Morocco Pavilion
The Morocco Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase is one of my personal favorites. It seems to get overlooked by a lot of folks and that’s a shame because it is not only quite beautiful and intricate, it is perhaps the most accurate rendition of the country represented than any other pavilion. Here are a few interesting facts about the pavilion and a bit about Morocco:
It is the only pavilion in the World Showcase actually sponsored by a country.
The King of Morocco sent his Royal Architect to Florida to supervise construction to ensure accuracy.
All of the mosaics found in the pavilion were done by a team of Moroccan Artisans sent over by the King.
The buildings in the Morocco pavilion represent religious structures and therefore are not lit during Illuminations. Take a look it’s the only pavilion not lit.
The prayer tower is a replica of a religious shrine in Marrakesh.
All of the mosaics and arches have a defect in them that was purposely placed there. The reason, only Allah can create perfection and therefore all man made objects must be flawed in some way.
Morocco and the United States have a very long history. Morocco was the first country worldwide to recognize the United States as a sovereign nation.
O.K. that’s enough about history and trivia, let’s talk about the beauty of the pavilion as illustrated in some of my photos:
Unfortunately, I think a majority of visitors give this pavilion (and probably several others) a cursory exploration. If you take the time to explore it more deeply you will not only be rewarded with the beauty shown above but inside these buildings there are wonderful things to experience.
After you have finished your exploring and shopping there are still many surprises left in store for you. Two of the better restaurants in the World Showcase, one table service and one counter service, are in this pavilion. Restaurant Marrakesh, the table service venue, has an outstanding menu with a lot of variety. Don’t worry about the food being too exotic (no – they don’t serve goat’s eyes or monkey brains) it is delightfully seasoned and delicious. My wife is an extraordinarily picky eater who only likes “regular food” and she has always been delighted with her meal at Restaurant Marrakesh. They also have an authentic Moroccan band and a “G” rated belly dancer for your enjoyment.
The counter service location. the Tangierine Cafe, serves food every bit as good as Marrakesh but with a bit more limited menu. Be aware, the portions are quite large so you may want to consider sharing.
After you have eaten you can get some Baklava for desert at the stand along the promenade in front of the pavilion – YUM!! While you are enjoying your dessert you just might catch a show from Mo’ Rockin, a lively and talented group of musicians who perform several times daily.
Please do yourself a favor and spend some time in this pavilion, you will be rewarded with experiences you won’t soon forget. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!
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