Visit the great southern ocher imperial city with the finest minaret in the world, Koutoubia and the Jemma El Fna square with its halaka story tellers, snake charmers, souks and winding alleyways abd derbs of the medina, a kaleidoscope of color and treasures. Be tempted by carpets intricate wooden chests and mother of pearl boxes, ceramics and rich leather goods which will sweep you away on the shopping spree of a life time. Be transfixed by the beauty of Islamic architecture at the Medersa Ben Youssef , the Bahia Palace and the Dar said Museum and enjoy the Abdesalam Park and the Menara and El Harti gardens. Explore the modern Gueliz with the Majorelle gardens and many fine restaurants. Enjoy a day out at Oasiria Water Park with the kids or the Beldi Country Club. When the call to prayer comes at night and is echoed by mosques throughout the city and you look up at the stars you will thrill to the spirit of Marrakech the best Morocco tourist attractions.
The Medina of Fes el Bali is the most ancient intact walled medina in the world founded around 800 AD .A new town Fes el Jedid was added in the 11th century by the Merenids. Wander the narrow streets and be absorbed into a world which has been the same for centuries. Shop and barter for carpets, kelims, brass lanterns, fine leather goods and ceramics and wooden furniture and chests. Watch out for donkeys laden with goods pushing past you. Enter the Bab Bou Jeloud and stop to marvel at the Islamic glory of the Bou Inania Medersa. Visit the Nejjarine Wood Museum ,the Zaouia of Moulay Idris and the Kairouan Mosque.Fes is Morocco’s spiritual capital as well as its cultural centre. The annual World Festival of Sacred Music in June brings the two worlds together and is an unforgettable experience. Visit the Batha museum and its Andalusian style gardens. See the Chouwara Tanneries for a colorful spectacle. Stay in one of Fez’s fascinating riads , enjoy fine dining and absorb the atmosphere of ancient glorious Fez.
This ancient Roman ruined town is famous for its mosaics with wild deer and elephants and gods and details of everyday life in a Roman town. The majestic ruined walls ,columns and triumphal arches and paved road ways give you a very accurate feel for life in a provincial setting. See ancient inscriptions carved on walls. Volubilis continued to be occupied long after Rome’s power had faded from the region and it feel victim to earthquakes and pillaging of its stonework for nearby building the nearby holy town of Moulay Idriss. The ruins stand out on an open plain surrounded by distant hills.
This is great intact walled Kasr or fortified town rising up to its walled keep at the top. It was a major trading post on the Sub Saharan African camel trading caravans. Explore the ancient streets and meet some of the families that still live there. Climb to the Kasbah’s summit and look out of the desert scene and the Draa Valley. Ait Ben Haddou has been film location for many Hollywood blockbusters like Jesus of Nazareth, Gladiator and The Mummy.
Drive to Merzouga the small desert town and spend the night under the stars in a Berber tent entertained by musicians and dining on a tagine. Go on a desert camel trek and imagine yourself among the nomads on a desert adventure. See the shifting sands of the great Erg Chebbi which change their shape as they are blown by the wind. Enjoy the peace and stillness of the desert and watch the landscape change color as the sun climbs or descends in the sky. Watch the sunset and sunrise over the desert. Take a 4x4 or a quad bike out into the desert or go sand surfing. Visit nomads with their flocks and have tea in their tents the traditional way.
The capital is also a university town and quieter than its commercial neighbor Casablanca and has its own charm. Walk in the grounds of the royal Mechouar palace and the ancient walled Chellah Necropolis overlooking the Bouregreg valley. See the Tour Hassan where today’s Alaouite dynasty are buried and visit the Kasbah des Oudayas through its imposing gate. The Bouregreg river is now spanned by a modern bridge and a major new tourism complex is being built with a large marina. Take the new tramway into town and walk down the Palm tree lined Avenue Mohammed VI past the parliament building and the open café in front of the Balima Hotel where you can take a coffee with Rabat’s inhabitants and read a newspaper. Walk on and visit the old souk and the harbor. There is much more to enjoy in hassle free Rabat than meets the eye.
The 18th century port town of Essaouira has become the most popular destination in Morocco. It really has it all, A fine piazza at its entrance where you can take coffee in one of the cafes, ramparts with a line of Portuguese cannon facing out to sea, a Martello tower and winding alleyways with wood carving shops full or elaborate boxes with the deep scent of Argan wood , and souks with carpets , kelims, ceramics and brassware. A Portuguese church and excellent restaurants and hotels. Walk to the walled harbor and see fishing boats being repaired on the harbor quay and fishermen tending their nets. Watch them bring in their catch at the end of the day in their deep blue boats and eat grilled fish straight from the harbor as gulls swoop trying to grab their share. Lunch on the terrace at the Café de la Plage looking out over the beach and the deep blue sea where wind surfers with colored sails fly by on their surfing boards like colored butterflies. There is a ruined tower further up the beach and you can look out to the mysterious island with its long abandoned mosque and village. Who could ask for more?
No one can really tell you for sure where the Berbers or Imagihzen in Morocco came from but, they have been in North Africa since at least 10,000 BC. They were mentioned by the Romans whom they successfully resisted. They have maintained their special identity and culture despite numerous invasions including the Arab invasions in the seventh century. They adhered to Islam and the great Moroccan dynasties were led by Berber Sultans including Yusuf Bin Tachfine and Yacoub El Mansour. Most Moroccans claim Berber kinship and it’s a proud part of their heritage. Berber songs and traditional dances can be seen on TV and are part of the folklore heritage.
Berbers have their own language with regional variations like Tamazigh in the Middle Atals, Tarafit in the north and Tashelhit in the south and a very distinctive alphabet , Tifinagh. The Berber language is widely spoken and officially recognized and taught in Moroccan schools. There is a Berber TV channel Berber culture is everywhere in Morocco from traditional carpets and kelims to Berber jewelry. Tuaregs are also of Berber stock and you will find them in the Moroccan Sahara.