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A Complete Guide, Fes Festival World Sacred Music Program 2016

Friday, March 4th, 2016

Fes Festival 2016 Program

Fes Festival 2016 Program

 

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music will take place from May 6th – 14th this year in in the imperial city of Fes. The festival was founded in 1994 by the Moroccan scholar and philanthropist Faouzi Skali and was created to showcase major musical traditions of sacred, spiritual music and world music. The current Artistic Director is Alain Webber. Each year the Fes festival celebrates artists from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu and other faiths to perform together in a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration.

The Fes Festival is comprised of:
A four-day Forum called Rencontres de Fes under the rubric “Giving Soul to Globalisation” where politicians, social activists, academics and religious leaders come together in dialogue to discuss the urgent issues of our times. These include conflict resolution, climate change, urban renewal, social justice and much more. Intimate afternoon concerts at the Dar Batha Museum and its surrounding Andalusian gardens. Art and film exhibitions, poetry readings at the Dar Bartha Museum and other locations within Fes.

Sufi nights: Sufi Music rituals concerts that begin at midnight performed by Moroccan Sufi brotherhoods in the Dar Tazi gardens, in the heart of the Fes medina.

In the morning, visitors can take part in seminars or round table discussions covering topics related to the theme of the festival. By attending the discussion, you can gain extra insight into the meaning of the festival. In the afternoon, evening, and late at night, there are concerts given by performers arriving from every angle of the globe.

These musicians help celebrate all the cultures and religions of the world through a multiplicity of their songs and rituals. The musical spectrum heard includes early European classical, Sufi ritual songs and trance music, Arab-Andalusian rhythms, a Bulgarian orthodox choir, Hindustani chants, Celtic sacred music, Christian Gospel, Swedish chamber choir, Pakistani Qawwali incantations, Egyptian madhi odes, flamenco-style Christian saeta, ancient Indian gwalior chants and Turkish whirling dervishes.  Traditionally, the festival’s most impressive afternoon concerts take place by the Dar Batha Museum, which is set amidst a beautiful Andalusian garden and has a backdrop of the Atlas Mountains. During the evening concerts are held at the Bab Makina and Palace Boujeloud.

After the last concert of the night is over, the medina is the place to head for a continuation of a once in a life time experience. Every evening at midnight, there are free “Sufi Nights”. These highly popular Sufi ritual trance performances are held at the Dar Tazi Palace gardens where Sufi brotherhoods like the Hamadcha, the Aissaoua and The Master Musicians of Jajouka perform while you relax on Berber rugs and sip mint tea.

Fes Festival World Sacred Music 2016

Fes Festival World Sacred Music 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fes Festival Program May 6th – 22nd, 2016

Friday, May 6th: Bab Al Makina – Opening Night Premier 21h00                                                                              A Sky full of Stars:  International Premiere   Women of myth and poetry from Sheherazade to the Queen of Sheba With women artists from Morocco, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Italy and Africa, with an oriental orchestra.

Saturday, May 7th: Jnan Sbil Garden 16:30                                                                                                 Sahar Mohammadi with Ingie Women’s Qanun Ensemble – Iran & Azerbaijan Sacred Persian song

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert                                                                                             Durbar: Indian Night Premiere Glory of Pricnessa nd in praise of the Gods, a dazzling musical engagement between some of India’s greatest Musicians

Boujloud Square: 22.00   Regional Choir of Fes  |  H-Kayne

 

Sunday, May 8th: Jnan Sbil Garden 16:30                                                                            Christine Salem- Renunion Maloya revisited

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert                                                                                             Divas of the World: Part I – Hindi Zahra, From France and Morocco & Part 2: Oumous Sangrari, from Mali

Boujloud Square:  22h00 Over Boys  |  Batoul Marouani

 

Monday, May 9th:

Jnan Sbil Garden 16:30                                                                                                                          Officina Zoe- Italy Women’s songs of love, work and war with Maria Mazzotta (voice)  and Maristella Martella (dance)

Night in the Medina Part 1: Homage to India, Evening Ragas Dary Adiyel 18:00 and 20h30 Rageshri Das and Ghazal Song from Kolkota, India

Sidki Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complext: 19:h00 Shashank Subramaniam and Rakesh Chaurasia Masters of the Bansuri flute from Chennai and Mumbai, India

Boujloud Square: Mourad Bouriki/ Lamia Zaidi

Prefecture Hall, Batha The King of Ghosts:                                                                                      Premiere – India & Morocco, Cinema/ Concert Composed by Soumik Datta, Johannes Berauer and Cormac Byrne for the film Goopy Gaven Bagha Baven by Satyajit Ray (1929)

 

Tuesday, May 10th:

Jnan Sbil Garden 16:30                                                                                                                       Hawniyaz: inspired by Kurdish, Persian and Azeri traditions With Aynur (song), Kayhan Kalhor (kamantche), Salman Gambarov (piano) and Cemîl Ǫoçgirî (multi-instrumentalist)

Night in the Medina Part 2: Dar Adiyel: 20h00   Yulduz Turdieva – Uzbekistan   Shash-maqâm from Bukhara

Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complex:  2h.00   Ensemble Dialogos – Bosnia and Herzogovina Heretic Angels: Popular Rituals and Beliefs

Prefecture Hall, Batha: 21.30   OY – Switzerland & Ghana Space Diaspora

Boujloud Square Participation of the French Institute in Fes: Buddha Bar  |  Omar Boutmazoukt

Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complex, Parvathy Baul and Mehdi Nassouli – India and Morocco, Poetry of Wandering Mystics, from Bauls to Gnawas

 

Wednesday, May 11th:   

Night in the Medina III 20.00 Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complex
Lamar – Arab Songs from Palestine
21.30  Prefecture Hall, Batha (opposite the Batha Museum)
Farida Mohammad Ali – Iraq
The Voice of Maqâm

22.00 Boujloud Square
Najat Atabou  |  Embassy of Pakistan

23.00 Dar Adiyel
Ariana Vafadari – Iran and France
Gathas: Zoroastrian Song

 

Thursday, May 12th: 

Jnan Sbil Garden – 16:h30                                                                                                                                                     Agraw- Lalla Rquia Ouhmad Morocco Sacred Amazigh Song from Tiznit

Riad Dar Bensouda, Qettanine 18h00

Shaikh Hassan Dyck and Muhabbat Caravan Meditation with Sufi flavours

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert                                                                                                                            Istanbul – Fes: Premiere – Turkey & Morocco Mevlevi whirling dervishes with the Mohammed Briouel Andalous Orchestra

Boujloud Square Mahmoud Al Idrissi  |  Khalid Ali Orchestra

 

Friday, May 13th:

16.30 Jnan Sbil Garden – 16:h30   Virginia Rodrigues – Brazil. Celestial Voice

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert, Tribute to Oum Kaltoum – Egypt with the National Opera Orchestra of Cairo

Boujloud Square: 22h00  Reda Taliyani  |  Abdellah Yacoubi

Saturday, May 14th:

Jnan Sbil Garden – 16:h30
Yom – France
The Silence of Exodus with Yom, clarinet and composition Farid D, cello Claude Tchamitchian, double bass Bijan Chemirani, zarb, daf and bendir (percussion)

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert
Samira Saïd – Morocco, A Moroccan Singing Star

22.00 Boujloud Square
Marcel Khalife

For more information the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music of a Fes Tour 

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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A New Children’s Library Opens in the Fez Medina

Sunday, June 7th, 2015

 

Fez Medina Children's Library

Fez Medina Children’s Library

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UN statistics suggest that average literacy rates in Morocco are as high as 67% (in 2011). However, this figure hides large discrepancies between males and females and between urban and rural populations. Typically, girls in Morocco are less well-educated than boys. Additionally, in rural communities or poorer areas of the medinas, parents may remove children from school at an early age to work or help the family. The Medina Children’s Library in the medieval old city of Fez aims to support children’s learning and make it fun.

Co-founder of the library, author Suzanna Clarke, says: “Houses I have visited in the Medina rarely have books beyond the Koran, and certainly none for children. Lots of children don’t continue their education past primary school and are expected to become part of the family business.”

 

Fez Medina, Children's Library

Fez Medina, Children’s Library

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since its opening in January 2015, the Fez Medina Children’s Library has become a big hit with local kids. On average, between 35-50 kids attend every day. In May 2015 alone, it welcomed over 1,100 children through its doors. Wafae, aged nine, explains: “Before the library was here, I only used to play in the street with my friends.” And Kawtar, five years old, added, “I come to the library because I want to read more stories. They stay with me always.” Local children are really excited to have a place to go to discover books, listen to stories and read in a welcoming and safe environment near their homes. They can also borrow books for up to a week to read at home and share with their families. Khadija, aged 13, explains: “I come to read short stories and novels in French and Arabic. I also like to take the books home to read them.”

The library has been conceived with a particular focus on younger children: pre-readers and developing readers (up to the age of 14 years old). Children in the Fez medina have ample access to TV and the internet, but children need age appropriate and culturally relevant books to fuel their learning and development as they grow. Through their own enthusiasm for reading, they can also ignite an interest in their parents, many of whom themselves are illiterate.

Children's Library, Fez Medina

Children’s Library, Fez Medina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As well as reading, the children can come to the library to listen to stories read from books. Once a day in the week and twice daily at weekends, a volunteer reader brings the stories alive and continues a tradition of oral storytelling very familiar to the children. They sit quietly to listen and are eager to answer comprehension questions. The sessions encourage them to discover the stories contained in the books for themselves.

The librarians are locals and receive a salary for their work. Hamza, 23, is studying for a degree in English.  He got involved because “I live in the medina, I like reading and I like children.” He and fellow librarian Safae supervise the kids in the library and faithfully record their attendance and the books they borrow.

The Medina Children’s Library is managed by the Fez Association for Children of the Medina. The association’s members are volunteers committed to improving the lives of children in the Fez Medina and to bringing their own love of reading to the children of their local neighbourhood. They have great ambition to expand the library to new premises and add extras such as creative, sport and environmental activities to the library’s remit.

The library is open 10am – 7pm on weekdays and 10am – 6pm at weekends at 41 Zkak Rouah – Talaa Sghira in the Fez Medina. Further information on the library and how to contribute are available at: www.medinachildrenslibrary.org

Article References:

www.data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS

www.unicef.org/infobycountry/morocco_statistics.html

Written by Lynn Sheppard 

Lynn Sheppard has lived in Essaouira, on Morocco’s Atlantic Coast for more than 2 years, supporting local non-profits, writing and becoming an expert on all things Swiri (ie. Essaouiran). She blogs at Maroc-phile.com and for other travel industry clients.

For more information about the Fez Medina’s Children’s Library or a Tour of Fes

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.  We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Fes Festival Sacred Music 21st Edition Schedule and Program 2015

Saturday, March 7th, 2015
Fes Festival Program 2015

Fes Festival Program 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC 21st EDITION PROGRAM

From 22-30 May 2015, the ancient city of Fes will host the 21st edition of its world famous Sacred Music Festival. This Fes Festival Program offers a full schedule of magnificent musical performances at the Bab Makina, the Bab Boujloud Gate and the Batha Garden & Museum.   

 

Friday 22 May

Bab Makina – 21h00

Opening night

Fes: in search of Africa

From desert wastes to the treasures of ancient palaces, this great musical tale evokes the spirit of African heritage. It takes its inspiration from The History & Description of Africa written by Hassan Al Wazzan (c 1490-1550, known as Leo Africanus or Yuhanna Al Assad in Arabic), as well as highlighting the history of the Tijani Sufi brotherhood.  Fes and its medina is the link between Andalusia and Africa.

The performance is a tribute to these great mystical travelers who forged historic links between Morocco and the rest of Africa.

Artists include:

Driss al Maloumi – oud – Morocco

Ballaké Sissoko and Kora Ensemble  – Mali

Cape Philharmonic Youth String Quintet – South Africa

Musicians of the Nile –  Egypt

Masks of the Moon – Burkina Faso

Doudou N’Diaye Rose Children & the Simb Lion dance – Senegal

Nouhaila Al Kalaa – Fes, Morocco

Coumbane Mint Amartichitt – griot from Mauritania

Chérifa – Tamazight song from the Middle Atlas – Morocco  

Malick Sow, Tijani master from Tivouane – Senegal

Babani Koné , Mandinka song –  Mali

Moriba Koita, Ngon – Mali

Tamango, dance – USA, French Guyana

Mohammed Bajjedoub –  Tijani song  – Morocco

Direction & Production: Alain Weber

Lighting: Christophe Olivier, assisted by Gaël Boucault

Mapping: Spectaculaires

 

 

Saturday 23 May

Batha Museum – 16h30

Payiz Ensemble  – Persian Kurdish Tradition – Iraq

The skin on the lute trembles like living flesh.   Jalal Al Din Rumi

The Kurdish soul lies between Persian heritage and Sufi inspiration, in the heart of Iraqi Kurdistan, a land now in crisis. Here its legendary sacred poetry is revived.

 

Bab Makina – 21h00

First part:

The Brittany Bagad Cap Caval Band and the Lamkartass Ensemble from Tissa  – France & Morocco

An encounter between one of the most famous bagpipe bands of Brittany and the folk music of Tissa, in the foothills of Morocco’s Rif mountains.

Second part:

Saber Rebaï – Tunisia

With his refined, attractive voice, Saber Rebaï is one of the most popular singers of the Maghreb. Inspired in his youth by the great performers Mohammad Abd El Wahab, Abd El Kader El Asaly, Wadih Al Safi and Abd El Halim Hafez, Rebaï has become one of the great romantic singers of our time.

 

Sunday 24 May

Batha Museum – 16h30

Julie Fowlis – Scotland

Singer Julie Fowlis embodies all the beauty and fragility of Scottish Celtic tradition.

 

Bab Makina – 21h00

African Spirit

In the forest, branches may quarrel but their roots are entwined.    Peul proverb

This year the Festival is dedicated to Africa. This concert presents Africa in its quest for identity through the music of Oumou Sangare, symbol of freedom for African women, and through the liberating spirit of African reggae.                                           

Oumou Sangare  The amazing Malian diva Oumou Sangare represents African womanhood. Recognised by UNESCO and the FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization of the UN) for her social work, Sangare is one of the brightest stars of Mali in the Wassoullou tradition south of the Niger River.

Tiken Jah Fakoly – Ivory Coast   Master of African Reggae along with Alpha Blondy and the late Lucky Dube, Tiken Jah Fakoly is at the height of his career. He sings of the fundamental values of Africa.

 

Monday 25 May

Batha Museum – 4.30pm

Ballaké Sissoko (kora) and Debashish  Battacharya (Indian slide guitar) – Mali & India

Two string instruments and two musical masters together create melodic inspiration for a musical journey from the banks of the Ganges to the Niger River.

 

Night in the Medina I

Dar Adiyel – 20h00

Eduardo Ramos – Portugal

Specialising in 13th century Arab and Sephardic music, Eduardo Ramos is one of the most well-known artists in Iberian medieval music. With a background in traditional Portuguese music and moving on through rock and Afro-jazz, Ramos gradually came to concentrate on his passion for the musical repertoire of the Sephardic Jews of Portugal and Spain. He plays the oud which allows him to integrate Arab music, too.
Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complex – 20h00 and 22h30

Masks of the Moon – Bwaba Ritual – Burkina Faso

This extraordinary magical ritual lies at the heart of the griot village of Baraba.

 

Batha Museum – 21h00

Marassa Premiere  – USA, Cuba & France

Omar Sosa, piano, percussion

Tamango, dance

Rodrigo, percussion

Jean de Boysson, visuals

A musical, choreographic and multimedia creation by the famous Cuban pianist Omar Sosa, accompanied by urban tap virtuoso Tamango and Jean de Boysson’s visual creations.

 

Dar Adiyel – 22h30

The Royal Art of the Kora

Ballaké Sissoko invites more than a dozen musicians to take part in this sumptuous performance featuring the kora, the royal harp of the Mandinka empire.

 

Tuesday 26 May

Batha Museum – 16h30

Roberto Fonseca and Fatoumata Diawara – Cuba & Mali

An encounter between a young griot and Cuban music, both inherited from Africa.

 

Night in the Medina II

Dar Adiyel – 20h00

Li Daiguo, Pipa, Cello and Beatbox – China

Young Chinese musician Li Daiguo celebrates nature in his own way :  contemplative and inventive, as well as contemporary.

 

Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complex  – 20h00 and 22h30

Premiere

Wajd

Sonia Mbarek – Tunisia

The famous Tunisian singer presents a special creation for the Festival featuring Sufi poetry.

 

Batha Museum– 21h30

Diego Al Cigala – Spain

With guest singer Benjamin Bouzaglou

Diego Ramón Jiménez Salazar was born in Madrid into a family of performers. He is now a major voice of Flamenco.

 

 Dar Adiyel 22h30

The Sacred World of Mugham – Azerbaijan

Arzu Alieva, voice

Elchan Mansurov, kamancheh (string instrument)

Malik Mansuro, tar (long-necked string instrument)

Shirzaa Fazalieve, balaban (double-reed wind instrument)

Mugham expressed the varied emotions of exaltation and is found in the great poetic traditions of the Caucasus and Iran. This poetry sings of mountains and palaces, of the desire to be loved, the wretchedness of separation or the inconstancy of a lover, the beauty of the land and the splendour of God.
Wednesday 27 May

Night in the Medina III

Dar Adiyel – 20h00 and 22h30

Sirat Al-Hilali

The epic Hilal story from the Poets of Upper Egypt

Ramadan Hassan and the Musicians of the Nile

These men are very brave and very rich. They are part of the 6000-strong cavalry and are well-armed.

From The History and Description of Africa by Leo Africanus

The Hilal epic is evoked by Hassan Al Wazzan (Leo the African) and is still sung by a few poets in Upper Egypt. It tells of the invasion of the Maghreb during the 10th century by the Beni Hilal and Beni Soleim tribes from the Arab Peninsula. The great emblematic figure of this epic is Abou Zeid Al-Hilali, a warrior and poet (chaer) who, according to the story, was ‘as black as a raven’.

 

Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complex – 20h00 and 22h30

Bhagavata Mela Ritual and Sacred Theatre – from Melattur village in Tamil Nadu  – India

Words and sense are the body of poetry; rasa [taste] is its essence.

Bharata, René Daumal, Gallimard

This sacred theatre group is making its first trip beyond the Hindu Temple of Melattur. India was home to some of the first ritual theatre, and this popular form of entertainment is inherited from ancient Sanskrit theatre. It celebrates the God Vishnu and his incarnation Krishna, with more than twenty artists.
Batha Museum – 21h30

Paolo Fresu and A Filetta  – Sardinia & Corsica

The great masters of Corsican polyphonic voices meet Sardinian trumpet player Paolo Fresu for a Mediterranean musical encounter of deep spirituality.

 

Thursday, May 28th

Medina Morning – 10h00

Music and tea in private riads

Flamenco voices of Fes

 

Batha Museum – 16h30

Nabil Benabdeljalil and the Zakharif Ensemble – Morocco

The Zakharif Ensemble is composed of various artists performing with the young Moroccan composer and musicologist Nabil Benabdeljalil. Founded on principles both aesthetic and technical, the group’s diversity is at the heart of their creativity. Of various backgrounds and musical training, they make use of improvisation and variation to recreate ancient Arab music, including the Nahda Egyptian tradition of the long songs of Oum Kalsum.
Bab Makina – 21h00

The Temptations – USA

with Dennis Edwards

Legends of Rhythm & Blues

This acclaimed Motown group reinvents its Rhythm & Blues origin to inspire a whole new generation of musicians around the globe. The impact of soul, blues and gospel has led to African music having a significant influence on all genres of popular music, from raï to rock.

 

Friday 29 May

Medina Morning – 10h00

Music and tea in private riads

Beihdja Rahal  – Algeria

The Andalusian tradition of Algeria

 

 Batha Museum  – 16h30

Amen en la voz del Hombre –

Saeta sacred song

from an original idea by  Andres Marin

Voices:

Jesus Mendez

Segundo Falcon

Jesus de la Mena

Classical musicians:

Javier Trigos, clarinet

Miguel Maceda, bassoon

Angel Sanchez, oboe

Chamber music with oboe, clarinet, bassoon and three exceptional voices to sing the Saeta of Seville: mystical songs of praise and invocations to God and the Virgin that express deep spiritual feelings.

Through Flamenco romances, peteneras and seguiriyas, the soul of Andalusia and the Sevillian processions are brought to life.

 

Bab Makina – 21h00

Andalusia

Arabo- Andalous Orchestra of Fes, directed by Mohammed Briouel

with

Beihdja Rahal (Algeria), Sonia Mbarek (Tunisia), Benjamin Bouzaglou, Sanaa Maharati, Nabile Maan, Marouane Haji (all of Morocco)

In the capable hands of master Mohamed Briouel, Andalous music shines forth in the great traditions of the Maghreb and Lebanon.

 

 

Saturday 30 May

Medina Morning – 10h00

Music and tea in private riads

Badre Rami – Syria

The  Muwashshah tradition of Aleppo

 

Batha Museum – 16h30

Faada Freddy – Senegal

Gospel revisited by African Rap singer Abdoul Fatah Seck

Body percussion, heartbeats and finger clicks enliven this very African and innovative soul music.
Bab  Makina – 21h00

Hussain Al Jasmi – United Arab Emirates

Hussain Al Jasmi has one of the most beautiful voices of the Arab peninsula. He presents a secular and religious repertoire full of the emotion and feeling that has made him so popular in the Maghreb.

For more information about the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music or a Fes Tour

For more information about the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.  We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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The Fes Sacred Music Festival, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Saturday, March 7th, 2015
Fes Festival of World Sacred Music 2015

Fes Festival of World Sacred Music 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From 22-30 May 2015, the ancient city of Fes will host the 21st edition of its world famous Sacred Music Festival. The origins of Fes lie in the 8th century by Idris I, who is known for bringing the religion of Islam from Arabia in the East, to Morocco. Fes’ spiritual credentials were boosted by the establishment of the al-Qarawiyyin (or al-Karaouine) University, mosque and madrasa (religious school). It became one of the spiritual and educational centers of the Muslim world and remains today the longest-standing university in the world. Fes‘ role as the spiritual hub of Morocco is underscored by its historical role as the seat of Islamic learning in the Kingdom and an openness towards other cultures and religions. These factors make it the perfect location for two of Morocco’s most well-known festivals: the Fes Festival of Sufi Culture (18-25 April 2015) and the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music (22-30 May 2015). (Note: This year’s Sacred Music Festival is being held a few weeks early to avoid a clash with the Holy month of Ramadan. It is normally held in June).

This year’s 21st edition of the Sacred Music Festival has as its theme ‘Fes: An African Reflection.’ The aim is to connect Fes to its broader African and Islamic spiritual heritage. In addition to the opportunity to see Sufi musicians and practioners from across the Islamic world, the Festival will musicians and artists of other spiritual traditions in a range of impressive indoor and outdoor venues. The program boasts a selection of artists which is much broader than the title would suggest – audiences will be treated to Indian, Persian, Scottish and American artists as well as a great number of North and West African musical and spiritual performances.

A particular highlight will be the opening night (Friday 22 May), an event entitled “Fes in search of Africa”, which will feature some world class Moroccan and West African musicians including Driss al Maloumi (Oud), Ballaké Sissoko (Kora) and Chérifa (Tamazight song from Morocco’s Middle Atlas region) as well as artists from South Africa, Egypt, Burkina Fasso, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, French Guyana and more.

Batha Gardens & Museum, Fes Festival

Batha Gardens & Museum, Fes Festival

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afternoon concerts are held in the garden of the Batha Museum. These include a tribute to the great Sufi master, Rumi , in the Persian Kurdish tradition by the Payiz Ensemble of Iraq on Saturday 23 May and the fabulous Julie Fowlis of Scotland, who sings haunting melodies in her native Scots Gaelic language on the Sunday. Monday will see an unusual and inspirational collaboration between Malian Ballaké Sissoko on kora and Debashish Battacharya on Indian slide guitar.

The larger evening concerts are held at Bab al Makina, an open-air parade ground near the Royal Palace. Saturday night will see a meeting between the bagpipes of Brittany, France and the folk music of Tissa, in Morocco’s northern Rif mountains. On Sunday, Malian diva Oumou Sangare and Tiken Jah Fakoly, master of African reggae from Ivory Coast will celebrate the festival’s African theme in their joint concert.

Fes Festival Sacred Music

Fes Festival Sacred Music

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday night (25 May) sees the first of the Night in the Media events, with Eduardo Ramos of Portugal exploring the rich cultural tapestry of Arabic, Sephardic Jewish and Andalusian music across the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa.

Fans of Cuban music are in for a double treat! On Monday evening Cuban pianist and musical innovator Omar Sosa returns once again to Morocco for the premier of Marassam with Tamango (urban tap dance, USA & French Guyana), Rodrigo (percussion, Cuba) and Jean de Boysson (visuals, France). The following afternoon’s concert features Roberto Fonseca and one of Mali’s latest musical exports to global stages, Fatoumata Diawara. The two are bound to create an explosive and colorful collaboration!

The concerts of Night in the Media II on Tuesday 26th at Dar Adiyel will feature artists from China and Azerbaijan, while elsewhere on the same evening, Tunisian singer Sonia Mbarek will present the premiere of her work based on Sufi poetry, Wajd. The Tuesday evening Batha Museum concert will explore the common roots of Andalusian music and Flamenco, featuring Benjamin Bouzaglou, star of the modern Arabo-Jewish Andalusian music scene.

Night in the Medina III on Wednesday night features the epic Hilal story from the Poets of Upper Egypt, as described by Leo Africanus, 16th century explorer of North Africa. His history is intimately connected to that of the city of Fes: he came to Fes from his native al Andalus (modern-day Spain) at the time of the Spanish Inquisition and expulsion of Muslims and Jews. He went on to study at the University of Al Karaouine before beginning an illustrious diplomatic and travelling career, during which he documented the geography of Africa. Other Wednesday night events feature artists from Tamil Nadu, India as well as Sardinian and Corsican representatives of Mediterranean traditions.

Thursday’s program features elements as diverse as flamenco, Moroccan Arabic musical traditions and the big attraction at Bab Makina – The Temptations with Dennis Edwards, presenting their own style of Rhythm and Blues to a whole new audience.

All of Friday’s events draw on North African and Spain’s Andalusian heritage, including music from Algeria and another opportunity to see flamenco traditions. The evening concert is a grand spectacle of Arabo-Andalusian tradition featuring many of the Festival’s North African artists.

Saturday’s schedule showcases Syrian Muwashshah traditions of Arabic poetry and music; gospel with an African touch, and the final concert with Hussain Al Jasmi of the United Arab Emirates.

As the diverse program suggests, the Fes Sacred Music Festival takes a very broad and inclusive view of the sacred and of the importance of indigenous and non-tangible elements of global heritage. There is surely something to satisfy many musical and artistic interests, but also plenty of opportunity to discover lesser-known musicians and artistic genres.

On a practical note, Fes gets very busy during this Festival. Visitors are advised to book accommodation early. Tickets are not yet available online but will be soon and can be purchased for individual events or for the Festival as a whole. Seating is not allocated, so arrive at venues early to avoid disappointment. Some venues are more comfortable than others and some are outside, so dress appropriately and bring something to sit on! There is no afternoon concert on the Wednesday. This is a great time to relax in the Fes medina or take an excursion out of town to nearby Meknes or Volubilis.

Fes is an impressive city in any season, but with the fabulous line up for 2015, a trip to the 21st Fes Sacred Music Festival is an opportunity not to be missed!

Written by Lynn Sheppard 

Lynn Sheppard has lived in Essaouira, on Morocco’s Atlantic Coast for more than 2 years, supporting local non-profits, writing and becoming an expert on all things Swiri (ie. Essaouiran). She blogs at Maroc-phile.com and for other travel industry clients.

For more information about the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music or a Fes Tour

For more information about the Program for the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.  We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Fes Festival of Sufi Culture and Music April 2015

Saturday, February 21st, 2015
Fes Sufi Festival of Culture and Music

Fes Sufi Festival of Culture and Music

Morocco’s ancient city of Fes (Fez) was Morocco’s first imperial capital. Fes was established and developed by Idris I – founder of the Kingdom of Morocco and credited with the Islamization of the country – and his son, Idris II. More than a millennium later, it remains Morocco’s spiritual heart. In some parts of the ancient medina, little has changed since mediaeval times. As such, the ancient palaces, Koranic schools and gardens make magical settings for two key festivals in the Fassi year: the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music (22-30 May 2015) and the Fes Festival of Sufi Culture (18-25 April 2015).

Sufism is typically defined as the mystical dimension of Islam and is such is often opposed by the followers of more conservative or literal Islamic philosophy. Many Sufis, however, maintain that the spiritual essence of Sufism transcends and pre-dates religions.

Sufis typically live and worship in orders or brotherhoods gathered around a Master, such as the famous Gnaoua of Morocco, or the Mevlevi Order of Turkey known for their whirling dervishes. Unlike mainstream Muslims, who believe that their communion is directly with Allah (God) through prayer with the purpose of bringing themselves closer to God in Paradise, Sufis believe that spiritual practice (such as charitable acts and self-discipline) can bring them closer to Allah in this life and that they can communicate with Him via certain practices in addition to prayer (eg song, dance, trance, whirling or others).

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This practice of meditating on God through a focus, for example on repetitive beats or dancing is known as samaa. This is said to bring forth a person’s love of God and purify the soul. The aim is to reach a trance-like state of ecstasy which is hoped to lead to deeper spiritual knowledge.

The 2015 Fes Festival of Sufi Culture is the 9th edition. Under the banner “The Religion of Love”, the festival will celebrate the life and work of renowned Sufi scholar, Rumi. Jalaladdin Muhammad Rumi was a 13th century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic. He was the inspiration for the creation of the Mevlevi Order, which practices samaa through music set to Rumi’s poems and whirling. At this year’s Fes Festival, here are several round table events and performances dedicated to discussion of Rumi’s work and the Mevlevi. The Festival will also make tribute to Rabiaa al Adawiya (Rabiaa el Basri), who was an 8th century female Muslim saint and Sufi mystic from Basra, Iraq.

The Sufi Culture Festival also draws on indigenous Moroccan cultural and spiritual traditions, featuring Sufi Amazigh culture and poetry and the musical traditions of al Andalous, the Moorish Empire of the Middle Ages.

Sufism is an open, welcoming aspect of modern Islam and is more accessible in Morocco to non-Muslim audiences through Festivals, spiritual practices and the zawiyas (homes of the brotherhoods) than mainstream Islam whose mosques and cemeteries are typically closed to visitors. Whether your interest is in music, poetry, dance, religion or spiritual aspects of Sufism, the emphasis of the Sufis and of the 2015 Fes Festival of Sufi Culture on love is powerful and appealing. This year’s Fes Festival of Sufi Culture is promises to be a stimulating and inspirational event!

PROGRAM OF FESTIVAL OF SUFI CULTURE & MUSIC APRIL 2015

Saturday 18  April 16.00

Opening ceremony General introduction by Faouzi Skali followed by a musical and artistic moment. 

20.30 Concert : Mystic recital dedicated to Rabiaa al Adawiya 

Sunday 19 April10.00 Round Table and poetic readings. « Tribute to Abdelwahhab Meddeb: Sufi moments ».

16.00 Round Tables: “Is there a revival of Sufism in the Muslim world?”

20.30 Samaa of the Tariqa Boutchichiyya  Qadiriyya ( Morocco).

Monday 20 April 10.00 Round Table: ‘Persian Mystical Poetry and the Message of Love’

Hossein Gomshei Discussion led by Faouzi Skali with Hossein Gomshei, Leonard Lewisohn, and Alan Williams

16.00 Round Table: ‘Rumi and the Mevlevi: Poetry of Ecstasy and Love in Persian and Turkish’ Leonard Lewisohn, Alan Williams, and Roderick Grierson Discussion led by Faouzi Skali with Leonard Lewisohn, Alan Williams, and Roderick Grierson

20.30 Concert:  ‘Aşkın Sesi: The Voice of Love’  :  Mevlevi music for the ney:  Kudsi Erguner.

Tuesday 21 April

10.00 Round Table: ‘Rumi and the Legacy of Persian Music’ Jane Lewisohn (with recordings)

Discussion led by Faouzi Skali with Jane Lewisohn, Leonard Lewisohn, and Hossein Gomshei

16.00 Round Table: ‘“Listen to This Ney”: Music of the Mevlevi Kudsi Erguner

(with recordings and live performance) ‘Visions of the Mevlevi: Eastern and Western Depictions of Semazens’

Roderick Grierson (with illustrations) Discussion led by Roderick Grieson with Kudsi Erguner and Faouzi Skali

20.30  Samaa of the Tariqa Khalwatiyya :  Chaykh Nur Allah Fath ( Turkey).

Wednesday 22 April

10.00 Round Table: « The scriptural foundations of the Religion of the Love ».

16.00 Round Table: « Presence of  Rabiaa » .

20.30 First part : Samaa of the Tariqa Rifaiyya ( Turkey) Second part: Samaa of the  Tariqa Naqchbandiyya (Bosnia). 

Thursday 23 April 10.00 Round Table: « Sufi Amazigh culture and poetry »

16.00 Round Table: « Bards of the spiritual Love of East and West ».

20.30 Samaa of the Tariqa Charqawiyya and of the Tariqa Wazzaniyya.

Friday 24 April 10.00 Round Table: « Writings and poems about spiritual love in Morocco and Andalousia  » .

16.00 Round Table: « Culture and expressions of spiritual love in Sub-Saharan Africa  » .

20.30 First part: Samaa  of the Tariqa Siqilliyya Second part: Sufi singings of Alep: Homage to Jalaleddine Weiss

Saturday 25 April 10.00 Round Table: « Love and Futuwwa,  the path of the Spiritual Chivalry » .

20.30 Sufi Samaa and  Andalusian Music. Conferenciers Lecturers ( alphabétique order ) :

Abdelillah Arafa, Abdou Hafidi, Abdellah Ouazzani, Abdussamad Romero,

Alan Williams Bariza Khiari, Eric Geoffroy, Hossein Gomshei, Ines Safi, Jaafar Kansoussi, Jane Lewisohn, Katia et Gabrielle Legeret,  Kudsi Erguner, Lila Anvar, Leonard Lewisohn,  Michael Barry, Michel Boivin, Mounir El Kadiri, Roderick Grierson, Saad El Khiari, Saïda Bennani, Salamatou Sow, Souada Maoulainine, Suad El Hakim, Touria et Layla Iqbal, Xavier Guerrand-Hermès.

Written by Lynn Sheppard 

Lynn Sheppard has lived in Essaouira, on Morocco’s Atlantic Coast for more than 2 years, supporting local non-profits, writing and becoming an expert on all things Swiri (ie. Essaouiran). She blogs at Maroc-phile.com and for other travel industry clients.

For more information about the Fes Sufi Festival or a Fes Tour 

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.  We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

 

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Fes Festival of Sacred World Music 2014, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Monday, June 9th, 2014

20th Annual Fes Festival of Sacred Music

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with the theme Conference of the Birds: Journey of Cultures. It has been twenty years of a musical, spiritual and artistic journey exploring the cultures and traditions of the world, revealed in ever greater depth through concerts, exhibitions, film screenings and debates. It takes place in Fes, Morocco from June 13th – 21st, 2014.

PRESS RELEASE – FES FESTIVAL OF SACRED WORLD MUSIC

The seven continents are represented by superb artists, grand masters renowned for their art: from Europe, one of the greatest tenors of our time, Roberto Alagna, presents a show created specially for the Festival; in addition to Tomatito, who works with Paco de Lucia at the top of his field of flamenco guitar. Representing Africa is an encounter between Youssou N’dour and Johnny Clegg in a tribute to Nelson Mandela; along with Rokia Traoré. From Asia is the prestigious Arab singer Kadem Saher and Zakir Hussain, the most celebrated Indian tabla musician.

Morocco is represented by a number of artists during the opening concert and also in an Arab-Jewish-Andalusian evening showcasing the greatest Moroccan artists both Muslim and Jewish, presenting their magnificently rich cultural heritage. Luzmilla Carpio from Bolivia represents South America, and Buddy Guy from North America, the great legend of Chicago blues who will be visiting Morocco for the first time with his ensemble, presenting the mythical music of this Afro-American culture.

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music and the Fes Forum, founded in1994 and 2001, are dedicated to the traditions of knowledge, art and spirituality of the city. The Fes Festival was designated in 2001 by the United Nations as one of the major events contributing in remarkable fashion to the dialogue between civilizations.

Faouzi Skali

Forum Director and Founder, Faouzi Skali introduces the Festival and Travel Exploraiton Morocco is proud to present the 2014 program here.

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The opening concert of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music features the premiere of a work specially commissioned for the Festival. It is a feast of stagecraft and the visual arts that encompasses music, dance, song, video and poetry.

The opening concert at 21h00 on 13 June at Bab al Makina entitled Manteq at-Tayr in Arabic, Conference of the Birds : Journey of Cultures. This work encompasses the journey of different world cultures in their quest for direction and of their transformation as they encounter various exchanges. Performance inspired by The Conference of the Birds by Farid Ud-Din Attar, translated by Leili Anvar and published by Diane de Selliers.

They take place throughout the Fes Festival as a fitting finish to the day’s events in a warm atmosphere full of spirituality and conviviality.

It’s a perfect moment to be shared by all, in the gardens of Dar Tazi in the heart of the Fes medina.

Medina Nights Performers from June 16th – 18th:

Breezes of the Atlas & Jews Harp from China, The Choir of Saint Ephraim, Majils Triom Atlan Ensemble, Leili Anvar, Marifat, Khalil Abu Nicola, Tomatito Sextet, Nouhalia El Khalai, Mor Karbasi, Zakir Hussain

Festival in the City Concert Program:

The Festival in the City brings together all the great traditions of sacred music, spiritual music, and world music. As part of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, it offers free daily concerts in popular city squares for the people of Fes, Morocco and from abroad.
These large public concerts are free and take place at Boujloud Square at 18h30 (except saturday June 14th at 22h30 – 10:30pm) and at the Jnan Sbil garden at 16h.

Saturday 14 June
Jnan Sbil garden 16h : Ensemble Takht al Arabi, Aziz Liwae

From Bab Boujloud 18h : 2nd RACE TO THE RHYTHM OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC with traditional folkloric groups from all over Morocco will perform along the route.
Bab Boujloud 22h30 Chant d’Ahidous de l’Atlas / Badr Rami (Syrie)

Sunday 15 june
Jnan Sbil Garden  16h : Songs of the group Aisawa, Said Berrada
Bab Boujloud 18h30 : Musa Dieng Kala (Sénégal) / Jil Jilala

Monday 16 june
Jnan Sbil Garden 16h : Feminin orchestra of Fès
Bab Boujloud 18h30 : Luzmila Carpio (Bolivia) / Ouled Al Bouazzaoui (Songs of  theAïeta )

Tuesday 17 june
Jnan Sbil Garden 16h : Nasr Migri
Bab Boujloud 18h30 : Ribab Fusion (Amazigh’s songs from Souss)/Sefrawa Fusion (winner of the Tremplin Fé Riad 2014)

Wednesday 18 june
Jnan Sbil Garden 16h : Roudaniyat, women from Mèknes
Bab Boujloud 18h30 : Laabi Orchestra

Thursday 19 June
Jnan Sbil Garden 16h : Amina Ben Souda
Bab Boujloud 18h30 : Raza Khan (India) /Abidat Rma

Friday 20 june
Jnan Sbil Garden 16h : Songs of Melhoûn, Mohammed El Hadri/ Amazigh poetry reading: Omar Taous
Bab Boujloud 18h30 : Hot 8 Brass Band (USA)/ Saïda Charaf

Sunday 21 june
Jnan Sbil Garden 16h : Ihsan Rmiki
Bab Boujloud 18h30 : Kadim Al Sahira

Free entry Dar Tazi: Sufi Nights from 23h00

These outdoor samaâ concerts are open to all, and give a glimpse into Islamic culture through the richness and creativity of its artistic and spiritual dimensions.

Saturday 14 June : National Tijani group of Rabat directed by Mohcine Nawrach, with sama’a and madih

Sunday 15 June : Group from the Darkaouia Zaouia, Essaouira

Monday 16 June : Group from the Sakalia Zaouia in Fes, directed by Haj Mohamed Bennis

Tuesday 17 June : Group from the Naqchabandia Zaouia directed by Noureddine Tahiri

Wednesday 18 June : Group Rouh of Meknes directed by Yassine Habibi, with Sufi sama’a

Thursday 19 June : Group from the Harrakia Zaouia, Rabat

Friday 20 June : Group from the Ouazzania Zaouia of Ouazzane directed by Fouad Ouazzani

Saturday 21 June : Group from the Hamdouchia Zaouia of Fez directed by Abderrahim Amrani

For more information about the Fes Festival of Sacred World Music or Fes Tours  

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.  We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Fes Food: Eating Well in Fes, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Tuesday, June 4th, 2013

Fes, Dar Roumana, Tomato gazpacho courgette and chilli salsa

Fes is the culinary and cultural capital of Morocco. The world famous Fes Sacred Music Festival takes place 7-15 June and  Dar Roumana’s restaurant at 30 Derb el Amer Zkak, Roumane in Fes Medina  will be open every day offering pre-concert dinners from 6pm – 8pm Dar Roumana will be offering a smaller menu (2 starters, 2 mains and 2 desserts) for a reduced price of 300dh for three courses or 225dh for two courses.  For those not attending the festival Dar Roumana’s usual dinner service will continue as normal from 7.30pm – 9pm. It is essential to book well beforehand during this busy period in Fes. Dinner is served in the patio and on the Dar Roumana terrace with spectacular views of the Fes medina and includes varied delicacies such as roasted  beetroot, orange, mint and feta salad, spiced roasted quail with dried fruit orzo, moroccan fishcakes with cucumber and radish ribbon salad and sweet harissa dipping sauce, baked chicken thighs with honey, hazelnut and saffron with carrot and cumin mash.

Riad Idrissy, Garden Cuisine

The garden restaurant attached to Riad Idrissy at  13 Derb Idrissi, Sieje, Sidi Ahmed Chaoui, is set in the romantic remains of a crumbling riad which has been turned into a delightful garden, with mosaic floors, fountains and exotic foliage. Lunch is prepared using fresh produce from the souk and includes salads – such as zaalouk (smoky aubergine, tomato and paprika puree) and tfaya (chickpeas, onions, raisins and cinnamon) – and street food, cooked to order in the garden, such as sardines marinated in chermoula (garlic, paprika, cumin, olive oil and lemon juice) with a polenta batter and makuda, spiced battered potato cakes. Afternoon tea is a blend of English and Moroccan, including tea made from homegrown mint and wormwood. After 7pm, the Fes garden is open for dinner by prior arrangement only, offering mechoui lamb (anything from a leg to a whole animal) cooked for seven hours over charcoal, Sephardic suppers and Roman banquets. The ruined garden at Riad Idrissy  will operate as a festival green room – where artists, journalists and the audience can mingle between  the Fes Sacred Music Festival concerts. Opening hours are between 12 noon and 9.30pm. There is also the great boon of no background music.

Another  great  lunch  and dinner venue is  Palais Amani at 12 Derb el Miter, Oued Zhoune.This imposing Art Deco former palace has superb gardens Is known for excellent high class Moroccan cuisine and you can dine in the restaurant or the patio, booking is essential.

Fes, Authentic Traditional Cuisine

La Maison Bleue, reservations  also necessary at this elegant riad restaurant. The setting is intimate and romantic, with diners serenaded by an oud player (replaced by livelier Gnawa song and dance at the end of the evening). You’ll be treated to an array of cooked salads, tajines, couscous and bastilla (savoury pastries), plus filo pastry desserts.

Restaurant Zagora  just of the Southern end  of  Mohammed V in the  Ville Nouvelle, this high class restaurant is popular with tour groups and locals alike. The wine list is probably the most extensive in the ville nouvelle and the menu includes international and Moroccan dishes and you get to be serenaded by a musician playing an oudh .

The Majestic is close to the Royal Tennis Club et El Merja and the Marjane shopping centre offers refined upscale French cuisine and an excellent wine list.

At Dar El Ghalia, a restored 18th century palace you will find  Dar Tajine, one of the best known restaurants in Fes. You can choose from set menus or à la carte: there are salads, excellent Harira, grills, fresh fish, tagines and couscous.

Chez Vittorio  is in  the rustic Italian restaurant angle well, right down to the candles and checked cloths. The food is good value, Go for the pizzas or steak and enjoy the wine.

Dar Anebar  is a riad you can dine in fne surroundings, in the splendid courtyard, or one of the cosy salons. The menu is strictly Moroccan, but of the highest standard, and wine is available.

Palais Jamaï is a five-star hotel has a superb position overlooking the medina. There’s a French restaurant and a Moroccan restaurant. At lunch they serve a good buffet on the terrace above the pool (or in the dining room in winter): there’s the salad buffet, or the salad buffet with barbecue and dessert.

Fes is truly international and Kiotori restaurant  offers  sushi with a Japanese chef.

Café Clock is a restored town house  and is an important  and highly original cultural centre which offers a varied  menu with offerings such as falafel, grilled sandwiches, some interesting vegetarian options, a  substantial  camel burger, and delicious cakes and tarts. It is open right through the day into the evening so you can eat whenever you want.

Fez Café is set in a fine garden  in Le Jardin des Biehn, Dinner is available both before and after  and during concerts.

Le Kasbah restaurant is on several floors at Bab Bou Jeloud, and occupies a prime spot: the top floor looks out over the medina, making it a good place to relax over food. The menu is traditional Moroccan fare, tajines, couscous and grilled meat.

Fes is famed for its street food and probably the most well known establishment is Thami’s at Bou Jeloud, 50 Serrajine  in the Medina. It  is highly recommended by the website “The View from Fez.” They recommend Thami’s  kefta  tagine with egg, the melange and the fish. Fes has many such small establishments and a visit to the vegetable  and spices souks  will enrich your knowledge and appreciation of Moroccan daily life and the variety of its cuisine even in very simple establishments.

For More Information on a Fes Tour, Fes Food or Fes Street Food 

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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The Medina Gardens of Fes, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Thursday, October 25th, 2012

Jnan Sbil (Formerly Bou Jeloud) gardens entrance

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 to Fes el Bali. This area divided the cities of Fes Jedid and Fes el Bali and was developed into three palace gardens by Sultan Moulay Hassan in the 19th Century. These were the gardens of Dar Batha,Bou Jeloud and  Dar Beida. The Jnan Sbil gardens (formerly the Bou Jeloud gardens) on the north-western edge of the medina has palms, eucalyptus, weeping willows, citrus trees and bamboo. The park was opened to the public by Moulay Hassan in the 19th century. Jnane Sbil encompasses 7.5 hectares and is located in the heart of city. It is one of the oldest gardens in Fes. Because of its historical importance, great care was taken to restore the Jnan Sbil garden to its original design and after four years of detailed restoration and renovation of the heirloom plants, the hydraulic systems and the famous waterwheel, the project was completed and re-opened in June 2010.

The Oued Fes river and the Oued Jawahir (river of pearls) flowed through the garden and a broken down water wheel remains as a reminder of how the medieval city was powered by water wheels which provided craftsmen and their workshops with power. On the western edge near Bab Makina, the Nouria Cafe is still open and is a very pleasant place for tea or lunch.

Andalusian Style Garden, Batha Museum

Dar Batha ,which is now the Museum of the Arts and Traditions of Fes, is the only one of these palace gardens open to the public. It is an Andalucian garden which boasts a three-hundred year old Quercus Rotundifolia, Washington Fifera, Cycas Revolta and Moroccan fountains. The Batha Garden is a serene escape from the bustling medina in Fes. It serves as a location for the Fes Festival of Sacred World Music each June.Andalusian gardens are based on the charbagh, the four-part garden with water ways and fountains.

Shaded with citrus trees and perfumed with orange blossom, red roses and sweet-scented jasmine, Islamic gardens were designed for tranquillity, reflection and relaxation in mind, earthly paradises to inspire a spiritual experience and inner peace.

In the arabo-andalousian culture the garden is a major element of  architectural balance and of lifestyle. Fes was one the first cities in the world to built a water distribution network which enabled the city to develop the art of gardening. The city was founded following the muslim exodus from Spain in 1492 following the Reconquista and the exiles from Andalousia brought with them the artistic creativity culture and vision of Moorish Spain which has distinguished Fes ever since.

Palais Jamai Hotel Garden

The Palais Jamai which is Fes’s premier five star hotel and also a former palace has a superb  Andalusian garden once the property of the Grand Vizier of Sultan Hassan, Haj Amaati Jamai. The  garden is oldest example of Andalusian style in Fes with Al Hambra Classical Axial lines.

Robert Johnstone, has created a beautiful garden in the ruin at Riad Idrissy which  can be viewed daily from noon until 8pm. Johnstone describes it as “half garden, half allotment.” In it he grows gardenias, a jacaranda, papyrus, and a mix of edibles that are used in the riad’s kitchen, such as verbena, mint, chillies, sorrel, rosemary, parsley and tomatoes.

Jardin des Biehn is based on traditional Islamic forms, with water channels intersecting the garden, and fountains at one end. It was formerly the summer palace of a pasha who housed his concubines and slaves there. Now a boutique hotel, the rooms all open onto the lovely garden, which features roses, irises, large trees and a variety of edible herbs.

Fes et Gestes is a colonial house, which is now a maison d’hote. It has four equal garden beds, with a grand fountain in the centre.

Palais Mokri, Fes

The El Mokri Palace is located on the Southern of the old Medina on a hill – the hill of springs (El Ayoun), on the edge of the small valley of Wadi Fes and above the south gate, Bab Did.Built in around 1906 by Si Tayeb El Mokri, son of the king’s grand vizier the grand palace has a large garden with terraces and fountains. Ryad Mokri also has a a fine and well tended garden.

For more information about a Fes Tour or a Garden Tour of Fes 

For More Information About Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate
Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Moroccan Wedding Traditions, Join A Moroccan Wedding Tour, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

Musicians Moroccan Wedding

Every country has it’s own wedding culture. Traditions and ceremonies differ in each part of the world and Morocco is no exception. Moroccan weddings are a 24-hour affair and more. Just as in the west, every Moroccan wedding is different, and families from different regions whether it be cities or villages try to make their children’s weddings unique. There are a few common themes and events that occur over the course of a wedding, and knowing what to expect if you attend one is important. Morocco boasts rich wedding traditions and customs that vary by region, city and village however most have commonalities that range from unique and colorful clothing, a traditional henna party and serving special salads, meat and couscous to their guests.

Women Dancing at Moroccan Wedding

The traditional Moroccan Wedding boasts an elaborate and meaningful process. The Moroccan wedding process can take up to seven days and there are many pre-wedding ceremonies that take place before the actual wedding. With its rich cultural heritage Morocco is a place to visit for vacation if you have the opportunity to attend a Moroccan Wedding or Moroccan Wedding Tour.

Once a date has been set for a Moroccan wedding, the preparations begin. Before the wedding day, the bride is taken by female family members to a hammam. Older married woman, female friends and relatives beautify her.

What follows is the elaborate decoration and dressing of the bride in a traditional wedding caftan in the colors of the city or village – tradition. The bride is then decorated with heavy silver jewelry (in modern day often 24 carat gold given by the groom to the bride), unqiue family air looms such as a tasfift (which is word on the head) a fibula set which is worn across the brides chest among other old pieces. The brides eyes are darkened with kohl which appears a bit like thick dark eyeliner.

Henna Hand

Then a Henna (beberiska ceremony) begins whereby the brides hands and feet of the bride and her party are painted with henna. The bride’s designs are always the most intricate and the various floral and geometric designs are worn to bring good luck and increase fertility.

The grooms name is often hidden in the henna designs. The brides and the grooms female family relatives will then take the opportunity to discuss the ‘secrets’ of marriage”.

In some ceremonies the bride is placed behind a curtain to symbolize her change of lifestyle. In more remote village and areas of Morocco this kind of ceremony would take place before the actual wedding.

Moroccan Couscous

During this preparation families and friends together prepare traditional foods such as tajines made of sheep, beef and goat and couscous along with the ceremonial meal of taraoit which is eaten the next day. There is often a separate men’s dinner that takes place a day or two before the wedding event.

The wedding then begins with a joyous celebration in evening with various kinds of Moroccan music and dancing that often lasts all night long.

In Berber, Moroccan Weddings there is Ahwash dancing and Hadous drumming along with other festivities and traditions such as the bride riding a mule around the village which in modern day is often replaced with a car. In Arab, Moroccan weddings, the bride would be lifted up on a circular cushion or table and the groom on the shoulders of his friends. The Imlilchil Marraige Festival is another example of a long standing tradition in Southern Morocco with a festive celebration that takes place each September.

Ahwash Berber Women Dancing

Ahwash is exclusively village music that has been unchanged for centuries performed at weddings and on special occasion. Ahwash musical texts emphasize the submission of the individual to the community. Typically, it consists of two large choruses engaging in call-and-response vocals, accompanied by instrumentalists and dancers. Since this music requires anywhere from 20 to 150 participants, it is not easily portable and so rarelyheard in the cities.

Haddous drumming is a traditional type of drumming that is played on special occasions, ceremonies and weddings. Hadous tradition uses a hand drum made of animal skin. Women and men move together forming a line or circle, then play and sing in unison.

Caftan Design

The Moroccan Wedding tradition also has a long heritage of ceremonial caftans that are traditionally hand made by a local tailor however in modern day, many brides are buying them in shops. Hand-made caftans are typically designed with the shared ideas and traditions of the family tradition with input from the local tailor. The caftans sometimes have intricate embroidery which is done locally or instead shipped off to the town of Fes which is famous for it’s ancient traditions of caftan embroidery, skuli hand made belts and shoes.

AIT ATTA BERBER MOROCCAN WEDDING TOUR:

MAY 12th: OUARZAZATE ARRIVAL – EVENING

►Arrive at Ouarzazte’s Airport. Transfer to your Charming Riad or Hotel.

►Dinner and Spend the night at a charming Riad or Hotel in Ouarzazate.

MAY 13th: OUARZAZATE – SKOURA – VALLEY OF ROSES – BOUTHGRAR – VALLEY OF NOMADS – BOUMALNE DADES VALLEY & GORGE

►Breakfast at your Riad. Take the road to visit the Amerdihl Kasbah in Skoura and pass the Skoura Palmary. Continue the road to the perfumed Valley of Roses, just north of El Kelaa Des Mgouna. On the way to the Valley of Roses, your driver will stop for you to view the Capp et Florale shops and rose gardens in the small kasbah town that manufacture the entire nations products of eau de rose. The rose water and other products such as hand and body soaps, oil, crème perfume and dried flowers are for sale and also popular among Moroccans. The factories produce 3000-4000 petals a year. With ten tons of petals required to produce a few liters of precious oil, the harvest is understandably a labor of love and the culminating festivities of the annual Rose Festival are all the livelier for it.

►In the Valley of Roses will find miles of pink, small Persian roses-cultivated as hedgerows dividing the plots of land. In spring, you can buy a garland of fragrant roses from one of the Berber children who line the route. Continue the road to Bouthgrar, the Valley of Nomads and the Dades Valley.

►Go by pise (windy road) to visit the breakthtaking Valley of Nomads. Located in Bouthgrar is the Valley of Nomads, a beautiful 10 kilometer valley where Nomads live in caves that are surrounded by Mount Mgoun. Mount Mgoun is the second highest mountain in Morocco and boasts extraordinary views. Have tea with a Nomad family. Your journey will then take you through the Dades Valey which covers 125 km between Ouarzazate and Boumalne du Dadès in the High Atlas Mountains.

►Once you reach Boumalne at first sight you notice the limestone cliffs with uniquely shaped erosions and superb scenery and the valley’s pise. Driving along you will pass flower filled fields, fertile fields, riverbanks and several fortified ksours. At the bottom of Gorge of Boumalne Dadès.

►Lunch will be served at a nearby guesthouse with local Moroccan fare and a panoramic view. Relax and sip mint tea while gazing at the impressive valley.

► Dinner Option: La Kasbah Des Sables in Ouarzazate. Le Kasbah Des Sables is a gastronomic experience with a menu that combines the cuisine of Fes, Meknes, Tangier, Arab and Berber with 5 class fare. This restaurant offers a museum- quality atmosphere as its’ decor has been hand stitched together and is filled with Berber, Morocco traditional furniture and art that was hand crafted by local artisans in the Ouarzazate region. Each section of the restaurant offers an intimate environment and the opportunity to eat on tables that are hand painted and adorned with silver fibulas, Amber and other regional jewels.

►Dinner & Spend the night at 4 or 5 Star Riad in Ouarzazate.

MAY 14th: WEDDING DAY – OUARZAZATE – AGDZ – KASBAH TAMNOGAULT – AIT OUZZINE

HENNA PARTY – WEDDING CEREMONY – DINNER FEAST & MOROCCAN MUSIC ALL NIGHT LONG

►Breakfast at your Riad.

►9:00am: Departure from Ouarzazate to Agdz to Hammam.

►10:30am: Visit to traditional Hammam Bath. Enjoy a 90 minute rendezvous with the bride and groom at a traditional bath house.

►1:00pm: Lunch at Chez Yacoub in Kasbah Tamnougalt. Lunch at this 17th Century Kasbah in the Draa Valley. Enjoy a Moroccan tajine in this restored kasbah after the Hammmam experience.

►3:00pm: Henna Party will take place in Ait Ouzzine family home. Attend the Henna Party for the bride in Ait Ouzzine Village.

►5:00pm: Check into your Kasbah Hotel in N’kob. Relax, dress up and prepare for wedding dinner feast and evening celebration.

►7:30pm- 10:00pm: Wedding Ceremony, Dinner Feast and Music festivities.

►10:00pm- 3:00am: Evening of live music from the Souss Valley, Valley of Roses, Traditional Berber Hadous Drummers and Ahawash Dancing.

Ahwash Dancing & Singing: Ahwash is exclusively village music that has been unchanged for centuries performed at weddings and on special occasion. Ahwash musical texts emphasize the submission of the individual to the community. Typically, it consists of two large choruses engaging in call-and-response vocals, accompanied by instrumentalists and dancers. Since this music requires anywhere from 20 to 150 participants, it is not easily portable and so rarelyheard in the cities.

Hadous Drumming: Haddous drumming is a traditional type of drumming that is played on special occasions, ceremonies and weddings. Hadous tradition uses a hand drum made of animal skin. Women and men move together forming a line or circle, then play and sing in unison.

►Spend the night at Charming Riad in N’kob Village

MAY 15th: WEDDING DAY – AIT OUZZINE – ALNIF -RISSANI – MERZOUGA

CEREMONIAL VISIT – LUNCH IN AIT OUZZINE- SUNRISE CAMEL TREK – 1001 NIGHTS DINNER

►11:00am – 2:00pm: Morning Ceremonial visit of Ait Ouzzine village whereby almonds are cast to children for good luck and the bride rides a mule three times around the village to celebrate the consummation of her marriage. Celebrate with the as she wears her Moroccan, modern white and gold bridal caftan and enjoy time with family and friends.

►2:00pm: Lunch in Ait Ouzzine.

►4:00pm: Departure to Merzouga. Take the road to Merzouga passing the Sahara Desert town of Rissani and Alnif. Go by pise into the Sahara Desert as the sunsets to discover the rocky and majestic Erg Chebbi Golden Dunes.

►7:00pm: Dinner and Music along with a 1001 Nights Arabic Feast under the Sahara Desert Stars.

►Spend the night in Merzouga’s Sahara Desert at Le Belle Etoile. Options to stay in a Luxury bivouac tent or guests house at the foot of the Erg Chebbi Dunes.

MAY 16th: MERZOUGA -RISSANI – ERFOUD – TODRA GORGE – OUARZAZATE

►Sunrise camel trek before dawn into the Erg Chebbi Dunes. Explore the flora and fauna of the Sahara Desert.

►Take the road to Rissani, a Sahara desert town that is from the ancient Alawi Dynasty and the birthplace of King Mohammed VI, the current King of Morocco. Visit the old Mausolem of Moulay Ali Sharif, the first King of the Alawi Dynasty. Next visit Maison Taureg House and then the old Ksar of Rissani. Continue the road to Erfoud.

►Arrive in Erfoud, the capital of fossils in mid-afternoon. Lunch in Erfoud.

►Visit Royal Palace gate; the panoramic view from the top of the Borj-Est that rises 935 metres (3067 feet) above the city; Fossil sites in Carriere des Fossiles and the Maadid Ksar.

►Erfoud is a city located in south-east Morocco. Although many ancient fortified villages have existed in the region for several centuries Erfoud was built up by the French troops after the victory of Tafilalet Battle, that took place between 1916 and 1932. Erfoud is a very active city, full of commerce, restaurants and street cafés, hotels, banks and handicraft and souvenir shops.

►While maintaining its name as a modern Moroccan Sahara Desert town, it still preserves a certain authenticity of an true Arab city with an impressively “wild” market and gorgeous surrounding landscapes filled of oases, dunes and rocky mountains.

►Erfoud is a cinema hub for many movie directors. Some well known films had several scenes shot in Erfoud, some include names as Prince of Persia 2010 by Director Dick Richards; March or Die 1977 by Director Dick Richards; The Mummy 1999 by Director Stephen Sommers.

►In the mid – afternoon take the road to the Todra Gorge. The Gorge extends from the village of Tamtatoucheto Tinerhir. The Todra, with cliffs rising dramatically up to 300m on each side of a narrow corridor, make up some of the most impressive cliffs and are by far, the highest in Morocco.

►Lunch in the Todra Gorge.

► The Todra Gorge is a spectacle with its gigantic rock walls changing color to create magical effects with the sunlight. In the morning, when the sun permeates through the bottom of the gorge, the rock changes from pink rose to deep ochre gradually throughout the rest of the day.

►Dinner & Spend the night at charming Riad in Ouarzazte.

MAY 17th: OUARZAZATE DEPARTURE

►Breakfast at your Riad or Hotel in Ouarzazate.

►Departure from Ouarzazate’s Airport.

For more information about Morocco Tours or attending a Moroccan Wedding

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert, Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or 1 (917)703-2078 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

Moroccan Wedding Traditions, Moroccan Wedding Tour, Berber Wedding Tour, Caftan, Moroccan Caftan, Sahara Desert & Ouarzazate Kasbahs, N’kob, Ait Ouzzine, Casablanca Tour, Marrakech Tour, Fes Tour, Ahwash Dancing, Hadous Drumming Casablanca, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco


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Morocco Holiday Vacation Ideas, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Man Praying at Kairaouine Mosque Fes

Man Praying at Kairaouine Mosque Fes

Some of the best Morocco Holiday Vacations are those spent on an unwieldy adventure. Travel Exploration Morocco offers many holiday vacation opportunities that range from ancient Imperial city tours to majestic nights in the Sahara Desert Tours, a regional visit of Southern Morocco’s Valley of Nomads, Mount Mgoun and Draa Valley region along with customized cuisine tours and private dining experiences at some of Morocco’s best restaurants. Planning a Morocco Holiday Vacation for the Christmas or New Years is easy when using the private Morocco tour services of a Morocco travel agency.

Tomb of Koubba Lalla Zohra, Marrakech

Tomb of Koubba Lalla Zohra, Marrakech

Booking a private Morocco Holiday Vacation offers the option of spending your journey in a 4×4 land cruiser traveling across Morocco. Morocco is known for its incredible topography and variation of landscapes that take a Moroccan traveler on a unique adventure. The architecture of Morocco’s medersas and places are incredible.

Bahia Palace Marrakech, Koran Blessing

Bahia Palace Marrakech, Koran Blessing

The calligraphic work and ceiling treatments throughout Morocco’s palaces and Kasbahs is astonishing. A Morocco Holiday Vacation offers families and small groups a cultural experience as one moves from region to region using Travel Exploration’s well designed grand clockwise travel route beginning in Casablanca and ending in the seaside artist colony of Essaouira.

It is recommended to being a Morocco Holiday in Casablanca which boasts the incredible Hassan II Mosque to the Imperial City of Fes prized for it’s intellectual history, the old medina Fes El Bali whereby you see traditional craftsmanship of old techniques such as pottery, zellij tile and metal smithing.

Man Painting Pottery, Cooperative Fes

Man Painting Pottery, Cooperative Fes

There’s nothing quite like continuing a Moroccan vacation discovering the ancient ruins of Volubilis and the city of Meknes’ Moulay Ismail Mausoleum where the former Hassan II’s Berber wife has been laid to rest along with the Meknes Thursday Gate Bab El Khemis and the city’s tradition of weaving, created by Franciscan Nuns.

Stables Meknes

Stables Meknes

Any complete Morocco Holiday also offers a magical journey through the Merzouga Sahara Desert’s Erg Chebbi Dunes, the region of Bouthgrar’s Valley of Nomads and a special lunch experience with a Moroccan family in the village of Ait Ouzzine, N’kob.

An overnight stay in Ouarzazate, the door to the Sahara and region of Morocco’s ancient Kasbahs is also a highlight that is not to be missed on any Morocco vacation. Visiting Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Kasbah Taouirit, and the Telouet Kasbah in the Tizzin’ Tichka Pass engages once in an adventure and historical overview of the Pasha Glaoui who once ruled Southern Morocco.

Mount Mgoun Bouthgrar

Mount Mgoun Bouthgrar

Breathtaking landscapes and variation in topography at the Todra Gorge and Dades Valley are also not to be missed on any true Morocco adventure. Discovering the region of Bouthgrar and the Valley of Nomads where one can have tea with Noamd family and explore their history of living in ancient caves is second to none in the category of a life time memorable vacation.

Exploring the city of Marrakech’s Majorelle Gardens, La Mamounia Hotel’s Gardens, the Menara Gardens and the Agadal Gardens alongside a visit of the Bahia Palace and seaside Essaouira cannot be topped. A grand ending to any Morocco Holiday is a visit to the seaside artist colony of Essaouria where some of the best seafood can be had complimented by charming walks in the old medina, in it’s Portuguese Port and also chatting with local Essaouira shop keepers where imported Berber rugs from the Middle and High Atlas region can be purchasing for reasoable prices.

If you’re considering a Morocco Holiday Vacation then any of the following cities are the top places to visit.

Marrakech Tour- Gardens & Historical Sites

Fes Tour – Imperial City & Historical Sites

Ancient City of Volubilis & Meknes Tour

Merzouga Tour – Erg Chebbi Dunes

Valley of Nomads Tour – Mount Mgoun & Bouthgrar

Ouarzazate’s Ancient Kasbahs Tour

For more information about Morocco Holiday Vacations

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert, Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or 1 (917)703-2078 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

Morocco Holiday Vacation, Morocco Holiday Adventure, Imperial Cities Morocco, Ait Benhaddou, Telouet Kasbah, Kasbah Taouirt, Fes Tour, Meknes Tour, Volubilis Tour, Marrakech Tour, Sahara Desert Tour, Private Morocco Adventure, Private Morocco Tours, Sahara Desert, Erg Chebbi Dunes, Valley of Nomads, Mount Mgoun, Berber Village Tour, Morocco private tours, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco

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Posted in Ait Benhaddou, Berber Village Tour, Erg Chebbi Dunes, Fes Tour, Imperial Cities Morocco, Kasbah Taouirt, Marrakech Tour, Meknes Tour, Morocco Holiday Adventure, Morocco Holiday Vacation, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Private Tours, Morocco Travel, Mount Mgoun, Private Morocco Adventure, Private Morocco Tours, Sahara Desert, Sahara Desert Tour, Telouet Kasbah, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco, Valley of Nomads, Volubilis Tour | Comments Off on Morocco Holiday Vacation Ideas, Your Morocco Travel Guide

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