Marrakech has been celebrating the Marrakchia Music festival since the Saadian dynasty in the 15th and early 16th century.It takes place in February each year and celebrates traditional music passed down by generations in honour of the seven patron saints or ‘Sabaatou Rijal’ of Marrakech.
The Medieval site of Aghmat can be found beside the modern village of Ghmat which is 30 km south east of Marrakech in the northern foothills of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Professor Ron Messier, Professor Emeritus Middle Tenessee State University and Senior Lecturer in history at Vanderbilt University and his codirector Professor Abdallah Fili faculte des letters Universite d’El Jadida have been following a trail of gold a it was part of the camel caravan routes from sub-Saharan Africa through the ancient city of Sijilmassa which Ron Messier’s team excavated through to Morocco’s Medieval Capital, Aghmat. Coins minted in Sijilmassa have been found in an excavation in Jordan and Aghmat too minted coins for the Almoharavid empire which stretched into Spain.
There are many Moroccan designers, artists and craftsmen breaking new ground and leading innovations in lifestyle and creativity. Moroccan Designers Ahmed Laghrissi, Hicam El Madi and Myriam Mourabit are three exceptional practioners of their art. All were born in Morocco and have been influenced by either great family artists, their environment and Moroccan visual arts and culture. When visiting Morocco on a Pottery and Zellij Tile Design tour or on your own, one can discover galleries, souks and private spaces filled with these and many other visual artists. Morocco is a mecca of great designers ranging from Moroccan pottery to furniture to tile work, painting and lighting.
Morocco has had a long Jewish history, dating back thousands of years. The complex relationship between the Jewish and Berber tribes resulted in Jewish Berber tribes living side by side and the Jewish inhabitants also lived in close proximity to the Arabic society.The development of Jewish populations in the rural south developped differently from the urban jewish populationswhoere busines men and skilled craftsmen. Following Morocco’s independence and the growing strength of the state of Israel most of Morocco’s jewish population chosetomove to Israel as their homeland or to other communities around the world.A few thousandremain in Morocco but memories of ashared heritage live on.
Morocco has an ancient tradition of jewelry craftsmanship which continues today. Morocco’s Jewish population grew over many centuries and they were the artisans who created the jewelry as the muslims for religious reasons would not work with silver and gold.The jews and the berbers intermarried and there were a number of jewish berber tribes.
Trekking and climbing in the Atlas Mountains and Toubkal National Park is increasingly popular,catering for all levels of fitness and available for short trips or extended treks over a period of several days.It is an opportunity to see the Atlas mountains and its people, it is by far the most beautiful of Morocco’s diverse countryside, still largely unchanged from the time when it was remote and cut off from the ouside world.
The “red hamra” city of Marrakech has been sited as the best African Destination of the Year by the 19th World Travel Awards. The winners of the “World Travel Awards” are chosen by travel agents around the world. The World Travel Awards gives agents the opportunity to select leading travel destinations. Marrakech is the first Moroccan city to win the this title. Other cities that were nominated were Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg (South Africa), along with Luxor (Egypt), Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) and Victoria Falls (Zambia).
Morocco is moderate, Muslim country located in North Africa that is rich in history, steeped in culture, exotic cuisine and natural wonders. When traveling to Morocco there are many luxury hotels to stay at during a Morocco Tour. First in Morocco are its Luxury Riads that offer amenities on par with a luxury hotel. Morocco’s Riads boast beautiful courtyards and incredible architecture. Staying at a luxury Riad in Morocco can offer a top quality experience, equivalent to a luxury hotel.
The Medina Gardens of Fes make for the perfect Fes Tour to compliment this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s ancient Mosques, Monuments and Zaouias. The Bab Bou Jeloud is the main entry point…