Fès (or Fèz, another spelling), is an endlessly fascinating, ancient city in northern Morocco, a blend of old and new. Walking through the high, arched gate into the medina of Fés el-Bali is a step into the Islamic Middle Ages. Yes, there are bicycles and satellite dishes and endless cell phones, but they don’t detract […]
“To visit Morocco is still like turning the pages of some illuminated Persian manuscript all embroidered with bright shapes and subtle lines,” Edith Wharton wrote in 1927, and it holds true today. That rich embroidery of life and color is most intense, if not overwhelming, in Marrakech, just north of the High Atlas Mountains.
Enter with Respect–Entered Explore on June 8th! Located on the northwestern corner of Africa, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Europe and Africa, Morocco has been a land of cultural bridge and infusion for thousands of years. Since the ancient times, Morocco has been occupied by the Phoenicians, Romans and the Byzantines, respectively. […]
In 1980, King Hassan II commissioned a fabulous new mosque for Casablanca, intended to be a modern wonder and a statement of both his power and his commitment to Islam. He wanted it finished by his 60th birthday in 1989, and he wanted the design to be done by French architect Michel Pinseau, who had done […]
While planning what was supposed to be a trip to Spain and Morocco, I scheduled a 1-day stop in Granada, Spain. After sampling the sights, sensations, and savory cuisine of Granada for one afternoon, we decided to prolong our stay. Well, we liked it so much that we never ended up making it to Morocco […]
Back in the 17th century, Meknès was the largest fortified city in North Africa. Its powerful ruler, Moulay Ismail, had plenty of slave labor to build his vast palaces and gardens, as well as 25 miles of thick walls and monumental gates. History declares the sultan a ruthless tyrant, but he did guarantee peace and […]
On our Gap Adventures journey through the highlights of Morocco, we stopped one afternoon in Merzouga, a village of clay homes and inns by the Erg Chebbi dunes. It’s a date palm oasis at the edge of the Sahara Desert, not far from the Algerian border. In the old days the Berbers, the indigenous people […]
The illuminated Koutoubia Mosque looms high and imposing over the Djamma el-Fna, the centuries old heart of Marrakech. A call to prayer bellows into the ether; an Islamic crescent moon appears aptly in the deep indigo sky.
The only residents of Volubilis now are the storks, nesting on ruined columns, and they leave in the summer. But two thousand years ago, this hillside city in north Morocco was an important outpost of the Roman Empire, home to rich patricians. Volubilis, with 20,000 people, was an administrative city that produced grain and olive oil. […]
“Essa…what?” my travel companion, Mary, asked. “Where do you want to go?” Essaouira “Essa—ouuu…rja,” I repeated, savoring every sound. I admit, I had secretly practiced. Everybody can say ‘Casablanca’ or ‘Marrakesh’, but to get your tongue around the name of this particular pearl in the necklace of Moroccan beauties needs some doing. Never mind, once […]