Month: October 2012

Abderrahman Slaoui’s Casablanca Museum,Your Morocco Tour Guide

Abderrahman Slaoui was a businessman who loved the arts. Newly opened this past May 2012 is Abderrahman Slaoui’s Foundation Museum located in Casablanca. The Musee De La Fondation Abderrahman Sloaoui is set up in the home of a charming art deco building dating from the 1940’s. Casablanca’s Musee De La Fondation Abderrahman Sloaoui is dedicated to Moroccan jewelry and decor.

Morocco’s Tin Mal Mosque and the Gandoufa Valley, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Tin Mal is 100 kms from Marrakech just past the village of Ijoukak on the road to Taroudant in the High Atlas Mountains. It was the spiritual home of the Almohads, who went on to conquer Marrakech defeating the ruling Almoravids and then creating an empire that stretched from all of what we know as the Maghreb, southern Portugal and Spain and part of Africa.

Excursions from Marrakech: Amizmiz, Ourika and Ouirgane

Many visitors to Marrakech also enjoy excursions into the nearby countryside to experience the life of the surrounding Berber villages and towns and the communities in the Atlas Mountains. After the excitement of the souks in Marrakech and the hub bub of the city the silence and the beauty of the countryside is a pleasant contrast. One popular destination is Amizmiz where the local souk takes place every Tuesday. A Visit to Amizmiz is an opportunity to browse a real Berber market which is usually cheaper than Marrakech. Many artifacts and carpets and kelims are available and if younegotiate well you may geta better price than in Marrakech. It’s a good idea to check out prices in the souk in Marrakech first. Amizmiz is 55 kilometers south of Marrakech at the foot of the High Atlas mountain range. It is a small town of some 11,000 population and the local souk plays an important role in the economic life of the surrounding villages. Berber farmers bring their local produce and animals and buy goods from Marrakech, so its good to see how the countryside interacts with the city. Marrakech still has its vegetable and fruit markets and farmers come from the surrounding area.