"A civilization rich in types and models unchanged for centuries, ... ideas and customs, moral and physical aspects of mankind that are eternal simply because they have never changed ... But that it has survived until our own times, that we can see it, we can touch it, we can mix with its people, is a miracle that never ceaseth to astonish."
Andre Cevrillon, Marrakech dans le palmes, Paris, 1920
Marrakech is a city in the grip of a delirious imagination. A feverish dreamscape of honeycombed alleys and minarets quivering in the moonlight and haunted by the restless creatures of a visionary carnival that has lasted for a thousand years and shows no sign of stopping now. Marrakech is one of the worlds enchanted places where time becomes suspended and, through its open door, you catch a glimpse of the past so rich and so remote and yet so palpable. You can sense the atavism propelling every trick and turn in the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech's pulsating main square and one of the worlds great theatres.
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The Djemaa is a spectacular pageant of singers, tumblers, sorcerers, herbalists, raconteurs, impostors, preachers and snake charmers, all competing for your eye. There is nowhere else in Africa which so effortlessly involves you, blows aside travel cynicism and keeps you returning. If you get tired, observe the spectacle from one of the overlooking rooftop cafes. |
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Morocco is located in the NorthWest Corner of Africa. Its northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains. Morocco's population is about 33 million as of July 2006. Morocco brims over with contrast, colour and mystery and all you can do is simply catch your breath in wonder. It has a timeless quality that no longer exists in the modern world, a sense that the past with all its glory and savagery still lives on, threading in and out of the present, informing with its every word and gesture. On arrival you are plunged into a culture, a religion and a lifestyle utterly unlike anything that you have ever experienced before; a mystery tour of a land of endless surprises, enchantment and enduring fascination. |
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The first reaction of most visitors to the flood of new impressions is to draw a long, deep breath and sigh; the odours of mint and blossom mingling with the acrid smell of the tanners' yard, the unearthly wail of the Muezzin and muleteers "balek! balek!", the subtle intricacies of an art that had reached its apogee and a daily rhythm that seems barely to have changed since the coming of islam.
More information can be found at the CIA's World Factbook at: |