Morocco reading frenzy

A friend of mine asked me advices about what to read to prepare her trip to Morocco, and I thought to share my ideas with you. Specially in this time of the year when we already miss our holidays (and this summer was not that hot, wasn't it ?), a pile of books that irradiate sun and warmth, and smell the strong fragrances of Morocco could help facing back the grey routine...

Let's start with the book about Morocco in the past

These are maybe the ones that give the best understanding of Morocco nowadays. To find out what where the traditions and behaviours only a few years ago, half a century back in time, to realize that the people you meet in the streets where small children brought up in another "time-world" helps a lot to understand the strength of traditions, and their impact on Morocco politics and development.

Morocco that was

By Walter B. Harris.

Might be one of my preferred. Written by an english journalist, it has some exageration and buoyancy, but it also describes accurately the state of Morocco before colonization, at the time where French, German, Spanish and English battled over the control of this tiny kingdom. The struggles between the tribes, the unability of a sultan too young to be powerful, the bandits, the traditions, the powers of Chorfas and the small stories, all together build a colorful portrait of that disappeared Morocco.

The voices of Marrakesh

By Elias Canetti.

A record of Morocco before independance, by a world-wide known author. That Canetti is jewish has its importance, as the book provides special insight also on the life in the mellah (jewish part of the old city). It is all about a traditionnal Morocco already entering modern life, and the voices of Marrakesh still resonate in the medina.

Lords of the Atlas: The Rise and Fall of the House of Glaoua

By Gavin Maxwell.

The epic story of the Glawas, rulers of a small tribe in south Morocco who succeded in being as powerful, as important as the king himself, and could have replaced him, had the French stayed longer. But they did not, and the Glawas lost all their powers, their palaces, like Telouet and Taourirt were emptied. A story that looks like a novel, and which is true.

Morocco today

Voices like Chraibi, Ben Jelloun... or foreigners like Paul Bowles, le Clezio.

The Sand Child

By Tahar Ben Jelloun.

In traditionnal Morocco, women do not inherit, hence Hajji Mohammed, father to seven girls, decides that his next child will be a boy, whatever. Whatever means hiding the truth, and transforming a little girl into a boy, upbringing her with the priviledges of the male. But that cannot last for a whole life, and Zahra will conquer her true identity. A tale in Jemaa Fna, in Marrakesh.

The blinding absence of light

By Tahar Ben Jelloun.

Not really a novel, this story is based on the account of years spend in the deadly prison of Tazmamart, in the south of Morocco. Here where sent soldiers sentenced to life imprisonment after a missed coup d'etat against Hassan II. Their life was more than harsh, degrading, all was done to kill them, and most of them did not survive it. Based on memories of one of the survivors, this books also tells how can man find in himself the resources to survive anything. After 27 years of barbary, Tazmamart grounds have been destroyed

The simple past

By Driss Chraibi.

Driss Chraibi, who died recently, does not seem so well known in the english-speaking world, when his books are praised in french, and abudantly translated in german. If you need one book to understand the difficulties of Moroccan society, this is it. The story of a young Moroccan strongly fighting with his father before he leaves for France where he will study. The two cultures and their differences, the place pf women, the wieght of religion... all these aspects are shown in a book that was scandalous before being now studied in Moroccan universities

The Sheltering sky

By Paul Bowles.

The story of an american pair who wants to save their married life in the wilderness of Sahara. Will they loose themselves, or save themselves ? Bowles is a true lover of the desert, and of Morocco. This is one of his key novels, where the alienation of the empty place mirros the emptyness of the chararcters, already prisonners of their secretive nature.

Travel and photo books

Caliph's house

By Tahir Shah.

To be read when you want to set in Morocco. An hilarious and true story of all the small problems, delays, difficulties, misunderstandings you'll meet. You waid you wanted to relax from modern stress ? Maybe Morocco will also be stressful, but in a different way. Learn to be patient, learn to understand it, and you shall not leave it anymore !

Valley of the Casbahs: A Journey Across the Moroccan Sahara

By Jeffrey Taler.

Not very far from Mezgarne, the valley of the Casbahs was not so long ago... let's say "unpacified". The watch towers spread around are a testimonial of it, when the traveler had to pay a fee to each tribe to be protected on its teritorry (and we have a beautiful one in Tazzarine). Jeffrey Taler experiences a lot of adventures, pleasant and unpleasant, and his account is fascinating. It you intend to visit us, it is also a good guide for this part of the country.

Moroccan Interiors

By Lisa Lova Smith.

A "little" jewel by Taschen, a collection of beautiful images of Moroccan houses. Like in most of the muslim countries, wealth is usually not displayed outside. The richest palaces (riads) are hidden behind blind thick walls, which lack of openings preserve at the same time coolness and privacy. But also in the simplest houses, the doyars in the south, or even the nomads' tents, one finds beauty

Their heads are green

By Paul Bowles.

Mainly about Morocco and the desert, but not only, it is a wonderful companion to "Sheltering Sky". His "baptism of solitude" describe so well how and why we love the desert. To read and read again. Bowles is one of the major english-speaking authors about Morocco and the desert, and I love him as much as I love Monod and Le Clezio in french.

If you read french, you can also have a look on our french-spaking bookstore.

Earthquake in Casa

Well a small one, hardly noticeable, but noticeable...

One more opportunity for Moroccans to have fun, like you can read (in french, sorry) on the blog of Mohammed El Baroudi, les tribulations d'un Marrakchi à Marrakech.

To summarize, if you don't read french, they were rumors spread by SMS, that a second quake would happen at 14h30. Which would prove (choose the right answer) :

• scientists are now really good, and are able to make very precise calculations (what a pity they had a day off for the tsunami)


• Moroccans are really good for spreading rumors


• The earthquake, being very polite, left a little note when he left : "I come back in 3 hours and a half, big hugs!"

What I prefer is one of the comments : "An earthquake never leaves, it stays ...It's a natural phenomenon. Morocccan trains also, by the way!!!"

That's so unfair, Moroccan trains leave and arrive on time... sometimes !

Hassan II Mosque hid itself in the fog

Yesterday morning, I woke up before the call for the first prayer of the day, As-Sobh, that starts the fast. The balcony of the hotel room has a view over the large boulevard Houphouët Boigny, a view I love, with the white facades, a little (a lot) used by time, one behind the other, terraces, paraboles' dishes, a mix of old building of the thirties, unfortunatly not well maintained, of traditionnal moroccan houses, and, in some places, a few modern buildings. On the right, quite near, a minaret. And in the background, just in front of us, the silhouette of the mosque, the Hassan II mosque, like a ship sailing towards the city.

But yesterday morning, in a strange milky white athmosphere, all silent, like cotton, in a heavy fog over the city, the mosque had disappeared.

Totally disappeared...

At first I thought an illusion, a last dreamm. I tried to see it, to guess in the thick mist, at least the silhouette of the minaret, usually one can spot it from a few kilometres away.

Nothing at all.

And suddenly, in the silence, the voice of the muezzin came through the fog, even stronger, even more present because it was just a voice, just a sound claiming God's greatness (these are the first words in the prayer, Allah ou Aghbar, God is Great), coming from nowhere, from the clouds and the sea. One after the other, the other mosques answered it. The morning started.

But the mosque appeared only around 1O am, as the clouds went higher. I could spot the huge green roof, and over a blanket of remaining mist, the top of the minaret. For the whole day, it was impossible to see it wholly. Always a part of it was hidden by the fog. It was hot, very hot, 32°, much more than usual in october, and that was making Ramadan harder.

in the evening, the fog was lighter. And for the last prayer of the day,it was finally possible to perceive the light, on top of the minaret.

Sidi Abderarrmane

This is a very simple image, without great photographic merits, anyway I really love it, because it summarizes a very special Morocco. We are on Sunday afternoon, south of Casablanca, along the beach, in a part of the city called "Sidi Abderramane".

The Marabout (building with the grave of the Saint, or Sidi) is build on an "island", a few rocks a few meters away, you can pass by foot. It is well noticeable, with its roof of green shiny tiles, and surrounded by a few houses. Everything is white, the light is gorgeous. The houses certainly belonged to disciples of the saint, now a family life is settled, washing is hanging, paraboles are everywhere on the walls and terraces, and children are playing in the narrow streets.

On the beach, families of Casablacas (Casawi) came to quietly enjoy their Sunday. Parasols, ice-cream stands, children playing, a whole world, simple and joyous. Two young girls are riding, veiled with bounty scrafs (pink and blue are very trendy this year). That reminds me how much do Moroccans love horses... you have to visit the old stabbles in Meknes to understand that. Today, the King still receives the yearly pledge of obedience of his subjects on a white arabic stallion.

It's good to be on the beach. With a few minutes by car, after the splendid white villas of Aïn Daib, you can join this simple Morocco that knows how to enoy lfe !

Back to Casa

One of the advantages of the LH 4118 flight from Frankfurt to Casablanca is its very late arrival, pas midnight. At that time, you go very quickly through the controls, policemen and Immigration and Customs officers are obviously also longing to go to bed. Just after that, you’re on a Moroccan motorway, where it is perfectly normal for a speeded Mercedes to try to create a third lane just by passing between a truck and a bus. A few horn-blows, and that’s all, no accident and no reaction from the nearby police car.
Casablanca by night is quite surprising, totally emptied of its daily animation, silent, nearly clean, the main avenues seem too large, when, in the day, they are crowded by four or five lanes unable to go over 5 km / hour.
In this darkness, the luminous colomn of the minaret of Hassan II mosque is even more visible, signalling the direction of the sea. From the balcony of our hotel room, I have the feeling I’m very near it.

This year, the mosque is in maintenance. At least the pillars that sustain the part built over the sea. It was a nice case of several dozen million euros, a nice Moroccan story, complicated enough, between Bouygues (the French entrepreneur that built the mosque) and Morocco. So, nearly two thirds of the mosque have been built over the sea, on concrete pillars anchored in the rock. These pillars are “fissures” threatening the stability of the whole building. Bouygues argues of the technical difficulties, such a construction was a “premiere”, the strength of the waves was bigger than expected, and anyway the damages are happening more than twenty years after the official reception, so it’s to Morocco to pay the repairs.
Well… it happens that the official technical reception was never signed ! The mosque is used for more than twenty years, but that was never official. And it is still under guarantee argues Moroccan state, asking Bouygues to pay.

Whatever they decided, they have reached a compromise, and some cranes are at work in front of the mosque. That’s good news, and I hope the way around the mosque, on the seaside, will soon be opened again.

This building is magnificent. The mosque itself is splendid, more for its traditional decorations, the marbled prayer rooms, its sculpted ceilings, the washing rooms with marble fountains shaped as lotus flowers, than for the technical performance of the huge roof that can slide completely opened. More than anything, the situation is unique, on a huge place, directly at the sea. In all this blue of the large cloudless sky and the strong waves, the mosque becomes like a white ship with green sails.