Herbert Howard - Ultimate African Travel: Morocco

By

HerbertHoward

SMASHWORDS EDITION

*******

Publishedby

Herbert Howard at Smashwords

UltimateAfrican Travel - Morocco

Copyright 2012 Herbert Howard

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Content

Marrakech

Morocco is theessence of North African charm. Glittering Saharan deserts,snow-capped mountains and rolling green heartland, which drop downto the sparkling Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines.

Wrap yourselfin the warmth of the enduring Berber, Arab and African people and10,000 years of their most fascinating history.

A history thatcould only occur when the spheres of Africa and Europe meetintimately and unavoidably upon the Strait of Gibraltar.

A pleasantculture shock awaits you as you arrive in Morocco. It is asculturally rich as it is geographically diverse and cannot fail toimpress. Visiting some of its towns and villages and experiencingthe generosity of its people will leave you hooked forever.

Onedistinctive layer of Morocco is its great imperial Islamic cities.The central medina (old town) of each city is typically stillwalled in and houses the most ancient part of these treasuredtowns, including a minaret-tipped mosque.

Open-airmarkets, snake charmers, music performers and cafs are allspilling over with life every day of the week except on Friday.

Morocco has acoast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait ofGibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea.

It is bordered by:

Spain to thenorth

Algeria to theeast

Western Saharato the south (Morocco controls most of the Western Sahara so its defacto southern boundary is with Mauritania)

Morocco'sofficial languages are Arabic and the Berber languages.

The Berber languagesconsist of three dialects:

Tarifit

Tashelhit

Central AtlasTamazight

Eid ul-Adha (Festivalof Sacrifice)

When - celebrated 70days after the end of Ramadam and the day after the completion ofthe Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

This is animportant Muslim festival celebrated throughout North Africa and inMuslim communities elsewhere on the continent.

During thecelebration, Muslims remember Ibrahim's (Abraham) trials, who wasasked by Allah to sacrfice his only son. To commemorate this showof faith by Ibrahim, Muslims themselves slaughter an animal,usually a sheep or goat.

The meat fromthe sacrifice of Eid al-Adha is mostly given away to others.

New Year's Eve andYennayer

When - New Year's Eveon the 31st December

New Year's eveis marked by celebration. The hotels and restaurants will hostspecial evenings.

January 1st isa public holiday in Morocco. Spending the night in the desert isvery popular among travelers.

In some partsof Morocco the traditional New Year's Eve is actually celebratedaround 12 - 15 January.

Mousseum of sidMohammed Ma al-Ainin festival

When - May

This is anoccasion to see the blue people - Tuareg nomads of Sahara. Alsopopularly known is the National folklore Festival of Marrakech.

It is aten-day event that is attended by dancers, musician and otherentertainers from all the corners of the city.

Independence Day

When - November

This is thecelebration of Independence in Morocco.

Ramadan and EidFestival

When - 9th month ofMuslim calendar

All Muslimsare expected to fast during the day for the entire lunar month.During the month of Ramadan, Moroccans will abstain from food,drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As atime to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practiceself-sacrifice, Ramadan is much more than just not eating anddrinking.

Fasting duringRamadan is strictly adhered to in Morocco. The end of Ramadan is;marked by the festival of Eid and celebrations last for severaldays.

Marathon des Sables(The Sand Marathon - Sahara Desert, Morocco)

When - April

The SandMarathon covers 151 miles and is run over 6 days; it's a gruelingrace. Set in the Moroccan desert, around 600 competitors from 30countries take part every year.

Competitorscarry all their equipment themselves and cook their own meals. Mostcompetitors run for charity.

The Rose Festival(Kelaa-des-Mgouna - Ourzazate Province)

When - Mid May

In the DadesValley in Morocco a small oasis town Kelaa-des-Mgouna is home toMorocco's largest rose water distillery plant. The entire town isfragrant and the spectacular harvest in May is celebrated with songand dance.

In thisgrandiose setting, the day is marked by numerous events likefolk-dancing and singing, handicrafts exhibitions, Diffa-banquetsin tents, flower-decked floats, the election of Miss Rose,camel-rides and a splendid excursion by bus from Ourzazate down theValley of the Roses.

Camel Festival (TanTan Road, Goulimine)

When - July

The people ofGoulimine hold the Camel Festival once a year on top of theirweekly Camel Fair that takes place every Saturday.

The festivalalso offers the opportunity to witness the ritual dance of theGuedra music.

Moroccosformer capital is one of the largest and oldest medieval cities inthe world and a perfect place to begin your journey throughMoroccan history. The medina, Fez el-Bali, is an intricatepiecework of 9400 twisting alleys where you may come across some ofthe finest leather and hand-craftwork among the many bazaars.

Fez is thebustling cultural and spiritual centre of Morocco.

The Main Attraction OfFez

The mainattraction is the Medieval Medina in the colourful old city, whichhas been continuously inhabited since the 10th century. It is busywith traditionally dressed Moroccans, and rich with the noise ofbuying and selling, veiled women going about their work andbell-ringing water sellers.

A guided touris the easiest way to tackle the buzzing hive that is traditionalFez, but if you are brave, you can negotiate the tiny alleyways,too narrow for cars whilst risking getting lost and then hagglingwith a local to be guided back out!

The Tanneries

A visit to theSouks will lead to a visit to Fez's famous tanneries, where one ofthe oldest arts in the world is practiced to produce the softleather do characteristic of Morocco.

Youll need astrong stomach for the smells given off during curing, while youlook down on the fascinating tanners yard and its impressive vatsof different coloured dyes and piles of skins.

Open 9 to 6,admission is free.

View Point

The bestvantage point over the ancient walled city is from the ruinedMerenid Tombs on a hilltop to the east of the city. From here youcan see the skyline with its profusion of satellite dishes, and ageneral mass of palaces, green-roofed holy places, the tanneries,as well as the adjacent Karaouine Mosque.

Merenid Tombs

The MerenidTombs are located on a picturesque hill, just outside of Fez. TheMerenid Dynasty came into power in 1248 by defeating the AlmohadDynasty in Marrakech.

They ruledover Morocco until 1415 and some of their structures are stillvisible today.