history of morocco

MOROCCO

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Agadir
Asilah
Azrou
Beni Mellal
Casablanca
Chefchaouen
El Jadida
Essaouira
Figuig
Fes
Guelmim
Al Hoceima
Ifrane
Kenitra
Ksar-el-Kebir
Larache
Marrakech
Meknes
Mohammédia
Nador
Ouarzazate
Ouezzane
Oujda
Rabat
Safi
Salé
Tangier
Taroudant
Taza
Tétouan

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Tétouan

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Tétouan (Arabic: تطوان (meaning eyes in the Berber language)), also spelled Tetuan, sometimes Tettawen or Tettawan, is a city in northern Morocco, the only open port of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about 40 mi (60 km) E.S.E. of Tangier. In 2004 the city had 320,539 inhabitants (census figure).

Tetouan has a little civil airport, 6km in the south. The Name is Sania Ramel Airport

Arabic is the official language but it is not used for everyday dialogue. Moroccan Darija-Arabic and Berber-Tamazight are used by the inhabitants in their daily life. The use of Spanish and French is still widespread especially by the businesspeople and intellectual elites. Its main religion is Islam but there are minorities of Jews and Christians.

Description

The city is situated about 60 km east of the city of Tangier and 40 km south of the Spanish exclave of Ceuta (Sebta) and the Strait of Gibraltar. It is in the far north of the Rif Mountains. To the south and west of the city there are mountains. Tetuan is situated in the middle of a belt of orchards that contain orange, almond, pomegranate and cypress trees. The Rif Mountains are nearby, as the city is located in the Martil Valley. It is picturesquely situated on the northern slope of a fertile valley down which flows the Martil valley, with the harbour of Tetouan, Martil, at its mouth. Behind rise rugged masses of rock, the southern wall of the Anjera country, once practically closed to Europeans, and across the valley are the hills which form the northern limit of the still more impenetrable Rif.

The streets are fairly wide and straight, and many of the houses belonging to aristocratic Arabs, descendants of those expelled from Al-Andalus by the European "Reconquista", possess marble fountains and have groves planted with orange trees. Within the houses the ceilings are often exquisitely carved and painted in hispano-moresque designs, such as are found in the Alhambra of Granada, and the tile-work for which Tetuan is known may be seen on floors, pillars and dados. The traditional industries are tilework, inlaying with silver wire, and the manufacture of thick-soled yellow slippers, much-esteemed flintlocks, and artistic towels used as cape and skirt by Arabic girls in rural areas. The Jews lived in a mellah, separated from the rest of the town by gates which were closed at night. The harbour of Tetuan was obstructed by a bar, over which only small vessels can pass, and the roadstead, sheltered to the North, N.W. and South, is exposed to the East, and is at times unsafe in consequence of the strong Levanter.

History

The city was founded in the 3rd century BC. Artefacts from both the Roman and the Phoenician era have been found in the site of Tamuda.

Around 1305 a city was built here by the Marinid king Abu Thabit. It served as a base for attacks on Ceuta. Around 1400 it was destroyed by the Castilians, because pirates used it for their attacks. By the end of the 15th century it was rebuilt by refugees from the Reconquista (reconquest of Spain, completed by the fall of Granada in 1492), when the Andalusian Moors first reared the walls and then filled the enclosure with houses. It had a reputation for piracy at various times in its history. It was taken on 4 February 1860 by the Spaniards under Leopoldo O'Donnell, (a descendant of an old Irish royal family, O'Donnell of Tyrconnell, who was made hereditary Duke of Tetuan, and later Prime Minister of Spain; the Dukedom is currently held by his descendant S.E. Don Hugo O'Donnell, Duke of Tetuan, Grandee of Spain and Count of Lucena) and almost transformed by them into a European city before its evacuation on 2 May 1862, but so hateful were the changes to the Moors that they completely destroyed all vestiges of alteration and reduced the city to its former state.

The city is situated in the area of Morocco which was formerly ruled by Spain. In 1913 it became the capital of the part of Morocco under Spanish protectorate which was governed by the Jalifa (Moroccan prince, serving as Viceroy for the Sultan, and the Spanish "Alto Comisario" accredited to him), and it remained its capital until 1956. Many people in the city still speak Spanish. On road signs often names are written both in Spanish and in Arabic, though many signs are in Arabic and French, the second language of modern Morocco. Tétouan became part of the independent state of Morocco when it was founded out of French Morocco and most of Spanish Morocco in 1956.

Tétouan has also been home of an important Sephardi Jewish community, which immigrated from Spain after the Reconquista and the Spanish Inquisition. This Jewish Sephardi community spoke a form of Ladino known as Haketia. Some of them emigrated later to Oran (in Algeria), to South America and much later to Israel, France and Canada. Some Jews in Tetouan converted to Islam and remain in the city. There are very few Jews left in Tétouan nowadays. Some of the bombers in the 2004 Madrid train bombings and Iraq terror campaign came from Tetouan.

Taza

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Taza is a city in northern Morocco, about 100 km east of Fez. It has a population of 139,686 (2004 census) and is the capital of Taza Province.

Taza city, north-central Morocco. Located south of the Rif Mountains, the city is composed of two formerly separate towns built on separate terraces overlooking a mountain valley. The old town (medina) is at an elevation of 1,919 feet (585 m) above sea level and is surrounded by fortifications; the newer town, established by the French in 1920, is located in a fertile plain at an elevation of 1,460 feet (445 m). Fossil remains indicate that caves in the area were inhabited as early as the Paleolithic Period.

The city is located in a mountain pass known as the "Taza Gap", through which successive waves of invaders moved westward onto the Atlantic coastal plains of northwestern Africa. Taza was founded by Miknasa Berbers (approximately at the time of the late 7th century Arab Muslim conquest), who gave allegiance to the Idrisids in 790 and later joined with the Fatimids of Kairouan. The Almoravids took over Taza in 1074 and were replaced by the Almohads in 1132.

In 1248 the city was captured by the Marinids. Although Taza barred the route of Turks from Algiers seeking conquest in what is now Morocco, it fell to the French in 1914. The medina houses barbican monuments, mosques, and a 14th-century madrasah (school). Population in 1982 stood at 77,216. Population now estimated about 160,000.

Sights

The old town's main thoroughfare is enlivened by the Grain Market and the Souks where wickerwork, tapestries, jewellery, and a great variety of Berber handiwork from the mountains are offered for sale. The road terminates at a square doubling as a parade ground which sports the Al-Andalous Mosque. The Mosque's minaret, constructed in the 14th century, is wider at the top than at its base. Bab el-Qebbour Street crosses the Kissaria (covered marketplace), then leads on to the Market Mosque where it meets up with Bab Jamaa gate, the main point of entry of Taza. Somewhat further south, across from Bab el-Rih, the Wind Gate, a bastion dating from the 16th Century closes the ring around the kasbah. Taza's city walls, raised in the 12th Century and frequently enlarged on later occasions were equipped with a Borj or fortified tower 26 metres (85 ft) wide at the base by the Saadi Ahmed el-Mansour in the 16th Century. The gate with iron grate and the casemates with terraced roofs are clearly influenced by European military architecture of the time.

Taroudant

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Taroudant (Arabic: تارودانت‎) (Called the "Grandmother of Marrakech") is a Moroccan city located in the Sous Valley in the southern part of the country. It is situated east from Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south from Marrakech. It can be easily visited as a day trip from Agadir en route to the Sahara Desert. It has the feel of a small market town on some caravan route. It is also known for its local crafts like jewelry and carpets.

It is called the "Grandmother of Marrakech" because it is a scaled down, slowed down town that resembles Marrakech with its surrounding ramparts. Unlike Marrakech, Taroudant contains almost the whole city within its walls.

Under the Saadi Dynasty Taroudant knew its golden age, especially under the reign of Mohammed ash-Sheikh, who constructed the city walls and built the great mosque and its beautiful minaret in 1528. A sad event in the history of Taroudant was the massacre of its population by Moulay Ismail in 1687.

Tangier

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Tangier or Tangiers (Tanja طنجة in Berber and Arabic, Tánger in Spanish, Tânger in Portuguese, and Tanger in French) is a city of northern Morocco with a population of 669,680 (2004 census). It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. It is the capital of the Tangier-Tétouan Region.

The city is undergoing rapid development and modernization. Projects include new 5 star hotels along the bay, a modern business district called Tangier City Center, a new airport terminal, and a new soccer stadium. Tangier's economy will also benefit greatly from the new Tanger-med port.

History

The modern Tanjah (Anglicised as Tangier) is an ancient Phoenician town, founded by Carthaginian colonists in the early 5th century BC. Its name is possibly derived from the Berber goddess Tinjis (or Tinga), and it remains an important city for the Berbers. Ancient coins call it Tenga, Tinga, and Titga, Greek and Latin authors giving numerous variations of the name. According to Berber mythology, the town was built by Sufax, son of Tinjis, the wife of the Berber hero Antaios. The Greeks ascribed its foundation to the giant Antaeus, whose tomb and skeleton are pointed out in the vicinity, calling Sufax the son of Hercules by the widow of Antaeus. The cave of Hercules, a few miles from the city, is a major tourist attraction. It is believed that Hercules slept there before attempting one of his twelve labours.

The commercial town of Tingis came under Roman rule in the course of the 1st century BC, first as a free city and then, under Augustus, a colony (Colonia Julia, under Claudius), capital of Mauritania Tingitana of Hispania. It was the scene of the martyrdoms of Saint Marcellus of Tangier. In the 5th century AD, Vandals conquered and occupied "Tingi" and from here swept across North Africa. A century later (between 534 and 682), Tangier became part of the Byzantine empire, before coming under Arab control in 702. Due to its Christian past it is still a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.

When the Portuguese started their expansion in Morocco, by taking Ceuta in 1415, Tangiers was always a primary goal. They failed the city conquest in 1437 but finaly they occupied the city in 1471. The Portuguese rule lasted until 1661, when it was given to Charles II of England as part of the dowry from the Portuguese Infanta Catherine of Braganza. The English gave the city a garrison and a charter which made it equal to English towns. The English planned to improve the harbour by building a mole. With an improved harbour the town would have played the same role that Gibraltar later played in British naval strategy. The mole cost £340,000 and reached 1436 feet long, before being blown up during the evacuation.

In 1679, Sultan Moulay Ismail of Morocco made an unsuccessful attempt to seize the town but imposed a crippling blockade which ultimately forced the English to withdraw. The English destroyed the town and its port facilities prior to their departure in 1684. Under Moulay Ismail the city was reconstructed to some extent, but it gradually declined until, by 1810, the population was no more than 5,000.

The United States dedicated its first consulate in Tangier during the Washington administration. In 1821, the Legation Building in Tangier became the first piece of property acquired abroad by the U.S. government--a gift to the U.S. from Sultan Moulay Suliman. It was bombarded by the French Prince de Joinville in 1844.

Tangier's geographic location made it a centre for European diplomatic and commercial rivalry in Morocco in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the opening of the 20th century it had a population of about 40,000, including 20,000 Muslims (with Berbers predominating over Arabs), 10,000 Jews, and 9,000 Europeans (of whom 7,500 were Spanish). The city was increasingly coming under French influence, and it was here in 1905 that Kaiser Wilhelm II triggered an international crisis that almost led to war between his country and France by pronouncing himself in favour of Morocco's continued independence.

In 1912, Morocco was effectively partitioned between France and Spain, the latter occupying the country's far north (called Spanish Morocco) and a part of Moroccan territory in the south, while France declared a protectorate over the remainder. The last Sultan of independent Morocco, Moulay Hafid, was exiled to the Sultanate Palace in the Tangier Kasbah after his forced abdication in favour of his brother Moulay Yusef. Tangier was made an international zone in 1923 under the joint administration of France, Spain, and Britain, joined by Italy in 1928.

Around the same time, a circle of writers emerged which was to have a profound and lasting literary influence. This included Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williams and Jean Genet as well as Mohamed Choukri (one of North Africa's most controversial and widely read authors), Abdeslam Boulaich, Larbi Layachi, Mohammed Mrabet and Ahmed Yacoubi. Among the best known works from this period is Choukri's For Bread Alone. Originally written in Classical Arabic, the English edition was the result of close collaboration with Bowles (who worked with Choukri to provide the translation and supplied the introduction). Tennessee Williams described it as 'a true document of human desperation, shattering in its impact.' Independently, William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch was written in Tangier and the book's locale of Interzone is an allusion to the city.

Economy

Tangier is Morocco's second most important industrial center after Casablanca. The industrial sectors are diversified: textile, chemical, mechanical, metallurgical and naval. Currently, the city has four industrial parks of which two have the status of free economic zone (see Tangier Free Zone).

Tangier's economy relies heavily on tourism. Seaside resorts have been increasing with projects funded by foreign investments. Real estate and construction companies have been investing heavily in tourist infrastructures. A bay delimiting the city center extends for more than seven kilometers. The years 2007 and 2008 will be particularly important for the city because of the completion of large construction projects currently being built. These include the Tangier-Mediterranean port ("Tanger-med") and its industrial parks, a 45,000-seat sports stadium, an expanded business district, and a renovated tourist infrastructure.

Agriculture in the area of Tangier is tertiary and mainly cereal.

The infrastructure of this city of the strait of Gibraltar consists of a port that manages flows of goods and travellers (more than one million travelers per annum) and integrates a marina with a fishing port.

Artisanal trade in the old medina (old city) specializes mainly in leather working, handicrafts made from wood and silver, traditional clothing, and shoes of Moroccan origin.

The city has seen a fast pace of rural exodus from other small cities and villages. The population has quadrupled during the last 25 years (1 million inhabitants in 2007 vs. 250,000 in 1982). This phenomenon has resulted in the appearance of peripheral suburban districts, mainly inhabited by poor people, that often lack sufficient infrastructure.

Transport

A railroad line connects the city with Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech in the south and Fès and Oujda in the east. The service is operated by ONCF. The Rabat-Tanger expressway connects Tangier to Fès via Rabat (250 km) and Settat via Casablanca (330 km). Another expressway will connect the city with Tanger-med. The Ibn Batouta International Airport (also known as Tangier-Boukhalef) is located 15 km south-west of the city center.

The new Tanger-med port is managed by the Danish firm A.P. Moller Maersk Group and will free up the old port for tourist and recreational development.

Tangier's Ibn Batouta International Airport and the rail tunnel will serve as the gateway to the "Moroccan Riviera" the coast between Tangier and Oujda. Traditionally the north coast was an impoverished and underdeveloped region of Morocco but it has some of the best beaches on the Mediterranean and is about to see rapid development.

The airport is being expanded and will become larger with more flights. Easyjet flies to Tangier from Madrid, and will soon fly via London. In addition, a TGV high-speed train system is being built. It will take a few years to complete, but will become the fastest train system in North Africa.

Tangier in popular culture

Tangier was the subject of many artistic works, including novels, films and music.

Literature

Silent Day in Tangiers by Tahar Ben Jelloun.
Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs - relates some of the author's experiences in Tangier. (See also Naked Lunch (film))
America by Allen Ginsberg
Desolation Angels by Jack Kerouac relates him living with William Burroughs and other Beat writers in Tangier.
Interzone by Burroughs - It talks about a fictionalized version of Tangier called Interzone.
Let It Come Down is Paul Bowles's second novel, first published in 1952
The Loom of Youth by Alec Waugh - a controversial semi-autobiographical novel relating homosexual experiences of the author in the city of Tangier.
Two Tickets to Tangier by Francis Van Wyck Mason, an American novelist and historian
Modesty Blaise; a fictional character in a comic strip of the same name and a series of books created by Peter O'Donnell - In 1945 a nameless girl escaped from a displaced person (DP) camp in Karylos, Greece. She took control of a criminal gang in Tangier and expanded it to international status as "The Network". After dissolving The Network and moving to England she maintained a house on a hillside above Tangier and many scenes in the books and comic strips are located here.
Carpenter's World Travels: From Tangier to Tripoli - a Frank G. Carpenter travel guide (1927)
The Thief's Journal by Jean Genet - Includes the protagonist's experiments in negative morality in Tangier (1949)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Crossroads of the Medterranean by Henrik de Leeuw- chronicles the author's journey through Morocco and Tunisia in the early 1950s and includes many pages describing Tangier, notably the Petit Socco as a food market with mountain dwellers (the jebli) selling their produce and 'the street of male harlots', where they ply 'their shameful trade'.
The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain includes a mixed bag of comments on his visit to Tangier, ending with: "I would seriously recommend to the Government of the United States that when a man commits a crime so heinous that the law provides no adequate punishment for it, they make him Consul-General to Tangier."

Films

The Living Daylights - a James Bond movie where he hunts Brad Whitaker down at his Tangier headquarters
From Russia with Love - the fictional character in "James Bond", Red Grant was recruited by "SPECTRE" in Tangier in 1962, whilst on the run from the law
Tangier Incident - an American agent posing as a black market operator, is in Tangier on a mission to stop the plans of three atomic scientists who are there to pool their secrets and sell them in a package to the Communists.
Man from Tangier (a.k.a. Thunder Over Tangier) - 1957
Tangiers, 1908 was one of the unaired Young Indiana Jones Chronicles episodes
Flight to Tangier (Charles Marquis Warren) - 1953
Tangier an episode of the television series Passport to Danger starring Cesar Romero - 1955
The Nautch of Tangier (aka The Witchmaker) - 1969
Tangier featuring María Montez, Robert Paige, and Sabu Dastagir - 1946
Espionage in Tangiers. A thriller of a secret agent out to snag a dangerous molecular ray-gun - 1966
That Man from Tangier (in Spanish Aquel Hombre de Tanger) featuring Sara Montiel
The Bourne Ultimatum, an espionage movie featuring Matt Damon - Jason Bourne tracks an individual to the city and subsequently chases him through a residential district to protect his partner. - 2007
The Wind and the Lion - Based on the Perdicaris incident of 1904, this film, starring Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, and Brian Keith, takes place largely in Tangier. The film's Tangier, however, was actually created in the Spanish cities of Seville and Almeria.
Prick up your ears Joe Orton (Gary Oldman) and Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina) Visit Tangier, the scene represents the 88 day holliday that Joe Orton took after the failure of his play 'loot'.

Music

Tangiers (band) - a Canadian Rock music band.
If You See Her, Say Hello by Bob Dylan - If you see her say hello, she might be in Tangier.
Sartori in Tangier by King Crimson - derives its title from beat generation influences including the Jack Kerouac novel Satori in Paris, and the city of Tangier, where a number of beat writers resided and which they often used as a setting for their writing.
Waiting in Tangier - a track in the album Woman to Woman of Fem2fem band.
Tangier by the Scottish musician Donovan Phillips Leitch on his album The Hurdy Gurdy Man.
Live At Tangiers - a solo by Michael Stanley
Tangiers - an instrumental piece by John Powell featured in The Bourne Ultimatum
My Tangier - Dave Crockett (circa 1980's)
Intrigue in Tangiers - a track from the album What Does Anything Mean? Basically by The Chameleons.
Idaho by Josh Ritter - "I got your letter in Tangier".
Walou by Outlandish

Paintings

Window at Tangier by the French artist Henri Matisse (1912 - The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow).
Virtual Tangier: Visions of the City by Matisse (c. 1911-1916)
Harvest of a journey to Spain and Tangiers, The Great Mosque, and Serpent Charmers of Sokko - a painting by Emile Wauters
Market Day Outside the Walls of Tangiers by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1873 - Smithsonian American Art Museum)
HMS Mary Rose and pirates by Willem van de Velde (a painting ascribed to Willem van de Velde, taken from the book: William Laird Clowes (ed.): The Royal Navy. A History From the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol. 2, London 1898)

People born in Tangier

Ibn Battuta - an Arab explorer
Shlomo Ben-Ami - an Israeli politician
Ralph Benmergui - a Canadian TV and radio host at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Alexandre Rey Colaço - A Portuguese pianist
Roger Elliott - the first British Governor of Gibraltar
Sanaa Hamri - a Moroccan music video director
Emmanuel Hocquard - a French poet
Alexander Spotswood - an American Lieutenant-Colonel and Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Heinz Tietjen - a German music composer
Ángel Vázquez - a writer in Spanish.
Abderrahmane Youssoufi - a former socialist prime minister of Morocco
Angelina Lamberth (Vela Torrisco) - settled in U.S., First Female Deputy Sheriff, Sarasota FL

People who settled or sojourned in Tangier

Lancelot Addison - an English chaplain and the author of West Barbary, or a Short Narrative of the Revolutions of the Kingdoms of Fex and Morocco (1671).
José Luis Alcaine - a Spanish born cinematographer
Bill Bird - an American journalist and the founder of Tangier Gazette
Paul Bowles - an American writer and composer. Died in Tangier.
Joseph McPhillips III - an American Headmaster The American School of Tangier and Theater Director. Died in Tangier.
Jane Bowles - an American writer. Wife of Paul Bowles.
William S. Burroughs - an American novelist, essayist, social critic, painter and spoken word performer
Truman Capote - an American novelist and writer

Salé

2008-08-11T03:13:00.000-07:00

Salé (Amazigh: Sla, Arabic: سلا‎) (from the Berber word asla, meaning "rock") is the twin city to Rabat, capital of Morocco. Today it is home to around 800,000 people, mostly impoverished factory workers. It was once a self-contained, self-ruled Republic with international scope, situated on the mouth of the Bou Regreg river on the Atlantic coast. The city's name is sometimes transliterated as Salli.

History

Salé was apparently colonised by the Phoenicians at approximately the same time that Chellah, across the Bou Regreg to the south. Researchers know a considerable amount about the Chellah colony, probably because of the good state of preservation of the Chellah site.

In Pirate Utopias, Peter Lamborn Wilson says:

"Salé ... dates back at least to Carthaginian times (around 7th century BC). The Romans called the place Sala Colonia, part of their province of Mauritania Tingitane. Pliny the Elder mentions it (as a desert town infested with elephants!). The Vandals captured the area in the 5th century AD and left behind a number of blonde, blue-eyed Berbers. The Arabs (7th century) kept the old name and believed it derived from "Sala" (sic., his name is actually Salah), son of Ham, son of Noah; they said that Salé was the first city ever built by the Berbers.

In about 1630 Salé became a haven for Moriscos-turned-Barbary pirates. Salé pirates (the well-known "Sallee Rovers") roamed the seas as far as the shores of the Americas, bringing back loot and slaves. The character Robinson Crusoe, in Daniel Defoe's novel by the same name, spends time in captivity of the local pirates and at last sails off to liberty from the mouth of the Salé river.

Salé has played a rich and important part in Moroccan history. The first demonstrations for independence against the French, for example, sparked off in Salé. A good number of government officials, decision makers and royal advisors of both France and Morocco were from Salé. Salé people, the Slawis, have always had a "tribal" sense of belonging, a sense of pride which developed into a feeling of superiority towards the "berranis", i.e. Outsiders.

Modern city

Modern Salé is a highly polluted, badly planned, rapidly expanding town, because of rural exodus. The city is now a large "dormitory town" with little or no real community life. Most of its influential and wealthy inhabitants have departed to live in Rabat on the other side of the river. Physical remnants of Salé's historical heritage are totally decrepit, pollution is prevailing and insecurity is high. However, both its geographical situation and its "melting pot" aspect make it a town with a lot of potential that so far remains untapped by the local authorities.

Water supply and wastewater collection in Sale is irregular, with poorer and illegal housing units suffering the highest costs and most acute scarcities. Much of the city relies upon communal standpipes, which are often shut down, depriving some neighbourhoods of safe drinking water. entirely for indefinite periods of time. Nevertheless, Salé is more fortunate than inland Moroccan locations, where water scarcity is even more acute.

In Salé, some of the textile factories such as Fruit of the Loom are sweatshops, employing women and girls of all ages for far less than the official minimum wage of 6.60 dirham/hour. Women and girls line up at the door and roughly two hundred are let in where they work for two hours and are paid 10 dirham for their efforts. That equates to roughly 1 U.S. dollar or 50 U.S. cents/hour. The A.S.S is the football club of the city, and the president is Abderrahmane Chokri.

The film Black Hawk Down was partially filmed in Salé, in particular the wide angle aerial shots with helicopters flying down the coastline.

Safi

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Safi (French: Safi, Arabic: آسفي‎) is a city in western Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of the Doukkala-Abda Region, it has a population of 284,750 (2004 census), but is also the centre of an agglomeration which has an estimated 793,000 inhabitants (1987). Safi is the main fishing port for the country's sardine industry, and also exports phosphates, textiles and ceramics. During the Second World War, Safi was one of the landing sites for Operation Torch.

Rabat

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Rabat (Arabic الرباط), population 2 million (2007 estimate), is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region.

The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé, Rabat's bedroom community. Together the two cities with Témara account for a population of 2 million. Unfortunately, silting problems have diminished the city's role as a port; however, Rabat and Salé still maintain relatively important textile, food processing and construction industries; some are from sweatshop labor by major multinational corporations (see Salé).

In addition, tourism and the presence of all foreign embassies in Morocco serve to make Rabat the second most important city in the country after the larger and more economically significant Casablanca.

History

Rabat's history began with a settlement, known as Chellah on the banks of the Oued Bou Regreg in the third century BC. In 40 AD, Romans took over Chellah and converted it to the Roman settlement of Sala Colonia. Rome held the colony until 250 AD when they abandoned it to Berber rulers. The Berbers played an important role in Muslim Spain. In 1146, the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu'min turned Rabat's ribat into a full scale fortress to use as a launching point for attacks on Spain. In 1170, due to its military importance, Rabat acquired the title Ribatu l-Fath, meaning "stronghold of victory," from which it derives its current name.

Yaqub al-Mansur (known as Moulay Yacoub in Morocco), another Almohad Caliph, moved the capital of his empire to Rabat. He built Rabat's city walls, the Kasbah of the Udayas and began construction on what would have been the world's largest mosque. However, Yaqub died and construction stopped. The ruins of the unfinished mosque, along with the Hassan Tower, still stand today.

Yaqub's death initiated a period of decline. The Almohad empire lost control of its possessions in Spain and much of its African territory, eventually leading to its total collapse. In the 13th century, much of Rabat's economic power shifted to Fez. In 1515 a Moorish explorer, El Wassan, reported that Rabat had declined so much that only 100 inhabited houses remained. An influx of Moriscos, who had been expelled from Spain, in the early 17th century helped boost Rabat's growth (principal families: Mouline [Molina], Bargach [Vargas], Balafrej [Palafresa], Moreno, Baena, Olivares [Loubaris],...).

Rabat and neighboring Salé united to form the Republic of Bou Regreg in 1627. The republic was run by Barbary pirates who used the two cities as base ports for launching attacks on shipping. The pirates did not have to contend with any central authority until the Alaouite Dynasty united Morocco in 1666. They attempted to establish control over the pirates, but failed. European and Muslims authorities continued to attempt to control the pirates over many years, but the Republic of Bou Regreg did not collapse until 1818. Even after the republic's collapse, pirates continued to use the port of Rabat, which led to the shelling of the city by Austria in 1829 after an Austrian ship had been lost to a pirate attack.

The French invaded Morocco in 1912 and established a protectorate. The French administrator of Morocco, General Hubert Lyautey, decided to relocate the country's capital from Fez to Rabat. Among other factors, rebellious Berbers (native Moroccans) had made Fez an unstable place. Sultan Moulay Youssef followed the decision of the French and moved his residence to Rabat. In 1913, Gen. Lyautey hired Henri Prost who designed the Ville Nouvelle (Rabat's modern quarter) as an administrative sector. When Morocco achieved independence in 1956, Mohammed V, the then King of Morocco, chose to have the capital remain at Rabat.

Culture

The biggest place for theatre is the Theatre Mohamed V in the centre of the town. Few official galleries and an archeological museum. Many Foundation are active in culture and social issues. Orient-Occident Foundation and ONA Foundation are the biggest ones and have important places for meetings and educative workshops. An independent art scene is ver active in town with L'appartement 22 which is the first independent space for visual arts opened in 2002 by Abdellah Karroum.

Oujda

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Oujda (Arabic: وجدة‎) is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of half a million inhabitants. The city is located about 15 kilometers west of Algeria and about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the Oriental Region. It is the birthplace of current Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Oujda is home to Mohammed I University, a French, English and Arabic language and technology university. The city is served by Angads Airport, which receives many international flights coming from Europe.

There is some evidence of a settlement during the Roman occupation, but this seems to have been under the control of Berbers rather than Romans[1]. The modern city was founded in 994 by Ziri ibn Atiyya, king of the Zenata tribes[2]. Further additions were made in 1048. The city was rebuilt in 13th century by sultan Abou Youssef. The French twice occupied it (in 1844 and again in 1859). Also to the west is Isli, which saw a major Franco-Moroccan battle in 1844. Once Morocco was occupied by the French, Oujda was used as a military base to control eastern Morocco.

The city grew up along the roads that were built and owes much of its present form to the French.

The Moroccan border with Algeria is just east of Oujda, on the other side of the border is the Algerian town of Maghnia. The state of the border crossing depends on relations between the two countries which are often strained.

Since 2006, the city has been twinned with Trowbridge in England due to the huge number of diasporans most of whom originate from villages close to Oujda. Trowbridge has the largest Moroccan community in the UK outside London.

Arabic invasion and conquest was undertaken by Ibn Nafi Oqba Al Fihri during the reign of Omeyades Damascus, and completed by 705 AD to Musa bin Nusair. In the mid-((s XI )) e, Oujda took prominence through its city status on the road relay Sijilmassa - East. Throughout the history of successive dynasties in Muslim West, Oujda eventually play an important strategic among Merinids, settled in Fez, in this case as a rear base in their conflict with the Abdelouadides of Tlemcen. This situation was at the origin of several destructive invasions Oujda which was exhibited. Similarly, she experienced great difficulty in agreeing either to the east, sometimes in the West because of its situation on the fields of clashes between Saadienss and Turks. Long, the rulers of Fez and the disputed Tlemcen and from the s-(( XVI )) e, it was contested by dynasties chérifiennes Morocco and the Turks in Algiers. In 1692, Sultan Ismail drove in the Turks who have established their hegemony on Algeria. But Oujda falls again under Turkish rule in the following century.

Ouezzane

2008-08-11T02:48:00.000-07:00

Ouezzane (also Wazan and Uessen) (Arabic: وزان) is a town in northern Morocco, north of Fes, with a population of approximately 57,972(2004).

The city is well known in Morocco and throughout the Islamic world by being a spiritual capital for it was home for many of the big poles of Sufism. It has been known also as “Dar Dmana”.

Many Jews of Morocco consider Ouezzane to be a holy city and make pilgrimages there to venerate the tomb of several marabouts (Moroccan saints), particularly moul Anrhaz, the local name for Rabbi Imran Ben Diwan, an eighteenth century rabbi who lived in the city and whose burial site is associated with a number of miracles.

During the Rif Kabyls rebellion (leader Abd el Krim) in 1925 -1926 Ouezzine was an important supply base for French Army. Ouezzine was connected by an 600 mm gauge narrow gauge railway via Ain Dfali, Mechra Bel Ksiri to Port Lauatey, now Kenitra, forming part of the 1912 - 1914 French built extensive narrow gauge network of Chemins de fer Militaires du Maroc, the largest 600 mm gauge network ever existed in Africa with total length of more than 1700 kilometres.

Ouarzazate

2008-08-11T02:35:00.000-07:00

Ouarzazate (Arabic, ورزازات, Warzāzāt) (called The door of the desert), is a city in southern Morocco.

Its name comes from a Berber phrase meaning "without noise" or "without confusion". It is also featured by its closeness to Atlas Mountains and Draa Valley.

History

Once in its history, Ouarzazate had been a small crossing point for African traders seeking to reach northern cities in Morocco and Europe. During the French period, Ouarzazate expanded considerably as a garrison town, administrative centre, and customs post. It is home to the casbah of Taourirt, (the casbah of the former caïd and later the possession of T'hami El Glaoui). The Krupps field gun which secured Glaoui power is outside.

Film studios

At present, it hosts one of the largest movie studios in the world, Atlas Studios. Several historical movies were shot on those studios (e.g. Astérix et Cléopâtre, Lawrence of Arabia, The Man Who Would Be King, Cleopatra, Kundun, Gladiator and lately Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven and Babel)It was also the location of the November 26, 2006 episode of the television series The Amazing Race 10.

Sights outside of Ouarzazate

The casbah-town of Aït Benhaddou is nearby. Many excursions through the valley of the Draa River into the Sahara start from the city. These include trips to Zagora, an oasis town surrounded by palm tree plantations, and the traditional departure point for camel trains to Timbuktu (65 days away).

Mapping

Detailed maps are hard to obtain in Morocco. The French IGN mapping at a 1:100,000 scale has been reproduced by the Moroccan Division de la carte. These maps are often out of date and obtained only with special permission in Rabat. Soviet mapping on a 1:200,000 scale is available on the internet, this is generally out of date and in Cyrillic.

Nador

2008-08-10T11:30:00.002-07:00

Nador (Amazigh:Nnadur ) is a northeastern Moroccan city located in the Rif region. The city is a Mediterranean port on the Bhar Amezzyan (Mar Chica in Spanish) lagoon and a trading centre for fish, fruit, and livestock. It is linked to the Spanish city of Melilla, 10 kilometers north, by a semi-motorway.
Nador is populated by Tarifit-Berber (Thamazight n Arif) speaking population of more than 180,000 dwellers. The current governor of Nador province is Abdelouafi Lftit. The city became independent with the rest of Morocco in 1956.
Overview
The economy of Nador city and the province of Nador includes fishery, agriculture, some light and heavy industry. In the summer months a lot of Morrocan nationals originating from the Nador area and living in Europe visit the city. They stay with relatives, own or rent an appartment or use one of the many hotels in the city. These visits give an important impulse to the regions' economy. Also trade is an important activity in the city. The location of the city near the sea and close the the Spanish enclave Melilla are catalysts for international trade. In the past Nador was infamous as centre of smuggling, as many Mediteranian sea-ports. In present time only some illegal import of goods via Mellilia reminds of the activities in the past. Many used consumer-goods from Europe find their way to North-Africa via Mellilia and Nador. All kinds of goods find their way via this route: used clothes and shoes up to large electric devices as washing-machines.
Nador transmitter
Near Nador there is the transmission site for long-wave and shortwave of Medi 1 Radio which broadcasts to all Maghreb countries. The aerial masts of Medi 1 Radio for long-wave are approximately 380 metres high and belong to the tallest constructions in Africa.
Nador Quarters
Main Nador city quarters and neighborhoods are:

El Kindy
Laarasi
Anafag / Lmatar / New Nador
Laari Shikh
Ammas n Temdint / Centro (city downtown)
Ait Mimoun (Ait Mimoun Market)
Isebbanen
Tireqqaâ
Downtown Nador: a relatively developed area in comparison with the rest of the city. Downtown lies in the center of the city and was partially developed by the Spanish colonials.

Tourism

During the summer months Nador is visited by a large amount of Moroccan nationals originating from the province or city of Nador. The (local) government also wants to attract foreign tourists and for this reason they try to give the city a better look: café's must use metal or wooden chairs outside (and not plastic), houses have to be painted in one colour throughout the city and they have re-developed the main boulevard along the sea. Until early 2008 the city-end of the boulevard was formed by the Rif Hotel, but in the spring of 2008 the existing hotel (see picture) was demolished and the road alongside the boulevard extended. This new road by-passes the city centre and runs directly towards the main roundabout at the entrance of Nador via the Road to Taoima. The remaining grounds where the hotel and its facilities were located is being redeveloped into a new hotel-complex.

Mohammédia

2008-08-10T11:30:00.001-07:00

Mohammédia (also called Fedhala) (in Arabic: المحمدية) is a port city located 15 miles northeast of Casablanca in western Morocco. It has a population of 188,619 (2004 census). The city was originally named Fedala, but was renamed in 1959 in honor of King Muhammad V. The port was a traditional point of contact between European traders and Morocco between the 14th and 19th centuries before Morocco was annexed by the French, who began construction of modern port facilities in 1913. Today, the city serves as both a seaside resort and a manufacturing center.
Mohammédia is also a resort city containing a golf and tennis club, casino and many other activities. In addition, people call it madinate lwouroude wa riyada which means "city of flowers and sports".

Meknes

2008-08-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

Meknes (Arabic: مكناس) is a city in northern Morocco, located 130 kilometres from the capital Rabat and 60 kilometres from Fes. It is served by the A2 expressway between those two cities and by the corresponding railway. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail (1672 – 1727), before it was relocated to Rabat. The population is 950,322 (2006 estimate). It is the capital of the Meknes-Tafilalet region. Meknes is named after a Berber tribe which was known as Miknasa in the medieval Arabic sources.

The land upon which the city is founded and much of its surrounding territory came under the domination of the Roman Empire in 117 AD. (see History of Morocco). The original community from which Meknes can be traced was an 8th century Kasbah, or fortress. A Berber tribe called the Miknasa settled there in the 10th century, and a town consequently grew around the fortress. Meknes saw its golden age as the imperial capital of Moulay Ismail following his accession to the Sultanate of Morocco.

Geography

Neighboring cities to the south: Azrou, connecting via the N13 road, is a cedar region with the noted "College d'Azrou" where many members of the post-independence elite derived); and Ifrane (Al Akhawayn University). Volubilis (Oualili) is about half an hour to the north, a ruined Roman town.

Marrakech

2008-08-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Marrakech or Marrakesh (مراكش Marrakesh), known as the "Red City" or "Al Hamra," is a city with a population of 1,036,500 (as of 2006) in southwestern Morocco, near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.

Name

The possible origin of its name could be from the Tamazight (Berber) words mur (n) akuch, which means "Land of God". (The root "mur" is now in the Berber languages used only in the feminine form "tamurt"). The same word "mur/mawr" appears in the country Mauritania, but this interpretation is still unproven to this day. There are other possibilities that are often invoked.

This city is the capital of the Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz region.

Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has one of the busiest squares in Africa, Djemaa el Fna. The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers, and musicians, as well as drug lords by day; By night, the square turns into food stalls, becoming a huge open-air restaurant with busy life that include the infamous Ladies of the Night(prostitutes).

Like many North African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech comprises both an old fortified city (the médina) and an adjacent modern city (called Gueliz). It is served by Ménara International Airport (RAK is the code for the airport) and a rail link to Casablanca and the north.

The city is spelled "Marrakech" in French, "Marrakesh" in English, and "Marrakesch" in German.

History

Marrakesh is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat. It was known to early travellers as "Morocco City." Prior to the advent of the Almoravids in the 11th century, the area was ruled from the city of Aghmat. The Almoravid leader, Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar decided Aghmat was becoming overcrowded and chose to build a new capital. Being a nomad from the Sahara Desert, he decided to build it in the plains, away from the mountains and rivers. He chose the site of Marrakech, because it was in neutral territory between two tribes who were vying for the honor of hosting the new capital. Work started in May 1070, but Abu-Bakr was recalled to the Sahara to put down a rebellion in January 1071 and the city was completed by his deputy and eventual successor Yusuf ibn Tashfin. The city experienced its greatest period under the leadership of Yacoub el Mansour, the third Almohad sultan. A number of poets and scholars entered the city during his reign and he began the construction of the Koutoubia Mosque and a new kasbah.

Prior to the reign of Moulay Ismail, Marrakech was the capital of Morocco. After his reign, his grandson moved the capital back to Marrakech from Meknès.

For centuries Marrakesh has been known for its 'seven saints.' When sufism was at the height of its popularity, during the reign of Moulay Ismail, the festival of the 'seven saints' was founded by Abu Ali al-Hassan al-Yusi at the request of the sultan. The tombs of several renowned figures were moved to Marrakesh to attract pilgrims in the same way Essaouira did at that time with its Regrega festivals. The 'seven saints' (sebaatou rizjel) is now a firmly established institution, attracting visitors from everywhere. The seven saints include Sidi Bel Abbas (the patron saint of the city), Sidi Muhammad al-Jazuli, Sidi Abu al-Qasim Al-Suhayli, Cadi Ayyad ben Moussa, and Abdallah al-Ghazwani.

Marrakech was dominated in the first half of the 20th century by T'hami El Glaoui, Lord of the Atlas and Pasha of Marrakech. The poet of the city was Mohammed Ben Brahim, his favorite place was café Al-Masraf. The poems and songs of Ben Brahim are still known by heart by many Marrakshi.

Larache

2008-08-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

Larache (also El Araich) is an important harbour town in the region Tanger-Tétouan in northern Morocco. It was founded in the 7th century when a group of Muslim soldiers from Arabia extended their camp at Lixus onto the south bank of the Oued Loukos (river Loukos).
In 1471, the Portuguese settlers from Asilah and Tangier drove the inhabitants out of Larache, and again it remained uninhabited until the Sultan of Fes, Mohamed es Said ech Sheik, decided to repopulate it and build a stronghold on the plateau above river Loukos. He constructed a fortress at the entrance to the port as a means of controlling access to the river.
In the 15th century superpower due to their marine expenditures Portugal spoke of Larache as the largest Moroccan Port.
For a long time, attempts by the Portuguese, Spanish and French to take it met with no success. The Kasbah which was built in 1491 by Moulay en Nasser, later became a pirate stronghold. In 1610, the town passed to Spanish hands who stayed there until 1689 about 79 years but mainly used the ports as trading stops and never really administered the town. Moulay Ismail finally retook it in 1689. Attacks on Larache continued but it still remained in Muslim hands. But due to the colonisation era Spain, in 1911, took Larache and held it for 45 years or until 1956.

Ksar-el-Kebir

2008-08-10T11:09:00.001-07:00

Ksar-el-Kebir (Arabic, القصر الكبير) is a city in northwest of Morocco with 110.000 inhabitants, about 160 Km from Rabat, 32 Km from Larache and 110 from Tangier. The name of the city also known as Al Qasr al Kabir or Alcazarquivir in Spanish or Alcácer-Quibir in Portuguese. The name translates as The big castle in English. The population of the city is 107,380 (2004 census).
The city is located near by the Loukous river which makes Ksar el-Kebir one of Morocco's richest agricultural regions.
History
1st millennium BCE: Established as a Carthaginian colony, few centuries later it was transferred to the Romans. 12th century: City walls are built by the command of the Almohads. 1578: The Battle of the Three Kings is fought at the location of Ksar el-Kebir. 17th century: Sultan Moulay Ismail destroys the city walls of Ksar el-Kebir, after being angered by a local chief. 1911: Spain conquers Northern Morocco, and the town is rebuilt, and given a Spanish name, Alcazarquivir. 1956: With Morocco's independence, Alcazarquivir is transferred from Spanish control, and renamed Ksar el-Kebir.
In 1578, King Sebastião of Portugal suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the King Abd al-Malik of Morocco, which ended Portugal's ambitions to invade and Christianize the Maghreb. Both Kings died during the battle. The death of King Sebastião started the events which led to the temporary union of the crowns of Portugal and Spain under Philip II of Spain. Whereas the victory of King Abd al-Malik gave Morocco substantial strength and international prestige.
The city experienced a substantial growth with the settling of an important Spanish garrison in 1911 as a part of the Spanish Morocco Protectorate in Morocco. After Morocco's independence and the building of the Oued el Makhazine reservoir by King Hassan II to manage the Loukkos' river regime, the city has turned into an important regional agricultural distribution center.

Kenitra

2008-08-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

Kenitra (Arabic name: القنيطرة, transliterated: Al-Qonaitirah, the little bridge) is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population of approximately 370,000 (2005 census),[citation needed] and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region.
History
In terms of some of the earliest known prehistory of this area, the Phoenicians settled the coastline along this part of Morocco as early as the first millennium BC. The major settlement nearest Kenitra was Chellah, somewhat to the south along the banks of the Oued Bou Regreg.
Before the French protectorate, there was only a kasbah in the area where the modern city can today be found. Established in 1912 by Hubert Lyautey, the first Resident-General in Morocco, as a French military fort, harbor and town. The port at Kenitra was opened in 1913.
Kenitra draws its name from a culvert built on the Fouarat river upstream of the kasbah. This culvert was destroyed in 1928. In 1933, the French officially named the locale "Port Lyautey". It was renamed "Kenitra" in 1956 as Morocco gained its independence.

Ifrane

2008-08-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ifrane (Amazigh: Ifran) (nicknamed Little Switzerland) is a town and ski resort in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco (population 12,000 in 2004 census). Ifrane is 1,650 m in altitude and is part of the Meknès-Tafilalet region. In Tamazight, the regional Berber language, "ifran" means caves. Background

Developed by the French during the protectorate era for their administration due to its Alpine climate, this Morrocan town has a remarkable European style, as if it were an Alpine village. Because of its elevation, the town experiences snow during the winter months and a cool climate during the summer. Ifrane is also the place where the lowest temperature was ever recorded in Africa, -23 ºC in 1935. Animals to be found there include the barbary monkey. Among the tree species are the native Atlas cedar, Scrub oak and the introduced London plane.
The first permanent settlement of the area dates to the 16th century, when a saintly sharîf by the name of Sîdî 'Abd al-Salâm established his community in the Tizguit valley, seven km downstream from the present town. By the mid-17th century the zâwiyah was well enough established to receive an extensive iqtâ' (land grant) from the 'Alâwî sultan Mûlây Rashîd b. Muhammad. While the founder's lineage was ethnically Arab, the inhabitants of the village today mostly speak Tamazight.
Modern days
The modern town of Ifrane was established by the French administration in 1929 on land expropriated from the inhabitants of the zâwiya. The town was to be a "hill station," a cool place for colonial families to spend the hot summer months, and it was initially planned according to the "garden city" model of urban design then in vogue. The plan called for chalet-type summer homes in the Alpine style, laid out among gardens and curving tree-lined streets. A Royal Palace was also built for Sultan Muhammad b. Yûsuf. The town's first public buildings consisted of a post office and a church. Moreover, a penitentiary was built which served as a POW camp during WWII.
As elsewhere in Morocco, a shantytown called Timdiqîn soon grew up next to the colonial establishment. It housed the Moroccan population (maids, gardeners, etc.) that serviced the French vacationers. Timdiqîn was separated from the colonial garden city by a deep ravine. After independence the French properties in the original garden city were slowly bought up by Moroccans. The town was enlarged and endowed with a mosque, a municipal market and public housing estates. Furthermore, the shanty neighborhood of Timdiqîn was rebuilt with proper civic amenities.
In 1979 Ifrane became the seat of the administrative province of the same name and some government services were established. In 1995 Al Akhawayn University, an English-language, American-curriculum private university opened and this has helped re-launch Ifrane as a desirable destination for domestic tourism. Consequently, Ifrane continues to develop as both a summer and winter resort. Old chalets in the center of town are being knocked down and replaced with condominium complexes, while vacation centers and gated housing estates are springing up on its outskirts

Al Hoceima

2008-08-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

Al Hoceima is a city and port in the north of Morocco and in the center of the Rif Mountains. The Al Hoceima city region has a population of 395.644 (2004 census). It is the capital of the Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate region. It is situated in the territory of the Bucoya tribe of the Rif who speak Tamazight.
History of Al Hoceima
The Spanish started to develop Al Hoceima around 1925. General Sanjurjo landed with his troops on the beach of Al Hoceima during the Rif Rebellion and claimed the territory for Spain. He named the territory after himself, namely Villa Sanjurjo. Many locals still call the city "Villa" in addition to the official Al Hoceima.
The Spanish troops started building houses, schools and hospitals above the beach and it started to look more and more like a small town. In the 1920's and 30's the town had almost no growth in population. It's name changed from Villa Sanjurjo to Villa Alhucemas and the few streets above the beach were still occupied by mainly Spanish soldiers and their families.
After Morocco gained it's independence in 1956, Al Hoceima quickly began to develop. The Moroccan government changed it's name from the Spanish "Villa Alhucemas" to Al Hoceima.
Modern Al Hoceima and it's Spanish influences
Al Hoceima is now a moderate size city with an estimated population of 100.000 and it has the second largest port of the Rif Region, Nador being the largest. The first schools built by the Spanish colonials (a college and an elementary school) and a Spanish catholic church still exist today.
Spanish culture has left its mark on the city, its proof being that the inhabitants of Al Hoceima still have the siesta and the afternoon paseo (walk) around the city square and the downtown shops.
The beach were General Sanjurjo and his troops landed in 1925 is today the most popular beach in Al Hoceima. It's called Playa Quemado and it houses the luxurious Mohammed V hotel, complete with tennis court, a restaurant, cocktail bar and nightbclub.
Economy
The income of the city is based on tourism and fishing. A lot of inhabitants migrated to Europe between the 1960's and 1980's. There is a large amount of Moroccans in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain who have Al Hoceima as their home city. Because a high percentage of these migrants visit the city in summertime, many companies and people have invested in Al Hoceima.
Since the 1990's a lot of western oriented businesses opened, such as pizza parlors, fast food restaurants and clothing stores.
Trivia

The town and surrounding villages were hit by 2 moderate sized earthquakes within ten years, first Mw 6.0 on May 26, 1994 and later Mw 6.4 on February 24, 2004. More than 560 people were killed during the last one.
In 1948, a Spanish motion picture called "Alhucemas" came out. It's tells the story of an army official in the time of Franco which transforms from a coward to a hero.
In the early 1950's and 60's, when many of the city inhabitants were financially poor, The small houses were all painted white and blue, the original colors of the city, which represented the sea and the sky. However, when there was financial growth, people started decorating there houses in bright colors. The mayor of Al Hoceima has stated in 2007 that all (future built) houses are to be painted white and blue (again), to return to the original look of the city.

Guelmim

2008-08-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

Guelmim (Arabic: كلميم‎, also spelt Goulimine or Guelmin), is a town in southern Morocco, often nicknamed Gateway to the Desert (la porte du désert). The population of the city is 95,749 (2004 census). It is the capital of the Guelmim-Es Semara region which includes southern Morocco (south of the Souss-Massa-Dra region) and northern Western Sahara. It is home to a camel market. When hippies "discovered" certain types of colorful African trade beads there in the 1960s, these became known as "Goulamine beads" tho they were actually manufactured in Europe, primarily in Venice.

Fes

2008-08-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Fes or Fez (Arabic: فاس [Fās], French Fès) is the fourth largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech with a population of 946,815 (2004 census). It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane Region.
Fes is one of the four so-called "imperial cities" (the others are Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat). It is separated into three parts, Fes el Bali (the old, walled city), Fes-Jdid (new Fes, home of the Mellah), and the Ville Nouvelle (the French-created, newest section of Fes). The Medina of Fes el Bali, the largest of the two medinas of Fes, is believed to be the largest contiguous car-free urban area in the world. Fes el Bali is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University of Al-Karaouine was founded in 859 A.D. and is the oldest continuous operating university in the world.
History
The city was founded on opposite banks of the Fez River by Idris I in 789 and his son Idris II continued the work in 810. The first was the founder of the Idrisid dynasty, his son was born after he was assassinated. During Yahya ibn Muhammad's rule the Kairouyine mosque, one of the oldest and largest in Africa, was built, and the associated University of Al-Karaouine was founded in 859. Arab emigration to Fes, mostly from Al-Andalus after a rebellion which took place in Córdoba in 818 and from Tunisia after another rebellion that took place in 824, gave the city a definite Arab character. 'Adwat Al-Andalus and 'Adwat al-Qarawiyyin, the two main quarters of Fes, were called respectively after the two waves of Arab immigrants to the new city. After Ali ibn Umar (Ali II) came to power, the tribes of Madyuna, Gayatha and Miknasa, which were Sufrite Kharijites, formed a common front against the Idrisid and defeated Ali's armies and occupied Fes. Yahya ibn Al-Qassim, drove the Sufrites out of the city and declared himself Ali's successor.

The city was populated by Muslims from elsewhere in North Africa, the Middle East, Moriscos, as well as many Jews, who had their own quarter, or Mellah, in the city.

Almohad dynasty (1130-1269)

It is believed that Fes was the largest city in the world from 1170 to 1180.
Fes became the scientific and religious center, where both Muslims and Christians from Europe came to study.

Marinid dynasty (1269-1420)

Kingdom of Fez (1420-1554)

Many Muslim refugees came to Fes after the reconquest of Spain in 1492.
Saadi dynasty (1554-1603)
Partition

Capital of Saadi Kingdom of Fez (1603-1627)

Later became part of Saadi Dynasty (1627-1649)

Fes became the center of the Morocco in 1649, and it was a major trading post of the Barbary Coast of North Africa. Until the 19th century it was the only source of Fez hats (also known as the tarboosh), before they began to be manufactured in France and Turkey; originally, the dye for the hats came from a berry that was grown outside the city, known as the Turkish kizziljiek or Greek akenia (Cornus mascula). Fes was also the end of a north-south gold trading route from Timbuktu.

Independent in 1790–1795 leader Yazid (1790-1792) and Abu´r-Rabi Sulayman (1792-1795). This Kingdom was conquest by Morocco.

In 1819–1821 was part of the rebellion which leader was Ibrahim ibn Yazid. In 1832 rebellion , leader Muhammad ibn Tayyib.

Fez was a prime manufacturing location for leather goods such as the Adarga.

Fes was the capital of Morocco at various times in the past, the last such period ending in 1912, when most of Morocco came under French control and Rabat was chosen to be the capital of the new colony, a distinction that city retained when Morocco achieved independence in 1956. While many of the original inhabitants of Fes have since emigrated, the Jewish quarter has been emptied of its Jewish population ( In 1465, there was large massacre of Jews by Arab riots.), and the economy has stagnated, Fes is perhaps the most interesting and picturesque of the Imperial Cities of Morocco. Despite the traditional character of most of the city, there is also a modern section, the Ville Nouvelle, or "New City", which is a bustling commercial center. The popularity of the city has increased since the King of Morocco took a Fassi computer engineer, Salma Bennani, as his wife.

Fes World Sacred Music Festival

In the city every year a week-long festival is held of sacred musical traditions from different parts of the world. Performers like Ravi Shankar, Youssou N'Dour and Salif Keita are juxtaposed with less known musical genres such as Japanese Gagaku, Indonesian Gamelan and folk music from Central Asia. The 2007 festival has a new Artistic Director Cherif Khaznadar bringing a new perspective to the programme. The festival was founded in 1994 by the Moroccan scholar and philanthropist Faouzi Skali. It includes a four-day Forum under the rubric "Giving Soul to Globalisation". Politicians, social activists, academics and religious leaders come together in dialogue. This Forum is sponsored by the World Bank.

Figuig

2008-08-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Figig - Ifiyey (Berber: Afgig) is a Berber town in eastern Morocco near the Atlas Mountains, on the border with Algeria.
The town is built around an oasis of date palms, called tazdayt in the Berber languages, surrounded by rugged, mountainous wilderness. Modernisation has both raised the standard of living, and drawn much of the town's population away, so that it is now struggling to reach stability.
Precise estimates of Figuig's population are difficult to calculate because of the continuous exodus towards opportunities abroad, though the number is assumed to be some tens of thousands.
Aghrams
Figuig consists of seven different communities (Igherman in Amazigh): At-Wadday, At-Amar, At-Lamiz, At-Sliman, At-aNaj, At-Addi, Iznayen. A community territory is called an Agram (the word the Berber use to describe themselves in their tongue; plural Igramawan), usually made up of a fortified group of houses. Many Agrams are designed with defensive measures like watch-towers and heavy doors on the main entrances, which are closed at night, as well as a mazelike layout, called an Abrid, which makes navigation for the unwanted extremely difficult.
Homes, or Tidriwin, are extended by building rooms over the alleyways; these extensions are referred to as Askif. Houses are built mainly with soil, though palm trunks (tizidin) and leaf-heads (tikachba, taratta) are used in roof construction. The arrival of electricity, plumbing, and concrete construction has not essentially altered the nature of Aghram building. However, modern age buildings are being built more and more in the newly appointed area's at the edge of each "Agram".
Culture
Aghrams are often centered around a plaza once used for communal gatherings and shopping. Arab nomads would exhibit merchandise like cooked butter (Udi), dried milk (Ibrassa), and sheep wool (Douft). However, due to lack of demand and western-influenced tastes, the plaza-markets have waned in both their variety and importance.
The akharbish education, often held near a mosque, had already been replaced by modern French schools since the establishment of the French colonisation. This trend has only been strengthened by the advantages a Western, French education is perceived to confer, and as a result, knowledge of the Berber and Arabic languages has suffered.
The original mainly spoken language is Tamazight (a Berber language). Figuig's population are referred to as At-Ufiyyey in that language. Tamazight is spoken but not written in Figuig.
Agriculture
The town was established next to an oasis of date palms, and dates, or tiyni, are by far its most important resource. Some hundreds of thousands of date palms are cultivated in the area, and their fruit has become Figuig's primary crop. In the 1960s and 1970s however, Figuig had lost countless date palms because of the Bayud disease.
Wheat, or tasharza, is also an important product of the town. Its cultivation near the town assured a steady supply of the crucial grain which allowed for a higher quality of life. In order to increase arrable land, many private farmers have constructed soil-filled stone terraces along the Jorf, a salt mountain nearby.
The Jorf is a sort of salt mountain about 1 kilometre long and 50 metres high. It is a nesting site of wild pigeons and bees, as well as scorpions and snakes, and is divided between several private landowners . The Jorf also serves to divide between the upper and lower portions of the town, and several thoroughfares connecting them run across it. The town's water-supply (aman) is drawn from its northern end, near the pass which serves as the main entrance to Figuig, and water can generally found there at the shallow depth of 10 metres.
The water is conducted from its source via underground channels (lakbawat) to lime and stone or cement cisterns (sharij), from which farmers can utilise it at their convenience. The cisterns sometimes double as swimming holes to provide recreation for the local children.
Modernisation
New technologies such as cement and steel construction, as well as electricity, gas, telegraphs, cellular networks, digital satellite programming, and even Broadband Internet access, have made their way to Figuig. These developments have begun to bring the residents remaining in the town into close-contact with local culture, and the town has even seen the opening of several cafes.
A central bureaucracy, held-over from the French control, has supplanted the tribal structure as a center of Figuigs' administration.
Most people who are originally from Figuig and who live abroad visit Figuig every summer. The city becomes very crowded and teenagers enjoy going there because they meet with their friends and they spend a very good time. They go to swimming pools and biking as well as sightseeing.

Essaouira

2008-08-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Essaouira (Arabic: الصويرة‎, formerly known as Mogador, its older name) is a city and tourist resort in western Morocco, on the Atlantic coast.

Archaeological research shows that Essaouira has been occupied since prehistoric times. The bay at Essaouira is partially sheltered by the island of Mogador, making it a peaceful harbour protected against strong marine winds.

Essaouira has long been considered as one of the best anchorages of the Moroccan coast. During the 5th century BC, she was visited by the Carthaginian navigator Hanno, who established a trading post there. Around the end of the 1st century BC or early 1st century AD, Juba II established a Tyrian purple factory, processing the murex and purpura shells found in the intertidal rocks at Essaouira and the Iles Purpuraires. This dye was used to colour the purple stripe in Imperial Roman Senatorial togas.

During the Middle Ages, a muslim saint named Sidi Mogdoul was buried in Essaouira. In 1506, the king of Portugal ordered a fortress to be built there, named "Castelo Real de Mogador". The fortress fell to the local resistance of the Regraga fraternity four years later.

During the 16th century, various powers including Spain, England, the Netherlands and France tried in vain to conquer the locality. Essaouira remained a haven for the export of sugar molasses and the anchoring of pirates.

The actual city of Essaouira was only built during the 18th century. Mohammed III, wishing to reorient his kingdom towards the Atlantic for increased exchanges with European powers, chose Mogador as his key location. He hired a French engineer, Théodore Cornut, and several other European architects and technicians, to build the fortress along modern lines. Originally called "Souira", "The small fortress", the name then became "Es-Saouira", "The beautifully designed".

Mohammed ben Abdallah encouraged the establishment of Jewish and other foreign traders. They numbered approximately one thousand by 1780. He also forced European nations to establish consulates in the city, but the city did not flourish, as she was too far from the traditional caravan trade routes.

Following Morocco's alliance with Algeria's Abd-El-Kader against France, Essaouira was bombarded and briefly occupied by the French Navy under the Prince de Joinville on August 16th, 1844.

In the early 1950s film director and actor Orson Welles stayed at the Hotel des Iles just south of the town walls during the filming of his 1952 classic version of "Othello" which contains several memorable scenes shot in the labyrynthine streets and alleyways of the medina. Legend has it that during Welles's sojourn in the town he met Winston Churchill, another guest at the Hotel des Iles. Several other film directors have utilised Essaouira's photogenic and atmospheric qualities.

Geography

Essaourira is protected by a natural bay partially shielded by wave action by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends from the harbour south of Essaourira, at which point the Oued Ksob discharges to the ocean; south of the discharge lies the archaeological ruin, the Bordj El Berod. The Canary Current is responsible for the generally southward movement of ocean circulation and has led to enhancement of the local fishery. The village of Diabat lies about two kilometres south of Essaouira, immediately south of the Oued Ksob.

Essaouira today

The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late 18th century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa.

The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi remains rather small, although the catches (sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal upwelling generated by the powerful trade winds and the Canaries Current.

Tourism is of growing importance, supporting boutique hotels established in traditional Moroccan riads, within the old town's ramparts. There are a number of modern purpose-built hotels, running along the beach. The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries.

Essaouira is also renowned for its kitesurfing and windsurfing, with the powerful trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless, bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis.

Parasols tend to be used on the beach as a protection against the wind and the blowing sand. Camel excursions are available on the beach and into the desert band in the interior.

El Jadida

2008-08-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

El Jadida (الجديدة) is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, in the province of El Jadida. It has a population of 144,440 (2004 census) and is the port for Marrakech, 110 miles to the south. From the sea, El Jadida has a very un-Moorish appearance; it has massive Portuguese walls of hewn stone.
El Jadida, previously known as Mazagan (Portuguese: Mazagão), was seized in 1502 by the Portuguese, and they controled this city until 1769, when they abandoned Mazagão. Its inhabitants were evacuated to Brazil, where they founded new settlement Nova Mazagão (now in Amapá). El Jadida was then taken over by Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah.

The Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, on the basis of its status as an "outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures" and as an "early example of the realisation of the Renaissance ideals integrated with Portuguese construction technology".

According to UNESCO, the most important buildings from the Portuguese period are the cistern, and the Manueline church of the Assumption.

At present, the city's main exports are beans, almonds, maize, chick-peas, wool, hides, wax and eggs. It imports cotton, sugar, tea and rice. The presence of nearby ports and factories is responsible for the pollution of El Jadida's beaches.

Chefchaouen

2008-08-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Chefchaouen (Arabic: شفشاون‎, Spanish: Xauen or Chauen) is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the chief town of the province of the same name.

Chefchaouen is situated in the Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangier and Tetouan. The city was founded in 1471, as a small fortress which still exists to this day, by Moorish exiles from Spain led by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami to fight the Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco. It was known as one of the main concentrations of Moriscos and Jews who sought refuge in this mountainous city after the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times. In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen to form part of Spanish Morocco. Spanish troops imprisoned Abd el-Krim in the kasbah in 1926 after defeating him with the help of the French force. Spain returned the city after the independence of Morocco in 1956.

Chefchaouen or Chaouen, as it is often called by Moroccans, is a popular tourist destination given its proximity to Tangier and the Spanish border. The name simply refers to the shapes of the mountain tops that tower over the town, that look like the two horns (chaoua) of a goat. "Chef Chaouen" literally means "look at the horns". There are approximately two hundred hotels in this tiny mountain village in order to host the summer influx of European tourists. One distinction possessed by Chefchaouen is its blue-rinsed houses and buildings, a tradition that comes from the town's former Jewish population.
Chefchaouen is a popular shopping destination as well, as it offers many native handicrafts that are not available elsewhere in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. The goat cheese native to the area is also popular with tourists.Chefchaouen is a popular shopping destination as well, as it offers many native handicrafts that are not available elsewhere in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. The goat cheese native to the area is also popular with tourists.

The countryside around it has a reputation for being a prolific source of marijuana, as the land is unsuitable for much else. The Chefchaouen region is one of the main producers of cannabis in Morocco. Hashish is subsequently sold all over town, but is mostly the domain of native Chaouenis.

The growing tourist industry is geared especially towards Spanish tourists, who are especially numerous during great Catholic feasts like Semana Santa and Christmas.

Religion

There are a number of distinct mosques in the town. Aside from the mosque at Place Uta Hammam in the medina, there is also a mosque dedicated to the patron saint of Northern Morocco's Jebalah region, Moulay Abdeslam Ben Mchich. His tomb and the village surrounding it is by the way an hour's drive or so from Chefchaouen on the old road to Larache.

Chefchaouen is home to the only octagonal minaret in Islam. There is also a ruined mosque built by the Spanish, with stairs still in the tower.

Casablanca

2008-08-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

Casablanca (Spanish for white (blanca) house (casa) ; Amazigh: Anfa; Standard Arabic: الدار البيضاء; Moroccan Arabic: dar beïda الدار البيضا ) is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Greater Casablanca region.

With a population of 3.1 million (3.85 million in the "greater Casablanca" (September 2005 census), Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It's also the biggest city in the Maghreb and the sixth biggest city in the entire continent of Africa. Casablanca is considered the economic capital of Morocco because it is the heart of Moroccan business; the political capital is Rabat. It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.
Casablanca is the leading city hosting headquarters and main industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historic position as the main industrial zone of the country. The Port of Casablanca is considered as Morocco's chief port and as one of the largest artificial ports in the world. It is also the largest port of the Maghreb and North Afric.
History
Before the French Protectorate
The area which is today Casablanca was settled by Berbers by at least the 7th century. A small independent kingdom, in the area then named Anfa, arose in the area around that time in response to Arab Muslim rule, and continued until it was conquered by the Almoravids in 1068.
During 14th century, under the Merinids, Anfa rose in importance as a port. In the early 15th century, the town became an independent state once again, and emerged as a safe harbour for pirates and privateers, leading to it being targeted by the Portuguese, who destroyed the town in 1468.
The Portuguese used the ruins of Anfa to build a military fortress in 1515. The town that grew up around it was called "Casabranca", meaning "White House" in Portuguese.
Between 1580-1640 was part of Spain, and later part of Portugal again. They eventually abandoned the area completely in 1755 following an earthquake which destroyed most of the town.
The town was finally reconstructed by sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah (1756-1790), the grandson of Moulay Ismail and ally of George Washington. The town was called Dar el Beida (white house) in Arabic and Casa Blanca in Spanish.
In the 19th century, the area's population began to grow as Casablanca became a major supplier of wool to the booming textile industry in Britain and shipping traffic increased (the British, in return, began importing Morocco's now famous national drink, gunpowder tea). By the 1860s, there were around 5,000 residents, and the population grew to around 10,000 by the late 1880s. Casablanca remained a modestly-sized port, with a population reaching around 12,000 within a few years of the French conquest and arrival of French colonialists in the town, at first administrators within a sovereign sultanate, in 1906. By 1921, this was to rise to 110,000, largely through the development of bidonvilles.
French rule
In June 1907, the French attempted to build a light railway near the port and passing through a graveyard. Residents attacked the French workers, and riots ensued. French troops were landed in order to restore order, which was achieved only after severe damage to the town. The French then took control of Casablanca. This effectively began the process of colonialisation, although French control of Casablanca was not formalised until 1910.
The famous 1942 film Casablanca underlined the city's colonial status at the time -- depicting it as the scene of a power struggle between competing European powers, carried out with little reference to the local population. The film's vast cosmopolitan cast of characters (American, French, German, Czech, Norse, Bulgarian, Russian and some other nationalities) includes only a single (uncredited) Arab character, "Abdul" the doorman whose role is marginal.
During the 1940s and 1950s, Casablanca was a major centre of anti-French rioting. A terrorist bomb on Christmas Day of 1953 caused terrible casualties.
The Casablanca Conference
Casablanca was an important strategic port during World War II and hosted the Casablanca Conference in 1943, in which Churchill and Roosevelt discussed the progress of the war. Casablanca was the site of a large American air base, which was the staging area for all American aircraft for the European Theater of Operations during World War II.
Since independence
Morocco regained independence from France on the 2nd of March, 1956.
In 1930, Casablanca hosted a Grand Prix. The race was held at the new Anfa Racecourse. In 1958, the race was held at Ain-Diab circuit - . In 1983, Casablanca hosted the Mediterranean Games.
The city is now developing a tourism industry. Casablanca has become the economic and business capital of Morocco, while Rabat is the political capital.
In March 2000, women's groups organised demonstrations in Casablanca proposing reforms to the legal status of women in the country. 40,000 women attended, calling for a ban on polygamy and the introduction of divorce law (divorce being a purely religious procedure at that time). Although the counter-demonstration attracted half a million participants, the movement for change started in 2000 was influential on King Mohammed VI, and he enacted a new Mudawana, or family law, in early 2004, meeting some of the demands of women's rights activists.
Economy
The Greater Casablanca region is considered the locomotive of the development of the Moroccan economy. It attracts 32% of the country’s production units and 56% of industrial labor. The region uses 30% of the national electricity production. With MAD 93 billion, the region contributes to 44% of the Industrial production of the Kingdom. 33% of national industrial exportations, MAD 27 billions, which is comparably with US $ 3.6 billion, come from the Greater Casablanca. 30% of Moroccan banking network is concentrated in Casablanca.
One of the most important Casablancan exports is phosphorate. Other industries include fishing, fish canning, sawmilling, furniture making, building materials, glass, textiles, electronics, leather work, processed food, beer, spirits, soft drinks, and cigarettes.
The Casablanca and Mohammedia seaports activity represent 50% of the international commercial flows of Morocco.
Demographics
The population of Grand Casablanca was estimated in 2005 at 3.85 million. 98% of them live in urban areas. Around 25% of them are under 15 and 9% are over 60 years old. The population of the city is about 11% of the total population of Morocco. Greater Casablanca is also the largest urban area in the Maghreb. The number of inhabitants is however disputed by the locals, who point to a number between 5 and 6 million, citing recent drought years as a reason for many people moving into the city to find work.
Jews in Casablanca
There was a Sephardic Jewish community in Anfa up to its destruction by the Portuguese in 1468. Jews were slow to return to the town, but by 1750 the Rabbi Elijah Synagogue was built as the first Jewish temple in Casablanca. It was destroyed along with much of the town in the earthquake of 1755.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Casablanca was home to about 6,000 Jews - more than a quarter of the population. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Casablanca has been associated with Judaism more than any other city in North Africa. The Jewish population snowballed in the mid 20th century, partly because of the development of social support structures for Jewish incomers and partly, after the European Holocaust, because of an increased desire of some Jews for the protection of a large Jewish community.
Between the 1940s and 1960s, the Jewish population of Casablanca was around 70,000. Emigration to France, Canada, the United States and Israel from Casablanca has been substantial since then, however. Large numbers of expatriates retain Moroccan citizenship and a Moroccan identity. Fewer than 5,000 Jews remain in the city today. Here is a list of a few synagogues in Casablanca:

Council of Moroccan Jewish Communities, (Conseil des Communautés Israélites du Maroc), 1, rue Adrienne Lecouver
Synagogue Beth-El - 67, Verlet-Hanus
Synagogue Téhila Le David - Bd du 11 Janvier
Synagogue Benarrosh - Rue de Lusitania
Synagogue Em-Habanime - Rue de Lusitania

An Israeli theatre play, extremely popular in the 1950s and 1960's and later made into a film, was called Casablan, depicting the difficult life in a Jaffa slum of the eponymous young Morrocan Jewish immigrant, evidently originating from Casablanca.

Notable physical landmarks

The French period New Town of Casablanca was designed by the French architect Henri Prost and was a model of a new town at that time. The main streets of the New Town (Ville Nouvelle in French) radiate south and east from Place des Nations Unies, where the main market of Anfa had been. The New Town is possibly the most impressive in Morocco. Former administrative buildings and modern hotels populate the area. Their style is a combination of Hispano-Mauresque and Art Deco styles.Casablanca is home to the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers. A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's courtyard. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres.Work on the mosque was started in 1980, and was intended to be completed for the 60th birthday of the former Moroccan king, Hassan II, in 1989. However, the building was not inaugurated until 1993. Authorities spent an estimated $800 million in the construction of the building.

The Parc de la Ligue Arabe (formally called Lyautey) is the city's largest public park. On its edge is situated the Cathedrale du Sacré Coeur, which is disused, but is a splendid example of Mauresque architecture.

The Old Medina (the part of town pre-dating the French protectorate) attracts fewer tourists than the medinas of other Moroccan towns, such as Fes and Marrakech. However, it has undergone some restoration in recent years. Included in this project have been the western walls of the medina, its skala, or bastion, and its colonial-period clock tower.

The city is served by Anfa Airport and Mohammed V International Airport, and its port is one of the largest artificial ports in the world.

Beni Mellal

2008-08-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Beni-Mellal (Arabic: بني ملال‎) is a Moroccan city located at . It is the capital city of the Tadla-Azilal Region, with a population of 163,286 (2004 census). It sits at the foot of Mount Tassemit (2247m), and next to the plains of Beni Amir.
As the city lies quite far inland and is shielded by the Middle Atlas mountains the area has a real continental climate with very hot summers and quite cold winters.
The walls of the city go back to Mawlay Ismail, in 1688, as well as the Kasba Bel-Kush but most of the city is quite modern and forms an important conomic centre for the region. Local agricultural products as oranges, olives, figs etc. find their way to the market via Beni Mellal.,[
The city has good connections via the road to Casablanca to the East and lies on the ancient route -now anational route- from Fez to Marrakech. The national rail-operator ONCG is also extending the railtrack from Casablanca to (nearby) Oued Zem to the city.

Azrou

2008-08-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

Azrou (Arabic: أزرو‎) is a Moroccan small city , situated at 89 kilometers south of Fez, in the Meknès-Tafilalet region.
Toponymy and Etymology
Azrou is a geomorphologic name who expresses the relief form. Accordingly, the city's name is due to a significant rocky peak ("azrou", which means rock in zayane berber). The city is located 17 kilometers from the city of Ifrane and about 50 kilometers from Meknes. Its Lycee d'Azrou high school was the cradle of most the post-independence elite of the country from 1955 onwards. The city is well known for having been the core of the Berber country under the French Protectorate from 1912 to 1956. The city for many reasons is neglected by the authorities, on behalf of its neighbor city, Ifrane. Azrou which is an old city and a heroic one, but does not have the status of a province, unlike its neighboring city, Ifrane. Azrou is known for its cedar wood, its fruit, its cherry trees and apple trees, as well as its Barbary apes in the woods and its Cedre Gouraud forest.
Geography
Azrou is located in the heart of The Middle Atlas region, of Morocco, between Meknes and Fez and Ifrane and Midelt and Khenifra. www.oulamine.com The N13 road connects Azrou to Meknes in the north.

Asilah

2008-08-09T14:28:00.001-07:00

Asilah or Arzila (Arabic: أصيلة، أرزيلة‎) is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about 50 km from Tangier. Its ramparts and gateworks remain fully intact. Its history dates back to 1500 B.C., when the Phoenicians used it as a base for trade. The Portuguese conquered the city during the 15th century, but John III later decided to abandon it because of an economic crisis in 1549. In 1692, the town was taken by the Moroccans under the leadership of Moulay Ismail.

From 1912-1956 it was part of Spanish Morocco. Asilah served as a base for pirates in the 19th and 20th centuries. A major plan to restore the town was undertaken in 1978. It is now a popular seaside resort, with modern holiday apartment complexes on the coast road leading to the town from Tangier. It hosts annual music and arts festivals.

Agadir

2008-08-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

Agadir (Arabic~since it is not an Arabic word it is modified as follows: أڴادير, Berber (Amazigh): ) is a city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Souss-Massa-Dra region.
Etymology
The word Agadir means in Berber "Fortified Granary" and is probably derived from the semitic root "g-d-r" (meaning fence) through arabic.
Description
It has a population of 678,596 (2004; census figures for the agglomeration include the nearby cities of Inezgane and Aït Melloul); the population of the city proper is estimated at 200,000. The mild winter climate (January average midday temperature 20°C/68°F) and good beaches have made it a major "winter sun" destination for Northern Europeans. The mayor is Tariq Kabbaj.
The city is located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Souss River flows into the ocean.
Agadir is an important fishing and commercial port, the first sardine port in the world, (exporting cobalt, manganese, zinc and citrus).It is also a seaside resort with a long sandy beach. Because of its large buildings, wide roads, modern hotels, and European-style cafés, Agadir is not a typical city of traditional Morocco, but it is a modern, busy and dynamic town.
Agadir is famous for its sea food and agriculture.
The city's main neighbourhoods are:

Secteur Touristique & Fonty
Les Amicales
City Centre
Nouveau Talborjt
Cité Suisse
Lakhiyam
Dakhla
Anza
L'Erac (Bouargane)
Quartier Industriel
Quartier Residentiel

History

During medieval times, there was only a fishing village there, Agadir el-arba`. In 1505 the Portuguese established a trading post named Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué, under a governor. In 1541, the city came under Wattasid control and in 1572 a stronghold was built on the top of the hill overlooking the bay, the Kasbah. Agadir became prosperous for two centuries.

In 1911, the arrival of a German gunboat (the Panther), officially to protect the local German community, triggered the Agadir Crisis between France and Germany which allowed France, in 1913, to establish a protectorate over nearly the whole kingdom of Morocco.

At 15 minutes to midnight on February 29, 1960, Agadir was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake that lasted 15 seconds, burying the city and killing thousands. The death toll is estimated at 15,000. The earthquake destroyed the ancient Kasbah. On its front gate can still be read the following sentence in Dutch: "Fear God and honour thy King".

On seeing the destruction in Agadir, King Muhammad V of Morocco declared: "If Destiny decided the destruction of Agadir, its rebuilding depends of our Faith and Will." Reconstruction began in 1961, two kilometers south of the earthquake epicentre.

Cuisine of Morocco

2008-08-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. The reason is because of the interaction of Morocco with the outside world for centuries. The cuisine of Morocco is a mix of Arab, Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean African, Iberian, and Jewish influences. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fez, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat and Tetouan refined Moroccan cuisine over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today.
Influence and history
Being at the crossroads of many civilizations, the cuisine of Morocco has been influenced by the native Berber cuisine, the Arabic Andalusian cuisine; brought by the Moriscos when they left Spain, the Turkish cuisine from the Turkish and the Middle Eastern cuisines brought by the Arabs as well as the Jewish cuisine.

The history of Morocco is reflected in its cuisine. Political refugees left Baghdad in the Middle Ages and settled in Morocco, bringing with them traditional recipes that are now common in Morocco, but forgotten in the Middle East. We know this because there are striking similarities between a 12th century (Christian reckoning) collection of recipes by Al-Baghdadi, and contemporary Moroccan dishes. A signature characteristic is cooking fruit with meat, such as quince with lamb, or apricots with chicken. Further influences upon Moroccan cuisine came from the Morisco (Muslim refugees), who were expelled from Spain during the Spanish inquisition.

According to Paula Wolfert, the specialist of Moroccan cuisine and author of a renowned book on the subject (see recipe books section):
“
To my mind four things are necessary before a nation can develop a great cuisine. The first is an abundance of fine ingredients, a rich land. The second is a variety of cultural influences: the history of the nation, including its domination by foreign powers, and the culinary secrets it has brought back from its own imperialist adventures. Third, a great civilization, if a country has not had its day in the sun, its cuisine will probably not be great; great food and a great civilization go together. Last, the existence of a refined palace life, without royal kitchens, without a Versailles or a Forbidden City in Peking, without, in short, the demands of a cultivated court, the imaginations of a nation's cooks will not be challenged. Morocco, fortunately, is blessed with all four.
”

Ingredients

Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones. The country produces large quantities of sheep, cattle, poultry, and seafood which serve as a base for the cuisine.

Use of spices

Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients, like saffron from Tiliouine, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, are home-grown. Common spices include karfa (cinnamon), kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (turmeric), skingbir (ginger), libzar (pepper) , tahmira (paprika), anis seed, sesame seed, kasbour (coriander), maadnous (parsley), zaafrane beldi (saffron) and mint.

Structure of meals

The midday meal is the main meal, with the exception of the holy month of Ramadan. The typical formal meal begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a tagine. Bread is eaten with every meal. Often a lamb or chicken dish is next, followed by couscous topped with meats and vegetables. A cup of sweet mint tea is commonly used to end the meal. It is common for Moroccans to eat using the fingers of their hand, and use bread as a "utensil.

Main dishes

The main Moroccan dish most people are familiar with is couscous which is very old and is probably of Berber origin.

Beef is the most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco. Lamb is preferred, but is not as common due to its higher cost. Poultry was historically used and the importance of seafood is increasing in Moroccan food. The breed of sheep in North Africa has much of its fat concentrated in its tail, which means that Moroccan lamb does not have the pungent flavor that Western lamb and mutton can have.

Among the most famous Moroccan dishes are Couscous, Pastilla (also spelled Bsteeya or Bastilla), Tajine, Tanjia and Harira. Although the latter is a soup, it is considered as a dish in itself and is served as such or with dates especially during the month of Ramadan.

Desserts

Sweets are not usually served at the end of a Moroccan meal. Seasonal fruits are typically served at the end of meals. A common dessert is kaab el ghzal ("gazelle's horns"), which is a pastry stuffed with almond paste and topped with sugar. Another dessert is " Halwa shebakia " it is honey cake, which is essentially pretzel-shaped pieces of dough deep-fried and dipped into a hot pot of honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Halwa Shebakia are cookies eaten during the month of Ramadan. Zucre Coco are coconut fudge cakes.

Drinks

The most popular drink is green tea with mint. Traditionally, making good mint tea in Morocco is considered an art form and the drinking of it with friends and family members is one of the important rituals of the day. The technique of pouring the tea is as crucial as the quality of the tea. The tea is accompanied with hard sugar cones or lumps.

Moroccan tea pots have long, curved pouring spouts and this allows the tea to be poured evenly into tiny glasses from a height. To acquire the optimum taste, glasses are filled in two stages. The Moroccans traditionally like tea with bubbles, so while pouring they hold the teapot high above the glasses.

The tea is sold all around the country for 2-3 dh per cup although it is often served for free when you are negotiating a purchase. You can also buy it as loose tea from all kinds of markets around the country for various prices.

Snacks and Fastfood

Selling fast food in the street has long been a tradition, and the best example is Djemaa el Fna square in Marrakech. Starting in the 1980s, new snack restaurants started serving "Bocadillo" (which is a Spanish word for a sandwich, widely used in Morocco). Though the composition of a bocadillo varies by region, usually the bocadillo is a baguette filled with salad and a choice of meats, fish (usually tuna), or a dense egg omelette.

Dairy product shops (Mahlaba in Moroccan Arabic) are open throughout cities in Morocco. Those mahlabas generally offer all types of dairy products, juices, and breakfasts as well as bocadillos, competing with former established snack restaurants.

The late 1990s experienced the opening of franchises of multinational fast food chains, especially in major cities.

The tea is sold all around the country usually around 2-3 dh a cup. One could also purchase it from supermarkets around the country for different prices.

Morocco

2008-08-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

Morocco (Arabic : المغرب‎ "al-Maghrib"), officially the Kingdom of Morocco (Arabic: المملكة المغربية‎), is a country in North Africa with a population of 33,757,175. It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea.
Morocco has international borders with Algeria to the east, Spain to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with two small Spanish autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla), and Mauritania to the south.
Morocco is the only African country that is not currently a member of the African Union. However, it is a member of the Arab League at present, Arab Maghreb Union, the Francophonie, Organization of the Islamic Conference, Mediterranean Dialogue group, and Group of 77, and is a major non-NATO ally of the United States.
Name
The full Arabic name Al-Mamlaka al-Maghribiya translates to "The Western Kingdom." Al-Maghrib (meaning "The West") is commonly used. For historical references, medieval Arab historians and geographers used to refer to Morocco as Al-Maghrib al Aqşá ("The Farthest West"), disambiguating it from neighboring historical regions called al-Maghrib al Awsat ("The Middle West", Algeria) and al-Maghrib al Adna ("The Nearest West", Tunisia).
The Latinized name "Morocco" originates from medieval Latin "Morroch," which referred to the name of the former Almoravid and Almohad capital, Marrakech.
The Persians straightforwardly call it "Marrakech" while the Turks call it "Fas" which comes from the ancient Idrisid and Marinid capital, Fès.
The word "Marrakech" is presumably derived from the Berber word Mur-Akush meaning Land of God.
History
Berber Morocco
The area of present-day Morocco has been inhabited since Neolithic times (at least since 8000 BC, as attested by signs of the Capsian culture), a period when the Maghreb was less arid than it is today. Many theorists believe the Amazigh people, commonly referred to as Berbers or by their regional ethnic identity (e.g. Chleuh), probably arrived at roughly the same time as the inception of agriculture in the region. In the classical period, Morocco was known as Mauretania, although this should not be confused with the modern country of Mauritania.
Roman and pre-Roman Morocco
North Africa and Morocco were slowly drawn into the wider emerging Mediterranean world by Phoenician trading colonies and settlements in the late Classical period. The arrival of Phoenicians heralded a long engagement with the wider Mediterranean, as this strategic region formed part of the Roman Empire, as Mauretania Tingitana. In the fifth century, as the Roman Empire declined, the region fell to the Vandals, Visigoths, and then Byzantine Greeks in rapid succession. During this time, however, the high mountains of most of modern Morocco remained unsubdued, and stayed in the hands of their Berber inhabitants.
Medieval Morocco
By the seventh century, Islamic expansion was at its greatest. In 670 AD, the first Islamic conquest of the North African coastal plain took place under Uqba ibn Nafi, a general serving under the Umayyads of Damascus. His delegates went to what is now Morocco, which he called "Maghreb al Aqsa" or "The Far West," in the year 683. The delegates supported the assimilation process that took about a century.
What became modern Morocco in the seventh century, was an area of Berbers influenced by the Arabs, who brought their customs, culture, and Islam, to which most of the Berbers converted, forming states and kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Nekor and Barghawata, sometimes after long-running series of civil wars. Under Idris ibn Abdallah who founded the Idrisid Dynasty, the country soon cut ties and broke away from the control of the distant Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad and the Umayyad rule in Al-Andalus. The Idrisids established Fes as their capital and Morocco became a centre of learning and a major regional power.
After the reign of the Idrisids, Arab settlers lost political control in the region of Morocco. After adopting Islam, Berber dynasties formed governments and reigned over the country. Morocco would reach its height under these Berber dynasties that replaced the Arab Idrisids after the 11th century. The Almoravids, the Almohads, then the Marinid and finally the Saadi dynasties would see Morocco rule most of Northwest Africa, as well as large sections of Islamic Iberia, or Al-Andalus.
Alaouite Dynasty 1666–1912
After the Saadi, the Arab Alaouite Dynasty eventually gained control. Morocco was facing aggression from Spain and the Ottoman Empire that was sweeping westward. The Alaouites succeeded in stabilizing their position, and while the kingdom was smaller than previous ones in the region, it remained quite wealthy. In 1684, they annexed Tangier.
Morocco was the first nation to recognize the fledgling United States as an independent nation in 1777. In the beginning of the American Revolution, American merchant ships were subject to attack by the Barbary Pirates while sailing the Atlantic Ocean. At this time, American envoys tried to obtain protection from European powers, but to no avail. On 20 December 1777, Morocco's Sultan Mohammed III declared that the American merchant ships would be under the protection of the sultanate and could thus enjoy safe passage.
The Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship stands as the U.S.'s oldest non-broken friendship treaty. Signed by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, it has been in continuous effect since 1786. Following the reorganization of the U.S. federal government upon the 1787 Constitution, President George Washington wrote a now venerated letter to the Sultan Sidi Mohamed strengthening the ties between the two countries. The United States legation (consulate) in Tangier is the first property the American government ever owned abroad. The building now houses the Tangier American Legation Museum.
European influence
Successful Portuguese efforts to invade and control the Atlantic coast in the fifteenth century did not profoundly affect the Mediterranean heart of Morocco.
After the Napoleonic Wars, Egypt and the North African maghreb became increasingly ungovernable from Istanbul, the resort of pirates under local beys, and as Europe industrialized, an increasingly prized potential for colonization. The Maghreb had far greater proven wealth than the unknown rest of Africa and a location of strategic importance affecting the exit from the Mediterranean. For the first time, Morocco became a state of some interest in itself to the European Powers. France showed a strong interest in Morocco as early as 1830.
Recognition by the United Kingdom in 1904 of France's sphere of influence in Morocco provoked a German reaction; the crisis of June 1905 was resolved at the Algeciras Conference, Spain in 1906, which formalized France's "special position" and entrusted policing of Morocco to France and Spain jointly. A second Moroccan crisis provoked by Berlin, increased tensions between European powers. The Treaty of Fez (signed on March 30, 1912) made Morocco a protectorate of France. By the same treaty, Spain assumed the role of protecting power over the northern and southern Saharan zones on November 27 that year.
Resistance
Nationalist political parties, which subsequently arose under the French protectorate, based their arguments for Moroccan independence on such World War II declarations as the Atlantic Charter (a joint U.S.-British statement that set forth, among other things, the right of all people to choose the form of government under which they live). A manifesto of the Istiqlal Party (Independence party in English) in 1944 was one of the earliest public demands for independence. That party subsequently provided most of the leadership for the nationalist movement.
France's exile of Sultan Mohammed V in 1953 to Madagascar and his replacement by the unpopular Mohammed Ben Aarafa, whose reign was perceived as illegitimate, sparked active opposition to the French protectorate all over the country. The most notable occurred in Oujda where Moroccans attacked French and other European residents in the streets. Operations by the newly created "Jaish al-tahrir" (Liberation Army), were launched on October 1, 1955. Jaish al-tahrir was created by "Comité de Libération du Maghreb Arabe" (Arab Maghreb Liberation Committee) in Cairo, Egypt to constitute a resistance movement against occupation. Its goal was the return of King Mohammed V and the liberation of Algeria and Tunisia as well. France allowed Mohammed V to return in 1955, and the negotiations that led to Moroccan independence began the following year.
Modern Morocco
On November 18, 2006, Morocco celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence. Morocco recovered its political independence from France on March 2, 1956, and on April 7, France officially relinquished its protectorate. Through agreements with Spain in 1956 and 1958, Moroccan control over certain Spanish-ruled areas was restored, though attempts to claim other Spanish colonial possessions through military action were less successful. The internationalized city of Tangier was reintegrated with the signing of the Tangier Protocol on October 29, 1956 (see Tangier Crisis). Hassan II became King of Morocco on March 3, 1961. His early years of rule would be marked by political unrest. The Spanish enclave of Ifni in the south was reintegrated to the country in 1969. Morocco annexed the Western Sahara during the 1970s after demanding its reintegration from Spain since independence, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved.
Political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997. Morocco was granted Major non-NATO ally status by the United States in June 2004 and has signed free trade agreements with the United States and the European Union.
Politics
Morocco is a de jure constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. The King of Morocco, with vast executive powers, can dissolve government and deploy the military, among other prerogatives. Opposition political parties are legal, and several have been formed in recent years.
Human rights and reforms
Morocco's history after independence and at the beginning of the reign of Hassan II was marked by a period of political tensions between the monarchy and opposition parties. Those years of tension are labeled by the opposition as the Years of Lead. Politically-motivated persecutions were common, especially when General Oufkir became responsible for home security.
However, during the last decade of the rule of King Hassan II, especially under the reign of Mohammed VI and with the launch of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER) to investigate abuses committed in the name of the state, Morocco is trying to reconciliate with the victims. Many new laws and codes concerning all aspects of life are being or have been passed, most notable of which was the creation of the Mudawana — a family code which represented the first unique initiative of its kind in the Arab and Muslim world. The code gives women more rights. Other issues such as the abolition of capital punishment and the reform of the Moroccan nationality law are being debated. The Moroccan parliament is due to vote on these issues in spring 2007.
The 2003 Casablanca bombings and the need to fight the terrorist threat have led the government to pass a controversial anti-terrorism law that cracked down on terror suspects. Moroccan and international organizations continue to criticize the human rights situation in Morocco, mainly the arrests of suspected Islamist extremists during 2004 and 2005 in relation to the 2003 Casablanca bombings, and in Western Sahara.
In mid-February 2007, a study published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies called "Arab Reform and Foreign Aid: Lessons from Morocco" concluded that Morocco provides a valuable lesson in political and economic reform, which others in the Arab world can draw on and that the Moroccan model confirms that it is possible to adopt both forms of reform simultaneously.
Regions and prefectures
Morocco is divided into 16 regions,and subdivided into 62 prefectures and provinces.
As part of a 1997
decentralization/regionalization law passed by the legislature, sixteen new regions were created. These regions are:

Chaouia-Ouardigha
Doukkala-abda
Fés-Boulemane
Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen
Greater casablanca
Guelmim-Es Semara
Laàyoune-Boujdour-Sakya El Hamtara
Marrakch-Tensift-El Haouz
Maknés-Tafilalet
Oriental
Oued ED-Dahab-Lagouira
Rabat-Sale-Zémmour-zaer
Sous-Massa-Draa
Tadla-Azilal
Tangier-Tétouan
Taza-Al Hociema-Taounate

Western Sahara status
At 172,402 sq.mi (446,550 sq.km), Morocco is the fifty-seventh largest country in the world (after Uzbekistan). It is comparable in size to Iraq, and is somewhat larger than the US state of California.
Algeria borders Morocco to the east and southeast though the border between the two countries has been closed since 1994. There are also four Spanish enclaves on the Mediterranean coast: Ceuta, Melilla, Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Peñón de Alhucemas, and the Chafarinas islands, as well as the disputed islet Perejil. Off the Atlantic coast the Canary Islands belong to Spain, whereas Madeira to the north is Portuguese. To the north, Morocco is bordered by and controls part of the Strait of Gibraltar, giving it power over the waterways in and out of the Mediterranean sea. The Rif mountains occupy the region bordering the Mediterranean from the north-west to the north-east. The Atlas Mountains run down the backbone of the country, from the south west to the north east. Most of the south east portion of the country is in the Sahara Desert and as such is generally sparsely populated and unproductive economically. Most of the population lives to the north of these mountains, while to the south is the desert.
To the south, lies the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that was annexed by Morocco in 1975 (see Green March). Morocco claims that the Western Sahara is part of its territory and refers to that as its Southern Provinces.
Morocco's capital city is Rabat; its largest city is its main port, Casablanca.
Other cities include Agadir, Essaouira, Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, Mohammadia, Oujda, Ouarzazat, Safi, Salè, Tangier and Tétouan.
Climate
The climate is Mediterranean, which becomes more extreme towards the interior regions where it is mountainous. The terrain is such that the coastal plains are rich and accordingly, they comprise the backbone for agriculture. Forests cover about 12% of the land while arable land accounts for 18%. 5% is irrigated.
Wildlife
Morocco is known for its wildlife biodiversity. Birds represent the most important fauna.The avifauna of Morocco includes a total of 454 species, of which five have been introduced by humans, and 156 are rare or accidental.
Encoding
Morocco is represented in the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 geographical encoding standard by the symbol MA.This code was used as the basis for Morocco's internet domain, .ma.
Economy
According to the African Development Bank, the GDP of Morocco accounts for 7% of the African continent. Morocco is the fifth economic power of Africa with a 2006 GDP of $152.5 billion at PPP ($58.1 billion at official exchange rates), after South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria.
Morocco's largest industry is the mining of phosphates. Its second largest source of income is from nationals living abroad who transfer money to relatives living in Morocco. The country's third largest source of revenue is tourism; 7.45 million tourists visited the country in 2007.
Morocco ranks among the world’s largest producers and exporters of cannabis, and its cultivation and sale provide the economic base for much of the population of northern Morocco. The cannabis is typically processed into hashish. This activity represents about 0.5% of Morocco's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A UN survey estimated cannabis cultivation at about 1,340 square kilometres (515 sq mi) in Morocco's five northern provinces. This represents 10 % of the total area and 27 per cent of the arable lands of the surveyed territory and 1.5 per cent of Morocco's total arable land. Morocco is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention and in 1992 Morocco passed legislation designed to implement the Convention.
Morocco has an unemployment rate of 7.7% (2006 Data) and a 1999 estimate by the CIA puts 19% of the Moroccan population under the poverty line.
Though working towards change, Morocco historically has utilized child labor on a large scale. In 1999, the Moroccan Government stated that over 500,000 children under the age of 15 were in the labor force.
Morocco has signed Free Trade Agreements with the European Union (to take effect 2010) and the United States of America. The United States Senate approved by a vote of 85 to 13, on July 22, 2004, the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement, which will allow for 98% of the two-way trade of consumer and industrial products to be without tariffs. The agreement entered into force in January 2006.
Demographics
Morocco is the third most populous Arab country, after Egypt and Sudan. Most Moroccans are Sunni Muslims of Arab, Berber, or mixed Arab-Berber stock. About three-quarters of all present-day Moroccans are of Berber descent, while Arabs form the second largest ethnic group.
The Arabs invaded Morocco in the seventh century and established their culture there.
There is no significant genetic difference between Moroccan Arabs and Moroccan non-Arabs (i.e. Berbers). Thus, it is likely that Arabization was mainly a cultural process without genetic replacement.However, according to the European Journal of Human Genetics, North-Western Africans were genetically closer to Iberians and to other Europeans than to sub-Saharan Africans.
Morocco's official language is classical Arabic. The country's distinctive Arabic dialect is called Moroccan Arabic. Approximately 12 million (40% of the population), mostly in rural areas, speak Berber – which exists in Morocco in three different dialects (Tarifit, Tashelhiyt, and Tamazight) – either as a first language or bilingually with the spoken Arabic dialect. French, which remains Morocco's unofficial second language, is taught universally and still serves as Morocco's primary language of commerce and economics. It also is widely used in education and government. About 20,000 Moroccans in the northern part of the country speak Spanish as a second language in parallel with Tarifit. English, while still far behind French and Spanish in terms of number of speakers, is rapidly becoming the third foreign language of choice among educated youth (after Arabic and French). As a result of national education reforms entering into force in late 2002, English will be taught in all public schools from the fourth year on. French however, will remain the second foreign language because of Morocco's close economic and social links with other French-speaking countries and especially France.
Most people live west of the Atlas Mountains, a range that insulates the country from the Sahara Desert. Casablanca is the center of commerce and industry and the leading port; Rabat is the seat of government; Tangier is the gateway to Morocco from Spain and also a major port; Fez is the cultural and religious center; and Marrakech is a major tourist center.
There is a European expatriate population of 100,000, mainly of French or Spanish descent; many are teachers or technicians and more and more retirees, especially in Marrakech.
Education in Morocco is free and compulsory through primary school (age 15). Nevertheless, many children – particularly girls in rural areas – still do not attend school. The country's illiteracy rate has been stuck at around 50% for some years, but reaches as high as 90% among girls in rural regions. On September 2006, UNESCO awarded Morocco amongst other countries; Cuba, Pakistan, Rajasthan (India) and Turkey the "UNESCO 2006 Literacy Prize".
university) are highly regarded. Al-Akhawayn, founded in 1993 by King Hassan II and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, is an English-language American-style university comprising about 1,000 students. The University of Al Karaouine, in Fez, is considered the oldest university in the world and has been a center of learning for more than 1,000 years.
Moroccan Jews
Morocco's Jewish minority has decreased significantly and numbers about 7,000 (see Jewish exodus from Arab lands). Prior to mass emigration, Morocco was home to more Jews than any other Muslim country in the world. The Jewish community of Morocco, which dates back more than 2,000 years, has experienced various waves of both tolerance and discrimination. The worst outbreaks of antisemitic violence occurred during the Middle Ages, when Jews were massacred in Fez in 1033 and in Marrakech in 1232. Following the establishment of the French protectorate in 1912, Jews began to enjoy greater equality.
Morrocan Jews are of two main stocks. One group is composed by those descended from the Jewish community of Spain (known as Sephardi Jews), who emigrated and settled in Morocco after a wave of anti-Jewish rioting in 1391, and especially after the expulsion of the Jews in 1492. An example of such a community was the Jewish population of Debdou, who constituted a majority of the town's population. The other grouping is Jews of indigenous descent, probably Berber converts to Judaism.
Culture
Morocco is an ethnically diverse country with a rich culture and civilization. Through Moroccan history, Morocco hosted many people coming from East (Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Jews and Arabs), South (Sub-Saharan Africans) and North (Romans, Vandals, Andalusians (including Moors and Jews)). All those civilizations have had an impact on the social structure of Morocco. It conceived various forms of beliefs, from paganism, Judaism, and Christianity to Islam.
Each region possesses its own specificities, thus contributing to the national culture and to the legacy of civilization. Morocco has set among its top priorities the protection of its diverse legacy and the preservation of its cultural heritage.
Culturally speaking, Morocco has always been successful in combining its Berber, Jewish and Arabic cultural heritage with external influences such as the French and the Spanish and, during the last decades, the Anglo-American lifestyles.
Cuisine
Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. This is a result of the centuries-long interaction of Morocco with the outside world. The cuisine of Morocco is a mix of Berber, Spanish, Corsican, Portuguese, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and African cuisines. The cuisine of Morocco has been influenced by the native Berber cuisine, the Arabic Andalusian cuisine brought by the Moriscos when they left Spain, the Turkish cuisine from the Turks and the Middle Eastern cuisines brought by the Arabs, as well as Jewish cuisine.
Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients, like saffron from Tiliouine, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, are home-grown. Chicken is the most widely eaten meat in Morocco. The most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco is beef; lamb is preferred, but is relatively expensive. Couscous is the most famous Moroccan dish along with pastilla, tajine, and harira. The most popular drink is green tea with mint. The tea is accompanied with hard sugar cones or lumps.
Literature
Moroccan literature is written in Arabic, Berber and French. It also contains literature produced in Al-Andalus. Under the Almohad dynasty Morocco experienced a period of prosperity and brilliance of learning. The Almohad built the Marrakech Koutoubia Mosque, which accommodated no fewer than 25,000 people, but was also famed for its books, manuscripts, libraries and book shops, which gave it its name; the first book bazaar in history. The Almohad Caliph Abu Yakub had a great love for collecting books. He founded a great library, which was eventually carried to the Casbah and turned into a public library.
Modern Moroccan literature began in the 1930s. Two main factors gave Morocco a pulse toward witnessing the birth of a modern literature. Morocco, as a French and Spanish protectorate left Moroccan intellectuals the opportunity to exchange and to produce literary works freely enjoying the contact of other Arabic literature and Europe.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Morocco was a refuge and artistic centre and attracted writers as Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williams and William S. Burroughs. Moroccan literature flourished with novelists such as Mohamed Zafzaf and Mohamed Choukri, who wrote in Arabic, and Driss Chraïbi and Tahar Ben Jelloun who wrote in French. Other important Moroccan authors include, Abdellatif Laabi, Fouad Laroui, Mohammed Berrada and Leila Abouzeid. It should be noted also, that orature (oral literature) is an integral part of Moroccan culture, be it in Moroccan Arabic or Amazigh.
Music
Moroccan music is predominantly of Arab origins. There also exist other varieties of Berber folk music. Andalusian and other imported influences have had a major effect on the country's musical character. Rock-influenced chaabi bands are widespread, as is trance music with historical origins in Muslim music.
Morocco is home to Andalusian classical music that is found throughout North Africa. It probably evolved under the Moors in Cordoba, and the Persian-born musician Ziryab is usually credited with its invention.
Chaabi (popular) is a music consisting of numerous varieties which are descended from the multifarious forms of Moroccan folk music. Chaabi was originally performed in markets, but is now found at any celebration or meeting.