Different Culture in Morocco

Being in Morocco was fascinating. Of the places we’ve been in our lives, it’s definitely the furthest departure from what we think of as normal. We stayed in the medina of Fés which is the walled old town and one of the biggest, oldest active areas like it. There are over 1 million people living in the medina. It’s not just a tourist attraction, it’s a buzzing old city that we got to peek into for a few days.

There are hundreds of little “neighborhoods” in the medina each with a fountain for water, hammam (bath house), mosque, and community bakery. It is also home to the oldest university in the world which has now been converted to only teach the islamic faith.

Morocco is the first area we’ve ever been that isn’t historically predominantly Christian. The native Berbers were peacefully converted to Islam when the Arabs arrived I think around 800AD. To the visitor, some of the differences of being in an Islamic country are:

  • Five times a day, at synchronized times based on the sun, every mosque has a man sing through a loud speaker notifying everyone it is time to pray
  • The people are incredibly friendly, welcoming, and hospitable – every single person we met
  • The definite majority of women wear lots of clothes, most of them covering everything but their face and some covering everything but their eyes
  • Zero alcohol

There are lots of other differences, but those four seem to be most directly impacted by religion.

Based on conversations we had with locals some more interesting things:

  • Unemployment is about 35% (wow!). There are lots of people wandering around aimlessly
  • Main industries are tourism, fishing, architecture, mining phosphate, and exporting crafts
  • Everyone speaks Arabic, most people speak French and lots of people speak Spanish and English too. It’s amazing how multi-lingual the country is
  • The immigrants into the country are “African” as they call them meaning from further south and are dark skinned
  • Moroccans look very middle eastern and so do the native Berbers, many of whom still live in the desert, hills, etc in tribes

I couldn’t help but think that it’s probably very similar conditions we’re fighting in in the Middle East: Arabic, mosques everywhere, densely packed houses in mazes of alleyways, multi-layered square houses with open courtyards, no windows, and used flat roofs. With the density and confusion in a medina like that it would be incredibly hard to find who you’re fighting and handle them. It is crazy to think about.

Oh, and the Moroccan food is unbelievable. Some of the best food we’ve had!

Visitting Morocco was an unbelievable experience. It was eye opening learning abut Islamic and eastern traditions, seeing a very poor economy up close, and experiencing over-the-top hospitality from every Moroccan we encountered.

The most important phrase to know as a white person in Morocco? “La shukraan” in Arabic or “No thank you” in English :)

So… We Went to Morocco! (and made it back to the EU)

Yep, that’s right! We touched another continent – Africa!

And it was AMAZING! Morocco was such a unique experience, very different from all of the other countries we’ve visited. The number one thing I have to say about Morocco is that the people are SO INCREDIBLY FRIENDLY! On one of our trains we had complete strangers teach us how to speak some arabic and even taught us how to write a few words in arabic – man was that interesting, as they write right to left. We also had Moroccans share tangerines with us on the train, invite us to a home-cooked meal for dinner, meet back up with us to show us the best restaurant around and order the best food for us, help us get taxis going the right direction at local’s rates, and more! They were all so welcoming and kept saying “Thank you for coming to Morroco, welcome!”.

Their friendliness was so foreign that several times we didn’t realize someone was trying to help us or say hi. Coming from SF where the only random people that talk to you are either asking for money, saying something inappropriate or just jibberish – I feel ingrained to ignore shouts from strangers. But here in Morocco, it was just people genuinely trying to tell us we are going the wrong direction; or saying “Hi, welcome to my country, I hope you like it!”; or “Let me show you where your house is!”. Were their people trying to sell us stuff? Yes, definitely, but they too were friendly, happy, and when you said no (for the most part) they left you alone.

Eric and I  spent 4 days in Morocco, with almost all of the time spent in Fés – an awesome old city know for its leather, ceramics, metal work, rugs, and other crafts.  We were able to see a lot in the 4 days we were there!

We stayed at Dar el Ma, a typical Moroccan Riad (house) and we felt like kings! We had the whole place to ourselves and the house was huge, beautiful, and full of cool nooks and crannies. Check out this video tour of our Riad!

We stayed in the medina of Fés – which is the old town. It’s a part of the city that is only walkable, no cars allowed, and is surrounded by an old ancient wall. The streets are TINY, dense, and confusing. But it didn’t matter that we were always lost, because there was so much to look at! Stall after stall after stall of markets, fresh food, crafts…etc. We were able to see a working tannery, got an exclusive tour and showing of a rug factory (they thought we were going to buy one of their rugs and showed us and explained all the different styles… sorry guys we don’t even have a home right now! haha), and devoured some of the best food yet! A $1 pita jam-packed with stuffed camel spleen and veggies anyone? 50 cents for a kg of tangerines? 60 cents for a honey filled Msemen? Traditional mint tea for $1 in a cool cafe? I’ll take it! Our favorite dish? By far the tagine kefta from Thami’s Restaurant, SOOO GOOD!

We had an amazing time and would recommend a trip to Morocco to anyone! The food was delicious, the culture interesting (see next blog post about that :) ), the people great, and it was SO cheap! Here are a few more pictures from our time in Morocco, each with a little description…

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A look down into one of the three tanneries in Fes. Making the leather is quite an involved process that takes about 3 months. My favorite step? They soak the animal skins in pigeon poop for 3 days because the acid softens the leather!! Don’t worry, they then vigorously wash the skins in water and cedar wood chips to rid of the smell :)
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This is the University of al-Qarawiyyin. It was the first university in the world! Now it’s the biggest mosque in Fés.
We went to a rug factory and the owner showed us rug after rug after rug. We learned about the different styles and methods used to create the rugs.
We went to a rug factory and the owner showed us rug after rug after rug. We learned about the different styles and methods used to create the rugs.
Eric chillin' on our roof terrace, check out those Moroccan slippers!
Eric chillin’ on our roof terrace, check out those Moroccan slippers!
A classic example of the small streets in the medina.
A classic example of the small streets in the medina.
Fresh chicken or lamb anyone??
Fresh chicken or lamb anyone??
So many teas and spices at many of the shops lining the medina!
So many teas and spices at many of the shops lining the medina!
Tagine kefta! SOOOO GOOOD!! Thank you Thami's Restaurant!
Tagine kefta! SOOOO GOOOD!! Thank you Thami’s Restaurant!
The living room of our sweet Moroccan house! We would sit here for breakfast or do some computer work.
The living room of our sweet Moroccan house! We would sit here for breakfast or do some computer work.
A reading nook in our house!
A reading nook in our house! Yes, those are golden pillows.
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Our room in the Morrocan Riad – Dar el Mar! PS we got lost so many times trying to find our house haha