| The Kingdom of Morocco
is an incredibly diverse country, inhabited by some
of the most genuinely warm and hospitable people any
visitor could hope to find. Moroccans are also fiercely
proud of their long history of openness to the world
and tolerance for other faiths. “Morocco is a
special, different sort of destination, with a strong
tradition of hospitality,” said Adil Douiri,
Morocco’s Minister of Tourism.
Olivier Rousseau, former President of the American
Chamber of Commerce in Morocco describes Morocco as
“a great country with friendly people and an
ideal climate.” In many ways comparable to California
in both climate and topography, Morocco is a major
destination for sun worshippers and outdoor sports
enthusiasts alike. When in Morocco even hot mornings
along the coast will invariably become cool afternoons.
The sea breeze is only one of the many natural gifts
providence has bestowed upon the Kingdom. Surprisingly
close to the United States, the six hour flying time
between New York and Morocco equals the length of
a trip from the U.S. East Coast to California.
Particularly hard hit by the post-September 11 travel
slump, the Kingdom is pushing hard to attract 10 million
visitors to the Kingdom per year by 2010. As part
of this plan, several major initiatives are underway.
The Moroccan government is in the initial stages of
a project known as the Plan Azur (Coastal Plan) to
upgrade and significantly add to the nation’s
long-neglected beach resort industry. With almost
2,000 miles of coastline stretching from the Atlantic
coast above Mauritania to the Mediterranean shores
abutting Algeria, there is enormous potential for
the beach resort industry. The country has traditionally
devoted 2/3 of its investment capacity towards cultural
tourism and 1/3 towards beach tourism. “This
must change for the economic well-being of Morocco
and its tourism sector,” according to Douiri.
Once beach resorts are built up, “this will necessarily
allow for much needed investment in the cultural tourism
infrastructure.”
Eco-tourism is fast becoming a major industry in Morocco,
with mountain biking and trekking adventure tour packages
increasingly offered by tour operators. A USAID-funded
program to create rural tourist circuits at different
locations in Morocco is in its first year. Towns and
villages near potential sites are witnessing the installation
of the infrastructure needed to accommodate thousands
of tourists per year. Douiri, explains that several
sites “in the Rif Mountains in the north and
in the Atlas Mountains in the south have great development
potential” with “the mountains offering
beautiful places to walk around.” “Morocco
is so diverse and there are so many things to be seen,
that we will develop many sites.”
The ancient Imperial Cities of Rabat, Marrakech, Meknes,
and Fez beckon the traveler to a distant time and
place. The Roman frontier city of Volubilis (known
as Oulili in Arabic) is more than worth several hours
of examination and contemplation. The Casablanca of
Bogart and Bacall fame is a vibrant, modern city that
exudes a Mediterranean ambiance equal parts North
African and southern European. It is Morocco’s
financial and industrial hub, and with around four
million inhabitants. To the north lies Tangier, on
the southern shore of the Strait of Gibraltar, a mere
eight miles from the Spanish coast. It was here that
a free-wheeling, anything goes atmosphere existed
during the city’s status as an international
port from the time of the 1906 Treaty of Algeciras
until Morocco’s independence from France in 1956.
It is now much more sedate, but still a fascinating
place to explore.
Each of Morocco’s four Imperial Cities has a
distinctive character, all worthy of a visitor’s
interest.
Rabat is a vibrant mix of old and new, from ancient
fortifications steeped in millennia of history to
state-of-the-art internet cafes. The permanent home
of the royal family as well as the Kingdom’s
capital city, Rabat is situated along the Atlantic
coast on the banks of the Bou Regreg River. Walking
along a main thoroughfare in Rabat, a visitor may
pass by orange trees fully-laden with their juicy
harvest. (Add my picture of orange trees in Rabat.)
Rabat’s sister of Sale lies on the river’s
opposite bank. Sale is a bit more rough and tumble
than its neighbor, but boasts one of the oldest mosques
in the country, a beautifully restored 14th century
religious school (medersa), and a well-preserved,
still active medina. (Could add opening paragraph
of North, South article here)
Marrakech is perhaps the most famous of all Moroccan
cities. Name recognition is key in the tourism industry,
and Douiri explains that “the brand of Marrakech
is much stronger than even the brand of Morocco itself.”
Aso known as the “Red City” due to the pinkish
hue of its ancient walls and buildings, Marrakech
is the crown of Morocco’s tourism industry. This
is due to the city’s many majestic palm trees,
its location at the foot of the majestic, snow-capped
peaks of the High Atlas Mountains, a pleasant climate,
and a plethora of historical sites dating back to
the 11th century. Towards that end, upon his accession
to the throne in 1999, one of His Majesty King Mohammed
VI’s first actions was to order the removal of
the hordes of pushy, often intimidating, would-be
guides from the city’s streets. With this problem
now a thing of the past, visitors are free to explore
in peace the many pleasures that make Marrakech such
an exciting and mysterious place. Entrepreneurs still
offer their services as guides, but are for the most
part kept in check by law enforcement officers tasked
for this purpose.
Meknes could legitimately be called the “undiscovered”
Imperial City. Located slightly more than halfway
between Rabat and Fez, Meknes is in the heart of Morocco’s
blossoming wine country in a region that has clung
to its French colonial history the tightest. Meknes
was chosen by Moulay Ismail, the Alaouite sultan who
ruled Morocco from 1672 to 1727, to be his Imperial
capital. The creation of Imperial Meknes was the Sultan’s
attempt to emulate the Versailles of his much-admired
contemporary Louis XIV of France. The result is a
beautiful city located within a fairly compact area
seemingly designed with the weary tourist in mind.
Fez, one of the most prestigious centers of learning
in the ancient world, is a magical place where one
is squeezed into impossibly narrow “streets”
and the only conveyances are heavily laden donkeys
and mules vying for space with the teeming crowds.
Fez dominated the city’s religious, cultural
and political life for 1,000 years, until the French
arrived in 1912 and moved the capital city to Rabat.
As dusk settles into moonlit evening and the Muslim
call to prayer wafts over the hilltops, the constants
of time and space seem to lose their grounding and
it is easy to become lost in contemplation and thoughts
of Stories from the Thousand and One Nights. Fez is
really three cities in one. The oldest, Fez al Bali
“old Fez”, was founded in the early 9th
century. Fez al Jadid “new Fez”, was built
alongside in the 13th century. Finally, the Ville
Nouvelle, or “new city” was constructed
by the French in the early years of the 20th century.
UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage Plan for Fez is improving
the infrastructure of the ancient city, which is one
of the most complete and fascinating medieval cities
in the world.
Morocco is hooked on festivals. During the spring
and summer months festivals are as common as the sun
is bright. One of the most renowned is the annual
Fez Sacred Music Festival, which takes place over
a two week period in late May and early June. The
event, highlighting religious music from around the
world, is staged in a spectacular setting, along the
ancient ramparts of the old city.
Morocco is a land of culinary delights, with its cuisine
considered by many to be on a par with French, Indian,
and Chinese. One of the reasons for this gourmand’s
paradise is the freshness of the ingredients. From
the meat to the produce to the spices, if it is eaten
in Morocco odds are it is from Morocco. Some of the
more well-known dishes include pastille, which is
pigeon (yes, pigeon) or chicken, egg, and almonds,
in layers of filo pastry and topped with powdered
sugar and cinnamon. Tajine is a sort of stew which
can be lamb, chicken or beef-based, and is cooked
with olives, onions, and other vegetables. Couscous,
a type of tiny, round-shaped pasta, is served with
vegetables and lamb or chicken. Harira soup a rather
spicy concoction, is popular, as are the much-loved
Moroccan patisseries (pastries).
Summing up all that Morocco has to offer is a difficult
task. I think perhaps Hilton Rabat General Manager
Olivier de Kermel said it best. “Morocco is a
beautiful country with 2,500 kilometers of coastline,
great food, sunny weather and very nice people.”
Very nice people indeed. Above all else, it is the
memory of the kindness and very real warmth of the
Moroccan people that the visitor to the Kingdom of
Morocco will take home and that will invariably move
he or she to return again. |
