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Moroccan Bread, Flatbreads and Pancakes, Recipes for Msemen and Hacha, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

Moroccan Msemen

Morocco is a country in North Africa where people consume allot of bread, Bread is always on the table an eaten with almost every meal. Bread is fitting with the traditional cuisine of Morocco that consists of tajines, stews and soups. What’s staggering about “bread” in Morocco is that is primarily made by all women at home and often twice daily. This results in fresh and delicious breads of all kinds from flatbreads to pancakes.

Akin to Spain, bread in Morocco is a key component of any Moroccan diet. There is an ancient proverb, “manage with bread and butter until God sends honey”. This ancient saying affirms that there is availability of bread to all groups in Morocco. For example, the Berbers of the Rif Mountains sustained themselves with bread made from Barely. While present times afford more variety in Moroccan’s diets and bread can be supplemented with potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, fruit or nuts, bread still plays an important role in the lives of Moroccans.

In cities, Moroccans can be spotted daily in the early parts of the morning carrying bags of assorted breads that they picked up at the market. In villages women can be found baking bread from scratch in earthen ovens. Traditionally, Moroccans eat three meals a day, with lunchtime remaining the most important as all family members still come home from school or work to eat together. At each of these meals, one person is designated to distribute the bread.

Moroccan Hacha

Historically, bread has played such an important role in the life of Moroccans. Until the 1980’s, almost all Moroccan families made their own bread. The Moroccan child wearing a padded hat would walk to the Fran, carrying a gssa or a red pan filled with yeast on top of their heads. Frans, strategically located community ovens, were found in every neighborhood, and baked dozens of loafs at once. These Frans can still be found and are utilized by the Fassis (local people) in the old Medina of Fes.As there were so many breads baking together, anything placed in the oven was marked with a rubber stamp. Today, a faster paced lifestyle in Morocco and an increasing number of households having two working parents has resulted in less use of the Fran.

Although bakery bread can be bought in most neighborhoods, many families still prepare their own bread and bake it in street ovens. The recipes below will show you how to make authentic Moroccan bread (khobz) at home. Rghaif – folded and fried doughs such as msemen and meloui – or crepe-like beghrir frequently appear alongside bread for breakfast, tea time or a snack.

Moroccan bread (called khobz in Arabic) is shaped into round, flattish loaves which have lots of crust and versions of Moroccan flatbreads such as Msemen and Meloui are made without the curst. What goes into each kind of bread that is made is a matter of personal preference and Moroccan tradition. White, semolina, wheat, rye,and barley are some of the flours that are used by Moroccan women who bake bread. Anise and cumin seeds are two additions that are often added to give thick or flatbreads an extra flavor.

Moroccan Msemen Flatbread Baked Fresh, Old Medina Marrakesh

In rural areas, many families use small dome-shaped wood burning ovens to bake their bread. This gives bread a unique flavor and character that simply can’t be matched in a conventional oven. Although breadbakiMoroccan bread can be baked in home ovens, and it’s worth trying to make your own bread to complement a Moroccan meal. Even if you’re not experienced with yeast doughs, you’ll find Moroccan Bread easy to make. No special pans are needed to shape the dough – everyday baking sheets will work just fine – and the dough needs only an hour or so to rise. Perfect for timing bread to be warm from the oven when the main meal is ready to serve. Try either of these basic Moroccan bread recipes the next time you plan to serve a tagine or other Moroccan dish:

Moroccan Msemen

Morocccan Msemen

Msemen – also known as rghaif – are Moroccan pancakes that have been folded into a square shape before being fried in a pan. This is a recipe for the dough used to make msemen. The dough is kneaded like bread dough until soft and smooth.

How to Fold & Make Msemen: -Flatten portions of the dough and fold them into squares. Frying the dough in a pan yields a layered pancake or flatbread that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. – The recipe below uses a little semolina flour for texture and taste. The use of semolina is a matter of personal preference. Substitute more semolina for the white flour if you like a coarser texture. Or, you can omit the semolina entirely.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: Approx. 20 msemen (4″ square)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour (340 g)

1/2 cup fine semolina (90g)

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 1/3 liter)

For folding and cooking the msemen:

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup fine semolina

1/4 cup very soft unsalted butter

Preparation:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add 1 1/2 cups of warm water, and mix to form a dough. Add more water if necessary to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead, but not sticky. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little flour one tablespoon at a time.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, (or knead the dough in a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes), until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

Proceed with folding and cooking the dough.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve the msemen plain, with butter and honey, or jam.
To make a syrup from butter and honey, simply melt equal portions of butter and honey in a pan until hot and bubbly. Carefully and quickly dip the msemen in the syrup and place on a serving platter.

Moroccan Meloui

Meloui are round Moroccan pancakes (rghaif) that are shaped by rolling a strip of dough up like a rug, and then flattening the upright coil into a circle.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Ti me: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: Approx. 20 msemen (4″ square)

Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups flour (340 g) 1/2 cup fine semolina (90g) 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon yeast 1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 1/3 liter) * * * For folding and cooking the msemen: 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 1/2 cup fine semolina 1/4 cup very soft unsalted butter

Preparation: Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of warm water, and mix to form a dough. Add more water if necessary to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead, but not sticky. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little flour one tablespoon at a time. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, (or knead the dough in a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes), until the dough is very smooth and elastic. Proceed with folding and cooking the dough.

Serving Suggestions: Serve the msemen plain, with butter and honey, or jam. To make a syrup from butter and honey, simply melt equal portions of butter and honey in a pan until hot and bubbly. Carefully and quickly dip the msemen in the syrup and place on a serving platter.

Ingredients: 2 cups of whole wheat flour 2 cups of all purpose flour (usually I put 3 cups of whole wheat + 1 cup all purpose flour, to have more fiber) 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp active yeast 1 tsp sugar 1 tbsp of powdered milk Salt to taste lukewarm water to combine the dough

Directions: In a bowl sift the flour & make a well. pour in the olive oil, sugar, salt, powdered milk, yeast. Now pour about half a cup of lukewarm water on the well to dissolve the yeast. Then mix all together, adding water at the same time, bit by bit. Once you combined the dough it should be soft, neither hard nor sticky. If it’s hard add little bit of water, if it’s sticky add flour & work the dough with a good knead. Shape the dough into a ball or more depending on how big you want the bread. Allow it to rise for about 10 min. Sprinkle your working surface with flour & flatten the ball. It shouldn’t be too thick nor too thin. Cover it with a clean cloth & let it rise (30 to 45 min) depending on the room temperature. You can test it by pressing the dough with your finger. If the finger print takes a long time to disappear, you should wait little longer. Poke the dough with a fork or slash it using a knife. Grease a baking sheet & bake the dough in an oven, over medium temperature until it’s golden brown. To cut it, use a sharp knife & mark a (+) shape on the bread. To eat it Moroccans would just pinch a 2 x 2 inches square & dip it in the stew.

For more information about Moroccan food and cuisine tours

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

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 bread, Moroccan flatbreads, Moroccan Msemen, Moroccan Hacha, Moroccan Meloui, Moroccan food, Moroccan pancakes, Moroccan cooking, Moroccan recipes, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco

Tags: Moroccan bread, Moroccan cooking, Moroccan flatbreads, Moroccan food, Moroccan Hacha, Moroccan Meloui, Moroccan Msemen, Moroccan pancakes, Moroccan recipes, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco
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Fes, Morocco World Music Festival Tour Package, With Travel Exploration, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Fes Festival Musician

Travel Exploration & Authentic Asia Present The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music & Morocco Cultural Tour – Hosted by Music Expert, Joel Davis

This 13 Day/ 12 Night Morocco Fes Music Festival Tour will offer a celebratory opportunity for those who are passionate about Sacred World Music to enrich their palate with a variety of international sounds ranging from Andalusian Classical music to African, Asian, Moroccan Sufi and more while taking a journey across Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Majestic Landscapes, the Sahara Desert and Valley’s. This all inclusive 13 Day/12 Night Morocco Private group tour guarantees combined 4/5 Star accommodations at charming Riads and luxury Moroccan hotels and properties, private transport, historical guides, museum and monument entrance fees along with tickets to the Fes Festival of Sacred World Music. Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to travel to Fes, Morocco and other regions such as Marrakech, Ouarzazate and the Sahara Desert with a music guide and historical guides who will bring depth and understanding to the meaning of Morocco’s music and vast cultural traditions.

View of Fes El Bali, Old Medina & UNESCO World Heritage Site

Fes is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the oldest world medina (old city) in the world. Come join our private group and participate in seeing renowned musicians from all over the world gather in Fes — Morocco’s spiritual capital. Travel Exploration’s private tour package includes a music guide, historical guides, daily sight-seeing tours in air-conditioned luxury minibuses or 4×4 land cruiser with multi-lingual speaking drivers that are fluent in English, Arabic, French and Berber. Also included are tickets to the Fes Festival performances in Morocco’s holy city of Fes. For more information on the 17th Edition of the Fes Festival World Sacred Music program.

Fes Festival Whirling Dervishes

Artists from around the world flock to Morocco’s spiritual capital during the annual Fez Sacred Music Festival. The top music artists from Middle Eastern and Western religious communities gather in Fez for a week of concerts, lectures, exhibitions, and intellectual and artistic exchanges. Performances have included the Sufi Whirling Dervishes of Turkey, Berber trance music, Arab-Andalusian music, Hindustani chants, Celtic sacred music, Christian Gospel, flamenco, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Morocco, with French classical musicians always proving popular. There has also been Sufi artists from India and Pakistan, Japanese drumming bands and a group of vocalists from Mali.

The Ablution Room in the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

DAY 1: CASABLANCA ARRIVAL – RABAT- FES
►Arrival at Casablanca International Airport.

►Have breakfast upon arrival, then visit the Mosque of Hassan II. Casablanca is home to the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers.Its minaret is the world’s tallest at 210 meters. It is an enormous architectural masterpiece and the second largest religious building in the world. On Fridays, the Mosque of Hassan II is open to non-Muslims.The Mosque of Hassan II’s promontory offers lovely views overlooking Casa in the residential Afna quarter.

►After visiting the Hassan II Mosque, take the road to Rabat for a half-day tour of this Imperial City.

►During your half-day tour you will learn Rabat’s history and enjoy its beautiful domes, minarets, wide avenues and green spaces. Your guide will escort you on a walk around the picturesque Almohad northern walls of the Oudaïa Kasbah. The kasbah was built by Moulay Ismaïl from 1672-1727 to protect the city and is enclosed by ramparts dating from the Almohad period. Visit Bab Oudaïa, a monumental gate and example of Almohad military architecture. See the Musée de Oudaïa, Moulay Ismaïl’s palace exhibiting collections of Moroccan folk art. Before moving on to city medina, relax in the Moorish style Andalusian garden.

►Visit the Royal Palace, the Hassan Tower which stands on the hill overlooking the Wadi Bou Regreg. It is a gigantic mosque, emblematic of Rabat and famous for its unfinished minaret where storks nest.

►Next door, visit the beautiful Mausoleum of Mohammed V decorated with stained glass windows, white marbleand a wrought-iron entryway with a stairway leading to an impressive dome.

►Lunch in Rabat, by the Sea.

►Explore the gardens nearby and visit the Palace of Rabat and visit the Necropolis at Chellah/ Kasbah of Chellah.

►Dinner & Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Fes.

Moulay Idriss Mosque Fes

DAY 2: FES (GUIDED HISTORICAL TOUR)

►After breakfast your day will begin at the Merenid Tombs of Fès.

►Next, stop at the Musée des Armes, a fortress that once protected Fès. Today it is possible to see a display of 8,000 pieces of artillery from Makina, the arsenal built by Moulay Hassan I.

►Enter the Fès el- Bali through the symmetrical horse shoe arches at Bab Boujeloud (The Blue Gate). Fès -el Bali, best characterized as a sea of rooftops embellished with minarets and domes, is too narrow for cars. Aside from walking, donkeys and mules are still the best way to travel within the cities old walls.

►Upon entering Rue Talaa Kebira, the main street in the medina, you will see lines of shops covered by canopies. Make your way to the Karaouiyine Mosque. Located in the Karaouiyine quarter, the Mosque is one of the oldest in the world and functioned as the first university in Morocco. After your visit, continue along the streets which will lead you to some of Fes’ most important buildings including Dar el- Magana, a fourteenth century water clock and Zaouia el Tijaniya, containing the tomb of Ahmed el Tijani, who spread his infamous doctrine Tariqq el- Tijaniya (The Way) throughout Morocco.

►We will also stop to visit the Ech Cherabliyine Mosque (Mosque of the Slipper makers) then browse the souks selling henna, slippers, caftans, silks, jewelry and spices.

►Next onto the UNESCO recognized site, Fondouk el- Najjarine. Within the foundouk’s three floors is the Musée de Bois, which displays carved doors from the Bou Inania Medersa.

►Stop for lunch within the medina at one of the fine Moroccan palace-restaurants that serves an extravaganza of mezas for lunch.

►After lunch we will visit the Musée Dar el- Batha to view the great collection of pottery, leather-work, wood, books and manuscripts from the nineteenth century.

►Next, enter Bab el Ftouh, the “Gateway of the Aperture” to explore the Andalusian quarter, a residential part of the medina laced with monuments. Our last part of the tour will take you into the Fès el Jedid, a kasbah which functioned as Morocco’s administrative center until 1912. Explore the royal palace and many interesting quarters including the Moulay Abdalllah Quarter, the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) and a little farther down south lies Ville Nouvelle (The New Quarter).

Within the Fes medina, we will the following historical sites:

►Medersa Bou Inania: An (Islamic school) founded by Abu Inan Faris that is highly decorated from floor to ceiling. The medersa is one of the few religious places in Morocco that is accessible to non-Islamic tourists.

►Kairaouine Mosque: Morocco’s second largest mosque was built by Fatima in 857. The Kairaouine Mosque became the home of the West’s first university and the world’s foremost center of learning at the beginning of the second millennium.

►University of Al-Karaouine: Founded in 859, this university is one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the Muslim world and is considered the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world.

►Zaouia Moulay Idriss II: A zaouia (shrine) dedicated to and the tomb of Moulay Idriss II, who ruled Morocco from 807 to 828 and founded the city of Fès for the second time in 810.

►Dar Batha: A Hispano-Moorish palace dating from the end of the 19th century that houses admirable collections of traditional art from Fès.

▶Weavers Cooperative: We will also visit the Weavers Cooperative located in a residential neighborhood off a main shopping street. The workshop specializes in weaving the ﬁnest jellaba fabric, made of silk and wool threads imported from Italy. The shop also makes a quality jellaba fabric from locally spun, textured wool thread called hubba -sometimes referred to as couscous, because it’s nubby texture resembles Morocco’s national semolina dish of the same name.

▶Tanneries: The Chourara or the Tanner’s Quarters is the most lively and picturesque souks in Fès. The Tanneries are often located near watercourses like the Wadi Fès and at a distance from residential areas due to the strongly unpleasant smells they produce.

▶Carpet Demonstration: Antique and Modern Carpets is one of the places in Fès el Bali where you can see a Berber carpet demonstration. You will be offered mint tea and follow your guide up a coil of stairs to a small area to watch carpets being made by young girls who come from the mountains to show tourists how Berber carpets are made.

▶Dyers Market: The dyers market, located along Rue de Teinturies, is the best place to see the dying vats which have been used for centuries to soak the skins of sheep, goat, cows and camels after they have their hair and ﬂesh removed is best seen from the neighboring terraces. You will see many tanned hides colored with natural pigments ranging from shades of brown, black, turquoise fuchsia, yellow and orange.

▶Potter’s Cooperative: You will also visit the Potter’s Cooperative. Also known as Place el-Seffarine, this kisseria is the most important center for the production Fasiss style ceramics, brass-ware and silverware in Morocco.

►Welcome Dinner at Le Maison Bleue, an exotic and fine Fasis restaurant in the Old Medina with a quaint show of Gnaoua Music as you dine.

►First night- showcase of the Fes Festival of Sacred Music’s sites and sounds at the Bab Makina in Fes.

►Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Fes.

DAY 3: FES – MEKNES – VOLUBILIS

►Breakfast at your Hotel in Fes. Then take the road to Meknes.

►Arrive in Meknes. Begin your visit at the 18th Century Palace built by Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah.

►Then pass through the triumphal arch. Standing at sixteen meters high with an eight meter long arch, the intricately patterned triumphal arch is argued to be the most beautiful in Morocco. Enter Place El-Hedime (Square of Ruins) which links the medina and the kasbah. The square is lined with modern residential buildings and a covered food souk (market).

►We will stop and visit the Musée Dar Jamaï, a museum showing modern Moroccan arts, woodwork, ceramics, carpets, costumes, jewelryand metalwork. The sophisticated building was once a palace incorporating a mosque, menzah (pavilion), courtyard, kitchen and hammam.

►Next we will visit the Bou Inania Medersa to explore the beautiful Koranic school established by the Merinids in the 14th century. Opposite of the Medersa, see the Grand Mosque.

►Among the most impressive elements of this imperial city is the grand gate named after the architect, El-Mansour, a Christian renegade who converted to Islam. The design of the gate plays with Almohad patterns. It has zellij mosaics of excellent quality. The marble columns were taken from the Roman ruins of Volubilis.

►Lunch in Meknes.

►After visiting Meknes, take the road to explore the breathtaking archaeological site of Volubilis (Walili). Once occupied by the Romans, Volubilis has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site and gained international acclaim when Martin Scorsese made it a feature location for his film, The Last Temptation of Christ.

►Begin your visit by discovering the fascinating Roman ruins adorned with beautiful mosaics and colorful tiles depicting Roman mythology. The ruins are spread out across several acres and what remains visible is several fragments of wall, parts of massive columns, the capitol, the basilica and a triumphal arch. The ruins reveal how the Roman Empire transformed the original Carthaginian settlement into a typical Roman city complete with mansions, a town center, a triumphal arc and temples devoted to the Roman gods.

►Enjoy tea at the small café that sits just below the Volubilis ruins. Next explore the open-air museum with remains of altars, sculptural fragments and colorful mosaics.

►Commence your visit in Volubilis, then take the road to Fes. Arrrive in the evening.

►Second night- showcase of the Fes Festival of Sacred Music’s sites and sounds at the Bab Makina in Fes.

►Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Fes.

Fes Batha Museum

DAY 4: FES (FASIS POTTERY COOPERATIVE, SIDI HARAZEM SPA & FREE EXPLORATION)

►Rise, have breakfast at your Riad, then stroll the Jnan S’bil Garden, a popular botanical garden in Fes where locals frequent for morning and afternoon walks, to read a book or relax. Jnan S’bil Garden has been closed for several years for a reservation and it is re-opening spring 2010.

►Next, visit Fes’ renown Pottery Cooperative where you can view how the Fasis pottery and zellij tile are made by hand. Tour the cooperative to see how the various artisans work using the ancient Fasis techniques that are unique to this Imperial city and region. Participate if you wish by throwing a pot or starting to make your own zellij tile. See the works of the artisans which are available for purchase as well.

►After visiting the Fasis Pottery Cooperative enjoy the rest of the afternoon visiting other sites on your own or exploring the old Fes medina cobble stoned streets or consider a visit to a Spa just outside of Fes.

►Fes, is believed to be the world’s largest contiguous car-free urban area and you will be able to roam free, only having to move aside for the donkeys that will need to pass bringing goods across from place to place.

►If roaming around Fes on your own is not of interest, then take the road to visit Sidi Harazem, a Spa and green area just outside of Fes which contains hot water springs that are rich in magnesium. The benefits of these curative waters may be enjoyed at the health spa.There is also an ancient sacred pool surrounded by eucalyptus, palm and pink laurel trees.

►The other option is to visit Moulay Yacoub an old French, style Spa with thermal stations, cold dipping pool along with rock hot saunas and steam rooms. Compliment your visit with an old world, French- Moroccan massage with rose, orange or jasmine oil, receiving a treatment from head to toe.

►Dinner options are at your Riad, in the Ville Nouvelle (new city), Le Palais D’Medina or Le Maison Bleue.

►Third night- showcase of the Fes Festival of Sacred Music’s sites and sounds at the Bab Makina in Fes.

►Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Fes.

DAY 5: FES – ZIZ VALLEY – IFRANE- MERZOUGA

►Rise, have breakfast at your Riad. Then take the road to Merzouga. Enroute to Merzouga, we will pass Ifrane, stopping to see the cedar tree forrest and the local barbary monkeys. We will also pass the American- Moroccan University which was built by the Saudi’s.

▶ We will have lunch during our journey in the Ziz Valley or at another local town en route to the Sahara desert. We will continue the road to Merzouga and arrive before sunset.

▶Arrive in Merzouga before sunset, then go by dromedary camel for 45 minutes- one-hour, at sunset into the Erg Chebbi Dunes to camp overnight luxury Biouvac tent at an oasis. Your Tuareg guide will share some of the Sahara Deserts’ secrets. As you glide across humpback on these silent, mystical dunes there will be countless opportunities to photograph the endless rolling dunes.

▶Dinner & Spend the night at a Charming Bivouac near an Oasis within the Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga’s Sahara Desert with traditional Entertainment in a Majestic 1001 Nights Tent.– Guest House Option Available For Those Who Prefer.

DAY 6: MERZOUGA – RISSANI- ERFOUD -N’KOB -OUARZAZATE

▶Rise, have breakfast and take a sunrise trek back to Merzouga center. Enjoy the flora and fauna that is unique to the Sahara. Then take the road to visit the Saharan Desert towns of Rissani and the capital of fossils, Erfoud. Visit the old ksars and then continue the road to the village of Ait Ouzzine, located in N’kob which is nestled within the Middle Atlas Mountains.

►Aït Ouzzine is a Berber village inhabited by over 300 families who live in beautifully painted crenulated kasbahs, with their own henna fields, water wells, livestock and gardens. This peaceful village is tucked away along an impressive desert route connecting the Draa Valley (Tansikht) and Rissani.

►Lunch will be served to you in Aït Ouzzine by a traditional Berber, Moroccan family. The menu will include a traditional meal of fresh baked bread with spices and a chicken and vegetable tajine and fresh local fruits for desert. After lunch, you can have your hands and feet painted with henna or your hair adorned with saffron by a local village artist and relax. Experience the tradition of Berber perfume made from musk and amber along with the villages own spices.

►End the afternoon in Ait Ouzzine with mint tea and almonds. Take the through the Draa Valley back to Ouarzazate before sunset.

►The Draa Valley is the road of the old caravans that were once traveled to transport dates and other good from the Draa Region to Marrakech. Arrive and have dinner at your Riad.

►Dinner & Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Ouarzazate.

DAY 7: OUARZAZATE ANCIENT KASBAHS

►Breakfast at your Riad. “See Ouarzazate and die” are feelings often expressed by Moroccans with regards to this magical city that is the door to the Sahara desert. Located just four hours from Marrakesh, Ouarzazate is the main Berber city in the south known for its spectacular sunsets and dramatic mountain and desert scenery. Surrounded by breathtaking valleys, Ouarzazate was once crossing point for African traders seeking to reach northern cities in Morocco and Europe. During the French period, Ouarzazate expanded considerably as a garrison town and became the administrative centre of the Zagora region. Ouarzazate became famous when it’s nearby Kasbah; Ait Benhaddou in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia.

► Visit the Oasis of Fint, the Atlas Film Studios, Aït Benhaddou & Kasbah Taouirt.

► Take the road to the Oasis of Fint that hovers under the Atlas Mountains. Journey on a one-hour walk inside the Oasis where you will have a cup of tea with the headmasters family Azziz Ouaziz and tour the surrounding area where date palm oases and dramatic desert scenery are king.

► After visiting the Oasis of Fint we will take the road to the Atas Film Studios. David Lean filmed Lawrence of Arabia at The Atlas Film Studios in the early 1960’s. Since then many famous directors have followed in his footsteps to exploit the magnificent scenery. International blockbusters shot here in recent years include: the French version of Cleopatra, Bertolucci’s Sheltering Sky, Scorsese’s Kundun, Gillies MacKannon’s Hideous Kinky, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Black Hawke Down, Oliver Stone’s Alexander The Great, Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven, and Penelope Cruz’s Sahara.

► Next visit Aït Benhaddou. Aït Benhaddou is located 32 km from Ouarzazate lies the picturesque village. Aït Benhaddou of Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss-Massa-Draâ on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and Orson Welles used it as a location for Sodome and Gomorrah; and for Jesus of Nazareth the whole lower part of the village was rebuilt. In recent years more controlled restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices. Aït Benhaddou is one of many locations in this region used for shooting Hollywood films. This Berber village of towered and crenulated Kasbahs that once guarded the lucrative caravan route through the Atlas Mountains.

►Lunch on a terrace with clear views of Aït Benhaddou and enjoy a traditional Moroccan or Moroccan salada and a hearty tajine.

► End the day with a short visit to Kasbah Taouirt which was was built by the Pasha Glaoui. Kasbah Taouirt’s location was strategic for trading routes and in the 1930’s when the Glaoui ruled the South it was then one of Morocco’s largest Kasbahs. Explore its nooks and crannies and discover some local female painters who sell their art inside as well as the many quality silver shops just steps outside the Kasbah.

►Dinner & Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Ouarzazate.

DAY 8: OUARZAZATE – BOUTHGRAR (VALLEY OF NOMADS), VALLEY OF ROSES, BOUMALNE DADES VALLEY & GORGE – SKOURA

►Breakfast at your Riad. Take the road to visit Bouthgrar, the Valley of Nomads and the Dades Valley.

►Begin your visit at 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 extraordinery views. Have tea with a Nomad family. See first hand where they make their own carpets and co exist in Bouthgrar with other Nomad families.

►Your journey will then take you through the Dadès Valley 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 (windy roads). Driving along you will pass flower filled fields, fertile fields, riverbanks and several fortified ksours. At the bottom of Gorge of Boumalne Dadès there are ruined hilltop Kasbahs and valley floor gardens.

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

►Dinner & Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Ouarzazate.

DAY 9: OUARZAZATE – MARRAKECH

►Rise early, breakfast at your Riad and then take the road to Marrakech.

▶En route you will go by piste to visit Kasbah Telout, one of Morocco’s hidden jewels and a famous Kasbahs that is the origin of the Pacha Glaoui Family. Kasbah Telout is hidden among a tiny road in a small village that is 20 minutes outside Tichka. It’s history stands alone with its original zellij tile, authentic, preserved silks and grand remnants of the Glaou family. Unlike the other Kasbahs in Southern Morocco, Telout was occupied by the Glaoui’s instead of the slaves and has stunning views. This Kasbahs has yet to be coined a UNESCO World Heritage site and while it appears in parts to be in ruins on the exterior, its interior is one of true spelndor.

►Lunch in the Tizzin Tichkas Pass f and visit the Argan Cooperative where Argan Oil, Butter and Cosmetics are made with the Argan nut by hand as Berber women crack the nuts and the grind them one by one. Have a complimentary tasting. This cooperative is run entirely by women. Lunch in the village of Tadart.

►Arrive in Marrakech. Evening Free. Dinner at your Riad or in the heart of Djemma El Fna Square.

►Dinner & Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.

DAY 10: MARRAKECH (GUIDED HISTORICAL TOUR)

►Breakfast at your Riad. Begin your one-day Historical Tour of Marrakech.

►Your introduction to Marrakech will begin in the new city, we will navigate our way to French, Gueliz and head to the Majorelle Gardens, a magical and lush small garden estate designed by Jacque Majorelle and maintained by Yves Saint Laurent. The Majorelle Garden is filled with colorful walkways, ponds, cactus and plants as well as a beautiful shop with hand-made goods. On our return to your hotel, we will pass by the La Mammounia Hotel Garden (where Alfred Hitchcock wrote the famous film The Birds).

►Visit the 19th Centurey Bahia Palace, originally built for Si Moussa, a former slave who became King Moulay Hassan’s chamberlain. The palace holds a courtyard and riads decorated with and the most beautiful carved stucco, Arabic architecture. Next visit the 16th Century Saadian Tombs and El Mansour mosque. Marrakech is a city of underground channels built by the architects from Cordoba, Spain to provide water for the town and Palmery.

►Next visit the old, Medina, the old quarter of the Marrakech. From here we will explore this historically charming area by foot. In Djemma el Fna, you will visit the famous 12th century Koutouba Mosque, its influential minaret and gardens.

►Your guide will lead you through the labyrinth streets and alleys of the Djemma. Enjoy aromatic smells, taste fresh squeezed orange juice and venture into the souks specializing in Berber carpets, silver jewelry, artisan workshops, handmade shoes and tanneries. Enjoy a three- course lunch consisting of fresh salad, tajine and fruit at one of Marrakech most delectable restaurants.

►Next we will visit the Museum of Marrakech, a Contemporary Moroccan Art Museum or Tiskiwin, a private museum dedicated to popular arts & crafts, styled as a beautiful Spanish-Moroccan house, next door to Dar Si Said palace, a smaller version of the Bahia.

►Evening free to explore Marrakech on your own. Your private driver will be available to escort you to a variety of restaurants we recommend.

►Dinner at your Riad or one of Marrakech’s fabulous restaurants, Le Marrakechi, Le Fonduk or Le Comptoir Darna.

►Dinner & Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.

DAY 11: MARRAKECH – FREE DAY or OURIKA VALLEY SETTI FATIMA WATERFALLS VISIT

►Breakfast at your Riad. Visit the Ourika Valley’s Setti Fatima Waterfalls or spend the day exploring on your own in the Marrakech medina.

►Attend the CHEZ ALI FANTASIA, Equestrian & Moroccan Music show. Three Course Dinner served on site in Marrakech’s lush palmary. Return to your Riad for the evening. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a traditional Fantasia unless you visit Meknes during the Fantasia Festival.

►Dinner & Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.

DAY 12: MARRAKECH – ESSAOUIRA (GUIDED HISTORICAL TOUR)

► Rise, breakfast at your Riad. Then take the road to visit the seaside port of Essaouira. The journey to this former Portuguese fishing village offers up only a few roadside towns and the occasional Berber village. In the ’60s and ’70s, Essaouira was a pitstop on the hippie trek from Marrakesh. Jimi Hendrix made the pilgrimage, as did Bob Marley and Cat Stevens. Essaouira was the inspiration for Hendrix’s song “Castles Made of Sand”.

► Visit this sea-side medieval town that boasts lovely white-washed and blue-shuttered houses, colonnades, thuya wood workshops, art galleries and mouthwatering seafood. Once called Mogador by European sailors and traders, Essaouria is known for its annual Gnaoua Music Festival that attracts 300,000+ people in June. It also has an expansive beach for surfing called Plage de Safi. The medina of Essaouira (formerly “Mogador”) is a UNESCO World Heritage listed city, as an example of a late-18th century fortified town.

► Take a stroll along the town’s sunlit pedestrian main square, Place Prince Moulay el Hassan and the Skala du Port, the fishing harbor, offers breathtaking views of the Portuguese ramparts. Explore the ramparts and the spice and jewelry souks of the medina. Your guide will take you to the old Jewish Mellah and explain the entire history of Essaouira.

► Have lunch at the fish-grill cafes, with wooden tables and benches laid out overlooking the sea that was once- in the 19^th century- the only Moroccan port south of Tangier.

► After lunch visit Orson Welles’ Square and memorial, designed by Samir Mustapha, one of the towns artists, which pays homage to Orson Welles filming of Othello in Essouaria. Essaouira’s history is a reminder of the times when Spain, Portugal and England fought to maintain control over its coasts. It has a typical Portuguese harbor that is a stunning example of Moorish and Portuguese architecture.

►Dinner & Spend the night at a 4 Star Charming Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.

DAY 13: MARRAKECH – CASABLANCA

►Breakfast at your Hotel. Departure at Casablanca’s International Airport.

Fes Festival Tour Rate: $4,480 Per Person (Double Occupancy Preferred, Not Required)
All Inclusive, Private Group Transport in Luxury Minibus or 4×4 Land cruiser, 4/5 Accommodations, licensed historical guides, some meals, museum and monument entrances fees, tickets to the Fes Festival of Sacred World Music

For more information about the Fes, Morocco Tour Package and the World Sacred Music Festival

Fes Music Festival Tour, Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, Fes Music Festival, Fes, 17th Edition Fes Festival, Dar Tazi, Batha Museum, Bab al Makina, Fes Festival Concert, Fes Festival in the City, Kairouine Mosque Fes, Moulay Idriss Mosque Fes, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Sahara Desert, Erg Chebbi Dunes, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco

Tags: 17th Edition Fes Festival, Bab al Makina, Batha Museum, Dar Tazi, Erg Chebbi Dunes, Fes, Fes Festival Concert, Fes Festival in the City, Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, Fes Music Festival, Fes Music Festival Tour, Kairouine Mosque Fes, Marrakech, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Moulay Idriss Mosque Fes, Ouarzazate, Sahara Desert, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco
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Fes Festival World Sacred Music 17th Edition June 2011 Program, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

Fes Festival 2011

Travel Exploration is proud to present the final music and conference schedule for the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music. The Fes Festival Of World Sacred Music’s 17th Edition will take place from June 3rd – 12th, 2011. The Fes Music Festival can be attended by taking a 13 Day/ 12 Night Morocco Tour with Music Host, Joel Davis which includes discovers of Morocco’s Imperial Cities, the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music and the Sahara region. Discovering Fes and the Fes Festival can also be done on a private journey to Fes. This immense undertaking of a Fes Festival Program in the city of Fes, Morocco is once again spearheaded by Mr. Faouzi Skali. Mr. Faouzi Skali has a Doctor in anthropology, ethnology and religion sciences. Faouzi Skali was born in Fes Morocco in 1953. Mr. Skali founded the international symposium A soul for the globalization – since 2001 – in parallel of the Festival of World Sacred Music in Fes. Those of us who know Mr. Faouzi Skali’s word and his commitment to peace and a greater Fes are pleased to have him back at the helm. The 17th Edition of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music is going to be like none other. At a time when the Muslim world is looking for reform towards democracy and peace, Morocco once again leads with a commitment to these efforts linked to culture, arts and community. The mix of musicians from around the world at the 17th annual Fes Festival within the modernized, peaceful and progressive country of Morocco is surely to be at the threshold of the world’s eyes and an opportunity for world and spiritual music to once again bridge the gaps that exist among us.

Faouzi Skali, Director of Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

Fes Festival of World Sacred Music – 17th Edition 2011 (June 3rd – 12th, 2011)

Friday, June 3rd

Bab Al Makina – 8.30 pm Creation

Opera ‘Majnun and Leila’ Armand Amar, art direction ‐ Leili Anvar, booklet (lyrics/script) With the Shanghai Percussion – Japanese Drums – Sarah Nemtanu, violin soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra ‐ Gregory Korneliu, cello ‐ Ibrahim Maalouf, trumpet ‐ Levon Minassian, duduk ‐ Seye Mohamed, ney ‐ Zaim Abdou, oud ‐ Guo Gan, erhu ‐ Mara Dubrescu, piano ‐ Mathias Duplessy, guitar ‐ Salah Aguili, Iranian singing ‐ Sandrine Piau and Adele Carlier, classical singing – Epi, Mongolian throat singing ‐ Asif Ali Khan, qawwali singing Armand Amar, a cinematic composer – from the prestigious “Amen” by Costa‐Gavras to the recent “Home” (a cult‐oriented ecological movie by Yann Arthus‐Bertrand) ‐ offers a musical and poetic journey of the great Eastern traditions, from Persia to the Arab world. The universal story of Majnun and Leila, a legend carried over time through stories, novels, poems, films and songs in Arabic, Kurdish, Pashto, Hindi, Urdu or Bengali,celebrates absolute love and represents the idea of a true mystical quest.

Saturday June 4th

Batha Museum – 4.00 pm

Elena Ledda and his quartet with polyphonic choir Su Cuncordu ‘E Su Rosario de Santu Lussurgiu ‐ Sardinia, Italy Cantendi A Deus. Surrounded by the beautiful voices of Sardinia, Elena Ledda renews the sacred songs ofan island whose pastoral society has preserved its rich oral heritage, a heritage that exudes the wild beauty of the ancient mountains and Mediterranean.

Bab Al Makina – 8.30 pm

Maria Bethânia ‐ Brazil Romances and spiritual songs / Canticos, preces e suplicas. A native of Bahia, Maria Bethânia was the spokesperson of a youth movement involved in post‐dictatorship and feminism. Today, the adored grande dame of popular song – known as Abelha‐rainha (“Queen Bee”) – plays a repertoire of homage and praise to the Virginary, full of a sensual fervor related to Brazil’s multiculturalism.

Nawah Fes Festival 2011 Performers

Sunday June 5th

Batha Museum – 4.00 pm

Nawah ‐ Morocco and Palestine Traditional Sephardic Jewish and Palestinian songs Françoise Atlan, voice Moneim Adwan, voice and oud Bijan Cheminani, zarb and daf . At the junction of the three monotheistic traditions of medieval Spain and a musical tradition evoking exile, lost homelands and purified love, Françoise Atlan and Moneim Adwan form a meeting between the musical history of the Maghreb and the Middle East.

Bab Al Makina ‐ 8.30 pm

Julia Boutros – Lebanon

The consciousness of a great voice. Following the path of the illustrious Feirouz to whom she is often compared, Julia Boutros continues with intelligence a career leading her to be respected by the entire Arab world. Simple in her interpretation, serene in her appearance, Julia Boutros has all the attractions of a diva aware of the political realities surrounding her.

Monday June 6th

Batha Museum – 4.00 pm

The ‘Kinor David’ choir under the direction of Michael Abittan ‐ Casablanca, Morocco. The art of matrouz. This year, in the spirit of the spiritual dialogue that characterizes this festival, the Jewish Arabic tradition – dear to the musical heritage of Morocco – evokes the land of Andalusia, a crucible of Muslim, Hebrew and Christian cultures, where Jewish and Arab poetry are embroidered and entwined.

Night in the Medina I

Dar Mokri – 8 and 10 pm Jesús Corbacho – Andalusia‐ Spain Saetas, songs of praise

Dar Tazi – 8.30 pm Salah Aghili ‐ Iran The poetic art of Djalâl ad‐Dîn Rûmî. The Persian music and poetry of Djalâl ad‐Dîn Rûmî opens the doors of perception, lifting our imagination into the heart of ancient warriors and epic songs, before descending into deep nostalgia and mystic sadness.

Batha Museum – 9.00 pm

Prem Sanyas, “The Light of Asia” ‐ North India A masterpiece of silent film directed by Franz Osten (1925) and set to music on stage by the ‘Divana Ensemble’ ‐ manghaniyars and langas musicians from Rajasthan. Prem Sanyas evokes the early years of Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, the long‐awaited son of King Suddhodana. After growing up in a closed and protected world the young man escapes the palace and discovers another aspect of human existence: poverty, disease and death. The film, shot in Jaipur, is an opportunity to discover the sumptuous lives and traditions of the rajahs of the time.

Dar Adiyel ‐ 9 and 10.30 pm

Alèmu Aga ‐ Ethiopia

Sacred song and lyre bèguèna Since the time of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon (1000 BC), there were 3000 years of independence experienced by the Kingdom of Axum, before it became Abyssinia and Ethiopia. These countries then converted to Christianity in the 4th century at the same time as the Roman Empire. The crystalline notes of the lyre and singing recitals of Alemu Aga take us back to the chants of King David. At once meditative and therapeutic, these songs are ancient and deeply peaceful.

Dar Tazi – 11.00 pm Sheikh Taha ‐ Upper Egypt The Inshad sufiya of Luxor The Munshiddin of Upper Egypt are known for their poetic verve and stage presence. Very popular, they are accompanied by the Takht Ensemble who play melodic ancient tunes inspired by old songs such as Oum Kalthoum. Their Sufi singing ‐ inshad Sufiya ‐ is bright and accessible to all.

Gundecha Brothers Fes Festival 2011 Performers

Tuesday June 7th Batha Museum – 4.00 pm

Gundecha Brothers ‐ North India

The sacred art of dhrupad. Dhrupad singing is the oldest classical music tradition alive in the Indian subcontinent. It is rooted in the recitation of the Vedic hymns. Originally sung in the temples, the vocal technique recreates the exaltation of the loving soul.

Dar Tazi – 11.00 pm Sheikh Taha – Upper Egypt Sufi Inshad of Luxor Night in the Medina II

Dar Mokri – 8.00 pm Mohamed Amin El Akrami and his orchestra ‐ Morocco Andalusian tradition of Tetouan. Mohamed Amine Akrami carries with him the musical heritage of Andalusian Tetouan, a small town in the Rif Mountains often called “the Andalusian patio of Morocco”. The tune contains both sophisticated and bitter aspects and the music al‐âla of Tetouan is beautifully enhanced by the Mohamed Amine Akrami Ensemble. Mohamed Amine Akrami perfected his art with religious songs from madih to samâ, studying under great masters such as Mohamed Larbi Temsamani and Abdessadak Chekara.

Batha Museum – 8.00 pm Ensemble Barroco Asuncion Paraguay ‐ Latin America Alexander Chauffaud, musical direction

Jessica Bogado and Laura Delogu, sopranos. Samples of Peruvian Codes from the Andean area in the 18th century Halfway between the European Baroque universe and traditional music, the viewpoints of two civilizations meet in sacred music. These works, born of the “meeting of two worlds”, make Latin America the chosen land of a musical art that has developed in staggering proportions since the late 16th and 17th centuries. The young musicians from Paraguay ‘Barroco’ tell the story of this journey by blending indigenous and European instruments, from the harpsichord to the Paraguayan harp.

Homayoun Sakhi Fes Festival 2011 Performers

Batha Museum – 10.00 pm Homayoun Sakhi – Afganistan Art of Rubâb

Afghanistan, formerly at the crossroads of the Persian, Indian and Asian civilizations, remains a country of proud mountain warriors, who are today faced with the game of international powers. Homayoun Sakhi, a musical revelation in recent years, has devoted his existence to rubâb, an Afghan lute, which sounds volatile and cutting.

Dar Mokri – 10.30 pm Nahal Tajddod and Jean‐Claude Carrière

“The Conference of the Birds” by Farid Eddin Attar Jean‐Claude Carrière and Nahal Tajaddod revive the Sufi tale of Farid Eddin Attar during areading punctuated by music. All the birds, known and unknown, met one day and discovered that they lacked a king. They decided to go in search of the bird‐king Simorg, a symbol of Truth in the Persiamystical tradition. This famous story of initiation, interspersed with stories and anecdotes, remains forever a jewel of Muslim spirituality. The great Rumi, Persian mystic and poet, said of its author, Attar (c. 1140 ‐ c. 1230): “He was the soul of Sufism, I am only following his trail.”

Dar Adiyel – 9.30 pm Ensemble Wajd – Morocco and Syria. Songs with existential and spiritual dimension, between tradition and modernity Naziha Meftah, songs Ghaïs Jasser, composition and piano Khaled Roumo, poetry

Dar Tazi – 11.00 pm Divana ‐ Rajasthan, North India Sufi songs of the Thar Deser A raw voice capable of shaping a myriad of songs, in perfect harmony with the amanchiya and sarangui fiddles, is the image of these nomadic societies that cultivate ahigh poetic refinement. In the poetic paradise that is the ancient land of Rajas (Rajasthan,meaning ‘Land of Princes’ in Sanskrit), the poet’s voice rises, sinuous and warm, and illuminates our soul like “the expanse of stars in the night”.

Abd Al Malik Fes Festival 2011 Performer

Wednesday June 8^th Batha Museum – 4.00 pm

Urban Phileas – Reunion Island, France Reunion Island is a microcosm of intersecting African, Asian, Indian, Arab and Europeanpopulations, a symbol of multiculturalism where all faiths and communities live together.The spirit of this special island is expressed through maloya, between Dravidian India,Malagasy possession rituals (servis kabaré) and the legacies of African slavery. UrbanPhileas, belonging to the family Lele, practices this ritual, which has been passed downthrough generations of ancestors.

Bab Al Makina – 8.30 pm Abd Al Malik ‐ France Rapper, slammer and composer, Abd Al Malik is the media figure of a new culture that has built itself out of the search for another life, another language, while managing the ups and downs of existence in an urban jungle. Abd Al Malik is inspired by, amongst other ideas, the Sufi philosophy of spiritual and intellectual resources and the great texts of Western thought.

Thursday June 9^th Batha Museum – 4.00 pm

Ensemble baroque “Il Concerto di Arianna” – Italy Musical performance of Alessandro Stradella, Alessandro Scarlatti and Antonio Vivaldi The illustrious Roman Ducci Foundation, which works for peace and dialogue between cultures, offers a repertoire focused on sacred music under the direction of the great conductor Marcello Panni.

Bab Al Makina – 8.30 pm Youssou N’Dour and the Super Star of Dakar ‐ Senegal Tribute to Sheikh Sidi Ahmed al‐Tijani Youssou N’dour, a true icon of West African music, has not forgotten his spiritual roots. In front of the symbolic door of Fez he will pay tribute to the great master of the Brotherhood Tijaniyya, founded around 1780 by Ahmad al‐Tijani. Ahmad al‐Tijani’s mausoleum ‐ a place of pilgrimage for the worldwide Tijani brotherhood ‐ is in Blida, in the heart of Fez Medina.

Doudou Ndiaye Rose Fes Festival 2011 Performer

Friday June 10th Batha Museum – 4.00 pm

Creation Doudou Ndiaye Rose and his sabar drum ensemble With the choir of St Joseph Medina led by Ambouras ‐ Senegal The sabar drums of Doudou Ndiaye Rose and his sons, give a new dimension to this polyrhythmic percussion and chorus, which is animated by the spiritual conviction to own the soul of Africa. This also occurs when Muslim and Christian traditions are absorbed by the traditional culture of the Fefer community.

Bab Al Makina – 8.30 pm Farid Ayyaz & Party and the great voices of moroccan samâ, accompanied by the Arab‐ Andalusian Orchestra of Fez, led by Mohammed Briouel ‐ Pakistan and Morocco The expression qaûl in Sufi speech, becomes qawwalî in Indo‐Pakistani music and meets the Arab‐Andalusian al‐âla tradition from Fes and the vocal art of samâ. In a common spirit of poetic recitation, with the same rhythmic frenzy and equal wealth of ornamentation, the powerful vocals of qawwalî by Farid Ayyaz intersect with those of samâ and their voices fill the sky with chanting.

Saturday June 11th Batha Museum – 4.00 pm

Syubbanul Akhyar Esemble ‐ Java, Indonesia Songs and music Hajir Marawi of Cirebon The first centuries of Islamization in Southeast Asia coincided with the heyday of medieval Sufism and developed around the 12th and 13th centuries, during which time the Sufi brotherhood tarîqat emerged. In Indonesia, Yemeni Arab traders from the Hadramout Valley were among the first to transmit a true and popular Sufism. The musical style hajir marawis, legacy of the Yemeni Sufi culture, refers to a set of hajir percussion drums (double membrane) and marawis (small tambourines) to which are added the oud, lute and Yemeni gambus.

Bab Al Makina – 8.30 pm Kazem El Saher and Asma Lmnawar, with the artistic collaboration of Aziz Lachhab ‐ Iraq and Morocco Kazem El Saher, a prestigious and big‐hearted Arabic singer, will be in Fez alongside the singer Asma Lmnawar from Casablanca, with whom he recently collaborated to create a masterpiece. This largely spiritual concert is being shown for the first time in a repertoire especially created for, and dedicated to, Fez.

Sunday June 12th Bab Al Makina – 8.30 pm

Ben Harper ‐ USA Ben Harper expresses the roots of an America that, through its nomadic troubadours and minstrels, has brought the essence of spirituality from memories of a lost Arica, through the struggles of slavery and the hopes of the early settlers.

FES FORUM: “Giving a Soul to Globalization” 4th‐ 8th June 2011

Batha Museum – 9 am to 12 noon 2011 Forum Theme: Dialogue about wisdom: inspired by Farid al‐Din Attar’s The

Conference of the Birds – “The problems we face cannot be solved with the same level of thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, surely we agree that the world’s fate no longer depends on a balance of power that sees mounting tensions between a western culture dominated by reason, creativity, and technology and other cultures driven by new, irrational, and dogmatic ideologies that draw solely on identity or religious affiliation? Not to deny these tensions, we must understand that what is happening is far more complex and deeply rooted. Whether our resources draw on ancient or new philosophies, from the North or South, East or West is not what matters. What is essential is that, by virtue of their encounter, they can nourish our relationship with the world. The impact of this encounter makes possible the emergence not simply of a plethora of ideas ‐ regardless of cultural relativis but a genuinely unknown relationship among cultures; a genuine diversity tha challenges and enriches thought, concepts of society, and our ideas of who we are and can be. Thus the Persian mystic poet of the 13th century, Attar, in his The Conference of the Birds, recounted how the birds, through an intensive dialogue, were able to discover the true significance of their existence and of their common destiny.

Faouzi Skali – The Fes Forum, whose overarching theme is “Giving A Soul To Globalization” will address topics ranging from “Islam and the West” : towards a new civilization,” “New horizons for the Maghreb», «What future lies ahead for the Middle East?, “The roots of the financial crisis”, “Contemporary dilemmas”, and more…Leading figures who will attend include: Rajmohan Gandhi, Katherine Marshall, Salamatou Sow, Edgar Morin, Majid Rahnema, Wim Wenders, Leila Shahid, André Azoulay, Karen Amstrong, Bariza Khiari, Jacques Attali, Siddhartha, Yann Arthus‐Bertrand, Michel Thao Chan, Michael Barry, Leili Anvar, Katia Légeret, Mohamed Valsan, Assia Alaoui Bensalah, Marie Miran‐Guyon, Mohamed Ghalmi, Kamal Oudghiri, Xavier‐Simon Guerrand‐Hermes, Xavier de Catheu, Patrick Busquet, Henri Joyeux, Patrick Viveret, Jean‐Claude Carrière, Amal Arfaoui, Saad Khiari, Nahal Tajddod, Abd Al Malik, , Setsuko Klossowska de Rola, Adel Rifaat, Bahgat Elnadi, Joseph Mail, Zeyba Rahman, Gunnar Stalsett and more.

Festival in the City – Everyday- Place Boujloud at 6.30 pm – Dar Tazi at 11.00 pm

Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, Fes Music Festival, Fes, 17th Edition Fes Festival, Dar Tazi, Batha Museum, Bab al Makina, Fes Festival Concert, Fes Festival in the City, Blue Gates of Fes, Nawah, Faouzi Skali, Doudou Ndiaye Rose, Guendecha Brothers, Homayoung Sakhi, Ben Harper, Fes Festival Tour, Fes Music Festival Tour, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco

Tags: 17th Edition Fes Festival, Bab al Makina, Batha Museum, Ben Harper, Blue Gates of Fes, Dar Tazi, Doudou Ndiaye Rose, Faouzi Skali, Fes, Fes Festival Concert, Fes Festival in the City, Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, Fes Festival Tour, Fes Music Festival, Fes Music Festival Tour, Guendecha Brothers, Homayoung Sakhi, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Nawah, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco
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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

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

Tags: Ahwash Dancing, Ait Ouzzine, Berber Wedding Tour, Caftan, Casablanca tour, Fes Tour, Hadous Drumming Casablanca, Marrakech Tour, Moroccan Caftan, Moroccan Wedding Tour, Moroccan Wedding Traditions, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, N'kob, Sahara Desert & Ouarzazate Kasbahs, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco
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Casablanca One- Day Tours, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca

A private one-day tour of Casablanca, Morocco is the best way to see the city if you’re arriving from the Casablanca airport or a short visit or if you’re coming by way of cruise ship into the Casablanca Port. Casablanca. Casablanca Tours are available from the airport, your Casablanca hotel or the Port of Casablanca.

Casablanca or more affectionately known as Casa has a population of three and a half million and is the largest city and port in Morocco. It’s also the biggest city in the Maghreb and the sixth biggest city in the entire continent of Africa.

Saint Catherine Cathedral Casablanca

Casablanca, the most famous name in Morocco Travel, is considered the economic capital of Morocco because it is the heart of Moroccan business. It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy. Casablanca is the headquarters and main industrial facilities for leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historic position as the main industrial zone of the country.

The area which is today Casablanca was settled by Berbers by at least the 7th century. A small independent kingdom, in the area then named Anfa, arose in the area around that time in response to Arab Muslim rule, and continued until it was conquered by the Almoravids in 1068. Originally modeled after Marseilles when the French landed Casa in 1907, Casa is the most European of Morocco’s cities and is known as a huge metropolis where modernity and tradition co-exist. As a tourist you can enjoy Casa’s bustling new town or its old medina and also meet immigrants from the countryside. At night you can dance at beach clubs and rub shoulders with the elite and also dine in some of the most liveliest and tasteful seafood restaurants on Casa’s port, the Corniche.

Museum of Moroccan Judiasm, Casablanca

Casablanca also has one of the only Jewish Museums in the Muslim world. The Museum of Moroccan Judaism of Casablanca is a museum of history and ethnography, created by the Jewish Community of Casablanca in 1997 with the support of the Foundation of Jewish-Moroccan Cultural Heritage. It uses world-class standards of conservation for its national and international collections. The Museum, which covers an area of 700 square meters, is the first of its kind in the Arab world. It consists of a large multipurpose room, used for exhibitions of painting, photography and sculpture; three other rooms, with windows containing exhibits on religious and family life (oil lamps, Torahs, chanukah lamps, clothing, marriage contracts (ketubot) Torah covers…) and exhibits on work life, two rooms displaying complete Moroccan synagogues; a document library, a video library and a photo library. The Museum offers guided visits, sponsors seminars and conferences on Jewish-Moroccan history and culture, and organizes video and slide presentations.

Hassan II Mosque Interior Architecture

CASABLANCA ONE-DAY TOUR:

►Pick up at the Your Hotel or The Port in Casablanca at 9:00am.

►Start your morning off with coffee and baguettes at one of the cafes at Parc de La Ligue Arabe, a huge garden with avenues lined with tall palm trees, ficus , arcades, pergolas and flower beds.

►Moving north, we will take the road towards the old medina as you move through Place Mohammed V and the Place des Nations Uniones, the main focal points of Ville Novelle, Casa’s new town. See French architecture complemented with Moorish design in Place Mohammed V, the protectorate square. Pass by the prefecture, law courts, central post office and cultural centers.

►Make sure you have a camera in hand to take pictures of the famous clock tower, art deco hotels, the eleven story Moretti apartment block and the high rise art deco buildings covered with loggias, columns, zellij tiles and geometric carvings on Boulevard Mohmmed V. Visit the famous residential blocks: the Glaoui, the Bessonneau and the Asayag. The Boulevard links Place des Nationes with the railway station and is the gateway to the central market. Continue a short way to the Avenue des Forces Royal, a commercial area that leads into the old medina. With the help of your guide, move easily through the labyrinth of narrow streets lined with jewelers, barbers and artisans. See the squala, a fortified 18th century bastion. Visit the nearby shrine containing the tomb of Sidi Allal el-Kairouant, Casa’s first patron saint.

►Enjoy lunch at one of the international restaurants by Casa’s port, the Corniche or Rick’s Cafe- a famous Piano Bar run by an American and named after the Movie “Casblanca.”.

Cafe Maure Casablanca

►After lunch visit the Mosque of Hassan II. Casablanca is home to the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers.

►A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque’s courtyard. Its minaret is the world’s tallest at 210 meters. Work on the mosque was started in 1980, and was intended to be completed for the 60th birthday of the former Moroccan King Hassan II, in 1989. However, the building was not inaugurated until 1993. Authorities spent an estimated $800 million in the construction of the building. It is an enormous architectural masterpiece and the second largest religious building in the world. Tour its famous minaret, dome, royal doors made of marble. On Fridays, the Mosque of Hassan II is open to non-Muslims.

►The Mosque of Hassan II’s promontory offers lovely views overlooking Casa in the residential Afna quarter. After touring the Mosque, head over to the New Town of Casablanca also designed by the French architect Henri Prost for an hour of shopping. The main streets of the New Town (Ville Nouvelle in French) radiate south and east from Place des Nations Unies, where the main market of Anfahad been. The New Town you past in your morning journey is possibly the most impressive in Morocco.

Former administrative buildings and modern hotels populate the area. Their style is a combination of Hispano-Mauresque and Art Deco Styles.

OPTIONAL:

►Visit Temple Beth-El, the Jewish Synagogue in Casablanca. Beth-El, is considered the center piece of a once vibrant Jewish community. Its stained glass windows and other artistic elements, is what attracts tourists to this synagogue.

►Visit the Jewish Museum in Casablanca.

►Next visit the old Jewish Mellah of Casablanca. The Jewish Mellah of Casablanca is young by Moroccan standards, not much more than a century old. It assaults the senses in the evening, with a sea of women in brightly colored djellabas carrying and selling fruit and vegetables throughout the cramped, narrow streets. While Jews no longer live in the mellah, kosher butchers are found in the old market, next to other butchers selling horse meat. The Jewish cemetery in the mellah is open and quiet, with well-kept white stone markers in French, Hebrew and Spanish. Once a year, Casablancans celebrate a hiloula, or prayer festival, at the tomb of the Jewish saint, Eliahou.

►The 4,500 Casablancas’ Jews live outside the mellah in the European city, where they worship in over 30 synagogues, eat in kosher restaurants, entertain themselves in community centers, and attend Jewish schools and social service centers. Beth El is the largest synagogue and an important community center, seating 500 persons.

►End the day with a visit to The Parc de la Ligue Arabe (formally called Lyautey) which is the city’s largest public park. On its edge is situated the Cathedrale du Sacre Coeur, which is disused, but is a splendid example of Mauresque architecture.

For more information about Casablanca Tours or Casablanca One-day tours

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Tags: Casablanca Consulate, Casablanca excursions, Casablanca one-day tours, Casablanca tour, Casablanca tours, Casablanca tours from hotel, Casablanca tours from the airport, Casablanca tours from the port, Cathedral Casablanca, Hassan II Mosque Casablanca, Jewish Museum, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Museum of Moroccan Judiasm Casablanca, Place des Nations Casablanca, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco, Twin center Casablanca
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Caroline Myss, The Sacred Spaces Morocco Tour, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Monday, January 10th, 2011

Caroline Myss The Sacred Spaces Tour

Smith Events and Travel Exploration Morocco have partnered together to create the first “Sacred Spaces Morocco Tour” featuring spiritual author, holistic speaker and medical intuitive Carolyn Myss. Pack your bags for a life-changing experience as you embrace Morocco, one of the ancient intersections of civilization with Caroline Myss!

Attending a Morocco Tour with host and speaker, Caroline Myss will offer a once in a lifetime experience to those who are looking to discover the deeper aspects of Morocco and how its culture intersects with world religions and traditions.

Each participant on this Morocco Sacred Spaces Tour will encounter 17^th century palaces, glorious houses of worship and majestic gardens along with sacred spaces that maintain a bold place in Moroccan history. On this Morocco Sacred Spaces Tour one will be whisked away in every city to discover Morocco’s customs, exquisite cuisine and a shoppers’ paradise of hand made goods, made by local artisans, along with sprawling markets. Morocco’s markets, also referred to as souks, offer a wide array of pottery, fabric, antique jewelry, leather goods and carpets indigenous to each city and region. No stone will be left un turned as each day of this Sacred Spaces Morocco Tour will be filled with a sense of authenticity as you discover Morocco with like minded people.

Caroline Myss will offer lectures every other morning on a wide array of subjects ranging from Sufism to the meaning of prayer. Those lectures will be complimented by local workshops given by Moroccan experts on symbolism in Moroccan culture and feminism on the road to modernity in the Maghreb.

The breathtaking architectural sites of Morocco’s Sacred Spaces Tour with mystic, Caroline Myss at the helm of this journey will leave you with lifetime memorable moments that will offer a unique opportunity to explore and perhaps redefine your own archetype.

About Smith Events: Smith Events creates unique world tours and events featuring celebrity authors, speakers and organizations that specialize primarily in the fields of Alternative Health and Spiritual Consciousness.

About Travel Exploration Morocco: Travel Exploration Morocco is a Morocco Travel Agency based in Marrakech and Ouarzazate that creates customized, private Morocco tours to the Imperial Cities, Sahara Desert, Berber Villages and Morocco’s Sacred Spaces.

Caroline Myss, The Sacred Spaces Morocco Tour October 15^th – 26^th, 2011

The Sacred Spaces Tour Itinerary

Saturday, October 15

• Meet at New York, JFK airport for group flight. Do NOT forget your passports. Departure early morning.

Sunday, October 16 – Casablanca | Rabat | Fes

• Casablanca Arrival at Mohammed VI Airport

• Visit Hassan II Mosque

• Take the road to Rabat Lunch at a Traditional Moroccan Restaurant in Rabat

• Visit Hassan II Tomb & Hassan Tower

• Take the road to Fes

• Welcome Dinner – Andalucian Music Show at Les Merinides Hotel

• Spend the Night at Le Merinides Hotel in Fes (6:30pm – 8:00pm)

Monday, October 17 – Fes Historical Tour Part I

• Breakfast at Le Merinides in Fes

• Workshop with Caroline Myss: 1-2 Hours

• Fes Historical Tour for 3 Hours: 14th Palace Gates of the King

• Jewish Mellah & Tomb of Siluca, Small Jewish Museum

• Spice Market Walk through old Neighborhood

• View of Fes & Ancient Les Merinides Tombs

• Pottery & Zellij Tile Cooperative

• Batha Museum & Gardens

• Lunch in a Palais Mnebhi Restaurant in Fes • Afternoon Shopping

• Dinner at Les Merinides Hotel (6:30pm – 8:00pm)

• Spend the Night at Le Merinides Hotel in Fes

Tuesday, October 18 – Fes | Meknes | Volubilis

• Breakfast at Les Merinides Hotel

• Take the road to visit Meknes (passing Arab Villages and Olive Groves) • In Meknes Visit: The Bab El Khemis, (Thursday Gate from 17th Century)

• Agdal reservoir built by Moulay Ismail • Old Horse Stables

• The Maouselm of Moulay Ismal Mausolem & Mosque where Berber Wife is Buried

• Bab Mansour Gate,the Royal Golf Club

• Shopping for textiles made by Franciscan nuns and Tinseling process of metal smithing onto black iron material

• Visit the Meknes souk where olives and other condiments are sold and Meknes square where people congregate with some drumming and open space

• Lunch in Meknes at Restaurant Talib that offers local wines -made in the region of Meknes .

• Visit the Roman Ruins of Volubilis

• Take the National Road returning to Fes

• Dinner at Les Merinides Hotel in Fes (6:30pm – 8:00pm) • Spend the Night at Le Merinides Hotel in Fes

Wednesday, October 19 – Fes Historical Tour Part II

• Breakfast at Les Merinides in Fes • Carolynn Myss Morning Lecture (1-2 Hours)

• Fes Historical Tour for 3 Hour

• Enter through the Bab Boujloud – the Blue Gate of Fes

• Visit the Kairouine Medersa

• Visit the Nejjarine Mosque • Visit the Mausoleum- Zaouia Moulay Idriss (Shrine) and Zaouia Moulay Idriss II.

• Visit the Tannery

• Lunch at Palais Dar Tazi OR another Palace Restaurant in the Old City

• Afternoon Shopping

• Dinner at Les Merinides Hotel in Fes (6:30pm – 8:00pm)

• Spend the night at Les Merinides Hotel in Fes

• Breakfast at Les Merinides in Fes

• Morning Lecture

• Take the road to Marrakech

• Coffee stop in Ifrane, Ski Town (1 Hour Break)

• Lunch in Beni Melllal en route to Marrakech – PAID BY GUESTS SEPARATELY

• Dinner at Le Meridien N’Fis

• Spend the Night at Le Meridien N’Fis in Marrakech

Friday, October 21 – Marrakech Historical Tour Part I

• Breakfast at Le Meridien N’Fis

• Carolynn Myss Morning Lecture (1-2 Hours)

• Majorelle Gardens & Visit of Mosques & Palaces, Bahia Palaces, Jewish Mellah

• Afternoon Shopping

• Lunch at Le Meridien N’Fis Hotel

• Relax at Hotel

• Dinner & Chez Ali Equestrian & Moroccan

Saturday, October 22 – Marrakech Historical Tour Part II

• Breakfast at Le Meridien N’Fis

• Bring in A Speaker or Lecturer (1-2 Hours) Find Someone for Marrakech?

• Visit of Menara Gardens & Afternoon Shopping OR Relax at Hotel & Use Spa

• Lunch at Le Meridien Hotel

• Relax at Hotel

• Dinner at Le Meridien N’Fis

• Spend the night at Le Meridien N’Fis in Marrakech

Sunday, October 23 – Marrakech | Essaouira

• Breakfast at Le Meridien N’Fis

• Carolynn Myss Morning Lecture (1- 2 Hours)

• Take the road to Essaouira

• Stop at an Argan Cooperative in Route to See How the Argan nut is made into Argan oil, Argan butter and cosmetics

• Arrive in Essaouira

• Lunch by the sea, fresh grilled fish- catch of the day.

• Check into Sofitel Jamai Essaouira

• Half- Day Historical Tour • Dinner at Sofitel Essaouira

• Spend the night at Sofitel Essaouira

Monday, October 24 – Essaouira

• Breakfast at Sofitel Jamai Essaouira

• Morning Lecture with Rachida About Women in Morocco, Her Views on Classical Ideology verse Moroccan, among other subject matters

• Day FREE to explore Essaouira and relax

• Dinner at Sofitel Essaouira

• Spend the night at Sofitel Essaouira

Tuesday, October 25 – Essaouira | El Jadida | Casablanca

• Breakfast at Sofitel Jamai in Essaouira

• Carolynn Myss Morning Lecture (1- 2 Hours) Closing Lecture

• Take the road to Casablanca up the coast.

• En route to Casablanca stop in El Jadida to visit the Portuguese Cistern

• Ali Baba El Jadida at Ali Baba

• Continue the road to Casablanca

• Dinner -– PAID BY GUESTS SEPARATELY

• Dinner & Spend the night at Royal Mansour Casablanca

Wednesday, October 26 –Casablanca Departure

• Breakfast at Royal Mansour

• Departure from Casablanca Mohammed V Airport

Please note that this itinerary may be changed at any time.

For more information about The Sacred Spaces Morocco Tour

The Sacred Spaces Morocco Tour, Caroline Myss, Smith Events, Smith Events Sacred Spaces Morocco Tour, Smith Events unique world tours, Imperial Cities, Marrakech, Fes, Essaouira, Meknes, Volubilis, Chezi Ali, Le Meridein N’Fis, Royal Mansour Casablanca, Les Merinides Hotel Fes, Sofitel Essaouira, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco

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Top 10 Things To Do In Ouarzazate, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

The Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate

Things to do in Ouarzazate. The Top 10 Things to do in Ouarzazate, Morocco is a hot list of activities and experiences that one can do alone, with their spouse or friends and family in the the door to the Sahara Desert. The most popular activities on a Ouarzazate Tour typically included spending time visiting the Oasis of Fint, the many Kasbahs in the region such as Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Kasbah Tifoultoute, Kasbah Taouirirt, Kasbah Telouet and Kasbah Telouet in the Tizzin’ Tichka Pass. A Sahara Tour from Ouarzazate to the region of Zagora where one can pass through the Draa Valley’s volcanic rock, the old road of Caravans and have lunch with a Berber, Moroccan family is not to be missed. In Zagora or the M’hamid Sahara Desert one can take a 4×4 tour by pise and explore the unique flora and fauna of Morocco’s Sahara region.

The top 10 activities in Ouarzazate are Visiting Kasbahs in Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah Taouirit, Kasbah Tifoultilte, Kasbah Telouet, the Oasis of Fint and have Tea With Azziz, the Atlas Film Studios, a Sahara journey, the Draa Valley region and have lunch with a Berber, Moroccan family, Valley of Nomads in the region of Bouthgrar, the Dades Valley and Todra Gorg and dine at Le Kasbah D’Sable, a work of art with the finest French- Moroccan food in Ouarzazate.

Nomads in the Middle Atlas Mountains

Top 10 Things To Do in Ouarzazate:

Visit Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit the Oasis of Fint and have Tea With Azziz
Visit the Atlas Film Studios
Visit Kasbah Taouirirt
Visit Kasbah Tifoultilte
Take a Sahara journey for one day or a Sahara overnight 4×4 adventure to Zagora, M’hamid or Merzouga
Visit the Draa Valley region and have lunch with a Berber, Moroccan family
Head to the Valley of Nomads in the region of Bouthgrar and have tea with a Nomad family
Visit the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge
Dine at Le Kasbah D’Sable, a work of art with the finest French- Moroccan food in Ouarzazate

For more information about the Top 10 Things To Do in Ouarzazate and Ouarzazate Tours

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Top 10 Things To Do in Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

Djemaa El Fna Square at Night, Marrakech

Things to do in Marrakech. The Top 10 Things to do in Marrakech, Morocco is a hot list of activities and experiences that one can do alone, with their spouse or friends and family in this majestic “red hamra” city. The most popular activities typically included spending time in and around Marrakech along with a brief departure for a High Atlas Tour or a Sahara Tour.

Cooking Class at Le Maison Arabe, Marrakech

The top 10 activities in Marrakech are Tajine Cooking Classes in Marrakech, City Sightseeing tours with a private historical guide to visit 17^th Century Palaces, gardens, mosques and museums, camel trekking to Sahara desert of Morocco, attend the Chez Ali Equestrian Horse and Moroccan Music show, visit Djemaa El Fna Square at night for a Medieval Carnival experience, shopping in the old medina for Moroccan crafts, head to Gueliz – the new town for pastries and tea, take a walking tour of La Mamounia Gardens, visit the Majorelle Gardens enjoy a Marrakech Spa or local Hammam for a traditional scrub down.

M'hamid Sahara Desert

Top 10 Things To Do in Marrakech:

Take a Moroccan Tajine Cooking Class
Site Seeing Tour with a Private Historical Guide of 17^th Century Palaces, gardens, mosques and museums
Camel Trekking to the Sahara Desert of Morocco
Attend the Chez Ali Equestrian Horse & Moroccan Music Show
Visit Djemaa El Fna Square at night for a Medival carnival experience
Shopping in the old medina for Moroccan crafts
Head to Gueliz, the new town for pastries and tea
Take a walking tour of the La Mamounia Gardens
Visit the Majorelle Gardens
Enjoy a Marrakech Spa or local Hammam for a traditional scrub down

For more information about the Top 10 Things To Do in Marrakech and Marrakech Tours

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Tags: Charlton Heston in Morocco, Chez Ali Equestrian show, Cooking Class in Morocco, Djemaa El Fna Square, Draa Valley, Erg Chebbi Dunes, Essaouira, Fes, Gary Cooper in Morocco, Imperial Cities Morocco, Kate Winslet in Morocco, Le Maison Arabe Cooking Class, Mamounia Gardnes, Marlene Dietrich in Morocco, Marrakech, Marrakech Spa, morocco, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Private Tours, Morocco Travel, Omar Sharif in Morocco, op 10 Reasons to Visit Morocco, Palaces Morocco, Paula Bowles in Morocco, Sahara Desert, shopping in Gueliz, Site seeing in Morocco, Souks Morocco, Sylvester Stallone in Morocco, Tony Curtis in Morocco, Travel Exploration, Travel to Morocco, Yves Saint Laurent in Morocco
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Top 10 Reasons To Visit Morocco, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Map of Morocco

Give us 10 Days and we will give you 10 Reasons to Visit Morocco. A Trip to Morocco will offer a once in a lifetime experience that is not to be missed! Morocco is a moderate Muslim country in North Africa known for it’s fascinating Imperial Cities, its majestic Sahara Desert, Berber villages, waterfalls, ancient Kasbahs and charming seaside towns. From region to region any Moroccan traveler will be stunned by Morocco’s varied landscapes, its souks, gardens, monuments, mosques, palaces and vibrant street life. Morocco is also a country known for it’s fantastic food and aromatic spices.

Palace in Rabat

Morocco’s origins as a tribal country is what makes it both a special and different destination to travel to then other North African nations. Morocco’s unique history of Arab and Berber inhabitants that have live peacefully together and have mixed with foreigners for centuries make it a one of a kind place to visit.

Terraces Des Spices, Cuisine of Marrakech

From north to south and east to west any Moroccan traveler will find a wide range of variation in landscapes, terrain, exotic food traditions, local crafts and beautiful people whose faces are glow happily in so many lovely shades of brown. Morocco is a place that many foreign travelers have dreamed about visiting but hesitate to do so because of their uncertainty about the country’s offerings. Make no mistake as Morocco and its Imperial city of Marrakech are on the hot list of American celebrity. Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano have houses in the “red hamra” city and Rapper P. Diddy recently flew in his A-list friends to party in Marrakech. The Woolworth’s heiress Barbara Hutton, American expatriate author Paul Bowles, William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and even Tennessee Williams have all traveled and lived in Morocco during their lifetime.

La Mamounia Hotel, Marrakech

The Mamounia seems to have had great appeal for foreigners during the past century as not long after Alfred Hitchcock checked in to film The Man Who Knew Too Much (in which James Stewart and Doris Day occupy room 414) Marrakech became a hot spot during that era. The A-list of names in the hotel’s livre d’or is impressive, from Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper and Erich von Stroheim (in town to film Morocco ) through Tony Curtis, Charlton Heston and Omar Sharif to Sylvester Stallone and Kate Winslet, plus sundry royalty and heads of state. Ethnicity and color have long proved a draw for the fashion crowd. First into the souk was Yves Saint Laurent and partner Pierre Berg who bought their first home along with the Majorelle Gardens in 1967. Jean Paul Gaultier set a collection in Marrakech’s ancient Medina, while Gucci’s Tom Ford has been spotted truffling through the souks for prizes.

Berber Girl, Nomad in Bouthgrar's Valley of Nomads

For those who have ever considered taking a private Morocco Tour or a Morocco vacation here are the Top 10 Reasons to Visit Morocco in hope that those reading this article will feel excited and comfortable enough to to pack their bags and head out for an unforgettable Morocco adventure.

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Morocco:

1. Wander through 17^th Century Palaces in Morocco’s Imperial Cities.

2. Visit sacred spaces, mosques, sites and gardens in Morocco.

3. Go off road, by pise to discover the unique flora and fauna in the Sahara Desert, the Draa Valley’s old African trade routes and Berber Villages.

4. Camel trek at sunset across the Erg Chebbi’s Golden Dunes in Merzouga with a Tuareg guide.

5. Sip mint-tea at midnight under the Moroccan stars and in caves with Nomads in Bouthgrar’s Valley of Nomads.

6. Explore Ancient Kasbahs where American directors of cinema shot our movie industries top films: Lawrence of Arabia, Cleopartra, Kundun, Body of Lies and Babel.

7. Dine on fresh fish seaside at the Portuguese Port in the coastal artist colony of Essaouira.

8. Savor the taste of Moroccan cuisine – salads, tajines, couscous and pigeon pie – all known for their spices of cumin, saffron and cinnamon.

9. Shop the souks and buy directly from potters, wood workers, metal smiths, painters and traditional craftsmen.

10. Come face to face with snake charmers and acrobats in Marrakech’s Djemaa El Fna Square.

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New Years Eve in the Sahara Desert, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

Sahara Desert at Sunset

New Years Eve in the Sahara Desert is the one of the best ways to experience Morocco and ring in the New Year. Travel Exploration’s 3 Day, 4 Day and 5 Day New Years Sahara Desert Tours depart from Marrakech, Fes and Ouarzazate daily during the holiday season. There’s nothing more charming then sitting around a campfire with family and friends in the Sahara on New Years Eve after you’ve taken a camel trek across the golden dunes and watched the majestic sunset.

NEW YEARS EVE SAHARA TOUR FROM MARRAKECH
On a New Years Eve Sahara Tour from Marrakech, you will cross the High Atlas and travel along the Draa Valley to Mhamid’s Erg Chegaga Dunes or use the same road and instead take the fork that leads to the direction of the Erg Chebbi Dunes in Merouga. Once in the Sahara Desert region you will leave the paved road and continue into the Sahara dunes by pise (windy road) to reach your desert camp.

NEW YEARS EVE SAHARA TOUR FROM FES
On a New Years Eve Sahara Tour from Fes you will pass the villages of Midelt (often referred to as the capital of apples), Ifrane, known as “the little Switzerland” for it’s skiing and houses that have pointed roofs peas, later arriving in the Sahara Desert just before dusk.

NEW YEARS EVE SAHARA TOUR FROM OUARZAZATE
On a New Years journey from Ouarzazate to the Sahara Desert you will visit Ait Benhaddou Kasbah then backtrack to pass the the sleepy town of Skoura, El Kellet Des Mgouna , this regions capital of Roses and the vast Draa Valley with its volcanic rock and breathtaking views. You will arrive in the Sahara Desert before the sunsets and camel trek to your camp.

All Sahara Desert tours on New Years Eve include full transport in a 4×4 land cruiser for your Morocco adventure along with an Arabian nights evening dinner and Sahara music fireside. Ending your night sleeping under the Moroccan stars is something not to be missed. Some New Years Eve Sahara tours also include the option to have lunch with a Moroccan family or a visit to the Todra Gorge.

For more information about New Years Even in the Sahara Desert Morocco Tours

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New Years Eve in the Sahara Desert, Your Morocco Tour Guide

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