Culture & Environment
Morocco has a tremendously rich cultural heritage, thanks to the mix of Berber, Arabic and Jewish influences.
Anthropology
Our manageress in
Taroudant
has worked with a number of anthropology
postgraduates studying the local Berber communities for whom she has
transcribed tapes of conversations between researchers and local people.
Like all our staff, she was born in a rural area but subsequently moved
to Taroudant, so she has an understanding of both town and country ways.
Architecture
You
will see, and can choose to stay in, simple earth Berber houses which
almost grow out of the hillside, splendid
former palaces
of the wealthy
with their beautiful tiling, fabrics, rugs, lanterns and wonderful
courtyard gardens,
kasbahs
(fortified houses) or stylish restored riads (houses arranged around a courtyard). In addition, there are spectacular ruins
of Berber castles,
Roman ruins, town walls, mosques and various public
buildings dating back over many centuries - Morocco has a very rich
history.
Also worthy of a visit is the Medina d'Agadir (S of Agadir) created by the architect Coco Polizzi. Set amongst attractive gardens, it brings together the finest craftsmen in the country to create a small walled village with outstanding examples of vernacular architecture. Here you will see not just the buildings but also the workshops of craftsmen working with wood, stone, metal and textiles.
Art
For artists, the colourful scenes, the intense light and the wonderful
climate are great attractions. Essaouira is the town best known for
its artists although Morocco has attracted many artists past and present, including
Henri Matisse and Eugene Delacroix and Winston Churchill.
There are several sites for Neolithic rock engravings and a wonderful variety of pottery is available, from the simple to the
ornate, amongst which Fez and Safi are well known centres for production.
Geography & Geology
Whether you are on holiday or studying these subjects, you can't help
but be struck by what you see around you. Your visit will be highly
educational for the children in your party too. Jane, the company director,
has years of experience of taking students to Morocco to study Geography
and Geology.
It was the striking contrasts between the geology, landscape, economic & cultural geography within the area that first attracted Jane to visit this part of Morocco. Within 80 kms of the guest house in Taroudant all the Geological Eras are represented - ranging from volcanic to fossil-rich sediments to metamorphic rocks to fossil sand dunes and all so beautifully exposed! The fossils & minerals offered for sale locally are of excellent quality.
Large quantities of materials as well as a range of books, displays, including specimens, and maps are available. For further information visit groups.
Language
A few words go a long way! If you'd like to learn a little, there
is an option as part of our
"Real Morocco"
holidays in Taroudant. Our manageress,
Latifa, and her deputy, Dounia, teach and translate Berber and Arabic. Latifa has worked with:
US Peace Corps workers who needed to learn Berber in order to assist
in various community projects. For example, a worker helping
the local potters and shoemakers to improve the quality of their products
and marketing, anthropology postgraduates studying the Berber communities and gap year students from the UK working as volunteers, for example at
the local orphanage.
Music
Traditional music and rhythm are very much part of everyday life and
all celebrations and even at any weekly market. If you pass
any celebration you are quite likely to be invited to join in! There
is a wide variety of musical traditions (much more so than in the rest
of North Africa): Berber, Arab- Andalucian, Gnaoua, Sephardic &
Rai, all of which remain strong today and have been fused and blended
with Western styles in contemporary music.
Music Festivals. The best known are the Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira in June, the Festival of Sacred Music in Fez in May and the Marrakech Festival in June. There a many unusual musical instruments too. We can arrange for a well known Moroccan Berber band to perform for groups in Taroudant.
Photography
Morocco provides some superb subjects for photographers: good lighting
conditions; spectacular and varied scenery including many places that
have been used as film sets; fascinating architecture, geology, wildlife
and many colourful human scenes.
If your camera is not digital, note that most types of films are
available for a very reasonable price. Minilabs are also widespread and are
usually of decent quality.
Theatre and Dance
Moroccans are amongst the most theatrical in the world . The best place to see street theatre (storytellers, mimes, acrobats, musicians and dancers) is in Marrakech at Djemaa el Fna. In August in particular you will see (and may be invited to join in with) a great deal of dancing at Moroccan weddings.
Naturally Morocco Limited - Experience the Real Morocco
Tel: 01239 710 814 UK local rate: 0845 345 7195
