Morocco a sensory experience
On my recent travels in Morocco it felt like I was navigating my way through a maze. The narrow, claustrophobic alleys lined with stalls criss-cross and zigzag, divide and sub-divide in a seemingly never-ending layout that makes up the Medinas of cities such as Marrakech and Fes.To add even more confusion, there’s the separation of all cities. Medina is the traditional old town while the Nouvelle Ville is characterised by French influenced wide boulevards, open squares and sophisticated cafes. It creates two opposing impressions of one apparently unified city. Moroccan cities do not benefit from following the guidebook word by word, however, and part of the fun of travelling through Morocco is experiencing the sights, sounds and tastes the country has to offer in a slightly accidental, haphazard kind of way.
Morocco Tannery by Chris Bryant
Perhaps Morocco’s most defining feature is its religion. From the architectural style of the buildings to the gender divides visible on the street, Islam is essential to Morocco’s identity and permeates almost every aspect of Moroccan life. The beautiful geometric patterns that adorn archways, walls and floors are symbolic of Islam’s rejection of idolisation. Likewise, traditional homes and Kasbahs are built to face inwards around a courtyard, so as to prevent passers-by from glimpsing the women inside.The first thing any western visitor to Morocco will notice is the conspicuous absence of women on the streets in the evening, which makes the ones who do appear even more prominent, especially when dressed head to toe in the incongruous traditional Islamic hijab. Once this shock wears off, however, it is the apparent contradictions between religious values and recent tourism boom that confuses the visitor. Indeed, the harassment experienced by all tourists, not exclusively but primarily women, from Moroccan men whose job it is to target them was a small blight on my experience.
By Jas_Gd
Morocco has always displayed an irresistible charm even to the most casual of travellers. It is the bustle and activity of markets such as the famous Djeema el Fna in Marrakech, that seem to beckon you towards them. Aromatic spices and the smell of slow cooked meat lure you to stalls where you witness whole sheep heads, eyes intact, side by side with the pottery tagines. The taste that is left on your mouth after a trip to Morocco is that of freshly squeezed orange, available on virtually every street corner at a fraction of the price and much better quality than could be found anywhere in Europe. Accompanying your meal is the trance-like undulations of the snake charmers’ nasal oboes, the jingle of jewellery in the souks, the shouts of women desperate to cover your body in their henna tattoos, the squawks of the dancing monkeys on chains, and the gasps and silences of the avid crowds that gather round that ancient part of Moroccan culture, the storytellers. The Moroccan experience is not for the faint hearted, but with a country this rich in culture, you’d be mad to miss it.
By Hannah Silverleaf