Morocco (المغرب, al-maġhrib, literally “the place the sun sets; the west”) is a fascinating combination of cultures, influences, and ethnicities—sometimes merging, sometimes clashing. African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cultures were influenced by Arabs, Berbers, French, Portuguese, and Spanish peoples who followed Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and non-monotheistic religious traditions. No wonder Morocco has been referred to as a “composite society.”
Ruled by a series of independent dynasties since 788 AD, Morocco reached its high point when it spanned parts of Iberia (now Portugal and Spain) and northwest Africa. It is the only northwest African country to avoid Ottoman Empire occupation. The Alaouite dynasty seized power in 1631—and it controls the country to this day. Europeans have been attracted to its strategic location for centuries. In 1912, Morocco was divided into French and Spanish protectorates, with an international zone in Tangier. It regained its independence in 1956.
My trip to Morocco lasted 14 days in June, 2019, and covered 1,160 miles. It was arranged through the Alumni Programs office of Reed College, my alma mater.
I did not ride this camel.
Our host was Paul Silverstein, professor of Anthropology, who conducted field research on Amazigh (a.k.a. Berber) culture in southeast Morocco as part of his work exploring the intersections of local Amazigh and Jewish traditions.
Our expert guide, Seddik, knew practically everything about his country: culture, history, politics, art, demographics, geography, and general facts and figures. There wasn’t any question we asked him about Morocco that he couldn’t answer—or pretend to know. I think we all secretly wished he’d remain our best friend.
Our humble driver, Brahim, ably navigated our clean, white van across desert landscapes, around dusty detours, and through chaotic city traffic—somehow always managing to materialize just when we needed him to deliver us, air-conditioned and rehydrated, to our next destination. We thanked him profusely but probably not enough.
Points of Interest
Day 1: Rabat, Salé, Chellah
The day after arriving in Morocco, we began our educational, cultural tour by visiting the country’s capital, Rabat (الرِّبَاط), a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2012 and one of four imperial cities, including the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah des Oudaïas. On the same day we stopped by the neighboring town of Salé (سلا) and the ancient Roman ruins of Chellah (شالة).
Day 2: Tangier
Considering the proximity of the Strait of Gibraltar and the contours of Andalusia—seemingly a stone’s throw away—we could see why Tangier (طنجة) has always held a strategic position as a gateway to the African continent, shaped over the centuries by Phoenicians, Berbers, Portuguese, and Spaniards. We visited the American Legation, established in 1777; the ancient, yet ever-bustling medina; and the former royal palace at Dar el Makhzen.
Day 3: Tetouan and Chefchaouen
Established in 1305, Tetouan (تطوان) merges Moroccan, Islamic, and Spanish (i.e., Andalusian) architectures. It served as a pirate’s hub, the capital of Spain’s colony in northern Morocco, and a sanctuary for the Jews and Moors who escaped the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th–16th centuries.
The famous blue city of Chefchaouan (شفشاون) has preserved its Arab-Andalusian arts and traditions 2,000 feet above sea level in the Rif Mountains.
Day 4: Meknes et Volubilis uenissemus
We visited the ancient port city of Volubilis, the largest of the colonies Rome established in Morocco between 100 BC and 200 AD. Berber tribes effectively halted the Roman legions, ending Rome’s conquest of northwestern Africa.
Also on the itinerary: The royal city of Meknès (مكناس) which, according to our travel notes, is the “megalomaniacal creation of the cruelest and most tyrannical” of Morocco’s sultans, Moulay Ismail, who reined for 55 years around 1700. Is it hyperbole to say that about a man who sequestered his political prisoners underneath the very floor where their ambassadors came to ransom their release?
Day 5: Fez (Fes)
As the oldest royal city in Morocco, founded in the 9th century, Fez (فاس) is the most complete and preserved medieval city in the Arab world, complete with maze-like souks that feature aromatic foods and spices, intricate handicrafts, and vibrant, smelly tanneries. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
In Fez el-Jdid, we strolled through the old Jewish quarter (mellah), which houses Slat Al Fassiyine synagogue, dating from the 17th century. We also caught a glimpse of the University of al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest, continually operating higher educational institution in the world—founded in 859 by a woman, Fatima al-Fihri.
Day 6: Middle Atlas Mountains
As we motored across one mountain pass and then another, verdant cedar forests—complete with the Swiss-inspired ski town of Ifrane (إيفران) and its neighboring Barbary apes (actually macaques)—gave way to volcanic mountains and windswept plains, on which young shepherds looked over their flocks while staring at their 21st century mobile phones.
Day 7: Goulmima and Todra Gorge
We visited the multi-ethnic, multiracial Berber village of Goulmima (ݣلميمة), where Tamazight is the common language and agriculture is the primary economic resource. This is where our leader, Prof. Silverstein, once conducted field research. We were welcomed, entertained, and well-fed by one of his local contacts, Omar Taws.
Later we stood in awe at the floor of the Todra Gorge, whose limestone walls soar over 1,000 feet high while a natural spring flows through the narrow canyon.
Day 8: High Atlas Hollywood
“Hooray for Moroccywood!” No one calls it that but the medieval fortified cities of Aït Benhaddou (آيت بن حدّو) and Taourirt Kasbah are just some of the locations in the High Atlas mountains, centered around Ouarzazate (ورزازات), that film studios have long used for historical dramas set in ancient Rome or Greece.
Day 9: Tizi n’Tichka Pass
Linking Ouarzazate and Marrakesh through the High Atlas mountains, Tizi n’Tichka is a mountain pass that lies above the great Marrakesh plains and is a gateway to the Sahara Desert. What a long, twisted road it was.
Day 10: Marrakech
Our final destination, Marrakech (مراكش), provided ample mesmerizing sights and sounds. Although it’s been inhabited by Berber farmers since Neolithic times, the actual city was founded in 1062. Marrakesh comprises an old fortified city packed with vendors and their stalls (the medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985) and modern neighborhoods surrounding it. As the fourth largest city in the country, Marrakesh has the largest traditional market (souk) in the country, with some 18 souks selling wares ranging from traditional Berber carpets to consumer electronics. (Interestingly enough, until the 1950s, Morocco was referred to in Egyptian and Middle Eastern Arabic literature as “Marrakech”—and is still to this day in Iran.)
Day 11: Essaouira
Occupied since prehistoric times, Essaouira (الصويرة) has experienced its share of controlling interests. The Portuguese established a fort here in the early 1500s, France attempted to colonize it in the early 1600s, and King Mohammed III built it up during the mid-1700s. Orson Welles filmed Othello here in the 1950s and the town became something of a hippie hangout in the 1960s. Rasta hair still flows here in the 2010s. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
Day 12: Guéliz
On my last day, I roamed around Guéliz, the heart of modern Marrakesh. According to the Rough Guide to Morocco, Guéliz “has a certain buzz that the sleepy old medina rather lacks” with wide, French-era streets that are home to upscale Moroccan and European restaurants, cabarets, and chic bars, as well as art galleries and mainstream fashion stores. I sauntered down Avenue Mohammed V and Ave. Hassan II on the lookout for a decent lunch and some fashion-forward men’s attire, while unsuccessfully trying to escape the unyielding sun and scorching temperatures.
Mounds of Food
Whether our meals were served in a four-star hotel, a five-star restaurant, or a one-star private residence, we were all well fed during our two weeks in Morocco. No one went hungry. We routinely underestimated the amount of food we were being served: chicken or lamb tagine, skewered meats over mounds of couscous, small tapas-like plates of vegetables, bowls of creamy soups, platters of fresh fruit—and always baskets of khobz, a traditional Moroccan round loaf of bread with a crisp crust and soft, chewy interior that’s served at every meal.
As salam aleykum — السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
Credits:
Stefan Gruenwedel