Where can i find infos about organized trip morocco ?

Where can i find infos about organized trip morocco ?

i plan to go to morocco, i need to know where can i find info about organized trips in morocco ?

Organized Tours 

Because many travelers have limited time and resources, organized adventure-travel packages, arranged by tour operators abroad or in Morocco, are a popular and time-efficient way to enjoy activity- and time-specific trips such as climbing Jebel Toubkal or weeklong biking and hiking tours. It's also a good way to experience an activity within a broader sightseeing itinerary.

Group travel can produce several advantages over independent travel. The most obvious is having all your accommodations and transport prearranged, and some (if not all) of your meals included in the cost of a package. Reasonably experienced and professional tour operators should also be able to transport you to each destination or activity without the snags and long delays that those traveling on their own can encounter in Morocco. As an added bonus, you'll have the opportunity to meet like-minded travelers. Joining an organized mountain-trekking tour will usually include prearranged porters or muleteers to carry extra equipment -- sometimes even your own backpack. Dedicated independent travelers will no doubt point out that it always costs extra for the convenience of having all your arrangements handled, and paid for, in advance.

In the best scenario for organized active vacations, group size is kept small (10-16 people) in comparison to the large, escorted bus tours, and tours are conducted by qualified guides knowledgeable about a particular activity. I've mentioned when specific tours or activities are led by specialists, such as naturalists, professors, and the like. Be sure to ask about difficulty levels when you're choosing an active tour. While most companies offer "soft adventure" packages suitable for those in decent (but not necessarily phenomenal) shape, others focus on more strenuous activities geared toward athletic and seasoned adventure travelers.

Moroccan-based operators dedicated to adventure travel are still very thin on the ground, and those that are involved are usually either owned by non-Moroccans and also have a base outside the country, or are activity specific and are therefore mentioned in this chapter under each specialist activity. Other local companies that pertain to adventure-travel specialists are really just general-interest tour operators that have caught on to this particular market and offer a few activities only when specifically requested, and usually within a much broader base of general sightseeing tours. However, it's worth noting that many tour operators contract their ground operations to a locally based outfit that then deals with even smaller operations (such as guides and muleteers for mountain trekking), resulting in some of your tour cost trickling down to the Moroccans themselves.

Tour Operators

Andante Travels (tel. 01722/713800; www.andantetravels.co.uk) has been organizing archaeology and ancient-history tours from their U.K. base since 1985. Their group sizes are small and accompanied by both a tour manager and a specialist lecturer. Their current Morocco offering explores the prehistoric engravings and paintings in the Souss Valley and Anti-Atlas, accompanied by two North African rock art specialists.

Biotrek Adventure Travels (tel. 866/246-8735 toll-free or 540/349-0040; www.biotrektours.com) was created by Sunny Reynolds, a professional photographer, in 1991. The company organizes tours to countries including Morocco, India, Tanzania, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Trips depart from Washington, D.C., and groups are never more than 10 people.

Dragoman Overland (tel. 01728/861133; www.dragoman.com) is based in the U.K. and operates grass-roots tours in their own overland-style trucks through Africa, the Americas, and Asia. The tours are usually camping oriented with group participation, and the trucks are self-sufficient with cooking equipment, water tanks, and tents. They have a 2-week round-trip from Marrakech that is specially geared toward families, with a combination of camping and hotels. The tour visits central Morocco attractions such as the Aït Ben Haddou kasbah, the Dadès Valley, and the Erg Chebbi desert dunes, along with the Western High Atlas village of Imlil and the Atlantic port city of Essaouira. Morocco is also included in their 5-week overland from Malaga, Spain, to Dakar, Senegal.

Epic Morocco (tel. 020/8150-6131; www.epicmorocco.co.uk) is a small U.K.-owned, Marrakech-based tour operator. Owned and managed by Anglo-French couple Charlie Shepherd and Melodie Selvon, they specialize in high-quality, small-group mountain biking, walking, and horse-riding tours in Morocco. They offer a fascinating "Walking with Nomads" experience, which accompanies a family from the Aït Atta tribe as they make their annual migration with their flocks to greener pastures in either the High Atlas or Jebel Sarhro mountain regions. Other tours offer hiking and biking combinations, or they can tailor-make tours to suit.

Explore! Worldwide (tel. 0870/333-4001; www.explore.co.uk) is a U.K.-based operator specializing in small-group adventure holidays worldwide (currently more than 300 tours to more than 130 countries). Their tours cover a wide range of styles, accommodations, and themes such as cycling, trekking, astronomy, and history, as well as dedicated family adventures. They currently offer 18 trips in Morocco, ranging from 5-day mountain treks to a 10-day itinerary that takes in Andalusian Spain.

Imaginative Traveller (tel. 0800/316-2717 toll-free or 01473/667337; www.imaginative-traveller.com) is a U.K.-based outfit specializing in small-group adventure travel worldwide. Their tours come in a range of styles catering to everyone from the independent-minded to the connoisseur traveler. They offer 13 itineraries in Morocco, some of them led by their own leaders and some by local guides. The 15-day "Morocco Caravan" is a good mix of trekking and sightseeing, with plenty of free time for exploring.

Intrepid Travel (tel. 1300/364-512 toll-free or 03/8602-0500; www.intrepidtravel.com) is an Australian-based adventure-travel specialist that has been taking travelers off the beaten track since 1989. They offer small-group tours for individuals, couples, and families, with varying levels of comfort and activities. Their current selection includes a dozen tours within Morocco, which include trekking, cycling, and photographic and general-interest itineraries, along with a few other tours combining a visit to Morocco within a larger tour of southern Europe or North Africa.

Journeys International (tel. 800/255-8735 toll-free or 734/665-4407; www.journeys-intl.com), based in the U.S., offers small-group (4-12 people) natural-history tours guided by naturalists. Trips include an 8-day "Morocco Imperial Cities" tour, which gives you an in-depth look at the country's cultural and historical centers, and a more general 12-day "Discover Morocco."

KE Adventure Travel (tel. 800/497-9675 toll-free in the U.S., or 0176/877366 and 1303/321-0085 in the U.K.; www.keadventure.com) is a leading independent adventure-travel specialist offering a range of tour styles to more than 140 destinations worldwide. Their Moroccan itineraries are unique and diverse, ranging from an 8-day camel trek for families to a 15-day trekking/white-water rafting combo.

Nomadic Expeditions (tel. 0870/2201718; www.nomadic.co.uk) is a U.K.-based company offering overland-style, group-participation tours in Morocco. Clients travel in self-sufficient overland safari trucks, complete with all cooking and camping gear and a driver and tour leader. Eight- and 15-day round-trip itineraries depart Tangier regularly from May to October, and there's also an 8-day round-trip from Marrakech that visits central Morocco and is hotel based rather than camping.

Wilderness Travel (tel. 800/368-2794 toll-free or 510/558-2488; www.wildernesstravel.com) is a U.S.-based tour company specializing in cultural, hiking, and wildlife tours worldwide. Their 15-day "High Atlas Trek" travels from Casablanca to Marrakech via the Central High Atlas, and includes a 6-day trek around the Aït Bou Guemez Valley, with an optional 4-day extension to climb Jebel Toubkal. There's also a 15-day "Camels to Casbahs" tour from Casablanca to Marrakech via central Morocco and Essaouira. These two tours are arranged with tiered pricing (the cost varies according to group size). They also offer a 10-day private tour from Casablanca to Marrakech via central Morocco, with an Essaouira extension.

World Expeditions (tel. 888/464-8735 toll-free in the U.S., 866/606-1721 toll-free in Canada, or 020/8545-9030 toll-free in the U.K.; www.worldexpeditions.com) is one of the world's original adventure-travel companies, organizing Himalayan treks since 1975. Their tours typically offer general-adventure tours as well as activity-specific trips such as sea kayaking, cycling, trekking, and mountaineering. They are highly regarded for their responsible tourism and environmental philosophies, and offer three tours in Morocco consisting of a 13-day trekking/sightseeing combo, a 14-day general sightseeing itinerary, and a combination of the two.

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/morocco/3871010019.html#ixzz2LWr6APWu

You can arrange your trip in your home country or once you are in Morocco you can arrange there, but Google Morocco Trips you will find many tour operators offering you the choice to suit your budget and itinerary.

Takchita move

caftan blonch 2013 takchita move

The traditional caftan is made out of silk or cotton and can be worn both by women and by men. Below you can read about one of the types of caftans, the Moroccan version.

If you’re looking to buy Moroccan caftans and clothes, you can get the Best deals from here


 



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Moroccan Wedding Theme – Scents & Colours of North Africa

Moroccan Wedding Theme – Scents & Colours of North Africa

Just back from my holiers (well, a month ago now) in Marrakech and if there is one place that offers decorative inspiration in spades it’s Morocco – from the scents and spices of the souk, to the ornate carvings and colourful lanterns that define Moroccan interior design, it’s a place that gets your imagination and creative juices flowing.

So today we thought it would be fun to put together an inspiration board around the idea of a Moroccan Wedding Theme, drawing together some of the elements that combine to create the colourful aesthetic of the North African nation including those all important lanterns that have been seen at weddings all over…


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Ghriba Lbahla almonds and sesame mmhhh

Ghriba Lbahla almonds and sesame mmhhh

How are you all

So in a few days it will be our Id al-Adha Feast of Sacrifice and said party said some goodies to share with family, friends and neighbors and I started one of the most popular sweets in small and large but the most difficult to do and succeed.

My husband and my kids love it for years and every time I return from Morocco I brought back with me or someone in my immediate family comes to me I asked them that we find especially succulents in a bakery not far from my parents in Casablanca, and the last time I asked my father if he could asked the owner of the pastry recipe that Ghriba if sandblasted and slush, I confess that I thought she would refuse, but because my father is a loyal and good customer and he explained that it was for me who lived so far to often buy her, so she accepted it and c as I have the secret recipe of a professional and I can tell you that it is a killer!

 

I also sought advice from a friend who has already done well and I'll let you see the results and also noted the recipe you need to keep!

 

   

Ingredients for almost a hundred Ghribas

500 g flour

250g sugar

250g butter

2 sachets of yeast (10g 2 times)

125g lightly toasted sesame seeds

125g blanched almonds and ground very fine pitch

A pinch of salt

Very little oil to pick up the dough.

Preparation

Start by mixing the flour with the sugar, pinch of salt, ground almonds and sesame seeds. Then add the melted butter slowly kneading the mixture well for at least 10min.

If your dough does not pick up a ball add a little oil while working until you get to make small balls of dough.

Put your dough well covered in the fridge for a night or a few hours at least.

(A friend who succeeded his well Ghoribas told me last night that she did not let them cool but fashioned live! But as I do the dough last night just before asking and that I intended to finish this morning So I still have left in the fridge until morning!)

Remove dough 2 hours in advance. Work the dough again to warm it with your hands and then add the two packets of yeast and rework a good 10 minutes.

as my dough was a little crumbly (definitely my flour absorbs too much) I added a little oil while kneading the dough and hop was perfect!

Make small balls the size of a walnut and place good enough apart on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ° first by placing the plate on top of the oven for 15 min and then once Ghribas will be well placed nicely cracked plate in the middle and leave another 5 minutes in the oven.

Some people prefer to leave enough blondes, but I prefer when it is lightly browned but not too much!

So what do you think of my Ghoribas?

I found the Top and my husband who rafolle told me they are better than the cake lol

Soon for other goodies ...

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Morocco religious intolerant

Customs and Religion
Moroccans are religious people. Islamic practices affect all aspects of life, especially in more remote communities. As in all Islamic communities the call to prayer will be heard several times a day. During the holy month of Ramadan (which takes place at a different time each year), Moslems fast from daybreak till sunset. This fast puts a great strain on them as they will often rise at 4am to have breakfast. In towns some shops in the Ramadan month are closed for long periods during daylight hours and also at dusk many shops close for an hour while the fasting population have their meal.

Woman are relatively free in Morocco, most walk around without veils and take part in all aspects of life. Non-Moroccan women should be sensitive to traditions concerning dress. In particular shorts and short skirts and low-cut dresses are considered provocative and should be avoided in towns or villages. When swimming a full bathing costume is strongly recommended for women except for private hotel pools or wild beaches. Men should also avoid bearing themselves too much except in the more informal desert surroundings. In towns shorts are acceptable for men except when visiting religious sites or if invited to visit an Arab family. When passing or receiving any item, in particular food, the right hand should be used.
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Could you tell me how I can travel to Morocco for less?

Could you tell me how I can travel to Morocco for less?
Dear reader,I am in search of a cheaper way to reach Morocco.Do you have any tips?Thank you.


Our recent Real Deal on Morocco for Less really ticked off an ex-pat who lives in Morocco and blogs at Cat in Rabat. In a post titled, Morocco for More, she writes that it's outlandish for us to consider $125 a day per person to be a "budget" trip. She says $125 a day isn't budget travel, especially for a place that's not as expensive and popular as, say, many Western European destinations.
Cat in Rabat makes a larger point, too: Even if we had really wanted to plan a budget trip to Morocco, we'd be hard pressed to succeed. Here's why:
Morocco is not a cheap country. And not that it should be--although it would be nice if it were--but there is an expectation that, as a developing nation, it is. Or ought to be. In truth, some things are cheap: rent is cheap (although rents are on the rise), local transportation (with the exception of domestic airfares) is still cheap, and anything made of leather is risibly inexpensive, but it pretty much ends there. Between holiday housing developments sprouting like poisoned mushrooms along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines and the Western predilection for building guest houses and renovating derelict ryads in Morocco's medinas, real estate is starting to go through the roof. All this, in conjunction with the hoards of cash-carrying tourists disembarking from cut-throat European airlines, is serving to not only test the local infrastructure but to ensure that prices will go up up up.
Meanwhile...the blogger Morocco Savvy makes the following comment:
Worse yet, their site says "The Real Deals." Travel around Morocco, even for my slightly older and slightly picky parents, still averaged around $125 a day--FOR TWO! As for myself--unless I'm stuck in a 4-star hotel paid for by the conference I'm attending and forgot to eat dinner so must order the nasty 75dh chawarma that isn't even really a chawarma but more like chicken and cabbage in a baguette--travel around Morocco is more like 125 DIRHAMS [$15] a day.
Hmm...Well, as the guy who wrote the Morocco for Less piece, I was surprised by these reactions. Here's my response:
1) As always, "budget" is in the eye of the beholder. Not every package Budget Travel's editors recommend will be right for everyone. We know that some travelers are willing to pay a little more for an escorted trip to avoid having to research reputable companies that offer activities such as a mountain-bike ride or a nine-hour hike through the mountains of the Tamatert Valley. And some travelers like the idea of a tour company using its size to make sure that an activity, such as a valley tour, will happen at an appointed day and time. Yet if you're an independent soul who prefers simple, or ineffable, pleasures, by all means, know that you can enjoy many aspects of Morocco for as little as about $10 a day. Many travelers have done it, and if you're one of the travelers who have, feel free to share your travel suggestions by posting a comment below.
2) If this package costs too much per day at $990 for eight-nights (plus airfare and some meals), then consider instead a 20-night tour of Morocco that costs only $1,218 (including a local payment of $408, but excluding airfare and all meals). This latter deal, which Budget Travel spotlighted in its July issue, works out to about $61 a day. The cheaper-per-day trip is best for travelers who feel comfortable navigating Morocco on their own. The more expensive-per-day trip will provide assistance to help you maximize your time in the country by arranging in advance for bike rides, tent stays, and sightseeing. Why does the one trip cost twice as much per day? The extra cost is to help ease your way into a country that has a very different culture than America's--and an unfamiliar language to boot. (There's additional value provided by this package, too. Keep reading to find out.)
3) I passed along the criticisms of the trip to Intrepid Travel, the company that offers the package. Spokesperson Dyan McKie offered a detailed response. Here's one point she makes:
We use local operators who help us piece together some of the arrangements like our Camel Safaris into the desert, the mountain biking, etc. We could probably do it cheaper if we did it ourselves but as Intrepid's number one core value is Responsible Travel. It wouldn't be very responsible of us not to support the locals. Therefore, we use their local services, even if it costs us more money.
Dyan also points out another advantage to spending a extra money on an Intrepid Travel package, instead of piecing together an itinerary as a backpacker. For a single traveler such as herself (who is female and doesn't speak Arabic nor French), getting around Morocco is not as easy as it might seem to some people. Intrepid specializes in making solo travelers comfortable in its small groups. It doesn't charge a single supplement, unlike most tour package companies. And in a country like Morocco, Intrepid's group leaders can make female travelers feel more culturally comfortable--and culturally aware of how their actions are received locally.
Finally, Dyan added one relevant note. Intrepid Travel's package includes a homestay with a Moroccan family.
Independent travelers can't just turn up to someones home in remote areas and ask to stay. (Though I am sure the very experienced traveler has but generally travelers wouldn't.) We offer them a once in a lifetime experience.That's cheaper than the budget hotel but we like to support the family while we are staying with them. Allowing their children to get an education, assisting in farming and agricultural support, etc. Again this is in accordance with our core values--we want to give our clients that special experience but don't take for granted that these families who are letting us into their lives.
In hindsight, I realize that I should have included more of the above details when I described the value of this package. I'll know better next time. And if any reader still thinks I'm in need of correcting, please post a comment below. Thanks.


Read more: http://www.budgettravel.com/blog/can-you-enjoy-morocco-on-a-budget,9243/#ixzz2LWsSahkc

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General Concepts of Sexuality and Love in morocco

General Concepts of Sexuality and Love

In Islam, the love of God occupies a big place in the heart of the believer with regard to carnal love. This has not prevented sexuality from flourishing with the advance of Arab-Islamic civilization, across the different dynasties, in passing through the great sociocultural cities of Damas, Baghdad, and Cairo (Malek 1995). Since those early times, the arts, knowledge, amorous poetry, and sexual culture have not ceased to deteriorate. This degradation puts in relief the contradictions that exist between the religious law and the traditions that are a part of what is prescribed by Islam concerning sexuality and what is forbidden within the family, in the extended community, and in the whole society. While the Muslim religion is more permissive, in contrast to Christianity, it gives primacy to carnal pleasure within the framework of marriage as a means of union with the other and with God. This glorification of sexual pleasure is a necessary ornament to the existence of the believer. Sexual abstention is, consequently, advised against, almost forbidden: “Rahbaniatan: The monasticism that they [Christians] have created has not ever been recommended or enjoined by us,” the Koran tells us. The nikah (marriage), the religious and judicial framework in which sexuality exerts itself, organizes the sexual connections, their breaks, their changes, and the practical consequences that they entail.

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Sociolegal Status of Males and Females of morocco

In the legal sphere, the rights of the individual man or woman are governed by the penal code, the code of commerce, and the code of family law (mudawana). Morocco’s penal and commercial codes are identical in scope, with men and women sharing the same rights and obligations. On the contrary, the code of family law, which regulates man-woman relations in the domains of marriage, repudiation, filiation, custody of the children, guardianship, and inheritance, is far from being equitable (Statut du Code, 1996).

[A first step in reform of the mudawana came in the early 1980s, when the Union de l’Action Feminin and other groups gathered over a million signatures in support of a petition urging the King to reform the family law regulating marriage, divorce, inheritance, child custody, and polygamy. There is still no central office to deal with alimony or child support. The new code is known as the Statut du Code Personnel “Mudawana” (1996) (Fernea 1998:106, 113, 120). (Editor)]

If the penal and commercial codes are inspired by French law, the Moroccan code of family law is inspired by the Chariâ (Islamic Law), especially that of the Malékite rite. Although the Chariâ accepts polygamy with up to four legitimate wives, Moroccan law adopts some restrictions with the view of limiting the practice of polygamy, and poses conditions of equality in the treatment of the co-spouses. Polygamy is to be avoided when a disparity is to be feared (Article 30.1).

On the other hand, Moroccan women still have not been able to reach a real emancipation and autonomy vis-à-vis men, despite the important changes observed in our modern society. The Moroccan woman still commonly estimates the man to be superior to her, tolerates work of a temporary nature, judges having children, especially boys, as all important for inheritance, thinks that virginity is of major importance, and accords a great place to the ceremony of marriage. The woman in our society is a woman in evolution, but she remains linked to the group (Amir 1988; Kacha 1996; Moussaid 1992). This woman is opposed to the total transformation of those who might lead us toward an insecure situation. This opposition is because of internal resistance that is linked to the educational and external schemas in the measure where the social milieu brakes this desire for change (Amir 1988; Kacha 1996).

On March 12, 2000, two rival demonstrations by several hundred thousand Moroccans bore testimony to the transitional tensions and evolution evident in our country. The issue of both demonstrations was a government plan for a variety of social and human rights reforms proposed by the new King, Mohammed VI, who came to the throne after the death of his father, King Hassan II, in July 1999. Among other reforms, the government plan would fully replace with a court divorce the practice of repudiation, in which the husband can divorce his wife by a triple verbal declaration. The reform would also provide for equal division of money and property in a divorce, and support a literacy program for rural Moroccan women, over 80 percent of whom are illiterate. In the capital, Rabat, 200,000 to 300,000 members and representatives of women’s groups, human rights movements, and political parties ended their march supporting the reform with a concert. In Casablanca, at least 200,000 men and women marching in separate columns - some claimed twice that number - denounced the reform (Associated Press 2000).

[In terms of judiciary power, Morocco is far ahead of Egypt, with 20 percent of its judges being women, compared with no Egyptian female judges. On the other hand, whereas Egyptian President Sadat appointed 35 women to his country’s Parliament in 1981, Moroccan women had to wait 37 years following independence to have two women elected to the Moroccan Parliament (Fernea 1998:117).

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Character of Gender Roles of morocco

Character of Gender Roles

The traditional family structure remains very faithfully attached to the archaic patriarchal scheme. The father is, in general, a patriarch who inspires respect and to whom one owes obedience and acknowledgment. The mother is the housekeeper “wife-mother” who does everything. She is the one who makes the decisions in the social sphere. But she prepares her own strategy for managing her ecosystem by imposing a strong personality in the household. She reveals herself to be more conservative than the man. When a woman becomes a mother, she is always considered a potential danger, because she is perceived as having a devastating effect on the man. However, our Islamic religion adopts an ambivalent attitude toward women. On one side, she is considered as being more wily than Iblis (Satan) whom she incarnates in our collective unconscious; on the other side, the Hadith (Words of the Prophet) considers woman as a simple being of spirit, whose faith is incomplete. This notion is largely predominant in the rural population, whereas city women have begun to rebel against this state of things (Moussaid 1992; Naamane 1990). [In terms of Moroccan cultural change, there are continuing tensions between the people of the magzken in the urban organized government and the people of the rural and tribal bled. These tensions often focus on the differences between modern Western sexual and marital values and those espoused by the tribal and rural cultures (Fernea 1998:63).

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A Brief Historical Perspective in morocco

A Brief Historical Perspective in morocco

Morocco is rich in Paleolithic remains, particularly in parts of North Africa and the Sahara, which were populated until the Neolithic era. The people who settled in the region soon after that were probably natives of Europe and Asia. They became the ancestors of today’s Berbers. In the seventh century BCE, the Phoenicians laid the foundations of commerce on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa at sites having Berber names that became the great ports of Tingi (Tangier), Melilia (Russadir), and Casablanca. The conquest of Carthage by the Roman Empire in the first century BCE assured Roman domination of the entire African Mediterranean coastline to the Straits of Gibraltar. From 25 to 23 BCE, Juba II, a Berber sovereign, administered the Berber kingdom of Mauritania (Algeria, Morocco, and a part of Mauritania). Around 42 CE, the emperor Claudius I annexed the whole empire of Mauritania to the Roman Empire. In 429, Morocco underwent the invasion of the Vandals. The Byzantine general Bélisaire regained the region in 533. After the conversion of the emperor Constantine I the Great in the fourth century, Christianity expanded in the Roman regions.

It appears that Islamic troops reached the Atlantic Ocean in 681 under the command of Oqba Ibn Nafii. The real conquest started later on, between 705 and 707, under the direction of Moussa Ibn Nousair. The Muslim establishment was in the meantime long and difficult. Many Muslim dynasties, claiming Arabic origins for religious reasons or prestige, ruled in various areas of the country. In 788, Idriss I, descendant of Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet, founded the dynasty of the Idrissides. It is from this age that dates the founding of the city of Fès, which became an important religious and cultural center of the Islamic world under Idriss II. The rigorist Almoravide warriors of Islam went on to dominate the region beginning in 1062, the date at which they founded Marrakech as the crossroads of commercial routes between the Arab world and the Sahara. A new reform movement, the Almohades (the Unities), launched by Ibn Toumart in the first half of the twelfth century, put an end to the Almoravide empire in 1147, marking the triumph of the seated Berbers of the anti-Atlas under the aegis of Abd Al-Moumen (1130-1163). The Almohades exercised their authority over what is currently Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and part of Portugal and Spain.

In 1269, the Mérinides, of the Arabic Berbers, took over the throne, but they could not maintain the unity of the North African empire of the Almohades. During the reconquest of Spain, which exiled the Arabs and the Jews, the great majority of Spanish Muslims found refuge in Morocco they took over. In 1415, Ceuta (Sebta) was occupied by the Portuguese. In 1497, Melilia fell to the Spanish. The intrusions of the Europeans provoked the rise of the Beni Saâd (or Saâdiens), who became master of the country in 1554. Moroccan Saâdiens, aided by Moorish and Jewish refugees from Spain, created a prosperous and unified country. In this period, Moroccan architecture and arts flourished. In 1664, Maulay Rachid founded the Alaouite dynasty, which still reigns to this day in Morocco. The Alaouite dynasty knew its apogee under the sultan Moulay Ismail (1672-1727), the builder of the city of Meknès. His reign was followed by a long period of family rivalries. At the end of the eighteenth century, only the northern third of Morocco remained under the administration of the sultan.

On March 30, 1912, the sultan recognized the French protectorate. Spain, for its part, assumed control of the north of Morocco, from the enclave of Ifni (southwest) and from the Moroccan Sahara (west). The occupation of the country was not total until 1934. After World War II, the Moroccan nationalist resistance forced independence in 1956, opening the era of the constitutional monarchy in Morocco. The last vestiges of European colonialism persisted until the recent past. The enclave of Ifni was not returned to Morocco until 1964, and the Moroccan Sahara was not recovered until 1976 at the end of a popular nationalist march called the “Green March.” Two other enclaves, small ports situated on the Mediterranean coast west of Tangier, Ceuta and Melilia, are still occupied by Spain.



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Demographics in Morocco

Demographics in Morocco

Morocco is situated on the northwestern coast of Africa. It shares its borders with Algeria to the east and south, and with Mauritania to the southwest. It is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, the two expanses of water being separated by the Strait of Gibraltar, which is situated to the north of Morocco. The area of Morocco is 172,400 square miles or 710,850 square kilometers, slightly larger than the state of California. About 20 percent of the land of Morocco is arable. Fertile plains extend the length of the Atlantic coastline: in the regions from the center-north, the plain of Fès-Saiss; to the south, the plain of Souss-Massa; and to the south-southwest, the Tadla. To the east of these plains, the Atlas Mountains, which peak at 4,165 meters (Toubkal), extend from the southwest of Morocco to the confines of the Algerian borders in the northeast. To the north, the Rif Mountains connect the northwest coast of Morocco to West Algeria (l’Ouest Algérien). Among the great wealth of Morocco, along with farming and its human resources, is the mining of phosphate, which is found in great abundance in the central regions of Morocco, the city of Khouribga, and in the Moroccan Sahara. Until 1976, the Moroccan Sahara represented one of the last vestiges of French colonialism in Morocco.

In 1997, the population of Morocco was estimated at 30,391,423; in 2000, more than half of this population, 53 percent, lived in the cities. The regional distribution of the urban population remains marked by the concentration of 56 percent of this population in two areas: the center and the northwest. The axis of the cities of Casablanca-Rabat-Kenitra clusters 35 percent of the urban population of Morocco. Ethnically, Morocco is very homogeneous, with 99 percent of the population Arab-Berber. The great majority of Moroccans are Muslim (98.7 percent); 1.1 percent are Christian and 0.2 percent are Jewish. Sunni Malikite Islam is the state religion. The 1998 age distribution of the population reveals that about 80 percent of the population were less than 40 years old, the active population, 15 to 60 years old, comprised 56 percent, and those over 60 years represented only 7 percent of Moroccans. The life expectancy from birth in 2000 was 66.85 years for men and 71 years for women. The birthrate in 2000 was 25.78 per 1,000 population, the infant mortality rate was 50.96 per 1,000 live births, and the death rate was 6.12 per 1,000, for an annual natural growth of 1.96 percent. In 1998, the average Moroccan woman of fertile age was expected to bear 3.1 children (the Total Fertility Rate, TFR), placing the country 90 among 227 nations of the world. In 2000, the literacy rate in the rural areas was about 25 percent, with two thirds of the urban population being literate. With school attendance compulsory from age 7 to 13, the estimated overall literacy rate is just 50 percent and 25 percent for women (Fernea 1998:110). In 1994, Morocco had one hospital bed for 978 persons and one physician for 2,923 people. The 1997 estimated per capita Gross Domestic Product was $3,500.morocco culture,moroccan food,morocco food,moroccan cuisine,morocco beaches,moroccan meal,beaches in morocco,moroccan culture,hercules cave,hercules cave morocco 

What percentage of people in Morocco are truly religious?

What percentage of people in Morocco are truly religious?
The ones who go to the mosque or pray or dress modestly? If given a choice to change their religion how many people in Morocco would convert to another one?

I saw too many that weren't going to the mosque at all and pretending to be religious by their talk and not actions when I was there visiting on a long holiday. Especially the younger generation. So I am wondering if you are being sarcastic or joking in your answer.
Considering how over-crowded the prisons are, how people are so desperate to leave Morocco for a better life that they will scam foreigners in marriages in order to get residency visas, the fact that during riots in the past few years anarchists made their presence known I would say that the younger generation is not very religious at all, they are going along with traditions. I would say less than 50%. While traveling it didn't seem the mosques were all that busy for prayers, few shops and restaurants closed up for prayers, and cyber-cafes seemed to get more attention.Percentage wise it is difficult to say as there is no official statistics nor there is registry maintain of Moroccan converting to other religion. All Muslims go to mosque whether that be once a week or five times a day, and you will find in Morocco the mosques are full at times. Majority of Moroccans are religious and remember Allah all the times.

Yes that is true the younger generation are distracted by the worldly things and have time for that rather performing their prayers five times a day, But generally you will find young and old attending mosques be that one time a day or more. I have witnessed too that when there is a football on the TV, some would just watch TV rather then answer the call of "adhan",

I am not being sarcastic or joking but stating the facts, of course you will find this in all Muslim countries where all in all the Muslims do attend and pray in the mosques. Of course some pray at home too.

The one who did not turn the music down or stopped playing music are in need of help or guidance.

I noticed that they did turn down their music when it was prayer time but went ahead with everything else that they were doing.

more than being religioud, they're traditional..so they will stick to their religion.at least 85% of men go to the mosque at least once a day some older citizens who are retired go to all prayers...women mostly go to Friday prayers.
dressing modestly..well between 60-70 wear scrafs,moroccan jilbabs or pants...but most of them cover their hair..a lot of them dont...then there are the really religious ones who wear the burka like in middle east...
it will be hard to find a moroccan converting to christianity or any other religion as it will go against their traditions. but there are a few of them who do convert..mostly if they get married to christians or move overseas..it's a choice.
otherwise, i don't see why you asked this question....kind of~~weird lol



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Dorcas gazelle-Animals in Morocco

The Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas) is closely related to the mountain gazelle, but is different on a few points. They have longer ears and they have curvier horns. The Dorcas gazelles live in northern Africa, and the Sahara and Negev deserts in Morocco, Rio de Oro, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Somalia and Ethiopia. In the Middle East they live in parts of Israel and Sinai. The coloring in subspecies is different, in the Northern Sahara, they are an ocher color and they have darker flanking stripes. But the population near the Red Sea, has a more reddish-brown and lighter flanking stripes.

Their diet consists of leaves, flowers
 and pods of Acacian trees and various bushes.

When they feel threatened they sound their alarm call which sounds like barking. When chased, these gazelles use "stotting" (leaping straight up during pursuit by a predator) as a method to signal their fitness to the predator and warn other gazelles a predator is present. Dorcas gazelles can reach speeds of up to 80 km/hr. Their natural predators are the lion, cheetah and the leopard, but their main threats are habitat destruction, hunting, and the introduction of domestic sheep and goats.

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What is the most common animals in Morocco

The most common animals in Morocco are Barbary lion, the Barbary Macaque, the camel and the Fennec.

What are the Common animals in Morocco?

I'm doing a report on several countries and one physical characteristic of the country(Morocco) is animal! what animals live in Morocco?

Number one is cats, they are every where, in the medina, in the outdoor cafes and restaurants, parked near every outdoor butcher shop, on top of roof top terraces, inside the waiting area of airports, in the parks or anywhere people congregate. Donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens and cows are also common domesticated animals and some people have canaries, lovebirds and parakeets. Snake handlers are common in tourist areas, you will see them holding Cobras or desert snakes.

Morocco is a country that is made up of mostly desert and is known for its extremely high heat, particularly in mid-day. The plants and animals that live in Morocco have adapted to these conditions over time and have survived in spite of the intense heat and lack of sufficient water. Morocco is the home to several species of animals that are not found in other parts of the world.

Mammals

the dorcas gazelle

Approximately 105 species of animals live in Morocco, and of these, 18 are on the endangered species list. The most typical type of mammal to live in Morocco is the dorcas gazelle. This type of gazelle is the smallest of its species, and it is recognizable by its extremely long legs and curved horns. Both male and female dorcas gazelles have full sets of horns. To compensate for the lack of fresh water, dorcas gazelles absorb water from the Acacia leaves that make up the majority of their diet. Due to the intensity of the mid-day sun, dorcas gazelles are usually only spotted being active in the early morning and late evening hours.

A type of dog that is unique to Morocco is the Sloughi breed. They are fast dogs that people of that nation use for hunting purposes. Their appearance is close to that of a greyhound.

Birds

There are more than 450 types of birds that have managed to survive the desert heat of Morocco. Pelicans and gulls can be found most often on the coast lines, while partridges, woodpeckers, doves, pigeons and pheasants are more often found in the desert areas. Bird species that are typically only seen in zoos in the United States, such as ostriches, swans and flamingoes, originate from Morocco and must be shipped overseas for anyone outside of Morocco to see them.