Touring Morocco

Fascinating, mysterious, intriguing. .. these are but a few of the many adjectives used to describe Morocco. Often fiercely expressive are the efforts that attempt to condense the exotic and folkloric aspects of this nation, which never cease to inspire writers, artists, filmmakers or visitors.
The exotic atmosphere, because it is naturally rooted here, becomes a fever for the traveler. It is a real atmosphere, but which beyond western exaggeration is not out of the norm for a country so rich in traditions. It may appear paradoxical, however, even somewhat ridiculous and falsely snobbish, to travel the breadth of Morocco in search of places where this charm is intact when in reality it can be found everywhere, at every corner, in all houses, in every city. On the contrary, it is in the largest cities, justifiably famous and celebrated, that this charm is most evident. It is thus almost useless to venture off into impractical narrow alleys or tiny villages. One will not find anything there other than the confir¬mation those cities as Marrakech, Fes, Tanager or Sale already offer so much to the eager eye of the attentive visitor. Along with the typical contradictions of the metro¬polises and their confusing architecture, the great cities of Morocco preserve this vividness which, appreciated in an intelligent manner, never becomes tiresome. It only requires that one takes more time to admire these unique wonders of the world.

If one only has a short time to visit the North, Tanager then is a seductive and obligatory destination. Gateway to Europe, cross¬roads between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, there still reigns there a halo of mystery that makes the city an ideal loca-tion for so many films and for real international intrigues. Fought over by a number of important nations over many centuries, it survives, imper¬turbable in its myth, as if a spell rendered it impervious to the ravages of time. In a profusion of colors and smells, the city exudes that fascinating chaos typical of Mediterranean port cities without being troubled by the opinion of its guests. Contrary to the palpable vitality of the streets, the markets, the kasbahs, it deliberately hides an industrious nature and a sure sense of business. It is like a secondary characteris¬tic, but one clearly present that allows visitors to follow in the tracks of such famous enthusiasts. Tanger was dear to Delacroix, Saint-Saens, Tennessee Williams, Jean Genet, and Matisse. It doesn’t brag about itself;however, convinced that whosoe¬ver passes over the threshold of the Ben Erraha Gate cannot remain indifferent to the grand Socco, the souk so much enjoyed by Joseph Kessel. Nor can they not be awed by the minaret of Sidi Bou Abid in polychromatic earthenware or the view from the terrace of the Paresseux or the time spent taking tea at the Petit Socco, preferred by Paul Bowles. They can also enjoy the cool¬ness of the sultan’s gardens under the vigi¬lant and evocative power of the Dar el Makhzen Palace, or more simple hours pas¬sed watching people as they discover how true it is that ‘Tanger liberates the artist in every man ».

Quite different is the atmosphere of Casablanca. While Tanger is inspirational, Casablanca is energetic, acti¬ve, hard working .A powerful motor, it is the incarnation of modern Morocco where 60% of the nation’s indus¬trial businesses are concentrated. It is not an accident if, since its 1912-urbanization plan, it has been thought of as an ideal city, rational, dedicated to efficiency. From the center spread large boulevards lined with Art Deco buildings, neoMoorish follies and monuments to rationalism. This mixture of styles and proportions at first disconcerts, but which by a mysterious alchemy comes together and no longer disturbs. One creates, certainly, but one also restores, preserves, protects the symbols of the past as well as the present.
One thus comprehends why Casablanca ¬ »casa » or house for the Moroccans – has been chosen to crown the dream of a people. In this city has been erected the Hassan II Mosque which with its 9 hec¬tares of surface and space for 80,000 faithful is simply stupefying. In perfect balance between tradition and high technology, the mosque contains more than ten thousand square meters of ceramic zelliges, 37,000 of gypsum, 53,000 of sculp¬ted wood, the result of the collective labor of 3,300 craftsmen. The minaret, one of the highest in the world, white the roof can be opened in three minutes, transforming the immense nave into an evocative patio. A laser beam points in the direction of Mecca .

Of all the northern cities, it is Fes nevertheless that has best kept this magical atmosphere without being compromised by tourism. Even if this is a not-to-be-missed destination, this aggressively beautiful city remains the most secret, perhaps the most imperial of all the imperial cities. One must not fait to explore the crammed alleys, to imagine the gardens and dream-like homes that lay beyond the walls, to savor the markets as well as the most modern areas. This Fes el-Jedid was born outside the walls in the 12′h century. A royal capital first in 809 under Idriss II, then again in the 12′ » century with the Merinides and in the 19′ » century during the reign of Moulay Abdellah, Fes still has all the majesty of its history. From the El Quaraouyine mosque to that of Andalusia, from the university, the first in the eastern world, to the es-Sahrji medersa or Muslim religious college, au speak of an economic power and a culture as broad as the horizons that one still finds in the oldest parts, Fes El Bali. It is a maze of passageways, stairs, court yards, that open out on a network of alleys crowded with craft shops, silver and jewelry boutiques, pottery stores specializing in the blue of the city and leather goods. All these confirm the refined taste transmitted through the centuries.

Rabat is also interesting. Originally Roman, the capital of Morocco bas a kind of sobriety that at first glance can seem de tri¬mental to its ambience. It is strongest at the medina, rational and above all joyous, where one finds the trading of attractively priced antiques. The sobriety is breathed in the neighborhood of the embassies, on the beaches and in general in the enti¬re urban area. Not to miss is the Hassan I minaret built in 1196 that dominates the mosque and the nearby mausoleum of Mohamed V.To visit with time to spare is the Kasbah des ouadaias, the fortified citadel at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River; the streets and above all the terraces that overlook the ocean front and the city of Sale, twin city of the capital. Founded in the 1l th century, Sale is very different because of its layout and its traditions. Beyond its great monuments, it offers jewels of rare beauty. These include the small, delicate Merinidian medersa, built in 1333 by the Sultan Abou El Hassan, the terrace of the same college where one can contemplate the immense panorama of the two cities as well as the great cemetery perched above the sea. This place of prayer is the obligatory pas¬sageway of urbanization logic and becomes for wes-tern eyes an instrument to better comprehend Moroccan culture. Finally, a trip to the cities of Morocco is an experience not to be missed which stimulates the desire to do it again soon.