Moroccan Jelaba

Moroccan jelaba, jellaba or djellaba is a unique Moroccan item of clothing.  It is worn in most Moroccan cities and towns by both men and women, and is basically a long, loose fitting hooded robe with full sleeves. 

 

The jelaba is available in multiple colors and fabrics, and as can be expected, there are more choices for women who can select from a wide range of designs, colors and shapes.  Styles also vary depending on region within Morocco.  Married women in Morocco typically wear more conservative, less colorful jelabas than those worn by single women. 

 

A white jelaba is the dress code for men during Friday prayers throughout the mosques and for special occasions such as marriage ceremonies and holidays celebrations.  It is usually baggy with one plain color. Every single Jelaba includes a “cob” hood which is usually used for protection against rain, sun, and wind.  Jelabas are made of cotton or coarse wool, which can be tailored to customer’s specification.  As a result, tailors can be found in most neighborhoods in Morocco.

 

If you are shopping for a traditional Moroccan Jelaba most markets have shops where they can be purchased. Prices start at $25 around 200DH for a very simple style jelaba. 

 

 

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Dressing & Public Behavior in Morocco

Dressing & Public Behavior in Morocco

Morocco is a Muslim country, and modest dress is the norm. While there has been some significant Westernization of clothing styles, even the latest fashions are given a modest take in this country. Many women wear the traditional djellaba and headscarf, yet it is common to see younger girls and women who wear jeans and T-shirts.

As a visitor, you certainly aren’t expected to wear traditional dress, but covering up your shoulders and upper arms, not wearing anything above the knee, and keeping all parts of your midriff covered would be a good way to show you respect the culture of modesty present among the locals. To keep cool in the warmer climate, keeping your garments loose not only adds to a modesty factor, but will also keep you cooler during the day as well.

For men, it is also a good idea to consider modesty as well and keep with the same lines of women’s dress in keeping the shoulders covered and not wearing a pair of shorts that go above the knee.

In more rural areas, it is better for both men and women to consider covering up even further by wearing long, loose pants or an ankle-length skirt. For women, covering more of the arm with at least a ¾ length sleeve is also a good idea. If you are planning to attend a mosque, this dress, as well as covering the hair would be necessary. Additionally, both men and women need to remove their shoes before entering a mosque.

On most beaches, swimsuits are acceptable, but should only be shown once on the beach. If you must change, doing so in one of the available changing rooms or restrooms is more appropriate than doing so on the beach.

In addition to the way you dress, take into consideration certain behaviors in public. For instance, public displays of affection between the opposite sexes are not common and still a bit taboo. Men and women should keep a bit of distance between themselves when walking along the street. However, it is customary for men to hold hands of their male friends and family members when walking along the street and the same goes for women. This is purely platonic as homosexuality is still quite taboo in Morocco.

In many instances, a woman taking a seat at the male-dominated cafes is also still considered unacceptable. However, this is less so for Western women, and if you really want to visit a cafe, try sitting at one of the tables on the inside section and not the seats along the sidewalk.

In general, it is best for a woman not to go out alone if possible. Having a male companion, or at least another female will ward off lewd comments and inappropriate actions from local men, which is unfortunately, all too common.

If you happen to visit Morocco during Ramadan, you would not be expected to fast from food and drink as the Muslims do from dawn until dusk. However, it would be very offensive to eat in public so you should plan meals and travel around being able to eat in a private space. You should also note that most restaurants and cafes during the day, so finding food to eat may prove more difficult than eating it in public anyway.

Monuments & History in Rabat Morocco

Monuments & History in Rabat Morocco

Acting as Morocco’s capital city for since the French protectorate, which ended in the 1950s, Rabat is more of a laid-back coastal town more than it is a booming metropolis like its much bigger sister city, Casablanca. The capital city has a lot to offer, especially in the way of monuments and historical sites worth visiting. Additionally, Rabat has a medina that is worth exploring. While it is minute when compared to the Fez Medina, for example, it is hassle-free and you can get real bargains on Moroccan crafts and even Berber rugs.

While Rabat is booming in an economic, political, and administrative sense, it is a place where learning and the arts are highly respected. The monuments here speak of an ancient and fertile past that links the country to both the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians. When the Romans moved into the area to create what would become their farthest colony south of Rome, they left artifacts and ruins that can still be visited. Eventually, Arab rulers took over the city and built a fortified kasbah that they called a ribat, which is where modern-day Rabat got its name. When the Almohad Dynasty moved in around the twelfth century, they rebuilt the kasbah and used it as their war base while taking over the south of Spain.

The Citadel of Chellah Gardens:

While Rabat has many impressive monuments and sites to see, the most beautiful are the Chellah Gardens that are open daily to the public. In the springtime, the flowers inside the garden are blooming with colors and heavenly scents. Unlike Menara Gardens in Marrakesh, which were never inhabited, the Chellah was left completely empty by the 1200s because more people were moving to the more popular city of Sale, which is separated from Rabat by the Bou Regreg River.

The Sanctuary of the Chellah Gardens was used as royal burial grounds. The Almohads who had the door decorated and inscribed with Arabesque calligraphy created the remarkable entrance into Chellah. The Roman ruins of the Chellah Gardens, much like the ruins of Volubilis are also open to the public and many travelers are surprised at how freely tourists can roam around the area. With minimal observation from the workers and security working there, it is up to travelers to make sure they respect certain areas.

The Sanctuary of the Chellah Gardens are the true home of the Islamic artifacts that were uncovered here. A minaret made of stone is a nice centerpiece. The Abou Youssef Mosque is now in ruins and was a small structure to begin with. However, the area is near the royal tombs, where Abou El Hassan and other historical leaders of importance are buried.

Mohammed V Mausoleum & the Hassan Mosque:

The Mausoleum of Mohammed V is also a mosque was, strangely enough, designed by a Vietnamese architect who wanted to capture the more traditional Moroccan art techniques, while still asserting an air of modernity. The Mausoleum is one holy place that foreigners and non-Muslims are allowed to enter.

The Hassan Mosque in Rabat was started as an ambitious project to be one of the largest mosques in the world. The mosque was designed to be a symbol to the success of Morocco over its battles with Spain. Like the Kairouine Mosque in Fez does, this mosque would have held tens of thousands of worshippers. However, it was brought down and left unfinished when the Lisbon earthquake also brought down several structures along Morocco’s coast with it. The structure is unique and each of its different faces gives way to a different type of architecture, namely a motif called Shabka that is still popular today.

Marrakesh: A Brief History

Marrakesh: A Brief History

Over the centuries, Marrakesh has been a desert oasis, military headquarters, a religious center and the playground of a sultan. It is one of Morocco’s great cities, but it began as a watering hole for the local Berber tribes. It was little more than a remote outpost before the Almoravid Berber leader Youssef bin Tashufin, cousin to the sultan, and his wife Zeinab founded what would become the city of Marrakesh in 1062 A.D.

Under Tashufin’s guidance, the city grew house by house. A mosque was established and, eventually, Marrakesh became the capital of the Almoravid Empire. Under the Almohads, Marrakesh developed into a luxurious Islamic city. It quickly became a center of commercial power.

Originally captured by the Almohads in 1147 A.D., the existing religious and civic structures were destroyed; it was stripped down to little more than plumbing. Marrakesh is known as the “red town” because of the distinctive Kasbah wall that surrounds the city’s medina. Yacoub el-Mansour redesigned the city and incorporated a fortified Kasbahs, beautiful gardens, covered markets called gissariats and the Koutubia mosque, the city’s major landmark.

Yet, the Almorvid Empire lost Marrakesh to the Merenids in the middle of the 13th century. A period of steep decline followed as the city lost its prominent place in the region to Fez. Marrakesh was largely neglected during the reign of the Merenids. Nearly 300 years later, the Saadians took control of Morocco in 1522. By this time Marrakesh was in ruins, but Sultan Moulay Abdullah established it as a new capital for the Saadian kingdom in 1551. A rich sugar trade funded new construction, and Mohammed Al Mahdi set about restoring the grandeur of Marrakesh.

During this period, magnificent structures like the Al Bedi Palace were built. It was also a remarkable period for Moroccan craftsmanship. Many artisans traveled to Marrakesh to contribute their considerable talents to various public and private projects. By the 17th century, Marrakesh had regained its wealth and cultural influence. In 1669, it was truly the most influential city in Morocco. However, the same year spelled the end (again) of Marrakesh’s exalted status.

Almost another century of disrepair and neglect passed before Mohammed III restored the city in the middle of the 18th century. The rejuvenated city remained largely the same until 1917 when the French invaded Morocco and removed El Hiba, a Saharan chieftain who had held Marrakesh for the last five years. At that time, Morocco became a French protectorate, and a modern, French-styled city was constructed beyond the walls of the older medina.

When Morocco became independent in 1956, the new monarchy ousted the Glaousa family, but since then, the city has become a haven for artists and activity. Now, more than fifty years later, Marrakesh remains an important city with a rich cultural history that attracts visitors from around the world.

Morocco’s Agafay Desert

Morocco’s Agafay Desert

The Agafay Desert is located just an hour’s drive from the lively souks and dizzying maze-like market streets of Marrakech. Literally untouched by development, the Agafay offers quite the contrast from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech.

Visiting the Agafay Desert is a good option if you would like to gaze at some sand dunes and desert, but don’t have the time to travel all the way south to where Morocco borders the Western Sahara. In the spring, the Agafay is alive with blooming wildflowers. The rest of the year, the Agafay is parched and thirsting for water giving you just a taste of the aridness of the Great Sahara.

There are currently no train lines south of Marrakech so if you want to travel to the desert you will need to rent a car, catch a bus or take an organized tour. Quite a few tour companies offer multi-day ATV tours of the Agafay hills complete with tent camping and traditional Moroccan meals. These off-the-beaten path type of tours take you across sand dunes, over rocky buttes and through hidden canyons all offering splendid views of the Atlas Mountains in the background.

Popular Morocco tours arranged by Journey Beyond Travel include a trip to Lake Takerkoust, a manmade lake on the edge of the Agafay Desert that was built in 1929 to provide the city of Marrakech and surrounding areas with electricity. You can swim and sunbathe at one of the beaches alongside the lake or you can rent jet skis or pedal boats and explore the waters. The hills above the lake offer many hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails.

Quite a few luxurious boutique accommodations have sprouted up alongside the Agafay Desert. La Pause is a peaceful retreat alongside an oasis of palm and olive trees. This resort offers simple luxury in the Berber tradition meaning there is no electricity, but visitors are treated to thousands of candles and exquisite meals served under tents with wide-open views of the surrounding desert and Moroccan wilderness. Visitors can enjoy a camel sunset ride, a round of cross-golf (a unique version of cross-country golf), mountain biking and horseback riding.

Should I Travel To Morocco Right Now?

Should I Travel To Morocco Right Now?

With political tension on the rise in North Africa and the Middle East, many travelers have questions about the situation in Morocco. At Journey Beyond Travel, we want you to feel safe and secure in your choice to visit Morocco. We also realize that travelers have legitimate concerns about visiting Morocco at this time, so we’ve put together an FAQ with some the more common questions we’ve received about travel in Morocco and the region in general.

Q: I’ve seen the news reports about demonstrations and protests in places like Egypt and Tunisia. Are there similar demonstrations happening now in Morocco?

A: No, though there are rumblings that protests and demonstrations could take place in the country before too long.

Q: Are tensions in the country high?

A: Yes, but not in the way you may think. Morocco and Moroccans are sympathetic to the protesters they see on the news each day, but, as of late, have not felt they are under the same duress. Morocco has a largely open political climate, and the public is allowed to demonstrate and speak openly against government policy—something many of the Egyptian and Tunisian protesters have listed as a major complaint against their own governments.

Q: But you say there is still tension. What do you mean by that?

A: Moroccans are very well informed and keep abreast of global affairs. That they themselves are not protesting right now does not mean they have not taken sides. While it’s usually considered prudent to avoid political conversation as a rule, whether about Western military power, the status of the Western Sahara or anything else for that matter, this rule of thumb holds especially true now.

Q: Morocco is a monarchy. Don’t the people wish they had greater personal freedoms?

A: Yes, but for the vast majority of Morocco, life is very good right now. When the current King, Mohammad VI, took power, he began a sweeping liberalization of the country and its laws. In the last decade the country has loosened laws on not only public demonstrations, but also women’s rights, freedom of the press and the rights of minorities.

Q: That’s great, but there must be a few areas where people have reason to be upset, right?

A: Yes. While freedom of the press has been expanded, it is still against the law to write anything mocking or criticizing the King. One young man was recently sentenced to three years in jail for creating a fake Facebook page for the monarch. Also, economic inequality is staggering in Morocco, and while the situation has been improving, many people are still forced to live in slums and shantytowns. That said, the government has been working to improve living conditions and public health, but there is still a long way to go.

Q: Would it be risky for me to travel to Morocco right now?

A: Not necessarily, or certainly no more so than any other time of year. The situation in the country is currently stable, and Moroccans value the income from tourism. Any anger or frustration they have is not toward tourists. If you take the same basic precautions you would on any trip to the country, you should be in no danger. Keep abreast of the news, avoid gatherings of large people and don’t become involved in any political demonstrations yourself. As always, make sure people know where you are, register with your embassy before traveling and take a working cell phone and the numbers of your country’s embassy and emergency contacts.

Please note that this is the opinion of Journey Beyond Travel and does not constitute personal travel advice. You are responsible for all decisions you make should you choose to travel to Morocco at this time.

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Place Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakesh

Marrakesh is one of Morocco’s largest and most popular destinations, and it can feel a bit overwhelming if you’re wandering into the city for the first time. Take a moment to orient yourself, then head to Place Djemaa el-Fna, a square and marketplace located in the medina quarter, which is considered the old city.

The name Place Djemaa el-Fna may mean “Assembly of the Dead” or “Place of the Vanished Mosque.” No one is sure of the exact meaning, though locals believe the name refers to an Almoravid mosque, which was destroyed over a century ago. Today, the most important thing about Place Djemaa el-Fna is its relation to Marrakesh. Where there was once a mosque there is now a main square, which locals and visitors share throughout the year. 

Place Djemaa el-Fna is bordered by Rue Moulay Ismail and Rue Riad Zitoun el-Kedim on the west and east, respectively. To further orient yourself, it helps to know that the Place de Foucauld, Oessabin Mosque and Place Bab Fteuh are also near the square.

The vibe and rhythm of the square changes throughout the day. In daylight hours, Place Djemaa el-Fna square is mostly a marketplace with water sellers, orange juice stalls and snake charmers. As afternoon takes over, the marketplace entertainment changes, the snake charmers leave and Chleuh dancing boys arrive on the scene. Storytellers share tales in Berber or Arabic; peddlers with medicines and magicians also become part of the entertainment. Place Djemaa el-Fna becomes more crowded as evening begins to fall. More food stalls appear when night descends.

Souk Ablueh is located to the east in Place Djemaa el-Fna. The Marrakesh souk is a traditional North African market where daily needs can be met for both locals and tourists. There are a number of tourist shops and cafes in the souk. If you prefer to escape the noise and commotion of the souk, walk to the other side of the square. This area is filled with yet more cafes, hotels and gardens. There are some alleyways which lead into the old city; wander along these for even more shopping opportunities.

Place Djemaa el-Fna is a very busy location that can take more than a day to explore. Consider breaking down your trip to the square into two days. Spend the first day getting acclimated to the sights, sounds and activities found here. Take a day to look through the various shops and determine what you might like to buy when you return on the second day to make your purchases.

If you do not have two days to visit Place Djemaa el-Fna, you may still want to walk around for a few hours before making a purchase. There are numerous wares sold at the souk, so it is possible to find another item you prefer over the first few things you see. The vendors will bargain on the price of their items. They expect this haggling and to refuse is an insult. Begin with a price you think is fair for the item and let your conversation determine the correct price. Never insult a vendor by offering a price that is too low for the quality of work.

One final thing of interest to visitors in the Place Djemaa el-Fna is the street theater, or hoopla, which has been around since 1050 AD. From dawn until midnight a variety of performers including astrologers, healers and belly dancers entertain the crowds. Enjoy a refreshing drink and take a seat at a café so that you can watch a dinner theater show of sorts with these eclectic performers as they move around the square or offer services from a booth.