Fez
Atlas foothills
Essaouira
Essaouira
Foto Friday – Morocco
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Tag Archives: Morocco
NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 92
This Sahara desert camp is tucked into the Erg Chebi dunes near the village of Merzouga near the southeastern border of our mystery country. Most campers at this spot come through the oasis town of Erfoud, about a 90 minute drive to the northwest. This is glamping for sure. Tents are furnished with very comfortable beds, antique carpets and private toilets, showers and sinks. Sumptuous, multi-course meals are prepared in a kitchen tent right on the spot and served in a dining tent or in the open-air. After dark, local villagers entertain with traditional music and dancing around a central bonfire. Exploring the dunes by camel or on foot is encouraged, especially at sunset and sunrise, but only with a guide.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Maison de la Photographie, Marrakech
from the museum web site
The Maison de la Photographie is a little gem of a museum, which captures a range of Moroccan life through photographs taken 1870-1950, as well as a fascinating 1957 documentary film.
The collection is arranged by region over three levels of a lovely riad in the Marrakech medina. An hour or so spent in the serene galleries and rooftop terrace makes a nice contrast to the intensity of the old city outside. From the café, you have a 360-degree view across the medina to the Atlas Mountains. If you time your café visit to catch the sunset, with the evening call to prayer ringing out over the city, it’s especially magical.
Reasonably priced prints are for sale in the museum shop.
The Maison de la Photographie can be tricky to locate in the medina maze.
A Ya’lla guide will lead you right there.
Click to see Ya’lla tours to Morocco.
NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 83
Volubilis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in a fertile plain at the foot of the Jbel Zerhoun (jbel = mountain), in the northwest of our mystery country.
From about 300BCE, Volubilis was the capital of the indigenous Berber kingdom of Mauritania. In 44CE, the area became the Roman province of Mauritania, with Volubilis as its capital. As a Roman provincial town, Volubilis was about as far out in the sticks as you could go. Despite this remoteness, it developed into a fine little city. Evidence of large-scale cultivation and processing of grains and olives suggests the area was something of a bread-basket for Rome.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Chefchaouen – the Blue City of Morocco
Washed in shades of blue, the mountain village of Chefchaouen is a meditation on the divine. In Jewish tradition, blue is the color of the divine.The village was founded in 1471 by Jews and Muslims fleeing the Spanish Reconquest. Jews also fled here prior to World War II but most left upon the founding of Israel in 1948. Continue reading
NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 68
Tagine is the national food of our mystery country. The name refers both to the clay pot and the dish cooked inside it. The pot consists of a round base with low sides and a conical top. During cooking, condensation is trapped in the conical top and flows back into the base to stew the ingredients there. Cooking can be done over coals, in an oven or on the stove top; the key is low heat for long, slow cooking. There are countless recipes for Tagine, which is really more about the pot and slow-cook method than the ingredients. The Tagine pot acts as a serving dish, as well as a cooker, and traditionally all diners would eat right out of the one dish, using bread to scoop their bites rather than utensils.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 58
Pictured above is Essaouira, a walled, seaside city on the Atlantic coast of our mystery country. Crystalline light and wide vistas have been attracting visual artists for decades, maybe centuries. Musicians and writers are drawn here too, including Beat poets and 60s rockers. The annual Gnaoua Festival celebrates the sacred music of the, Gnaoua (Gnawa) people, the descendants of slaves brought to Morocco from Sub-Saharan West Africa. Surfers love the near-constant wind, sunbathers, not so much. Besides the wind and music festival, visit for the scenery, the low-key medina and fresh fish.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Foto Friday Favs
Dhofar, Oman
Amra Castle, Jordan
camel races, Oman
Chora Museum, Istanbul, Turkey
Deira, Dubai
Ya’lla group at Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt
El Aqabat in Egypt’s Western Desert
Fez medina, Morocco
Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo, Egypt
on the Nile in Egypt
Foto Friday Favs
Moroccan door
baby camels!
Fez medina, Morocco
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Havana, Cuba
on the Nile, Egypt
Nizwa, Oman
Oludeniz, Turkey
Muttrah Souk, Muscat, Oman
Recumbant Ramesses II, Memphis, Egypt
NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 53
The 14th-century Bou Inania medersa (or madrasa) and mosque in the heart of the Fez medina is, historically, one of the most important Koranic schools in our mystery country and one of the few religious places open to non-Muslim visitors.The cool, quiet courtyard and interiors feel worlds away from the mad crush of the surrounding city.
The image above can only hint at the incredible aesthetics of Bou Inania, with its intricately carved cedar and plaster and colorful tiles.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
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