It has been only two months since our arrival here in Morocco and, still, we experienced so much about the local culture.
Religion is of course a really important part of everyday life but there is a lot more to be discovered.
Music, festivals, food.. and you tell us what more!
There you have some pictures, let us see how good is your knowledge about Moroccan society!
Did you get any of them?
So now a little explication for you to know better your next travel destination :)
The first pic shows a master of Gnawa playing his instrument. It is a traditional 3 chordes guitar without keyboard. For mastering it you need to go through an intensive and long training with someone certified as a “mwallim”.
The second is about the “Green March Parade”. It is a celebration for a non-violent rivendication made by Moroccan people on the territories of the Western Sahara.
Cars and trucks full of people who are proudly showing their sense of belonging to Moroccan society. Cooperatives of women who produce arg an oil, a local delicacy, kids showing what they learnt at school or at their club activities.
You can find more information about this particular event in Moroccan history on this (and many other) link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_March
These pics were taken during the national festival of youth(Thu-Sun). We, as Amuddu CSF association, participated to the event by organizing a whole day (Sunday) of activities for the kids from Taroudant.
We talked about recycling and its importance in modern society through games and workshops lead following the non-formal education phylosophy.
These pics come from a very traditional place in Taroudant. The city is well known all around Morocco for being an important center of leather manifacture. Skilled craftsmen explained to us and to eleven volunteers coming from France the techniques they use to transform animal skins into art masterpieces.
Only twenty people work in this facility and all the work is done following the traditions passed on since generations and, of course, using only biologic and eco-friendly materials.
Luca went hiking on the mountains around the city and came back with wonderous stories and these beautiful pics taken from a Berber house. Berber people are the original inhabitants of Morocco and they had to move on the mountains after the Arabic conquered the territory. They have their own language and alphabet (posterous) and are very welcoming towards turists, as Luca explained us.
Unfortunately there is still a huge discrimination towards them by the same Moroccans and the Berber issue is a big unsolved problem in modern Morocco.
Claudio Bravo was deeply in love with the city and these are sculptures made by international artist called to celebrate their remarkable collegue. Now the “Claudio Bravo Open Air Museum” is one of the main artistic features of the new course of
Taroudant.
The Walls are the real pride of the city. More than 6 km of mud finely shaped into an unbreachable defense surround the old city. The first capital of Morocco rests assured protected by its silent guardians.
Luca a.k.a. “Shleh” (“Berber” in Berber) making “babuches” in his traditional shop in the suq :).
WELCOME TO MOROCCO!
Luca and Tommaso - Morocco