Reg An inhospitable environment but here supporting a species of Acacia and desert hardy Deverra tortuosa
The Sahara desert is essentially a desert of herbs and small shrubs with larger shrubs and trees where moisture levels are higher. The dwarf-shrub community in the north comprises shrubs of less than 1m. in height (usually about 50 cm.)as dominants. The bushes are often widely spaced, with a considerable amount of bare stony ground between the clumps which gives the vegetation a very parched appearance in the summers. Typical plants are Zizyphus lotus, Ziziphus spina-christi, Tamarix spp., Acacia spp., Moringa aptera, Salvadora persica, Thymus spp., Artemisia herba-alba, Noaea mucronata, Helianthemum spp., BRaetama retam, Periploca aphylla, Suaeda spp., Salsola spp, Atriplex spp., Ephedra alata, Haloxylon articulatum, Pistacia atlantica and Achillea santolina.
In steppe areas where the scrub vegetation is hardly developed desert grasses of a multiplicity of species are the climax vegetation. Ephemerals are common in the north, halophytes in the sandy areas. Succulent plants are uncommon. The sandy desert has virtually no vegetation. With rain vegetation increases in wadis (oueds - vallies, gullies, or streambeds that remain dry except during the rainy season),depressions and wherever runoff water augments rainfall. The soils of the Sahara are formed of rock debris and desert detritus and are very weakly developed. The characteristic species of these true desert areas which decrease as desert scrub becomes reg and then sandy desert are:- 'Faidherbia albida, A.raddiana, A. seyal, A. tortilis, Achillea santolina, Alyssum macrocalyx, Anabasis aretoides, A. articulata, Androcymbium punctataum, Aristoides coerulescens, Aristida pungens, Artemisia herba-alba, A. monosperma, Astragulus tribuloides, Atriplex halimus, Balanites aegyptiaca, Caligonum comosum, Caltropis procera, Cenchrus ciliaris, Citrullus colocynthus, Danthonia forskalii, Ephedra alata, Euphorbia guyoniana, Deverra scoparia [1], D. chloranthus, Linaria aegyptica,Annarrhinum fruticosum [2], Haloxylon guyonianum, Maerua crassifolia, Nerium oleander, Olea europaea, Panicum turgidum, Phoenix dactylifera, Populus euphratica Populus euphratica, Prosopis stephaniana, Rhus oxyacanthae, Roetboellia hirsuta, Salsola foetida, S.inermis, Salvadora persica, Stipa tortilis, Suaeda fruticosa, S.vermiculata, Tamarix articulata, Zilla spinosa, Zygophyllum Zygophyllum coccineum, Z. decumbens, Z' dumosum, and Capparis spinosa.
Morocco provides a refuge for a rich and diverse flora with about 4,200 taxa, of which 22% (879 taxa) are endemic.[1] The phytogeographic zones of Morocco comprise 8 zones: the Mediterranean zone (central 0–500m, middle 500-1,000m and upper 1,100-1500m), the Cedar zone (1000-2000m), the sub-Alpine zone (2,000-2,500m), the Alpine zone (2,500m+), the semi-desert scrub zone, the Reg , the sandy desert zone and the oases.
Maquis and Garrique Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe, Mediterranean woodlands and forests, lower Northern slopes of Rif and Tell Atlas.
The climax of the Mediterranean coast is a well-developed maquis commonly associated with Clematis, Smilax, Lonicera and Asparagus. Except in innaccessible or protected places the vegetation has been heavily grazed by domestic animals and this degraded maquis, called garrigue, is widespread. Poterium spinosum, various Salvia and Cistus are the dominant plants of the garrigue.A prominent feature of the coastal vegetation is the presence of a large exotic flora: Casuarina, Eucalyptus , Citrus, loquat and Opuntia ficus indica are examples. Several species of steppe Acacia are common elements. The cultivated area which is extensive is wholly artificial and imported plants dominate the landscape. The meadows, orchards and wetter places in the maquis support such plants as fennel.
Quercus suber the Cork Oak, a typical Mediterranean plant
Characteristic plants are Pinus halepensis, Erica arborea, Arbutus unedo, Pistacia lentiscus, Myrtus communis, Clematis cirrhosa, Asparagus acutifolius, Phlomis viscosa, Scilla autumnalis and Scilla peruviana, Narcissus tazetta, Iris palaestina, Colchicum stevenii, Arisarum vulgare , Quercus coccifera, Quercus ilex, Ceratonia siliqua, Pistacia atlantica, Pistacia terebinthus, Crataegus azarolus, Amygdalus communis, Rhamnus alaternus Nerprun alaterne, Cistus spp., especially Cistus monspeliensis, Cistus laurifolius and Cistus salviifolius, Juniperinus phoenicea, Phlomis spp. (Phlomis lychnitis), Helichrysum italicum, Salvia spp.,[2] Satureia spp.,[3] Poterium spp., Arabis spp., Reseda spp., Aristolochia pallida, A. boetica, A. longa paucinervis, A. fontanesi, A.rotunda, A.pistolochia fr:Aristoloche pistoloche , Lavandula stoechas Jasminium fruticans and Brassica spp.
Morocco offers much more than just long stretches of arid desert. Visit this North African country not only for its rich history, vibrant culture and long-standing traditions, but also for the beauty and intrigue of its landscape and wilderness. With more than 40 different ecosystems, Morocco is home to great animal and plant life diversity. Many of the animals in the country are endangered, in part to city expansion, but national parks and preserves as well as vast expanses of forest allow for numerous mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Morocco's coastline stretches along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Coastal cities like Tangiers, Casablanca, Essaouira and Safi offer plenty of opportunities for tourists to view marine life, including dolphins, porpoises, sea birds and the extremely endangered Mediterranean monk seal. Souss-Massa National Park, a bird refuge, sits along the River Massa, which runs into the Atlantic Ocean. The endangered bald ibis is one of the park's frequent visitors. The river itself is home to large populations of ducks, including the marbled duck and the red-crested pochard, as well as mammals like the Algerian hedgehog, brown hare and African wild cat and a host of reptiles and amphibians.
Desert Wildlife
The western Sahara lies within Morocco and despite its extreme heat during the daylight hours, it is home to a wide variety of animal species. Tourists taking camel-trekking tours of the Moroccan desert may get the chance to see animals like the Dorcas gazelle, the smallest gazelle in the world, or the Fennec fox, the smallest fox in the world. These animals are often most active in the early mornings and the evenings, staying hidden during the day because of the scorching temperatures. Other Moroccan desert animals include rodents, snakes, gerbils, golden jackals, addax and lizards.
Atlas and Rif Mountains
Morocco's Atlas and Rif mountains were once home to the Barbary lion, now nearly extinct. Parc Zoologique National in Morocco's capital city, Rabat has a breeding program for this lion species. If you plan to take part in a mountain trekking tour, you may get an opportunity to see other indigenous, mountain-residing creatures like the Barbary macaque, a primate; wild boars; eagles; cardinals; lizards and butterflies.
Plant Life in Morocco
Morocco is home to diverse plant species that are found all throughout the country. Visitors to the coastal regions will likely encounter plants like casuarina, eucalyptus, loquat and acacia. Morocco's mountainous areas are home to forest plants and trees, including the cork oak, evergreen oak, holm oak, juniper, cedar, fir and pine. Visit the plains to find cork oaks, olive trees, argan-thorny trees, scrub brush and alfalfa grass.
In cities with medinas the used clothes are more traditional, but still there are those who view much like the European.
In terms of traditional clothing, the djellaba is one of the most important pieces of Moroccan clothing. It is a traditional piece, wide, long and wide sleeves, which can be used by both men and women. It's kind of robe that may also have capucho with pointy tip, which protects from the sun and cold.
The djellabas can be made of wool or cotton, with different colors (men opt for very light colors), depending on the taste of each person. But traditionally, the colors chosen among the tribes, may indicate marital status, for example. The dark brown is used by bachelors.
The kaftan is another kind of tunic widely used, but mainly by Moroccan women. They can be simple day-to-day parts, but also are more produced for special events such as weddings and parties. The models of the kaftan have been adopted and are an inspiration for many designers of haute couture.
In the markets of the cities there are many stores selling traditional Moroccan clothing. They have many embroidery and different colors, shirts, dresses, kaftans and djellaba. Lots of variety, both for men and for women.
The clothes are normally all long and wide, but many women wear belts - made in the same fabric clothing to adelgaçarem silhouette at parties. On the street simply use the loose, comfortable clothing. Although the models look alike, they are always different pieces, with coordinated colors depending on the taste of each person.
But not only. There are also scarves and turbans of different colors and sizes. The latter are used both to heat and to protect the head on hot days or during the crossings in the desert.
And may the colors have any meaning. The desert Berbers use indigo blue turban, because they consider that protect them from evil spirits. While in the desert, also use them to cover the face, leaving only the eyes showing, to protect the strong sandstorms.
The shoes use a lot sandals and also the typical babouches. Comfortable shoes and made leather.
The fez (Arabic: فاس / FAS "Fez" Morocco's capital until 1927; Turkish: Fes) or tarbouche (Arabic: طربوش / ṭarbūš) is a hat male felt, often red, conical truncated, adorned with a black tassel attached to the top. This cap without edge, from ancient Greece, was adopted by many ethnic and religious groups during the following centuries and especially in the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century. In its long history, the fez was worn by many peoples, including the Greeks, Arabs, North Africans, Turks and various Muslim populations. Today, it is increasingly rare to see worn.
A variant of the fez was used by the Turkish army between etxviiie fifteenth centuries. He was then made of a metal cap around which was fastened a metal mesh to protect the neck and upper shoulders. The fez, probably padded, exceeded the cap of 2.5 to 5 cm, and served as protection against projectiles. He could also be surrounded by a turban. The red fez with a blue tassel was the hairstyle of the Turkish army from the 1840s until the introduction in 1910 of the khaki uniform and helmet without a visor. The only notable exceptions were the cavalry and artillery, the soldiers wore lambskin hats adorned with colorful fabric, and Albanian regiments who wore a white fez. During World War II, the fez is worn by naval reserve units and sometimes by soldiers on leave.
Otto I, King of Greece, in the garb of Evzones (c. 1835).
The regiments of the Greek army said Evzones (Light Infantry) had their own version of the fez, from 1837 to World War II. Today, it is part of the parade uniform of the presidential guard in Athens.
In the nineteenth century, the fez is widely used as uniforms of soldiers recruited locally in the settlements. French troops in North Africa, created as a result of the conquest of Algeria in 1831, wore similar headgear but not rigid: the fez, traditional hairstyle African troops. In felted woolen cloth of crimson, purplish, it became characteristic of the Zouaves (initially formed troupe of Algerian Kabyle soldiers, but exclusively European in 1842) as Algerian and Tunisian riflemen, African Hunters (mainly European ) as Algerian and Tunisian spahis and finally the body of native artillery troop.
Zouave soldier during the Crimean War (1853-1856).
During British rule (1858-1947), two Indian regiments recruited in Muslim areas wore fez (although the turban is widespread among the sepoys (in) and sowars, both Hindus and Muslims). LesKing's African Rifles English (recruited since 1902 in British East Africa) had red and black striped fez, while the Royal West African Frontier Force had smaller red. The Egyptian army had the classic Turkish model until 1950. The army regiment Caribbean britanniqueportait the fez as an integral element of his uniform until the unit was disbanded in 1928. The tradition maintained in the regiment of Barbados, with white turban wound around the base.
Belgian Public Force in the Congo (1885-1908) had large fez similar to those of the Senegalese riflemen or Companhias Portuguese Indigenas. LesAskaris in German East Africa (1885-1919) wore their khaki fez on all occasions. The regiments in the service of Italy from Somalia and Eritrea (colonialisées 1889) had high red fezzes adorned with pompons match the color of the unit. Libyan battalions and squadrons of the Italian colonial army wore smaller red fez with white caps. On European soil, infantry Bosnian Muslims (the Bosnisch-hercegovinische Infantry (de)) established in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1882, was characterized by the wearing of the fez in La Première World War. In World War II, the 13th Mountain Division SS Handschar, recruited from among the Bosnian Muslims, were also fez.
Soldiers of the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar, reading an educational booklet, Islam and Judaism (southern France, summer 1943).
The fez is a colorful and picturesque part of the uniform. However, it is impractical, and at different points of view. It must be covered, otherwise serve as a target to enemy fire, and provides little protection against the sun. Therefore, it was gradually relegated to parades or required permission during World War II. He was replaced by wide-brimmed hats or straw hats for other occasions. However, the colonial police continued to consider the military fez hat as for the natives.
The armies from colonization were fairly quickly freed from fez. However, it is still worn in the Red Guards in Senegal ceremonial uniforms as part of their holding spahi type and in some cases by Italian Bersaglieri (created in 1836). They adopted the fez as informal hairstyle through the influence of zouavesfrançais, alongside whom they fought in the Crimean War (1853-1856). Spanish Regulares (created in 1911 and composed of Moors) stationed in the Spanish enclaves in Morocco, Ceuta and Melilla have a dress uniform including traditional fez and white coat. The Border Forces of Liberia, independent since 1847, although not a colonial army, wore the fez until the 1940s the Philippines units briefly wore a black fez, the beginning of the dominance of the United States ( Originated in the years 1889-1899). A green fez was worn by fire hose Bahawalpur in Pakistan in the late 1960s.
Morocco is the gem of the North Africa having coastlines on both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has tremendous culture due to the inhabitation of the multi-ethnic population. While traveling to Morocco, the colors of indigenous Berber community and Jewish and Muslim populace can easily be observed. The country is a reasonably huge country and its every part has its own cultural recognition. A Berber woman in her traditional dress ( Image: Angelas Travels ) A Berber woman in her traditional dress ( Image: Angelas Travels ) The Moroccan society is not conservative because Morocco is a peaceful and tourist friendly country. Morocco has no particular rules and regulation about the clothing but the Moroccans have kept alive the custom to wear the traditional dress of Morocco. A random capture of the Moroccons in their traditional dresses- Allan Old's Image Moroccans are overall a stylish and smart nation and they prefer to dress up with fashionable and impressive clothing. Both men and women wear a same traditional attire which is called djellaba; a long, loose, hooded garment with full sleeves.
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A Moroccon girl wearing traditional dress - Angelas Travels
The women of Morocco also wear Caftan or Kaftan which is without a hood unlike the djellaba. This dress is particularly decorated with the typical woman embroidery upon the dress openings and arms. Kaftan is usually worn on the festive occasions and wedding ceremonies by the Moroccan women.
Another traditional cloak made with a delicate fabric and mostly in white color is known as “Haik” which is used by the Moroccan village women. In addition to thatGandora is also used by the Moroccan women which have heavy and fancy stitching and adornments. A pretty Moroccon woman dressed up with the ceremonial dress - ReebA's photo
For all of the Moroccan women the bright colored silks and other dainty fabrics are favorites. The craftsmen and tailors apply their special skills to make the women dresses attractive and graceful. The women of high class also use a traditional belt which has golden embroidery and exquisite decorations along the edges.
A Moroccon man wearing the traditional outfit and Fez - Grete Howard's Image
Abernousse is a traditional red cap for the Moroccan men which they normally use in special occasions. Abernousse is commonly referred to as a Fez. Both men and women use Balgha, the typical Moroccan slippers without heels and often dyed with yellow.
A Moroccon water seller in his traditional costume - Richard Sharrocks image
The traditional dress of Morocco is the true reflection of the charming and fascinated Moroccanheritage. People of every class in Morocco are very conscious about their dress codes. The traditional loose fitting outfits are commonly worn by the folk artists during their presentations while the modern Moroccan population is also much influenced with the Western style of dressing.
A Moroccon Belly Dancer in her traditional dancing costume - Thomas Grim's Image
Psychology has proved that all its branches agreed upon the fact that a person’s environment affects the upbringing and personality of that person. The environment molds and shapes one’s personality. A person is affected by his parents doctrines, bias, stereotypes held toward different things and people. The same thing is proved to be true by the theory of Mustapha Hijazi.
The theory is called “The psychology of depressed people.” It states that a depressed person yields to the things ascribed to him. If the person, for example, is labeled stupid and less successful by his family, with time he will take it for granted and assume that the claim is true. The fact is also true with Moroccan women. They are regarded as inferior; henceforth, they surrender and made themselves weak and margin. Accordingly, the environment affects much on a person’s personality than the biological and inherited features.
Women in some Moroccan areas are very marginalized. Men use some degrading slogans and words while speaking about or addressing women. To mention but only a few, the saying which is deeply disgracing and degrading women is “Lamra hashak.” This phrase is used in the south east of Morocco. However, it is too distinct nowadays thanks to many factors.
Moroccan women are known by many characteristics that make them so special. One of these typical images on women in general and on Moroccans in particular is Satanism. Demonism, foxiness and lack of faith are ascribed characteristics to women since ancient times.
The most known religions admit that woman is the origin of the sin. They are the cause for man to be dispelled from God’s mercy. Christians believe that the French word “femme” from the Latin language refers to “Fe Minus.” The word means “carence de foi,” a French phrase that means lack of faith. Accordingly, Jews claim the same thing as Christians. So do pious Islamists who assume that men outweigh women in terms of hygiene, mental and corporal ability. They base their judgments on menstruation and some preachers’ teachings. Furthermore, the recipes used by women to beautify themselves or to heal casual sicknesses are not wanted by men. They send out a stink of smells. But this does not mean that women have poor standards of hygiene.
The standing point of outside observers is completely different from the one of the target or observed people. To the people of Gulf and some other countries, Moroccan women are prostitutes. The European and American people believe that Muslims are terrorists and their wives are fortunetellers and sorceresses. I should admit that there is prostitution and sorcery in Morocco and like other areas of the world. But, the degree varies from one country to another. The outsiders tend to over-generalize to the extent that quick judgments on women on the street overflow.
Because of this over-generalization, girls in the street face sexual harassment from Moroccans and tourists who fail to distinguish between innocent women and prostitutes.
The first thing a visitor may notice on Moroccan women is art. They are artists in their society, more so than men. The Arabic and especially the amazigh women shape the Moroccan identity per se. They decorated their faces with tattoo dyed their hands and feet with henna and painted their faces with saffron. They also embroider their clothes and scarves and head coverings with brightly colored arabesque motifs. They sew their clothes by themselves. They are creative in essence that they find solutions to small troubles they encounter in life.
A big discrepancy is clearly seen, however, in some stereotypes on Moroccan women. An example would be, if a woman is characterized by foxiness, then she is cleaver. Her mental capabilities are great since she can deceive smart people. Another discrepancy is that women are deemed to be untidy and not clean. But, they pass all day long doing homework, cleaning, ironing, washing clothes and catering for their offspring. Women are the driving force for a nation’s development. If a mother, sister, cousin and daughter are very weak in all domains, no nation will ever develop, because women are half of the society.
Following independence from France in 1956, Moroccan women were at the forefront of knowledge production and artistic expression—all of which nuanced the conception and perception of a post-colonial Moroccan identity. Fatima Mernissi, for example, emerged as a critical figure in the knowledge production on gender studies in Morocco. Laila Lalami has also become a popular figure in literature on Morocco, being the first Moroccan author to publish a book of fiction in English. Other Moroccan women who gained prominence through their published work include Leila Abouzeid, Latifa Baka, Khnata Bennouna, Farida Diorui, and Bahaa Trabelsi.
Moroccan women artists also gained regional and international popularity, including Lalla Essaydi, Samira Said, Amel Bent, Najat Aatabou, Dounia Batma, and Naima Samih, among others.
In addition to art and literature, Moroccan women have been publicly present in shaping contemporary politics. In 1961, the Union Progresiste des Femmes Marocaines emerged as one of the first exclusively female organizations in Morocco. Princess Lalla Aicha, the late sister of the late King Hassan II was the president of another woman's organization called the Union Nationale des Femmes Marocaines. Various other woman's organizations in Morocco were created after independence with the aim of advancing the cause of women’s rights, such as the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women and the Union de l’Action Feminine.
Various Moroccan women have held positions in the ruling government, cabinet, and high ranks in political parties, including Asma Chaabi, Nawal El Moutawakel, Bassima Hakkaoui, Nouzha Skalli, and Mbarka Bouaida, among others. Contrarily, Moroccan women have also been in the forefront of dissent and the opposition, who oftentimes faced jail and harassment from the Moroccan government. Among those are Nadia Yassine and Khadija Riyadi. During the beginning of Morocco’s version of the Arab Uprisings that began in December 2010 following the self-immolation of Tunisian fruit vendor, Mohammed Bouazizi, a single Moroccan mother, Fadoua Laroui, set herself on fire in front of a municipal office in protest of her public housing application getting rejected. Laroui has been dubbed by some as the “Moroccan female Bouazizi.”
Bassima Hakkaoui, Moroccan Minister for Solidarity, Women, Family and Social Development at the G8 Deauville Partnership: Women in Business Conference in London.
Bassima Hakkaoui, Moroccan Minister for Solidarity, Women, Family and Social Development at the G8 Deauville Partnership: Women in Business Conference in London.
Despite the fact that Morocco ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the political representation of women in Morocco remains relatively low. Following the November 2011 elections, only one woman was appointed minister. Like other neighboring countries, Morocco introduced Law n° 59-11 in 2011, which created a quota system that allocated one-third of the seats in the Lower House of Parliament to women.As a result, 66 of the 395 seats in the Lower House of Parliament belong to women as of the November 2011 elections.
Due to this increased political voice, women’s representation in parliament has increased dramatically, from 1% in 2003 to 17% in 2015; Morocco’s 2004 Family Code is one of the most progressive in the Arab world; in 1993, Morocco ratified an international agreement on gender equality that has provided leverage for further progress in domestic legislation.
Following the increase in representation, Morocco has seen improvements in women's health and social outcomes: the fertility rate is now one of the lowest in the region; the maternal mortality rate fell by two-thirds in just two decades; girls’ primary school enrolment rose from 52% in 1991 to 112% in 2012 (due to re-enrolment); and just under 23% of women are in formal employment (2011).
Outside the realm of formal politics, Moroccan women have been active in various advocacy projects and legal reforms. Most notably, following the suicide of Amina Filali, a young girl who was forced to marry her rapist, various Moroccan woman organizations, such as Union de l'Action Feminine, pushed for the reform of Article 475 from Morocco's penal code. Prior to the national campaign, Article 475 was the law cited by the judge in Amina Filali's case that stated a rapist may be acquitted of charges if he marries his victim.The campaign led to the repeal of Article 475 on January 2014.
Moroccan women have also been active in lobbying for reforms to the personal status code laws (Mudawana). The Mudawana was initially codified following Morocco's independence from France and was used as a tool for the state's immediate consolidation of power. Following Mohammed VI's accession to the throne in 1999, reforming the Mudawana was a major platform that guided the early years of his reign. Various women's organizations supported these measures, such as l’Union de l’Action Féminine (UAF) and Association Marocaine pour les Droits des Femmes (ADFM). In 2004, some of the reforms included stricter measures for men wanting to marry additional wives, greater leniency for a divorce initiated by the wife, more equitable inheritance rights for women, and the increase in the legal age of marriage for women. The reception of these reforms to the Mudawana varied across class lines and the political spectrum. While members of the aforementioned UAF and ADFM championed these measures, various groups, such as the Islamist Al Adl Wa Al Ihsanne opposed these measures, claiming the reforms were "Western-inspired" and rooted in the neoliberal feminist measures of the World Bank.
Prior to the spread of Islam into Morocco, which brought along with it the Arab conquest, Morocco was part of a region inhabited mostly by a non-Arab Amazigh population.Various Amazigh tribes during the 4th, 5th, and 6th century were noted to have been matrilineal, such as the Tuareg tribes of North Africa. As such, Amazigh women were noted to have taken on significant roles in local communities. This was especially evident through the figure of Kahina, who was a noted Amazigh female military leader who fought against the Arab and Muslim expansion into North Africa.
As part of a broader French imperialist project that justified the colonization of Morocco and the Maghreb region in general, European narratives on Moroccan women were fixated on Orientalist images. Dominant narratives described Moroccan women as docile, oppressed, and in need of being saved. Consequently, Moroccan women’s experience of life under colonialism was a result of multiple intersections of power and patriarchy. For example, following a growing trend of French land expropriation, which drove rural Moroccan families out of their homes and land, many Moroccan women migrated to the urban areas in search of economic opportunity, especially in Casablanca.Upon migrating to Casablanca, many Moroccan women were forced into prostitution, namely due to their lack of formal identification documents—a policy that the French instituted.
Just as Moroccan women were subject to a gendered form of colonialism, their resistance was gendered as well. The oral traditions of Moroccan women were a unique form of disseminating stories of resistance, oftentimes inspired by existing Islamic oral traditions of female warriors who fought in early Islamic history, such as the stories of Hind and Sukayna. Moroccan women, especially those involved in the armed resistance primarily in the northern Rif region, adopted their own experiences of fighting against colonialism to existing frameworks of oral traditions that address women in war. The storytelling of these events played a significant role in shaping memories and conceptualizing post-colonial identities among women.
In addition to the oral traditions of women involved in armed resistance, a role that mostly lower class women took up, upper class Moroccan women were heavily involved in the nationalist politics of resisting colonialism. The Istiqlal Party was the primary mobilizing political force in Morocco that rallied against French colonial rule. The party included the participation of various elite Moroccan women from wealthy and educated families, such as Malika Al-Fassi, from the still influential Al-Fassi family.There was a close collaboration between women like Malika Al-Fassi, who were important figures in the political resistance, and women such as Fatima Roudania, a working-class armed resistance fighter. The wealthier women involved with the Istiqlal Party provided educational services to lower class women involved in the armed resistance, assisted in the proliferation of nationalist literature and knowledge production, and provided protection by hiding women who were fighting against the French.
Many of the Moroccan women involved in resisting French colonialism oftentimes looked to the public presence of women in other struggles of resistance in the region for inspiration, such as in Algeria and Palestine, including women like Djamila Bouhired and Leila Khaled.
Amazigh women have had a lasting position in Moroccan folklore, a position that predates the Arab and Muslim conquest of the Maghreb region. It is believed that the tale of Aisha Qandisha has existed since at least the 7th century.[6] There are several variations of Aisha Qandisha’s name, among which include Lalla Aicha and Aicha Hamdouchia. Stemming from the pre-Islamic era of Morocco, Aisha Qandisha is said to have been a female demon that takes the shape of multiple beings, including a half-goat.Aicha Qandisha, unlike other demons in Moroccan folklore, appears mostly in men’s dreams and is said to make a man impotent. Such folklore remains widely popular in Morocco today.
Morocco is the gem of the North Africa having coastlines on both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has tremendous culture due to the inhabitation of the multi-ethnic population. While traveling to Morocco, the colors of indigenous Berber community and Jewish and Muslim populace can easily be observed. The country is a reasonably huge country and its every part has its own cultural recognition.
The Moroccan society is not conservative because Morocco is a peaceful and tourist friendly country. Morocco has no particular rules and regulation about the clothing but the Moroccans have kept alive the custom to wear the traditional dress of Morocco.
Moroccans are overall a stylish and smart nation and they prefer to dress up with fashionable and impressive clothing. Both men and women wear a same traditional attire which is called djellaba; a long, loose, hooded garment with full sleeves.
The women of Morocco also wear Caftan or Kaftan which is without a hood unlike the djellaba. This dress is particularly decorated with the typical woman embroidery upon the dress openings and arms. Kaftan is usually worn on the festive occasions and wedding ceremonies by the Moroccan women.
Another traditional cloak made with a delicate fabric and mostly in white color is known as “Haik” which is used by the Moroccan village women. In addition to that Gandora is also used by the Moroccan women which have heavy and fancy stitching and adornments.
For all of the Moroccan women the bright colored silks and other dainty fabrics are favorites. The craftsmen and tailors apply their special skills to make the women dresses attractive and graceful. The women of high class also use a traditional belt which has golden embroidery and exquisite decorations along the edges.
Abernousse is a traditional red cap for the Moroccan men which they normally use in special occasions. Abernousse is commonly referred to as a Fez. Both men and women use Balgha, the typical Moroccan slippers without heels and often dyed with yellow.
The traditional dress of Morocco is the true reflection of the charming and fascinated Moroccan heritage. People of every class in Morocco are very conscious about their dress codes. The traditional loose fitting outfits are commonly worn by the folk artists during their presentations while the modern Moroccan population is also much influenced with the Western style of dressing.
Moroccan cuisine is typically a mix of Mediterranean, Arabic, Andalusian and Berber cuisine.
Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones. Common meats include beef, goat, mutton and lamb, chicken and seafood, which serve as a base for the cuisine. Characteristic flavorings include lemon pickle, cold-pressed, unrefined olive oil and dried fruits. As in Mediterranean cuisine in general, the staple ingredients include wheat, used for bread and couscous, and olive oil; the third Mediterranean staple, the grape, is eaten as a dessert, though a certain amount of wine is made in the country.
Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. Although spices have been imported to Morocco through the Arabs for thousands of years, many ingredients — like saffron from Talaouine, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fes — are home-grown. Common spices include qarfa (cinnamon), kamoun (cumin), kharqoum (turmeric), skinjbir (ginger), libzar (pepper), tahmira/felfla hemra (paprika), sesame seeds, qesbour (coriander), zaafran beldi (saffron), massia (mace), qronfel (cloves), basbas (fennel), Nnafaâ (anise), elgouza (nutmeg), zaâter (oregano), felfla soudania (cayenne pepper), and Ourka sidna moussa (bay laurel). 27 spices are combined to form the "celebrated" Moroccan spice mixture ras el hanout.
A typical lunch meal begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a tagine or Dwaz. Bread is eaten with every meal. Often, for a formal meal, a lamb or chicken dish is next, followed by couscous topped with meat and vegetables. A cup of sweet mint tea usually ends the meal. Moroccans either eat with fork, knife and spoon or with their hands using bread as a utensil depending on the dish served. The consumption of pork and alcohol is not common due to religious restrictions.
Moroccan cuisine is home to Berber, and Moorish, . It is known for dishes like couscous, tajine, pastilla, and others. Spices such as cinnamon are used in Moroccan cooking
Moroccan cuisine is extremely diverse, thanks to Morocco's interaction with other cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine has been subject to Berber, Moorish, Mediterranean, and Arab influences. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fez, Meknes, Marrakesh, Rabat and Tetouan refined it over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today.
Ingredients
Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones. Common meats include mutton and lamb, beef, chicken, camel, rabbit and seafood, which serve as a base for the cuisine. Characteristic flavorings include lemon pickle, cold-pressed, unrefined olive oil and dried fruits. It is also known for being far more heavily spiced than Middle Eastern cuisine.
Spices and other flavorings
Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. Although spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients, like saffron from Tiliouine, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, are home-grown. Common spices include karfa (cinnamon), kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (turmeric), skinjbir (ginger), libzar (pepper),tahmira (paprika), anise seed, sesame seeds, qesbour (coriander), and zaafran beldi (saffron). Common herbs include mint and 'maadnous'(parsley.)
Structure of meals
The midday meal is the main meal, except during the holy month of Ramadan. A typical meal begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a tagine. Bread is eaten with every meal. Often, for a formal meal, a lamb or chicken dish is next, followed by couscous topped with meat and vegetables. A cup of sweet mint tea usually ends the meal. Moroccans usually eat with their hands and use bread as a utensil. The consumption of pork and alcohol are considered Haraam, and are prohibited per Muslim dietary restrictions.
Sweets like halwa are popular, as well as other sweets. Cuisines from neighboring countries also influence the country's culinary traditions.
Artists born in Morocco or with Moroccan origins include such as Mounir Fatmi. Other artists include Latifa Echackhch, Mohamed El Baz, Bouchra Khalili, Majida Khattari, Mehdi-Georges Lahlou, and the young Younes Baba-Ali.[citation needed]
There are several initiatives from Moroccan artists to help developing a contemporary art market in the country. For example, artists such as Hassan Darsi created La Source du Lion in 1995, an art studio who welcomes artists-in-residence, and Yto Barrada founded the Cinémathèque de Tanger in 2006, which is dedicated to promote Moroccan cinematographic culture. A group of Moroccan artists called Collectif 212 features Moroccan artists such as Amina Benbouchta, Hassan Echair, Jamila Lamrani, Safâa Erruas and Younès Rahmoun. This group is committed to develop more artistic experiences and collaborates with other promising artists such Hicham Benohoud.
There are also promising local artists such as Batoul Shim and Karim Rafi, who both participated in the project "Working for Change", a project trying to act within the fabric of Moroccan society, during the 2011 Venice Biennale.
Morocco is considered by some as an Arab-Amazigh country. Others insist on the Amazigh-African identity of Morocco.
Classical Arabic and Tamazight are official language of Morocco.Classical Arabic rather than a mother tongue, and is used in a limited and formal socio-economic and cultural range of activities (like newspapers and official documents), in competition with French.The most common spoken languages of Morocco are Tamazight and Moroccan Arabic.
Linguistically, Amazigh belongs to the Afro-Asiatic group, and has many variants. The three main varieties used in Morocco are Shilha, Central Atlas Tamazight, and Riff (also called Tamazight by its speakers). Collectively, they are known as Shelha in Moroccan Arabic, and as Barbaria in the Classical Arabic used in the Middle East. The terms Barbar and Shelha are considered offensive by most Berber activists, who prefer the term Tamazigh.
Shilha (also known locally as Soussia) is spoken in southwest Morocco, in an area between Sidi Ifni in the south, Agadir in the north, and Marrakesh and the Draa/Sous valleys in the east. Central Atlas Tamazight is spoken in the Middle Atlas, between Taza, Khemisset, Azilal, and Errachidia. Riff is spoken in the Rif area of northern Morocco in towns like Nador, Al Hoceima, Ajdir, Tétouan, Taourirt, and Taza.
Most Amazigh embraced Islam quickly, though their non-Arab ethnic and linguistic distinction has resisted the Arab-Islamic influence. Hundreds of Amazigh (Berber) associations have been created to defend their culture and identity in the last few decades in Morocco and Algeria. Newsstands and bookstores in all the major cities are filled with new Berber publications that provide articles and essays about the Amazigh culture and art. In 1994, the state-owned TV station RTM (now TVM) started broadcasting a daily, 10-minute-long news bulletin in the 3 Berber dialects. Berber activists are repeatedly demanding a 50% share of broadcasting time in standardized Berber (Tamazight) on all state-owned TV channels. There is also a national Tamazight channel in Morocco, called Tamazight TV. It opened in 2010, and broadcasts for over 13 hours a day, with an extended broadcast on weekends.
The Culture of Morocco has changed throughout Moroccan history, Morocco has hosted many peoples, in addition to the indigenous Berbers,coming from the East Phoenicians,Arabs, South (Sub-Saharan African), and North (Romans, Andalusians both Muslims and Jewish). Morocco also has many dresses like the caftan which is worn worldwide today.
The majority of Morocco's population is Berber and Arab by identity. At least a third of the population speaks the Amazigh language. During the Islamic expansion, some Arabs came to Morocco and settled in the flat regions, such as Tadla and Doukkala. For example, there are groups called Charkawa and Arbawa who settled in Morocco from Arabia. The Charkawa claimed to be descended from Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the second caliph of Islam.
The traditional dress for men and women is called djellaba; a long, loose, hooded garment with full sleeves. The djellaba has a hood that comes to a point called a qob. The qob protects the wearer from the sun or in colder climates, like the mountains, the qob keeps in body heat and protects the face from falling snow. For special occasions, men also wear a red cap called a bernousse, more commonly referred to as a Fez. Women wear kaftans decorated with ornaments. Nearly all men, and most women, wear balgha (بلغه) —- soft leather slippers with no heel, often dyed yellow. Women also wear high-heeled sandals, often with silver or gold tinsel.
The distinction between a djellaba and a kaftan is the hood on the djellaba, while a kaftan does not. Most women’s djellabas are brightly colored and have ornate patterns, stitching, or beading, while men's djellabas are usually plainer and colored neutrally.
the 25 women who matter most in the business world in Africa. Whether ministers or wives of business men, heirs or self-made women, they have one common link: a strong presence and influence in the business world in Africa.
The list includes Saloua Akhannouch CEO of Aksal Group; Saida Karim Lamrani, vice president of Safari; Nezha Hayat, board member of Societe Generale Morocco; Nadia Kettani, of Kettani Law Firm; Souad Benbachir, manager of CFG Group; Meriem Bensalah Chaqroun, President of the CGEM; Ghita Lahlou, CEO of Saham; and Amina Benkhadra CEO of Onhym.
Salwa Akhannouch
Head of Akwa Group, a distributor of petroleum products, Salwa Akhannouch is a prominent Moroccan businesswoman who heads the franchise group Aksal, founded in 2004. Her ambitious project, Morocco Mall, is the largest shopping center of Africa and the Middle East and in the world top five. Her father, the famous Berber businessman Ahmed Haj Belfiqih, made his fortune in the tea trade. She is married to Aziz Akhannouch, Minister of Agriculture.
Saida Karim Lamrani
Current Associate Vice President of Holdings Group Safari-Sofipar Cofimar, Saida Karim Lamrani is managing and expanding the empire built by her father, Mohammed Karim Lamrani, who was the Prime Minister of the sixth government of Morocco since independence, under the reign of Hassan II.
Nezha Hayat
Nezha Hayat is one of Morocco’s leading company directors and an avowed campaigner for women in business. Founder and deputy chair of the Association des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises du Maroc, (Association of Women Business Managers in Morocco) Nezha is very attached to the presence of women on boards of directors, and the first woman member of the Executive Board in 2007 to Societe Generale Morocco.
Nadia Kettani
Since1992, Nadia Kettani has been a Partner, Co-Manager and the Head of the International Consulting Department at Kettani Law Firm in Casablanca, one of Morocco’s oldest and most prestigious law firms. Kettani Law Firm’s project and corporate finance experts have been involved in advising the $1.6 billion financing of projects at the port of Jorf Lasfar.
Souad Benbachir
After graduating from ESSEC Business School in Paris, Souad Benbachir joined CFG Group in 1995 as a Senior Associate and has been heading the Corporate Finance/M&A Department since 1999. She is Board Member of Risma, the Moroccan subsidiary of Accor, and head of the tourist T Capital Fund, and serves on the International Advisory Board of the French business school ESSEC.
Meriem Bensalah Chaqroun
An MBA graduate in International Managment and Finance from University of Dallas, Texas, USA, Meriem Bensalah Chaqroun was elected Wednesday, May 16, 2012 as President of the CGE M. She also directed for 23 years the mineral water companies Sidi Ali, Oulmes, and Bahia. She is the daughter of Abdelkader Bensalah, founder of the conglomerate Holmarcom.
Ghita Lahlou
A graduate of the Loréate Central School of Paris, Ghita Lahlou is the Executive Director of the group Omni-servicistes Saham. She is an alumna of the Royal holding ONA.
Amina Benkhadra
Amina Benkhadra is a Moroccan engineer and politician of the National Rally of Independents party. She was Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment of Morocco in El Fassi’s government between 2007 and 2012. Currently, she is General Director of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines.
Many of these brilliant women are heirs of great capitalists and daughters of powerful political families. The list published by the magazine, based on criteria of economic and financial influence and the decision-making role in large companies showed that the high success of most businesswomen in Africa still often rhyme with parentage or marriage.
morocco culture,moroccan food,morocco food,moroccan cuisine,morocco beaches,moroccan meal,beaches in morocco,moroccan culture,hercules cave,hercules cave moroccogggg Culture and etiquette Moroccans are extremely hospitable and very tolerant. Though most people are religious, they are generally easy-going, and most young Moroccan women don’t wear a veil, though they may well wear a headscarf. Nonetheless, you should try not to affront people’s religious beliefs, especially those of older, more conservative people, by, for example, wearing skimpy clothes, kissing and cuddling in public, or eating or smoking in the street during Ramadan. Clothes are particularly important: many Moroccans, especially in rural areas, may be offended by clothes that do not fully cover parts of the body considered “private”, including both legs and shoulders, especially for women. It is true that in cities Moroccan women wear short-sleeved tops and knee-length skirts (and may suffer more harassment as a result), and men may wear sleeveless T-shirts and above-the-knee shorts. However, the Muslim idea of “modest dress” (such as would be acceptable in a mosque, for example) requires women to be covered from wrist to ankle, and men from over the shoulder to below the knee. In rural areas at least, it is a good idea to follow these codes, and definitely a bad idea for women to wear shorts or skirts above the knee, or for members of either sex to wear sleeveless T-shirts or very short shorts. Even ordinary T-shirts may be regarded as underwear, particularly in rural mountain areas. The best guide is to note how Moroccans dress locally. When invited to a home, you normally take your shoes off before entering the reception rooms – follow your host’s lead. It is customary to take a gift: sweet pastries or tea and sugar are always acceptable, and you might even take meat (by arrangement – a chicken from the countryside for example, still alive of course) to a poorer home. TIPPING You’re expected to tip – among others – waiters in cafés (1dh per person) and restaurants (5dh or so in moderate places, 10–15 percent in upmarket places); museum and monument curators (3–5dh); gardiens de voitures (5dh); filling station attendants (3–5dh); and porters who load your baggage onto buses (5dh). Taxi drivers do not expect a tip, but always appreciate one. MOSQUES Without a doubt, one of the major disappointments of travelling in Morocco if you are not Muslim is not being allowed into its mosques. The only exceptions are the partially restored Almohad structure of Tin Mal in the High Atlas, the similarly disused Great Mosque at Smara in the Western Sahara, the courtyard of the sanctuary-mosque of Moulay Ismail in Meknes and the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. Elsewhere, if you are not a believer, you’ll have to be content with an occasional glimpse through open doors, and even in this you should be sensitive: people don’t seem to mind tourists peering into the Kairaouine Mosque in Fez (the country’s most important religious building), but in the country you should never approach a shrine too closely. This rule applies equally to the numerous whitewashed koubbas – the tombs of marabouts, or local saints (usually domed: koubba actually means “dome”) – and the “monastic” zaouias of the various Sufi brotherhoods. It is a good idea, too, to avoid walking through graveyards, as these also are regarded as sacred places. WOMEN IN MOROCCO There is no doubt that, for women especially, travelling in Morocco is a very different experience from travelling in a Western country. One of the reasons for this is that the separate roles of the sexes are much more defined than they are in the West, and sexual mores much stricter. In villages and small towns, and even in the Medinas of large cities, many women still wear the veil and the street is strictly the man’s domain. Most Moroccan men still expect to marry a virgin, and most women would never smoke a cigarette or drink in a bar, the general presumption being that only prostitutes do such things. It should be said, however, that such ideas are gradually disappearing among the urban youth, and you will nowadays find some Moroccan women drinking in the more sophisticated bars, and even more often in cafés, which were, until quite recently, an all-male preserve. In the Villes Nouvelles of large cities, and especially in the Casa–Rabat–El Jadida area, and in Marrakesh, you’ll see most women without a veil or even a headscarf. You’ll also see young people of both sexes hanging out together, though you can be sure that opportunities for premarital sex are kept to a minimum. Even in traditional Moroccan societies, mountain Berber women, who do most of the hard work, play a much more open role in society, and rarely use a veil. SEXUAL HARASSMENT Different women seem to have vastly different experiences of sexual harassment in Morocco. Some travellers find it persistent and bothersome, while others have little or no trouble with it at all. Many women compare Morocco favourably with Spain and other parts of southern Europe, but there is no doubt that, in general, harassment of tourists here is more persistent than it is in northern Europe or the English-speaking world. Harassment will usually consist of men trying to chat you up or even asking directly for sex, and it can be constant and sometimes intimidating. In part this is to do with Moroccan men’s misunderstanding of Western culture and sexual attitudes, and the fact that some think they can get away with taking liberties with tourists that no Moroccan woman would tolerate. The obvious strategies for getting rid of unwanted attention are the same ones that you would use at home: appear confident and assured and you will avoid a lot of trouble. Making it clear that you have the same standards as your Moroccan counterparts will usually deter all but the most insistent of men. No Moroccan woman would tolerate being groped in the street for example, though they may often have to put up with catcalls and unwanted comments. Traditionally, Moroccan women are coy and aloof, and uninhibited friendliness – especially any kind of physical contact between sexes – may be seen as a come-on, so being polite but formal when talking to men will diminish the chances of misinterpretation. The negative side to this approach is that it can also make it harder for you to get to know people, but after you’ve been in the country for a while, you will probably develop a feel for the sort of men with whom this tactic is necessary. It is also wise not to smoke in public, as some men still seem to think this indicates that you are available for sex. How you dress is another thing that may reduce harassment. Wearing “modest” clothes (long sleeves, long skirts, baggy rather than tight clothes) will give an impression of respectability. Wearing a headscarf to cover your hair and ears will give this impression even more. One reader told us she felt a headscarf was “the single most important item of dress”, adding that you can pull it over your face as a veil if unwanted male attention makes you feel uncomfortable. Indeed, Western liberals often forget that the purpose of wearing a veil is to protect women rather than to oppress them. However, you will notice that many Moroccan women totally ignore the traditional dress code, and do not suffer excessive harassment as a result. As for immodestly dressed women being taken for prostitutes, the fact is that actual sex workers in Morocco are often veiled from head to foot, as much to disguise their identities as anything else. Other strategies to steer clear of trouble include avoiding eye contact, mentioning a husband who is nearby, and, if travelling with a boyfriend or just with a male friend, giving the impression that he is your husband. You should also avoid physical contact with Moroccan men, even in a manner that would not be considered sexual at home, since it could easily be misunderstood. If a Moroccan man touches you, on the other hand, he has definitely crossed the line, and you should not be afraid to make a scene. Shouting “Shooma!” (“Shame on you!”) is likely to result in bystanders intervening on your behalf, and a very uncomfortable situation for your assailant. It is often said that women are second-class citizens in Islamic countries, though educated Muslim women are usually keen to point out that this is a misinterpretation of Islam. While sex equality has a long way to go in Morocco, in some ways, at least in theory, the sexes are not as unequal as they seem. Men traditionally rule in the street, which is their domain, the woman’s being the home. One result is that Moroccan women will receive their friends at home rather than meet them in, say, a café (although this is slowly changing) and this can make it difficult for you to get to know Moroccan women. One place where you can meet up with them is the hammam. It may also be that if you are travelling with a man, Moroccan men will address him rather than you – but this is in fact out of respect for you, not disrespect, and you will not be ignored if you join in the conversation. In any case, however interpreted, Islam most certainly does not condone sexual harassment, and nor do any respectable Moroccans. Being aware of that fact will make it seem a lot less threatening.
In cities with medinas the used clothes are more traditional, but still there are those who view much like the European.
The women of Morocco also wear Caftan or Kaftan which is without a hood unlike the djellaba. This dress is particularly decorated with the typical woman embroidery upon the dress openings and arms. Kaftan is usually worn on the festive occasions and wedding ceremonies by the Moroccan women.
Following independence from France in 1956, Moroccan women were at the forefront of knowledge production and artistic expression—all of which nuanced the conception and perception of a post-colonial Moroccan identity. Fatima Mernissi, for example, emerged as a critical figure in the knowledge production on gender studies in Morocco. Laila Lalami has also become a popular figure in literature on Morocco, being the first Moroccan author to publish a book of fiction in English. Other Moroccan women who gained prominence through their published work include Leila Abouzeid, Latifa Baka, Khnata Bennouna, Farida Diorui, and Bahaa Trabelsi.
Morocco is the gem of the North Africa having coastlines on both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has tremendous culture due to the inhabitation of the multi-ethnic population. While traveling to Morocco, the colors of indigenous Berber community and Jewish and Muslim populace can easily be observed. The country is a reasonably huge country and its every part has its own cultural recognition.
