Where is Morocco -Where is Morocco?

Where is Morocco

Where is Morocco?

Morocco is an African country and the closest to Europe. Only 8.6 miles ( 14km ) separate Morocco and Spain on the Gibraltar strait. Morocco borders east and south with Algeria and deep South with Mauritania in the Moroccan Western Sahara region.



Morocco has the particularity of being a multi-featured country in matter of geography. Its geographic diversity is amazing and who thinks that whatever you’re about to spot in this country is nothing much than Sahara, well, think again. Take a close look to see how I break up Morocco in its geography:

1-NORTH 2-CENTER 3-ATLAS MOUNTAINS 4-SOUTH AND DESERT 5-WESTERN SAHARA

Of course this opinion can be disputed, and, my BLOG is not a political statement of any kind. If you look closely to the map above you’ll notice how deep Western Sahara goes, making the exact center of the country in Sahara Desert following the Oued Draa to Erfoud in the east.

What I do here is to separate north and south with the Atlas Mountains which actually gives a strange diagonal line separating the country. I do this just to make sure I don’t mix the Mountainous regions which I want to give special attention.

In this personal division you’ll notice how I don’t include Azrou or Ifrane in center Morocco being just a few miles away from Fez for instance, while including other cities lower than Azrou ( but to the west side ) hehe  I know you’re confused now. The problem here is that the Atlas Mountain Range spreads the country diagonally from northeast southwest. Got it?

Check out this map below which I changed just to make you quickly understand this division and where exactly the Atlas are located:



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where is morocco

traveled around Morocco with our friends Kathy and Abdul.  We flew from Seattle to New York and then directly from New York to Casablanca on Morocco's national airline, Royal Air Maroc.
Our "home base" while in Morocco was Settat, a city about one hour south of Casablanca and the hometown of our pal Abdul.  From there we made several excursions around the country.


Morocco is a country with a large population which is located in the continent/region of Africa.
Countries near Morocco include Gibraltar, Portugal, Algeria and Spain.

Professor Ron Messier, Professor Emeritus Middle Tenessee State University and Senior Lecturer in history at Vanderbilt University and his codirector Professor Abdallah Fili faculte des letters Universite d’El Jadida have been following a trail of gold a it was part of the camel caravan routes from sub-Saharan Africa through the ancient city of Sijilmassa which Ron Messier’s team excavated through to Morocco’s Medieval Capital, Aghmat. Coins minted in Sijilmassa have been  found in  an excavation in Jordan and Aghmat too minted coins for the Almoharavid empire which stretched into Spain.

The international archaeological program has been studying Aghmat Since June 2005 Medieval texts suggest  that Aghmat existed before advent of Islam in the 7th Century. It flourished under the Idrissids  in the 8th and 9th centuries and attained the rank of an Amazight city state in the late 10th Century. It became a capital under the Almoravid dynasty from 1056 to 1070 when the Almoravids moved their capital to Marrakech. Aghmat  gradually declined in competition to Marrakech.

It was an important city for routes through the Atlas Mountains on the trans Saharan trade and attracted scholars from Ifriqiyya (Tunisia) and Andalusia. The site contains the tombs the Andalusian kings al-Mu’tamid ibn Abbad of Seville and Abdallah ibn Bulukhin of Granada. Zaynab Nafzawiyya settled in Aghmat married three successive rulers,the independent Maghrawa emir and the first two Almoravid emirs.

Aghmat consisted of two towns Aghmat Ourika and Aghmat Haylana home to Bani Masmuda tribesmen. It was a rich city fully irrigated and minting gold currency for  the Almoravids.

Its biggest cities and towns include Casablanca, Rabat, Fez and Marrakesh.


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Casablanca

Many travellers stay in Casablanca just long enough to change planes or catch a train, but the sprawling metropolis deserves more time. It may not be as exotic as other Moroccan cities, but it is the country’s economical and cultural capital, and it represents Morocco on the move: Casablanca is where the money is being made, where the industry is, where art galleries show the best contemporary art and where fashion designers have a window on the world. The old pirate lair is looking towards the future, showing off its wealth and achievements.


The city saw a rapid expansion during the early days of the French Protectorate, and still attracts droves of the rural poor dreaming of a better lifestyle. Many have made it good and proudly flaunt their newfound wealth, but many others languish in the grimy shanty towns on the city’s edge.
Casablancais are cosmopolitan, and more open to Western ways than other places in Morocco. This is reflected in their dress, and in the way men and women hang out together in restaurants, bars, beaches and hip clubs. But Europe is not the only inspiration. More and more young Casablancais are realising that they come from a country with a fascinating history.
Casablanca is full of contradictions. It is home to suffocating traffic jams, simmering social problems and huge shanty towns as well as wide boulevards, well-kept public parks, fountains and striking colonial architecture.
The bleak facades of the suburbs stand in sharp contrast to the Hispano-Moorish, art-deco and modernist gems of the city centre, and to Casablanca’s modernist landmark, the enormous and incredibly ornate Hassan II Mosque.
Ready to go?


Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/morocco/the-atlantic-coast/casablanca#ixzz2IiCluIer



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casablanca morocco

Main sights



Hassan II Mosque.


Casablanca Cathedral
The French period Ville Nouvelle (New Town) of Casablanca was designed by the French architect Henri Prost, and was a model of a new town at that time. The main streets radiate south and east from Place des Nations Unies, previously the main market of Anfa. Former administrative buildings and modern hotels populate the area. Their style is a combination of Hispano-Mauresque and Art Deco.
Casablanca is home to the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is situated on a promontory on the Atlantic. The mosque has room for 25,000 worshippers inside, and a further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's courtyard. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres. The mosque is also the largest in North Africa, and the third largest in the world.[38]
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.
The Parc de la Ligue Arabe (formally called Lyautey) is the city's largest public park. On its edge is the Casablanca Cathedral (Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur). It is no longer in use for religious purposes, but it is open to visitors and a splendid example of Mauresque architecture. The Old Medina (the part of town pre-dating the French protectorate) attracts fewer tourists than the medinas of cities like Fes and Marrakech. However, it has undergone some restoration in recent years. Included in this project have been the western walls of the medina, its skala, or bastion, and its colonial-period clock tower.
A popular site among locals is the small island Marabout de Sidi Abderrahmane. It is possible to walk across to the rocky island at low tide. This outcrop contains the tomb of Sidi Abderrhamane Thaalibi, a Sufi from Baghdad and the founder of Algiers. He is considered a saint in Morocco.[39] Because of this, many Moroccans make informal pilgrimages to this site "to reflect on life and to seek religious enlightenment". Some believe that the saint possessed magical powers and so his tomb still possesses these powers. People come and seek this magic in order to be cured. Non-Muslims may not enter the shrine.


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casablanca morocco

Today Casablanca is a large, modern city, but the former French colonial post still allows myriad movie moments for those who want to revisit love in the medina and Old City. Casa (as locals call it) isn’t too touristy, but it’s the most cosmopolitan and Western-feeling city in Morocco. Visit The King Hassan II Mosque and Casa's Medina.

 original name in Berber: ⴰⵏⴼⴰ Anfa) is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.
Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb region. The 2004 census recorded a population of 3,500,000 in the prefecture of Casablanca and 4,000,000 in the region of Grand Casablanca. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat.
Casablanca hosts headquarters and main industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historical position as the main industrial zone of the country. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world,[1] and the largest port of North Africa.[2] It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.



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Moroccan teenager's

Moroccan teenager's suicide after she was forced to marry her rapist
A Moroccan teenager committed suicide after her family forced her to marry her rapist in a tragedy that has sparked outrage among Moroccan activists and demands for changes to the nation's laws.

Hamida, Right, and Souad, the sister and mother of Amina Al Filali sit at her grave in Larache Photo: AFP/Getty Images
By Paul Carsten, and agencies2:50PM GMT 15 Mar 2012
Amina Filali, 16, drank rat poison last week in order to kill herself because she had been made to marry the man who raped her when she was 15 years old.
Activists have set up a Facebook group called "We are all Amina Filali", with almost 1,000 members. A petition was started which already contains more than 1,000 signatures, and hundreds of tweets detail people's horror at the tragedy.
Nabil Belkabir, an activist, implored people on Twitter to "Join the group 'We are all Amina Filali' if you don't want this drama to happen again."
According to the president of Morocco's Democratic League for Women's Rights, Fouzia Assouli, Miss Filali's rapist married her to avoid receiving a sentence for rape.
In Morocco this is punishable by five to ten years in prison, but the sentence rises to between ten and twenty years if the victim is a minor.
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Article 475 of the Moroccan penal code, which purports to defend family values, states that if a rapist marries his victim he is then exonerated of his crime. Ms Assouli attacked the article, saying it "does not uphold the rights of women".
In many societies, including within the Middle East, a woman losing her virginity before marriage is considered a dishonour to her family. For this reason, families will often make arrangements for rape victims to marry their rapists, so as to restore their lost honour. The Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament contains a similar injunction.
"Amina, 16, was triply violated, by her rapist, by tradition and by Article 475 of the Moroccan law," activist Abadila Maaelaynine wrote on Twitter.
Miss Filali's father, Lahcen Filali, told an online Moroccan newspaper that his daughter only told her parents of the rape two months after it had occurred. When they reported it, the prosecutor advised his daughter to marry.
Although the rapist had initially rejected the proposal to marry Miss Filali, he agreed once threatened with prosecution.
The manager of the Adala Association for legal reform, Abdelaziz Nouaydi, said that a judge can only encourage the victim and rapist to marry when there is agreement from the victim and both families.
Mr Nouaydi said that although it isn't a common occurrence, the victim's family will sometimes assent to the marriage due to worries she will be unable to find a husband if her rape becomes common knowledge.
Ms Assouli said that the victim is then forced to marry in order to avoid scandal for her family.
Despite Morocco changing its family code in 2004 in an attempt to improve women's rights, the practice continues. "It is unfortunately a recurring phenomenon," she said. "We have been asking for years for the cancellation of Article 475 of the penal code which allows the rapist to escape justice."
Legislation to outlaw all forms of violence against women, which includes rape within marriage, has failed to move beyond government debate since first being proposed in 2006.
Mr Filali said his daughter had complained to her mother that her husband beat her repeatedly throughout the five months they were married. Her mother advised her to be patient.
According to a government study conducted last year, almost one quarter of Moroccan women have been sexually assaulted at least once in their lives.



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morocco news

Charlotte Aitken: daughter of Rushdie's literary agent 'died after drugs cocktail'

Gillon Aitken’s only child Charlotte, was “extraordinarily stricken” by the death of her Swedish-born mother Cari Margareta Bengtsson, west London coroners court was told.
The 27 year-old had taken a cocktail of drugs to relieve the stress of her mother’s death.
She died in the arms of her half brother, John Svanberg, the morning after they had buried their mother in Tangiers, in the country’s north.
The aspiring literary agent, who had a history of cocaine and cannabis abuse, had recently moved from London to live with her mother and “renew herself”.
While the exact cause of the death could not be established after her body was flown home, a pathologist concluded the most likely explanation was the "highly dangerous" combination of alcohol and drugs she had consumed.
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On Thursday at the inquest into her death, Mr Aitken, one of Britain’s most influential literary agents, said he had thought his daughter had overcome recent difficulties with alcohol and drugs.
Mr Aitken, whose list of authors includes Sir Rushdie, Sebastian Faulks and the Queen's biographer Sarah Bradford, was told of his wife’s death on August 9 last year and boarded the first flight to Morocco to be with his daughter.
Asked by Alison Thompson, the coroner, if his wife of 18 years had not died, she would not have died, he replied: "I have not the slightest doubt that she would have come through”.
Mr Aitken, who separated from his wife in 2000 before she moved to the North Africa in 2010, added: "I say this without bitterness, but I do not think that her mother had prepared her for her death.”
The court heard that Miss Aitken, who also had a history of self-harming, had attempted to harm herself following her mother's death, but Mr Aitken said she had been looking forward to the future and had no intention of taking her own life.
"She was extraordinarily stricken by the news, but also it was a complicated position as her relationship with her mother was not entirely straight forward,” he said.
"There was a sense of anger with her and also love. These contradictory forces caused her great confusion."
"Charlotte was alternating between stoicism and great grief, it was very stressful."
Despite many "appalling difficulties" in arranging the funeral it had gone smoothly on August 15.
That night they had a drink and Miss Aitken, who had trouble sleeping, then took a combination of drugs to calm herself and "find peace" after the funeral, the court heard.
Mr Aitken, 73, said the next morning her half brother called him to say she was not breathing and by the time he rushed to the house she was dead.
"They (the drugs) were taken for relief from the stress of the situation, I have no doubt about that,” he said.
"In a way the stress was indomitable. The tragedy in a way is that Charlotte went to Tangier to renew herself and in that process she had felt freer than she had in London."
Mr Svanberg, who lives in London, told the court that when he went around to her mother’s rented house the dog was crying at the door and he immediately knew “something was wrong”.
He climbed the wall and onto her balcony where he saw her “lying on the bed sweating and her lips were blue”.
"She was barely breathing. I tried to wake her, but I couldn't,” he said. "I tried to revive her, but I didn't know how. So I phoned an ambulance and waited and I held her in my arms as she took her last breath."
Dr Olaf Biedrzycki, a Home Office pathologist, could not establish the exact cause of death but the drugs "would act to slow the breathing down”.
The cause of her mother's death was not disclosed in court. But reports at the time suggested she had fallen down the stairs in a horrible accident and died a few days later.
Mrs Thompson recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. "She has died from probable complications of alcohol or drug use,” she said.
The family declined to comment outside court.


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Morocco bus crash leaves 42 people dead

Morocco bus crash leaves 42 people dead
A bus plunged into a ravine in the Atlas Mountains of southern Morocco early on Tuesday killing at least 42 people, a security official said, in the worst such accident recorded in the kingdom.

Moroccan rescuers carry the body of a passenger who was killed in a bus crash near Marrakesh Photo: AFP/Getty Images
1:58PM BST 04 Sep 2012
All the victims were Moroccan, a local official said. "But we are still in the process of identifying the bodies, as well as the injured," he added.
The accident took place at around 2:00am (0100 GMT) when the vehicle fell off a main road in Haouz province, around 60 miles south of Marrakesh, one of Morocco's top tourist destinations.
The crash also left some 25 people injured, who were taken to different hospitals in the region, according to a local official.
The official MAP news agency, which said the bus fell 165 yards, gave the same death toll of 42, saying that five of the victims died in hospital, and that 24 people were injured in the crash, four of them critically.
The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
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An official in Haouz province said an inquiry had been launched and a crisis group set up. The provincial governor Younes El Bathaoui arrived at the site of the crash to supervise the rescue operation, according to MAP.
The tragedy occurred as the bus was heading towards Marrakesh, after crossing the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, the highest in Morocco.
The road, linking the central Moroccan city with the Sahara gateway town of Ouarzazate, winds through the mountains for dozens of miles.
It was the worst bus crash recorded in Morocco, which has a poor road safety record. In November 2010, 24 people drowned when a bus carrying workmen tumbled into a river near the capital Rabat.
And in late July, 12 people were killed in central Morocco when a lorry driver lost control of his vehicle after one of its tyres was punctured and crashed into a bus.
Road accidents in Morocco claimed 4,200 lives last year, a rise of around 12 per cent on 2010, according to figures from the transport ministry.



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Royal Palace, Rabat morocco

Royal Palace, Rabat
Rabat is an administrative city, it does not have many shopping districts, but many residential neighborhoods. Geographically spread out neighborhoods as follows:
The heart of the city consists of three parts: the Medina (old town), the Oudayas and Hassan, both located to meet the Bou Regreg and the Atlantic Ocean.
To the west, and along the waterfront, there is a succession of neighborhoods: First, around the ramparts, the old quarters of the ocean and orange (popular and middle class). Beyond that, a succession of mostly popular neighborhoods: Diour Jamaa, Akkari, Yacoub El Mansour, Massira and Hay el Fath are the main parts of this axis. Hay el Fath, which ends this sequence, evolves into a kind of middle class attendance.
To the east, along the Bouregreg,the Youssoufia region Mabella,Taqaddoum, Hay Nahda, Aviation, Rommani (working and middle classes).
Between these two axes, going from north to south, there are 3 main areas (middle class to very weatlhy): Agdal (Ward Building lively mixing residential and commercial functions, predominantly habitants are upper middle classes), Hay Riad (affluent villas which has been a surge of momentum since the 2000s), and Souissi (residential neighborhood ). On the outskirts of Souissi, as one goes further we get into less dense regions mainly constituted of large private houses to areas that seem out of the city .morocco culture,moroccan food,morocco food,moroccan cuisine,morocco beaches,moroccan meal,beaches in morocco,moroccan culture,hercules cave,hercules cave morocco

rabat morocco

the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000 (2010). It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region.
The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé, the city's main commuter town. Together with Temara the cities account for a combined metropolitan population of 1.8 million. Silting problems have diminished the Rabat's role as a port; however, Rabat and Salé still maintain important textile, food processing and construction industries. In addition, tourism and the presence of all foreign embassies in Morocco serve to make Rabat one of the most important cities in the country.
Rabat is accessible by train through the ONCF system and by plane through the nearby Rabat-Salé Airport.


Rabat has a relatively modern history compared to the ancient city of Sala. In 1146, the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu'min turned Rabat's ribat into a full scale fortress to use as a launching point for attacks on Spain. In 1170, due to its military importance, Rabat acquired the title Ribatu l-Fath, meaning "stronghold of victory," from which it derives its current name.
Yaqub al-Mansur (known as Moulay Yacoub in Morocco), another Almohad Caliph, moved the capital of his empire to Rabat.[4] He built Rabat's city walls, the Kasbah of the Udayas and began construction on what would have been the world's largest mosque. However, Yaqub died and construction stopped. The ruins of the unfinished mosque, along with the Hassan Tower, still stand today.
Yaqub's death initiated a period of decline. The Almohad empire lost control of its possessions in Spain and much of its African territory, eventually leading to its total collapse. In the 13th century, much of Rabat's economic power shifted to Fez. In 1515 a Moorish explorer, El Wassan, reported that Rabat had declined so much that only 100 inhabited houses remained. An influx of Moriscos, who had been expelled from Spain, in the early 17th century helped boost Rabat's growth.
[edit]Corsair republics
Rabat and neighboring Salé united to form the Republic of Bou Regreg in 1627. The republic was run by Barbary pirates who used the two cities as base ports for launching attacks on shipping. The pirates did not have to contend with any central authority until the Alaouite Dynasty united Morocco in 1666. The latter attempted to establish control over the pirates, but failed. European and Muslims authorities continued to attempt to control the pirates over many years, but the Republic of Bou Regreg did not collapse until 1818. Even after the republic's collapse, pirates continued to use the port of Rabat, which led to the shelling of the city by Austria in 1829 after an Austrian ship had been lost to a pirate attack.
[edit]20th century
[edit]French invasion
The French invaded Morocco in 1912 and established a protectorate. The French administrator of Morocco, General Hubert Lyautey,[5] decided to relocate the country's capital from Fez to Rabat. Among other factors, rebellious citizens had made Fez an unstable place. Sultan Moulay Youssef followed the decision of the French and moved his residence to Rabat. In 1913, Gen. Lyautey hired Henri Prost who designed the Ville Nouvelle (Rabat's modern quarter) as an administrative sector. When Morocco achieved independence in 1956, Mohammed V, the then King of Morocco, chose to have the capital remain at Rabat.

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morocco vacation

Kasbah Des Oudaia in Morocco also referred to as Kasbah Oudaya or Kasbah Udaya, is located at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river opposite of Salé. Kasbah Oudaia has been the citadel of the Alhmohads, Merinids and Andalusians in Rabat. Its location on a rocky outcrop high above the level of the river is an imposing site especially for the pirates of days gone by.

Kasbah Oudaia was built during the reign of the Almohads. When the Almohads had captured Rabat and destroyed the kasbah of the Almoravids in the town, they began reconstructing it in AH 544 / AD 1150. They added a palace and a mosque and named it al-Mahdiyya, after their ancestor al-Mahdi Ibn Tumart. After the death of Yaqub-al-Mansur (AH 595 / AD 1199) the kasbah was deserted.

Bab Oudaia is the principal gateway to the Kasbah – one of the most striking sights in Rabat and certainly one of the most beautiful external Moorish monuments. The gate was built by the Almohad Sultan, Yacoub al Mansour, in 1195. Its purpose was more ceremonial than defensive, designed for a grand entrance into the Kasbah and its souks and the nearby Sultan palace.

The gate, massive as though it may appear at first inception, is not unusual in its size for an Almohad monument. It is striking for its harmony and the sheer simplicity and beauty of its decoration. The basic feature is the arch, composed of three different designs: the basic horseshoe, a check-and-shoulder design and finally a band of geometric ornamentation.


Kasbah Ouadia Gate
After passing through the grand door, ,Bab Oudaia, one will immediately reach an  striking quarter, the Kasbah des Oudaias. The Kasbah is the original citadel of the Almohad, Merinid and subsequent Andalusian towns in Rabat. Here, you can see the Kasbah Mosque – the oldest mosque in the city, built around 1050 and subsequently rebuilt in the 18th century.

When you enter the grounds of Oudaia you immediately notice the Andalusian influence. Everything here reminds one of Spain, walls uniformly covered with lime, blue everywhere, the cobbled streets, the massive doors to colored moldings and wrought iron. The formal structured Andalusian style gardens are bordered with red hibiscus, hedges, morning glories, brugmansias, date palms and orange trees with a long harbored walkway covered in grape vines.
The Kasbah Oudaia stands out within a beautiful and quiet residential area surrounded by white and blue painted houses decorated with flowers. Kasbah Oudaia has become a haven for artists, attracted by the beauty of the site as much as by its soothing tranquility.


Kasbah Ouadaia Andalusian Gardens
South of Bab Ouadaia, is the Palace Museum and Andalusian Gardens. The Palace was built in the seventeenth-century by Moulay Ismail, the first Almohad sultan to unify the country. Today, it showcases exhibits of Moroccan art and culture. A vast central patio gives access to private quarters and reception rooms containing the exhibits. There is a hall containing oriental rugs made in Rabat, an exhibition hall for musical instruments and a salon reserved for customs and rituals.

The old palace grounds are occupied by the beautiful Andalusian Gardens. Although true to Andalusian traditions, with its flowering annuals and beds of shrubs, the gardens were actually constructed by the French in the twentieth-century. The gardens are a shady retreat, with a profusion of daturas, oleanders, orange, lemon and banana trees.

When visiting Kasbah Ouadia, make sure to have tea and pastries at Café Maure set on the grounds of the Kasbah Oudaia with a majestic view of the river.



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morocco vacation

Morocco is an exotic gateway to Africa; its mountains, desert and coast are populated by Berbers and nomads, and its ancient medina lanes lead to souqs and riads.

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Mountains & Desert
From Saharan dunes to the peaks of the High Atlas, Morocco could have been tailor- made for travellers. Lyrical landscapes carpet this sublime slice of North Africa like the richly coloured and patterned rugs you’ll lust after in local cooperatives. The mountains – not just the famous High Atlas but also the Rif and suntanned ranges leading to Saharan oases – offer simple, breathtaking pleasures: night skies glistening in the thin air; views over a fluffy cloudbank from the Tizi n’Test pass. On lower ground, there are rugged coastlines, waterfalls and caves in forested hills, and the mighty desert.
Traditional Life
The varied terrain may inform your dreams, but it shapes the very lives of Morocco’s Berbers, Arabs and Saharawis. Despite encroaching modernity, with motorways joining mosques and kasbahs as manmade features of the landscape, Moroccan people remain closely connected to the environment. The nomadic southern ‘blue men’ brave the desert’s burning expanses in robes and turbans, with mobile phones in hand. Likewise, traditional life continues – with tweaks – in the techniques of Berber carpet makers; in date cooperatives; in medina spice trading; and in the lifestyles in ports like Essaouira and mountain hamlets.
Ancient Medinas
Often exotic, sometimes overwhelming and always unexpected, these ancient centres are bursting with Maghrebi mystique and madness: the perfect complement to the serene countryside. When you hit town and join the crowds, you follow a fine tradition of nomads and traders stretching back centuries. Unesco has bestowed World Heritage status on medinas including Fès, the world’s largest living medieval Islamic city, and the carnivalesque Djemaa el-Fna in Marrakesh. The terrorist bomb on the square in April 2011 was a tragic episode in its history, but travellers should not be discouraged from visiting this welcoming, tolerant country.
Moroccan Activities
Meeting the Moroccan people involves nothing more than sitting in a cafe and waiting for your mint tea to brew. The trick is to leave enough time to watch the world go by with the locals when there’s so much else to fit in: hiking up North Africa’s highest peak, learning to roll couscous, camel trekking, shopping in the souqs, getting lost in the medina, and sweating in the hammam. Between the activities, you can sleep in the famous riads, relax on panoramic terraces and grand squares, and mop up tajines flavoured with saffron and argan.




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tangier morocco

Discover the magic of Morocco on a day trip to Tangier from Costa del Sol. Morocco lies just across the Mediterranean Sea from south Spain, but this North African country feels like a world away! Your full-day adventure includes a Berber dance performance and Moroccan lunch, a walking tour of the medina, souk and kasbah, time for shopping at a Tangier bazaar, and round-trip ferry transfers – the ultimate value for a day in Morocco.


Full-day tour to Tangier, Morocco, from the Costa del Sol
Admite views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean on the ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar
Enjoy a panoramic tour of Tangier
Walk around the medina and go shopping in Tangier's bazaar
Watch a live Berber dance performance
Have a traditional Moroccan lunch at a local restaurant (included)
 Recent Photos of this Tour

Tangier, Morocco Day Trip from Costa del Sol
Your Morocco day trip to Tangier begins with a scenic drive from Costa del Sol to Algecias or Tarifa, in the southern tip of Spain. From there, board a high-speed ferry to travel to Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar (45 to 60 minutes), where your journey to the exotic Moroccan city of Tangier will continue on a comfortable, air-conditioned coach.

Start your tour of Tangier with a panoramic sightseeing tour of the city center and continue by foot to the little souk, the medina (old quarter) and the kasbah (old fortress). Admire Morocco's rich architecture, wander around the spice markets, visit one of the local bakeries to try some tasty bread (own expense) or stop to see the snake charmer.

Next, go shopping at a typical bazaar and see many types of carpets and handicrafts. Have a traditional Moroccan lunch at a local restaurant, and feast on food like couscous, tagine and other local delicacies. During lunch, be entertained with a performance by a Berber dancer.

Continue with a short stop at Cape Spartel, where you can see the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean mix together. Then, sample traditional mint tea and learn about the mint tea rituals at a local shop. Next, visit the Cave of Hercules and stop by the white sand dunes that border the Atlantic. If you wish, you may ride a camel here (own expense)! Alternatively, enjoy free time to explore the beautiful area.

On your way back to the ferry, admire views of the Moroccan landscape. After your cross the strait, relax on the comfortable coach ride from the Spain port back to Costa del Sol.

Please note: The itinerary and schedule of this trip are subject to change from December to April due to ferry's timetables and the Ramadan holiday.


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tangier morocco

Tangier is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 (2012 estimates). It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. It is the capital of the Tangier-Tetouan Region and of the Tangier-Asilah prefecture of Morocco.
The history of Tangier is very rich due to the historical presence of many civilizations and cultures starting from the 5th century BC. Between the period of being a Berber settlement and then a Phoenician town to the independence era around the 1950s, Tangier was a refuge for many cultures. In 1923, Tangier was considered as having international status by foreign colonial powers, and became a destination for many European and American diplomats, spies, writers and businessmen.
The city is currently undergoing rapid development and modernization. Projects include new 5-star hotels along the bay, a modern business district called Tangier City Center, a new airport terminal and a new football stadium. Tangier's economy is also set to benefit greatly from the new Tanger-Med port.
Tangier's sport team I.R.T. (or Ittihad Riadi de Tanger) is a prominent football club with a large following base. Tangier will be one of the host cities for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, which shall be played at the new Ibn Batouta Stadium and in other cities across Morocco.



Tangier was founded by Carthaginian colonists in the early 5th century BC.
The Greeks ascribed its foundation to the giant Antaios, whose tomb and skeleton are pointed out in the vicinity, calling Sufax the son of Hercules by the widow of Antaeus. The cave of Hercules, a few miles from the city, is a major tourist attraction. It is believed that Hercules slept there before attempting one of his twelve labours.
The commercial town of Tingis (Τιγγίς in Ancient Greek), came under Roman rule in the course of the 1st century BC, first as a free city and then, under Augustus, a colony (Colonia Julia, under Claudius), capital of Mauritania Tingitana of Hispania. It was the scene of the martyrdoms of Saint Marcellus of Tangier. In the 5th century AD, Vandals conquered and occupied "Tingi" and from here swept across North Africa.
A century later (between 534 and 682), Tangier fell back to the Eastern Roman empire, before coming under Arab (Umayyad) control in 702. Due to its Christian past, it is still a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.


English Tangier, 1680.
When the Portuguese, driven in good part by religious fervor, started their colonial expansion by taking Ceuta in 1415,[3] Tangier was always a primary goal. They failed to capture the city in 1437 but finally occupied it in 1471 (see List of colonial heads of Tangier). The Portuguese rule (including Spanish rule during the Iberian Union, 1580–1640) lasted until 1662, when it was given to Charles II of England as part of the dowry from the Portuguese Infanta Catherine of Braganza, becoming English Tangier. The English gave the city a garrison and a charter which made it equal to English towns. The English planned to improve the harbour by building a mole. With an improved harbour the town would have played the same role that Gibraltar later played in British naval strategy. The mole cost £340,000 and reached 1,436 feet long, before being blown up during the evacuation.[4]
An attempt of Sultan Moulay Ismail of Morocco to seize the town in 1679 was unsuccessful; but a crippling blockade imposed by him ultimately forced the English to withdraw. The English destroyed the town and its port facilities prior to their departure in 1684. Under Moulay Ismail the city was reconstructed to some extent, but it gradually declined until, by 1810, the population was no more than 5,000.


The American Legation courtyard.
The United States dedicated its first consulate in Tangier during the George Washington administration.[5] In 1821, the Legation Building in Tangier became the first piece of property acquired abroad by the U.S. government—a gift to the U.S. from Sultan Moulay Suliman. It was bombarded by the French Prince de Joinville in 1844.
Italian revolutionary hero Giuseppe Garibaldi lived in exile at Tangier in late 1849 and the first half of 1850, following the fall of the revolutionary Roman Republic.
Tangier's geographic location made it a centre for European diplomatic and commercial rivalry in Morocco in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[6] By the opening of the 20th century, it had a population of about 40,000, including 20,000 Muslims, 10,000 Jews, and 9,000 Europeans (of whom 7,500 were Spanish). The city was increasingly coming under French influence, and it was here in 1905 that Kaiser Wilhelm II triggered an international crisis that almost led to war between his country and France by pronouncing himself in favour of Morocco's continued independence.
In 1912, Morocco was effectively partitioned between France and Spain, the latter occupying the country's far north (called Spanish Morocco) and a part of Moroccan territory in the south, while France declared a protectorate over the remainder. The last Sultan of independent Morocco, Moulay Hafid, was exiled to the Sultanate Palace in the Tangier Kasbah after his forced abdication in favour of his brother Moulay Yusef. Tangier was made an international zone in 1923 under the joint administration of France, Spain, and Britain under an international convention signed in Paris on December 18, 1923. Ratifications were exchanged in Paris on May 14, 1924. The convention was registered in League of Nations Treaty Series on September 13, 1924.[7] The convention was amended in 1928.[8] The governments of Italy, Portugal and Belgium adhered to the convention in 1928, and the government of the Netherlands in 1929.
The International zone of Tangier had a 373 square kilometer area and, by 1939, a population of about 60,000 inhabitants.]
Spanish troops occupied Tangier on June 14, 1940, the same day Paris fell to the Germans. Despite calls by the writer Rafael Sánchez Mazas and other Spanish nationalists to annex "Tánger español", the Franco regime publicly considered the occupation a temporary wartime measure.A diplomatic dispute between Britain and Spain over the latter's abolition of the city's international institutions in November 1940 led to a further guarantee of British rights and a Spanish promise not to fortify the area. The territory was restored to its pre-war status on August 31, 1945. Tangier joined with the rest of Morocco following the restoration of full sovereignty in 1956.
[edit]Ecclesiastical history
Originally, the city was part of the larger province of Mauretania Caesariensis, which included much of Northern Africa. Later the area was subdivided, with the eastern part keeping the former name and the newer part receiving the name of Mauretania Tingitana. It is not known exactly at what period there may have been an episcopal see at Tangier in ancient times, but in the Middle Ages Tangier was used as a titular see (i.e., an honorific fiction for the appointment of curial and auxiliary bishops), placing it in Mauretania Tingitana. For the historical reasons given above, one official list of the Roman Curia places the see in Mauretania Caesarea.
Towards the end of the 3rd century, Tangier was the scene of the martyrdom of Saint Marcellus of Tangier, mentioned in the Roman Martyrology on 30 October, and of St. Cassian, mentioned on 3 December.
Under the Portuguese domination, there was a Bishop of Tangier who was a suffragan of Lisbon but in 1570 the diocese was united to the diocese of Ceuta. Six Bishops of Tangier from this period are known, the first, who did not reside in his see, in 1468. During the era of the protectorate over Morocco, Tangier was the residence of the Prefect Apostolic of Morocco, the mission having been founded on November 28, 1630, and entrusted to the Friars Minor. At the time it had a Catholic church, several chapels, schools, and a hospital. The Prefecture Apostolic was raised to the status of a Vicariate Apostolic of Marocco April 14, 1908, and on November 14, 1956, became the Archdiocese of Tangier
The city also has the Anglican church of Saint Andrew.
[edit]Espionage


Weeks Edwin Lord Blacksmith Shop at Tangiers.
Tangier has been reputed as a safe house for international spying activities. Its position during the Cold War and other spying periods of the 19th and 20th centuries is legendary.
Tangier acquired the reputation of a spying and smuggling centre and attracted foreign capital due to political neutrality and commercial liberty at that time. It was via a British bank in Tangier that the Bank of England in 1943 for the first time obtained samples of the high-quality forged British currency produced by the Nazis in "Operation Bernhard".
The city has also been a subject for many spy fiction books and films (see Tangier in popular culture below).


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morocco vacation packages

morocco vacation packages

Morocco

Morocco Vacation Packages: Tour Morocco on these escorted, motor coach bus tours including flights, hotels, transfers, transportation, meals and sightseeing. A professional English-speaking tour manager handles all of your needs throughout your tour of Morocco as you travel with a group.

Morocco Tours - Escorted Travel
Escorted tours of Morocco feature a professional English-speaking tour manager to handle all of your needs. Maximize comfort and value, while taking advantage of the camaraderie that comes with traveling as a group.

January 2012 - March 2014 Package Name Season Description Tour Type Land Only Air & Land 8 Day Affordable Morocco Apr '12 - Mar '13 1 Rabat, 2 Fez, 2 Marrakesh, 1 Casablanca Escorted $649 $1709* 8 Day Affordable Morocco Apr '13 - Mar '14 1 Rabat, 2 Fez, 2 Marrakesh, 1 Casablanca Escorted $649 $1769* 13 Day Kaleidoscope of Morocco Apr '12 - Mar '13 1 Rabat, 2 Fez, 1 Erfoud, 2 Ouarzazate, 3 Marrakesh, 2 Casablanca Escorted $999 $1909* 13 Day Kaleidoscope of Morocco Apr '13 - Mar '14 1 Rabat, 2 Fez, 1 Erfoud, 2 Ouarzazate, 3 Marrakesh, 2 Casablanca Escorted $1029 $2099* 13 Day Kasbahs & Deserts of Morocco Apr '13 - Mar '14 3 Marrakesh, 1 Boumalne Dades, 2 Erfoud, 1 Ouarzazate, 2 Agadir, 1 Essaouira, 1 Casablanca Escorted $1199 $2289* 14 Day Moroccan Allure Feb - Nov '13 1 Rabat, 2 Fez, 1 Erfoud, 1 Sahara, 1 Ait Ben Haddou, 3 Marrakesh, 2 Essaouira, 1 Casablanca Small Group $2399 $3519*

* Prices include airfare, fuel surcharges, airport taxes and fees. Air & land tour prices apply from the gateway airport or city specified in the Package Highlights. Prices will vary from alternative gateway airports or cities and may be higher. The total price will be clearly displayed prior to any deposit being required.

Morocco is a culturally rich and will certainly bring your senses alive. Just a short flight or ferry ride from Spain this North African nation is best known for its Hollywood fame from the movie Casablanca. There are, however, many other wonderful spots for one to visit while discovering Morocco. The city of Rabat, the capital of Morocco, is the little brother of Casablanca without some of the big city poverty. Rabat has a real casual feeling about it with tree-lined streets and a real European flavour. Tangiers, on the coast, is the main entry into Morocco with the ferry terminal streaming many Europeans into the country to experience the culture, the food, the architecture and the religion in this amazing country. In fact, Hollywood has used several cities for movie backdrops for Star Wars and, of course, the most famous of films, Casablanca. ...
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morocco vacation packages

morocco vacation packages

Entering a desert encampment after sunset, you see only the glowing Berber tents carpeted with kilims. Cumin-scented stew simmers over a campfire. And away from the native singers and the circle of light, the sky is simply amazing. Not until a morning breeze stirs your tent’s flap do you see in full light how stunning your desert setting is. Our Morocco travel adventure is full of surprises and this is just one of the many we share with you. Colossal Saharan dunes. Cool cedar-forested mountains. Narrow gorges with ribbon-like oases in their depths. And the Kasbah? It’s the word for fortress and a restored one from the Middle Ages is actually one of our hotels. The marvelous news is that, for all its surprises and adventure, Morocco travel also delivers everything you expect. We take in the vivid, noisy markets as we travel. Morocco offers warm hospitality from a culture accustomed to the diversity of Berber, Arab, Jewish, African and Mediterranean influences. You may also be surprised to know that the climate is moderate; this is the coolest and most welcoming of the African nations.



Read more about Morocco travel!
TripAdvisor's Tourism page has the web's best articles on Morocco travel.

Our Morocco hotels page presents hotels ranked by popularity - read traveler reviews and guidebooks.

Looking for things to do in Morocco? Check out our page of things to do in Morocco!

TripAdvisor's Morocco restaurants page shows you the best local places to dine.

Visit our Morocco forums page to ask questions and get advice about Morocco travel. TripAdvisor forums let you ask questions and get advice - post in our Morocco forums.

Book a flight to Morocco with our cheap flights finder.

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morocco pictures

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morocco pictures

Rabat (capital)

the Parliament

Post office (head office)

the Medina

a grocery

olive retailer

Kasbah Oudayas (entry)

alley (Kasbah Oudayas)

a beach

Hassan Tower

Chellah (fortified city)

Chellah (inside)

Cactus & Chellah

Marrakech

main square

Souk

Souk: carpets

Souk: lighting shop

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royal air morocco

Royal Air Maroc (Arabic: الخطوط الملكية المغربية‎, Al-Khuṭũṭ al-Malikiyyah al-Maghribiyyah, literally Royal Moroccan Lines or Royal Moroccan Airlines; Berber: Amuddu Ugenna Ageldan Umerruk, MGGM), more commonly knows as simply RAM, is the flag carrier airline of Morocco.[1] Headquartered on the grounds of Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Casablanca, the carrier operates scheduled international flights from Morocco to Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America and a domestic flight, as well as charter flights that include Hajj services.[2] Its base is Mohammed V International Airport.

Early years
Royal Air Maroc—Compagnie Nationale de Transports Aériens was formed in July 1953 as a result of the merger of Compagnie Chérifienne de'l Air (Air Atlas) —setup in 1946 with Junkers Ju-52s— and Compagnie Chérifienne de Transports Aériens Air Maroc, that was founded in 1947 and commenced scheduled operations in 1949.[3] The fleet of the newly formed airline included six Bretagnes, four Commandos, five DC-3s and two Languedocs.[4] The name Royal Air Maroc was adopted on 28 June 1957, with the government of Morocco having a 67.73% stake.[3][5] The carrier's fleet comprised 16 aircraft by April 1958, including four DC-4s, three DC-3s, seven Bretagnes and two C-46s.[6]
[edit]The jet age


A Royal Air Maroc Caravelle at Brussels Airport in 1968. The carrier ordered its first two aircraft of the type in 1958.[7]:101
In May 1958, the airline ordered two Caravelles.[7]:101 One of these aircraft was part of the fleet of four L-749 Constellations, four DC-4s and three DC-3s by April 1960, making the Caravelle the first jet aircraft operated by the company; the other Caravelle was yet to be delivered.[3] Orders for a fourth and a fifth Caravelle followed in late 1964[8] and early 1968.[9] By 1969, all routes to Europe and North Africa were flown using solely these aircraft.[10] In the mid 1970s, they were phased out in favor of Boeing 727s.[citation needed] Simultaneously, Boeing 707s were being introduced for longer or higher capacity routes and Original Series 737s for smaller routes. By the end of the 1970s, Royal Air Maroc was flying to Europe, North America, the Middle East, and finally North Africa.
[edit]The 1980s
RAM continued to expand in the 1980s. The airline joined the International Air Transport Association in 1982.[11] New routes were opened and others expanded, while frequencies were increased and new aircraft were introduced.[vague] Boeing 757s were purchased in 1986 and eventually replaced the oldest 727s. The expansion of Casablanca Mohammed V airport in 1984 provided the company with a more modern base.
[edit]The 1990s
In the early days of the decade, the last of the 707s was removed from the fleet. Meanwhile, newer, more efficient, Classic 400 and 500 Series Boeing 737s were introduced to increase the frequency of European routes. By the middle of the decade all 727s had disappeared. To consolidate its North American operations, Royal Air Maroc purchased a single Boeing 747-400. As the decade progressed, new routes to previously under-served African airports were opened.
[edit]2000-present
With the increasing number of passengers and newly opened routes as well as increasing oil prices, there was a need to buy new aircraft. In 2000 an order for 20 Next Generation Boeing 737 aircraft and 4 Airbus A321s was placed. Meanwhile more routes to west and central African cities were opened.


Royal Air Maroc Boeing 767.
RAM was now changing, from providing flights to meet the demands of foreign tourists and Moroccan expatriates, to providing connections between European cities and African cities via the Casablanca hub. In 2002, the company leased two 767s to replace the single 747 in North American routes.
[edit]The future
Morocco and the EU signed an open skies agreement in late 2006. This means that Royal Air Maroc will have to face tough competition from low cost carriers eager to exploit profitable routes between Western Europe and Morocco. A further challenge arises from the high cost of kerosene and the fact that the company may have to drop some of its unprofitable domestic and international routes. The construction of a third terminal and runway began at Mohammed V airport in late 2005.
[edit]Corporate affairs

[edit]Key people
As of December 2012, Royal Air Maroc's CEO position is held by Driss Benhima,[12][13] who took office in February 2006.[14]
[edit]Head office
Royal Air Maroc has its head office on the grounds of Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Casablanca.[15] In 2004 the airline announced that it would move its head office from Casablanca to the Nouaceur Province, near Mohammed V International Airport. MAP, the official state news agency, said that the construction of the headquarters and a 500 room conference hotel would take 1 year and 6 months.[16] The agreement to build the head office in Nouaceur was signed in 2009.[17]
[edit]Ownership and subsidiaries


A Boeing 737-400 wearing a combined Royal Air Maroc/Atlas Blue livery in 2009. The Atlas Blue fleet was merged with the parent company's one in 2011.[18]
The airline is owned 95.95% by the Moroccan government, 2.86% by Air France and 0.95% by International Airlines Group. The government intends to partially privatise the airline through the sale of a 25% holding. Royal Air Maroc has 5,719 employees.[timeframe?]
As of December 2012, The Group Royal Air Maroc has the following subsidiaries:[citation needed]

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royal air morocco

Royal Air Maroc to Launch Six New Routes in Winter
By Miyuru Sandaruwan on June 1, 2011 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) |ShareThis
In an interview with the Travel Quotidiano magazine, Royal Air Maroc's General Manager for Europe has revealed that the carrier expects to launch six new routes in the Winter 2011/12 season.

The routes include
Casablanca - Dubai
Casablanca - Sao Paulo
Casablanca - Copenhagen
Casablanca - Vienna
Agadir - Rome
Marrakech - Rome

I stopped using drugs decades ago. But Saturday I could have used some to start 2011 off on the right foot. I didn't have any, though, and I found a fine substitute, courtesy of Apple-- the new iPod, which is the size of a matchbox, only way thinner. The day started off dreadfully enough in London. I had a flight out of Heathrow at noon but I had noticed the night before that the city had just closed down all the main thoroughfares in the West End to muck things up on New Year's Eve. I had a feeling that the parade-- basically for Russian and French tourists-- on January 1 was going to also be a traffic mess. I was right. I thought the best chance I had of avoiding it would be to leave early. I was out of the hotel at around 7AM-- pitch black, freezing, wet though not raining... and all the streets around the hotel already closed to traffic!

I have a terrible cold I picked up from one of my friends in Morocco and I was a mess-- a mess who had to walk a mile to find a street with traffic and a taxi to get me to Paddington Station and the Heathrow Express. I had a 20 pound note. Paddington should be half that. Turns out the taxis have a 4 pound New Year's Day surcharge. I still made it on budget-- with enough left over to buy a couple of packs of tissues for the plane. The plane, of course, was late leaving and the two new B.A. business lounges in Terminal 5 are not very impressive-- unless the goal is to remind business travelers that there really is a big difference between flying first class and flying business class. Anyway, there were long lines that didn't seem to move everywhere and I was getting jittery. That's when I realized that my music would brighten me right up, the way drugs might have when I was in my late teens. And did it ever. I was soon singing and dancing, entertaining myself and everyone around me. Blink 182, Jesus and Mary Chain, Frank Sinatra, Black Eyed Peas, Bodeans, Libertines, Offspring, Andrea Bocelli, Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy, Velvet Underground... The battery ran down while I was waiting for my luggage at LAX. My bag was among the first half dozen to come down the carousel and life was good.

People were still getting off the plane when I was already in a taxi on my way home to a nice, long steam shower. L.A.'s "freezing," people say. It's 60. In London it was in the 30s. There's a difference, a big one. London's already a memory, although I just downloaded some photos Roland and I took of each other at the Tate Modern on Friday. Here I am in front of a triptych by my very favorite artist:

The schedules for these proposed routes have not been published yet.



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morocco flag

The flag of Morocco (Arabic: علم المغرب‎; Berber: Acenyal n Umerruk) is made of a red field with a black-bordered green pentagram. Red has considerable historic significance in Morocco, proclaiming the descent of the royal Alaouite family from the Prophet Muhammad via Fatima, the wife of Ali, the fourth Muslim Caliph. Red is also the color that was used by the Sherifs of Mecca and the Imams of Yemen. From the 17th century on, when Morocco was ruled by the Alaouite Dynasty, the flags of the country were plain red. In 1915, during the reign of Mulay Yusuf, the green interlaced pentangle was added to the national flag. While Morocco was under French and Spanish control, the red flag with the seal in the center remained in use, but only inland. Its use at sea was prohibited. When independence was restored in 1956, it once again became the national flag.
The red background on the Moroccan flag represents hardiness, bravery, strength and valour, while the green, five-pointed star represents the Solomon’s seal.


To be known from this book, may god uphold its value and to be around the centre of grace and joy its orbit, that due to the promotion of our cherifian kingdom affairs, the spread of its glory and its pride, the need to assign a flag that distinct it from the rest of the kingdoms as that our sacred ancestors flag use to be very similar to some other flags especially the ones used in the marine signs, our noble vision decided to distinct our joyful flag by making the five pointed seal of Solomon in the middle in green, asking the almighty god to keep it waving with the winds of fortune and ambition for this time and the becoming, Amen and peace.
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morocco flag

Moroccan Flag



The Flag of Morocco - Description of the Moroccan Flag
As the above picture of the Moroccan Flag indicates the overall background is Red

The description of the Moroccan Flag is as follows:

Red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Solomon's seal in the center of the flag green is the traditional color of Islam

According to Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated with colors. The colors on the Moroccan flag represent the following:

Red - hardiness, bravery, strength & valour

Green - hope, joy and love and in many cultures have a sacred significance and is is the traditional color of Islam




The basic style shown in the picture of the Moroccan flag is described as  Emblem -reflecting the central design of the flag pattern

All Flag pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view, from left to right

The shape and flag ratio of the Moroccan flag is described as 2:3 ( length 1½ times the height )

The Meaning & History of the Moroccan Flag - The Moroccan emblem depicts the green Sulayman star and was introduced in 1912, when Morocco was placed under French protectorate

The pentagram is usually known as King Solomon's Seal, while the hexagram is known as the Star of David



Flag Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description uses specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the Flag Quiz
Flag History & Evolution:
The idea of flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and the battlefield

Shields were painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe

Warriors needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying a pole was adopted

An emblem such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the pole for identification

The emblems were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats of Arms  were born

These emblems were the forerunners of modern flags

The Romans were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed

The strict rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and creating a modern flag

Moroccan Flag Etiquette
Moroccan Flag etiquette is very strict and is is essential that Flag protocols and rules are followed correctly

Basic Flag Etiquette applies to all nations, including Moroccan as follows:

Etiquette relating to the order of precedence for the flag

National Flag of Moroccan

State Flag of Moroccan

Military Flag of Moroccan (in order of creation date)

Other Flag of Moroccan

The United Nations uses alphabetical order when presenting a national flag including the Moroccan Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's flag

The National flag of Moroccan should never be flown above another national flag on the same staff as this would suggest superiority, or conversely, inferiority of one flag, or Nation, over another

The Moroccan flag should never be allowed to drag along the ground

A tattered or faded flag of Moroccan should be removed and replaced with a new flag

Due care and consideration must be taken to ensure that the Moroccan flag is always flown the correct way up

A Flag of Moroccan, when in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning in private with all due care and respect

Terminology & Etiquette in Moroccan Flag display
Hoist - the act or function of raising the Moroccan flag, as on a rope
Half Staff or Half Mast - the Moroccan flag is hoisted to half of the potential height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed by first raising the Moroccan flag to the top, then lowering the Moroccan Flag halfway
Distress - denoted by flying the Moroccan flag upside-down
Manner of hoisting - The Moroccan flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously
No disrespect should be shown to the Moroccan flag
The Moroccan flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit the Flag to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way
The Moroccan flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing on the flag of any nature
The Moroccan flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to Moroccan Flag usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace
We hope that the presentation of facts and information regarding Moroccan Flag Etiquette has provided a useful resource



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morocco facts

Morocco, about one-tenth larger than California, lies across the Strait of Gibraltar on the Mediterranean and looks out on the Atlantic from the northwest shoulder of Africa. Algeria is to the east and Mauritania to the south. On the Atlantic coast there is a fertile plain. The Mediterranean coast is mountainous. The Atlas Mountains, running northeastward from the south to the Algerian frontier, average 11,000 ft (3,353 m) in elevation.

Government

Constitutional monarchy.


Morocco has been the home of the Berbers since the second millennium B.C. In A.D. 46, Morocco was annexed by Rome as part of the province of Mauritania until the Vandals overran this portion of the declining empire in the 5th century. The Arabs invaded circa 685, bringing Islam. The Berbers joined them in invading Spain in 711, but then they revolted against the Arabs, resenting their secondary status. In 1086, Berbers took control of large areas of Moorish Spain until they were expelled in the 13th century.

The land was rarely unified and was usually ruled by small tribal states. Conflicts between Berbers and Arabs were chronic. Portugal and Spain began invading Morocco, which helped to unify the land in defense. In 1660, Morocco came under the control of the Alawite dynasty. It is a sherif dynasty—descended from the prophet Muhammad—and rules Morocco to this day.



Read more: Morocco: Maps, History, Geography, Government, Culture, Facts, Guide & Travel/Holidays/Cities — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107800.html#ixzz2Ii5TPGPv



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morocco facts

Lying in the northwest corner of Africa, Morocco is dominated by the Atlas Mountains, which separate the fertile coastal regions from the harsh Sahara. The high mountains helped protect Morocco from European colonialism until 1912. From 1912 to 1956 the country was divided into French and Spanish zones—two small Spanish enclaves remain, Ceuta and Melilla. Mosques, minarets, and bazaars typify Morocco, 99 percent of whose inhabitants are Muslims. King Mohammed VI, who has ruled since 1999, claims descent from the Prophet Muhammad. Morocco today is one of only three kingdoms left on the continent of Africa—the others, Lesotho and Swaziland, are small, southern African countries.

Most Moroccans live in cities such as Fez, Casablanca, and Marrakech, on the coastal plain. Although rural people are crowding into cities, Morocco remains primarily a nation of farmers. Many Moroccans emigrate to Spain and other European Union countries for better economic opportunities. Drought, unemployment, and dispute over control of phosphate-rich Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) have taxed the country. In spite of a 1991 UN-supervised ceasefire, sporadic warfare continues between the Moroccan Army and Algerian-backed Polisario (the Western Sahara independence movement based in Tindouf, Algeria). Moroccan forces built a 2,500 kilometer (1,500 mile) sand wall to keep Polisario fighters out. A UN-sponsored referendum of Western Sahara residents is now planned to determine the status of the area, but disputes regarding the referendum remain unresolved.

ECONOMY

Industry: Phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles
Agriculture: Barley, wheat, citrus, wine; livestock
Exports: Clothing, fish, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals, fertilizers



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