit the following page: http://www.jeromelorieau.com/gallery_221528.html

New Medina restaurant: Najmat Souafine

It's always good to find a new, quality restaurant in the Fez medina. The View from Fez takes a look at Najmat Souafine.

Tucked away in Ziat at 9 Oued Souafine near Riad Mokri, the restaurant has graceful arches inside that make it look like a French cave. In fact, the building was originally a mill with the Oued (stream) Souafine flowing by it, says co-owner Bernard Pelay.


The man behind the cosy and stylish decor is Hassan el Jniouni, who is also the other co-owner of Najmat Souafine (najmat means 'star' in Arabic). Hassan is not only a designer but an accomplished chef. He has designed the menu and his nephew, Mohamed el Jniouni, does the cooking. Hassan explains that the menu is traditional Moroccan, but with an emphasis on fresh, light and non-greasy food.

The View from Fez team was presented with some crudites with a yoghurt dip while deciding what to eat. There's no menu, but the friendly waitress will explain what's on offer and there are two or three choices for first and main courses. We started with a tasty pumpkin soup served with delicious fresh bread. A suprise was an extra course of briouates (b'stilla pastry parcels), one with fish and the other a blander soft cheese and cabbage.

The main course option of fish was pageot, a whole fish rolled in chermoula and grilled, and was perfect. The accompanying vegetable purees were less successful. Our other main course was a coquelet, a miniature chicken, which was well cooked and delicately spiced. It was served with superb cinnamon and raison couscous. All this was followed by fresh orange and strawberries.

The service was efficient and unobtrusive and the atmosphere pleasant. We found that serving the food on unwarmed plates meant that it was not as hot as it could have been. We'd also like to see more ambient lighting such as candles or lanterns, or even dimmer switches.

Lunch at Najmat Souafine is Dh120 and dinner Dh150 per person.

Moroccan Photography Competition #8

The latest entry in our photography competition comes from William Sherlock

In the Rif - photographer William Sherlock

(click image to enlarge)

William says that this photograph was taken in the Rif about an hour north east from Fez.

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

A regularly updated collection of all the photographs is now available on The View from Fez Photo Journal

Jazzablanca - Jazz Festival

From the 7th of April through until the 16th, 2006, Casablanca will host an exceptional jazz festival. Great names of Jazz and R&B will include Michel Jonasz, Lamiela, John Lee Hooker Jr, Al Jarreau, Lucky Peterson, Manu Katché, Billy Paul and Diane Reeves.

For jazz lovers the line-up is pretty impressive, but there has been a move in this fifth edition to broaden the range of music and the move looks to be a popular one, judging by local press reports.

Our concert picks are: Friday April 7: Michel Jonasz, John Lee Hooker Jr on Sunday April 9, Monday 10 Tuesday April 11: Al Jarreau and the hommage to Weather Report on the 14th.

Hommage à Weather Report

Also of interest may be the concert by Clint Eastwood's son Kyle Eastwood on the 16th. Prices range from 60 MAD, up to VIP packages for all concerts and events at 4000 MAD.

For more information go here: Jazzablanca

Spring in Fez

A recent visit to the garden nursery in the Mellah showed the View from Fez team that spring has arrived in Fez.

the Mellah nursery

The river running through the nursery was in full spate after recent heavy rains. The results of this rain is evident in the superb array of vegetables now available in the medina souks - much better than you'd find in any of the Ville Nouvelle supermarkets.

Orange flower buds are now for sale throughout the medina. Moroccans use them to make orange flower water in home stills - the water is then used as a cosmetic and to flavour food, particularly desserts and pastries, and for sprinkling around the house. It's also used in Sufi ceremonies. You can see these small zinc stills being made in some medina shops, and sometimes you might spot an old copper still, particularly in Seffarine square. On a walk through the gardens at Dar Pacha Tazi, the air was redolent with the scent of orange blossom.

Orange flower buds for sale at Saghra market

With sunny weather and temperatures in the low twenties Celsius forecast for the next week, spring is definitely in the air.

Moroccan Photography Competition #7

Today's entry in The View from Fez photography competition is from Fez resident, Vanessa Bonnin.

Fez Derb - photographer Vanessa Bonnin
(Click image to enlarge)

Vanessa has this to say about her photograph

This photo was taken just outside my house on Derb Moulay Ismael. Just happened to have my camera as I'd been photographing the progress of our renovations...I love the way he's using both the wall and his walking stick for support. His pace was slow indeed, but somehow encompassed the unhurried way of life here in the Medina

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

A regularly updated collection of all the photographs is now available on The View from Fez Photo Journal

Maghreb Arab Press Founder Dies

The founder and first director of Morocco's MAP news agency, Mehdi Bennouna, died at the age of 92 early Tuesday in Rabat after a long illness, his family reported.



Mehdi Bennouna was buried on Tuesday evening in the northern city of Tetuan.

The late Benouna took up in 1958-1959 as advisor to the Late king Mohammed V in charge of the press and public relations.

He obtained a diploma in journalism from Egypt in 1941 and worked as journalist in the "Al Ahram" daily until 1944. During his stay in Cairo, he took part in setting up the Almaghreb Al Aqsa Defense Committee. He returned to Morocco in 1944 to work as a teacher, and participated in the creation of the workers’ trade union.
In the UN, he founded the liaison office of independence movements of North African countries (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).

In 1959, Mehdi Bennouna launched Morocco’s MAP news agency, which he headed till 1975.

HM King Mohammed VI sent a condolence message to the family of late Mehdi Bennouna and in his message expressed his heartfelt condolences and sincere compassion in this hard ordeal.

The death of late Mehdi Bennouna is a painful loss not only for his family, but also for his homeland Morocco, the sovereign underlined, lamenting the passing on of such pioneering activist of the national movement in the Kingdom.

M Bennouna devoted his life to the struggle for independence, emancipation and the recovery of national sovereignty and legitimacy, the monarch said.

The late Mehdi Bennouna selflessly endeavored to build the Morocco of unity, progress and democracy, under the reign of late kings Mohammed V and Hassan II, and set an example to follow in terms of loyalty and attachment to the nation's sacred values, HM the King said.

The View From Fez would like to extend its condolences to the family of Mehdi Bennouna.

Moroccan Photography Competition #6

Stewart Herring has today's photograph in the competition

Water-seller in Marrakech. Photographer Stewart Herring

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

A regularly updated collection of all the photographs is now available on The View from Fez Photo Journal

Gazelles hit Morocco - Women Off-Road.

"The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles has a magic formula. Like a rare perfume, the ingredients are secret and impossible to imitate." - Dominique Serra, Creator and General Director of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles

It is the only all-women off-road rally in the world. It is the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles and it takes place in Morocco. This is the 20th anniversary and looking at the rules you can understand that it is no Sunday drive. The rules say that the competitors are forbidden from using GPS, support teams, cell phones, and even modern maps. What can they use? - only maps from the 1950s and compasses to guide them! Keen navigation skills combined with strategic off-road driving are essential for the success of the participating Gazelles.



This year their are 110 teams from 14 countries and they will be racing all the way through to Essaouira, Morocco on Saturday, March 27th. Each team will have paid around 14,350 euros (about $19,500) to register embarked on the roughly 2,500-kilometer trek (about 1,550 miles) from Nejjakh to Foum-Zguid. The competitive part of the rally, which includes parts of the High Atlas mountains and the Sahara,

The Rallye Aicha des Gazelles was founded in 1990 by Dominque Serra and is managed by Maienga Communications, France. The event, held annually in Morocco, is the only all-women's rally raid in the world. The rally is also known for extensive humanitarian and environmental efforts and initiatives: Each day, rally crews disassemble team tents and clean up the site. Not one piece of garbage is left behind, not one tent peg is forgotten.

You can find out more at the official site: Rally Info

Moroccan Photography Competition #5

Fez - Photographer Tamsin

Todays entry comes from Tamsin who says: "To me, this image captures Fez: there is the wonderful colour of the light, the winding street, the man in his djellaba - not to mention the scaffolding supporting the walls!"

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

A regularly updated collection of all the photographs is now available on The View from Fez Photo Journal

Mosaic fountain for Canada's Moroccan Jews

Over 50 years ago, Moroccan Jews started settling in Toronto, Canada. They now have a beautiful mosaic fountain to remind them of their heritage.

Fountain in Toronto

Kehila Centre executive vice-president Maurice Benzacar said at the unveiling and dedication of the fountain that the community in Toronto is committed to preserving their Moroccan customs and traditions.

The fountain was donated by HM King Mohammed VI to the Sephardic Kehila Centre. Three Moroccan zellijis (mosaic craftsmen) accompanied the fountain to Canada in order to put the finishing touches to this magnificent piece of work.

The Moroccan king’s ambassador to Canada, Nouzha Chekrouni, attended the ceremony to unveil the colourful mosaic fountain located in the foyer of the synagogue.

“This gift is a tribute to all of you,” Chekrouni said.

“Whenever you come to the Kehila Centre, please take a second and stop near the fountain and feel, through the flow of water, the everlasting love that links you to your country wherever you are.”

“This is a very special gift, a gift that is a testament to the strong cultural ties between the Toronto Moroccan Jewish community and the land of our heritage", said Benzacar.

Moroccan Photography Competition #4

In the souq - photographer Clay Chaszeyka

(click image to enlarge)

Clay Chaszeyka submitted today's photograph. Here is what Clay has to say about it:

My name is Clay Chaszeyka, and I am a student in the United States studying for my masters in business administration. I took the photo (below) while on a weekend trip to Fez from Rabat, where I was studying Arabic for 3 months of last year. I also did a promotional video for Rabat (just as a side project for fun) which can be found here. I love Fez and cannot wait to return (especially for another camel burger at Café Clock). Your blog is also great and I read it as often as possible.

All published photographs will automatically be entered in the photography competition in October when The View from Fez celebrates it's fifth birthday. Prizes will be announced nearer that date.

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

A regularly updated collection of all the photographs is now available on The View from Fez Photo Journal

Moroccan Photography Competition #3

Nass - sleeping in Jamaa El Fna (photo: Kerrie Buivydas)

(Click image to enlarge)

This entry is from Kerrie Buivydas in Australia.

"Here is my fav photo taken in Summer whilst walking through Jamaa El Fna. I Would love to meet up with him again and give him this picture which adorns my lounge room wall in Adelaide." Kerrie Buivydas - Inside Morocco

All published photographs will automatically be entered in the photography competition in October when The View from Fez celebrates it's fifth birthday. Prizes will be announced nearer that date.

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

A regularly updated collection of all the photographs is now available on The View from Fez Photo Journal

Moroccan Photography Competition #2

A farnatche in Fez (click to enlarge)

Today's entry comes from Thami Benkirane who has this to say about his beautiful shot:

In traditional Moroccan towns there are communal, public Moorish baths. The responsibility of heating the water falls upon the 'farnatche' (a term that probably comes from the Italian). This man uses sawdust and bits of wood.

In the neighbourhood I grew up in, in the medina, there was a bath and a farnatche. Not long ago I had the chance to go and photograph him. Two shafts of sunlight pierced the shadows through two small, grilled openings high on the wall and the light fell on the large cauldron of boiling water.
I didn't have a tripod or much space to move. That's why the 24mm Nikkor open at 2.8 was necessary

Dans les villes traditionnelles marocaines, il y a des bains maures collectifs et publics. La charge de chauffer l'eau de ces bains est l'apanage du "fernatché" ( terme qui nous vient probablement de l'italien ). Ce dernier use comme combustible les sciures et les chutes de bois.

Dans le quartier de mon enfance, situé dans la médina, se trouve un bain et un fernatché. Il n'y a pas longtemps, j'ai eu le loisir d'aller le photographier. Deux faisceaux de lumière solaire perçaient les ténèbres depuis deux petites ouvertures grillagées pratiquées en haut du mur qui surplombe le gros chaudron où bout l'eau...
Je ne disposais ni de trépied ni de beaucoup de recul. C'est pourquoi le 24 mm Nikkor ouvert à 2.8 s'est révélé nécessaire.

You will find more of Thami's fine photgraphs here.

All published photographs will automatically be entered in the photography competition in October when The View from Fez celebrates it's fifth birthday. Prizes will be announced nearer that date.

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

Free advertising in Fez

Just a reminder that our classified advertisments are here: Artizany! Check them out. The latest postings include a job available in Fez for an English speaking person, and a cute little house to rent at a very affordable rate!

Morocco's Oxford Chair

Here's a little-known fact: the close ties between Britain and Morocco were strengthened by the establishment of The HM King Mohammed VI Chair in St Antony's College at the University of Oxford a few years ago.

St Antony's College, Oxford

The Chair is dedicated to studies on Morocco and the Mediterranean region, particularly in the fields of political science and international relations and the political economy of contemporary Morocco and the Mediterranean. "The objective that guided the establishment of the Chair is to promote research on Morocco," said Michael Willis, a professor at the college, noting that this initiative fills the gap in studies found at this level before the creation of the Chair in 2004.

An initiative of the Moroccan British Society and headed by Morocco's Ambassador to Britain, HH Princess Joumala Lalla Alaoui, the Chair has been working to promote understanding and exchange of knowledge between Morocco and the United Kingdom.

Morocco's Ambassador to London, HH Princess Joumala Lalla Alaoui

“Studies and meetings held since 2004 have helped raise awareness of Morocco and the reforms it has undertaken in all areas,” said Willis, stressing the important role played by academic studies for enhancing understanding.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, hailed the initiative of the MBS, saying it "will serve as a bridge for effective promotion of dialogue and understanding between the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Morocco and the entire region."

"Morocco and Great Britain are two countries linked by long-standing friendly relations," Willis said, noting that the Chair is strengthens these relationships by giving them an important academic and cultural dimension.

More research is being undertaken as part of the Chair, which demonstrates the growing interest enjoyed by Morocco, he said.

A series of high level meetings were held during the last three years at St Antony's College, on the reforms undertaken by Morocco in the political, economic and cultural fields.

These meetings have been attended by eminent Moroccan and British intellectuals, giving them the opportunity to highlight the Moroccan model and its significance as pioneer experience in the region.

St Antony's College is the most cosmopolitan of the seven graduate colleges of the University of Oxford and specialises in international relations, economics, politics and history of particular parts of the world.

Moroccan Photography Competition

Fez photo by Nigel Tradwell (click image to enlarge)

This photograph, sunmitted by The View from Fez reader Nigel Tradwell, is the first in our series of reader's photographs. All published photographs will automatically be entered in the photography competition in October when The View from Fez celebrates it's fifth birthday.

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

The Decline of Cinemas in Morocco

Walking by the the Cinema Boujloud in Fez is a sad experience for anyone who loves old movie houses. This once bustling cinema is closed and used for storage of market goods. The seating was still in place in the auditorium when seen in 2006. Cinema Boujaloud is symptomatic of the Moroccan cinema market which has been suffering a severe decline during the past years.

Old Cinemas are cultural treasures. If you need proof of this go visit Meknes. Cinema Camera opened in 1938, the foyer areas contain beautiful murals by artist Marcel Couderc. Now days the Cinema Camera is a first-run theatre showing mostly foreign films with French subtitles. It also shows Moroccan films, and the occasional Bollywood film.

The age of the theatres is not always easy to find, but, for example, Cinema Rex in Fez opened in 1942.

The Cinema Roxy is one of the oldest, still operating cinemas in Tangier. It is located in the Ville Nouvelle area of the city. Designed in Art Moderne style, it was recently renovated in 2005, with the interior receiving gold leaf on the decorative grilles beside the screen and a coat of gold paint on the ceiling. The Roxy, which has been described as 'elegant but cramped', screens the latest 'Bollywood' movies and is also a venue used for the Tangier National Film Festival.

Cinematheque de Tanger, is also interesting. Originally opened in 1948 as the Cinema Rif which had a seating capacity of 500. It is located just outside the ancient city walls in the Ville Nouvelle area by the Grand Socco (Grand Market). In its last few years it played 'Bollywood' films.

In 2005 it was re-designed by French architect Jean-Marc Lalo into a modern arthouse cinema which opened on 29th May 2006. There are two screens, one seating 380, the smaller one seating 60. A novel innovation is that the projectors can be turned outwards to provide open-air screenings for up to 4,000 people in the large market square.

The Decline

Box office revenues were nearly reduced by half in less than 10 years. In 2009, cinema revenues reached barely 68mln DH ($US 8.32 million dollars), down from 117mln DH ($US 14.32 million) in 2001. (Figures from research company Dataxis Intelligence’s market data.)

With movie admission reaching less than 2.6mln in 2009 (down 19% from a year earlier) and a population of 31.5mln inhabitants, the country saw its admission per capita stand once again at an extremely low level (0.08).

What can account for the gradual collapse of the Cinema market in Morocco?

If we look at figures from countries that have comparable GDPs per capita, we can easily see that the economic conditions of the country, which have been relatively improving during the past years, cannot really be held responsible for this trend.

Colombia for instance recorded 21.561 million admissions in 2008 and generated 155.7mln Colombian Pesos from this activity in the same year, according to Dataxis Intelligence’s market data. This represents nearly 0.5 admissions per capita, compared to 0.08 in Morocco.

On the other hand, 2009 was one of the best years in terms of cinematographic production in Morocco. However, this did not prevent movie admission and revenues from falling.

What about movie theatres?

Twenty years ago, Morocco had around 200 movie theatres nationwide. This figure fell to 54 theatres and 77 screens in 2009. Dilapidated movie theatres are closing every year. Others are more and more deserted by movie goers.

In an attempt to meet an increasing demand for more ‘attractive’ cinemas, the experience of installing sophisticated movie theatres was initiated a few years ago. It is right now gradually duplicating in some of the country’s major cities.

These centers, which involved unprecedented investments in this field (75mln DH, or US9.2mln for the Megarama Centre in Marrakech: See our story here: Megarama), have managed to attract more and more movie goers.

The magnificent Rialto Cinema opened in 1930. In the past it has hosted stars such as Edith Piaf and Josephine Baker performing on its stage.

Unfortunately, these local initiatives are failing to stop the national cinema market’s hemorrhage. Below is a list of the old cinemas and the number of screens they operate.

Agadir

Cinema Rialto - Open 1

Cinema Sahara - Open 1

Casablanca

Cinema Anfa - Open 1
Cinema ABC - Open …

Cinema Atlas - Open 1

Cinema Colisee - Open 1

Cinema Eden Club - Open 1

Cinema La Mirage - Open 1
Cinema Le Cinefar - Open 1
Cinema Le Verdun - Open 1
Cinema Lutetia - Open 1

Cinema Lynx - Open 1

Cinema Rif - Open 1
Cinema Ritz - Open 1

Rialto Cinema - Open 1

Cinema Saada - Open 1

Vox Cinema - Closed/Demolished 1

Fez

Cinema al Amal - Open 1
Cinema Arc En Ciel - Open 1
Cinema Astor - Closed 1
Cinema Atlas - Open 1
Cinema Bijou - Open 1
Cinema Boujloud - Closed 1
Cinema Chaab - Open 1
Cinema Empire - Open 1

Cinema Friouato - Open 1
Cinema Imperial - Open 1

Cinema Rex - Open 1

Meknes

Cinema Camera - Open 1

Rabat

Cinema Fairouz - Open 1
Cinema Royal - Open 1


Tangier

Cinema Roxy- Open 1
Cinematheque de Tanger - Open 2
Le Paris Cinema - Open 1
Mauritania Cinema - Open 1
Tarik Cinema - Open 1

(Photo Arne Kuilman)

The View from Fez would like to acknowledge the great work done by the Cinema Treasures website in raising awareness of old movie houses.

Incidently' according to the fabulous Yaccout website,: The 15th Moroccan Film Days, organized by the Association of Film Creation Medi Morocco, will be held in Fez from 24 to 27 March under the theme "the Moroccan film first".

This year’s event will look at the use of Italian cinema. Italian cinema has been used in films from the early 90s of last century covering the Renaissance and an artistic technique.

Some Italian directors and actors will travel to Fez to comment on the films and discuss them with film fans. Eighteen short films are on the Italian menu for this event, initiated in partnership with the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre and the urban commune of Fez.

The event will pay tribute to the Moroccan actress Safia Ziani, in recognition of her career on stage at the theatre, radio, television and cinema.

At the level of Moroccan films, organizers have planned this year's projection and discussion of 6 short films and 3 feature films.

The short films that will be screened are "Al-Bayer" by Sheikh Rashid and "Sin palabras" by Othmane Naciri, "Fatima" and "Bouiba" by Samia Charkioui, "Lost Soul" by Jihane El Bahhar and "Silence of high voice" by Driss Idrissi.

Three other films which have attracted the public's enthusiasm and interest are critical to the menu of these days, namely "Time Comrades" by Mohamed Cherif Tribak, "Kharbouch" by Hamid Zoughi and "Street of Cairo" by Abdelkrim Derkaoui.

Over the years these film days have become popular artistic and cultural meetings which, according to organizers, try to accompany the dynamics facing the Moroccan film industry both in production as well as in participation in various national and international festivals.