Cultural experiences
Dar Batha Museum – Art, Craft and History
If you have an appreciation for art, craft and history, the Dar Batha Museum located in Fez, Morocco is a must-see attraction. This excellent collection of artifacts is housed in a Hispano-Moorish palace that dates back to the 19th century – a beautiful piece of art in itself.
So exactly what sort of traditional artwork can you expect to find at the Dar Batha Museum? Most traditional forms of art were also practical in nature so they usually took the form of furniture that was given a decorative touch. Therefore you can expect to enjoy intricately carved wooden furniture, wrought iron with decorative finishing touches, carpets, embroidery and jewelry.
The Dar Batha Museum also has a great collection of ancient coins. All of these intricately worked masterpieces of functional or decorative art are beautiful to behold and visitors may find themselves struggling to decide where to start and which item to look at next.
The best part of the museum, however, is undoubtedly the pottery room where you will find an unbeatable display of ceramic objects that have been masterfully crafted by Fez craftsmen through the centuries. Of particular interest are the articles dating back to the 10th century which contain items of ‘fez blue’. At the time, this relatively groundbreaking way of coloring pottery involved the use of cobalt to obtain the bluish coloring. Typical ceramics feature a white enamel background with stylized floral motives interweaved on them in brilliant shades of blue. The floral motifs are both sophisticated and harmonious and are a delight to behold.
Also worth seeing are the astrolabes – a display featuring a variety of fascinating astronomical instruments that were created and perfected by learned Arabs. They are not only functional, but wonderfully decorative with intricately worked metal and inset jewels. You’ll find the Dar Batha Museum at Place du Batha in Fez.
The Dar Batha Museum is close to all the Fez hotels and riads listed on Morocco Gateway which you can view by clicking here.
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Vegetable Tagine recipe
Here is a great recipe I found for vegetarians who want to try a tagine courtesy of the Blog site Fes Cooking. You usually don’t find vegetarian tagines in the bigger cities, but you will find them in Berber communities and with this recipe you can eat it at home.
Image by L’Aubergine Grillée
For 2-3 people:
- 2 sliced onions
- 2 heads of garlic
- 1 potato, peeled and cut into circles
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into circles
- 1 cup of peas
- 2 tomatoes, cut into circles
- 2 hot chili peppers diced
- ½ cup of chopped cilantro
- ½ cup of chopped fresh parsley
- salt
- pepper
- powdered ginger or fresh ginger
- cumin
- paprika
- olive oil
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a big pot, or tagine. Add the onions. Cook for a few minutes, until the onion starts to change color. Add garlic, spices, potatoes, carrots, peas, and chili peppers. Add one cup of water to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes on a low flame. Add the tomatoes, parsley, and cilantro. Cook for 10 more minutes and serve!
This dish can also be cooked in the oven: Start the onions on the stove, as above. After they finish cooking, add all the ingredients to the pot and put in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes on 180-200 ° C.
For people who want to take an interest in Moroccan food further, there are a number of riads and hotels running cookery courses for guests at resaonable prices. You can view these riads and hotels by clicking here.
Remember to ask about the cookery courses in any enquiry that you submit to riads and hotels via Morocco Gateway.
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Archeological Site of Volubilis
The Archeological Site of Volubilis represents beautifully preserved relics of the Roman era and was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997. Volubilis can be easily visited in the day from any of the riads and hotels In Fez and in Meknes here.
It is believed that this spectacular city was constructed around 40 AD and that it was built on an old settlement which dated back to the third century. It became the administrative capital of the area and was known as Mauretania.
The extremely fertile lands that surrounded the city produced olive oils and grains that were exported to Rome.
It is also known that after the Romans withdrew from Morocco – which happened around the end of the third century – the city was not left uninhabited.
French archeologists started excavating the site in 1915 and more than 2,000 excavations by numerous institutions have followed. Today visitors will be able to view the Thermae, the Orpheus Mosaic, the Temple of Jupiter, oil presses, the Capitol, the third century Triumphal Arch and the Casilica.
This wonderfully preserved site should be visited by everyone who comes to Morocco as it provides a rare glimpse into the past.
The Barbary Macaque of Morocco
The Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus) resides chiefly in Morocco and in the mountains of Algeria, with a much smaller population making their home in Gibraltar. The species is considered one of the Old World monkeys and are the only free living primates in Europe, with the exception of humans. Often referred to as the Barbary Ape they are however true monkeys.
Morocco’s Barbary Macaque measures somewhere between 38 and 76 cm in length and has a mass between 5 to 13 kg. They are tailless macaques and their front limbs are longer than the hind limbs. The fur of the Barbary Macaque is yellow-brown to grayish with paler undersides. Their faces are a dark pink color. In general, they are recorded to live for approximately 22 years.
So where will you find Barbary Macaques in Morocco? They are typically found at elevations between 1 600 and 2 100 m or higher, in the Atlas Mountains. They prefer forests consisting of oak, cedar and pine trees. Their waking hours, which are during the day, are spent both in the trees and on the ground. They are an herbivorous species and thus feed on fruit, leaves and roots, but are also known to nibble on insects.
Barbary Macaques are gregarious and live in troops of between 10 to 30 monkeys. It is a matriarchal system, which means that the head female leads the group. However the troop is generally a blend of males and females. The lead female is determined through family lineage and the entire troop hierarchy is also run according to lineage. Barbary’s are unique amongst the macaques in that the males play a vital role in rearing and caring for offspring. They participate in grooming and playing with the young monkeys and thus form close social bonds. They have even been noted to have favorite youngsters with whom they spend more time. It appears the females prefer to select males which show greater parental ability and willingness.
Mating season for the Barbary Macaques is between November and March. Following conception, the gestation period lasts 196 days. The female will give birth to a single offspring. These young monkeys will only reach maturity at around 3 to 4 years of age.
Sadly, the Barbary Macaque is under threat due to habitat loss and ignorance. The IUCN Red List has added the species to the “Vulnerable” list.
The Barbary Macaque can be seen in the OUzoud valley, a day trip from any riad and hotel in Marrakesh and from any hotel in the Atlas Mountain area.
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Marrakesh’s Dar Si Said Museum
The DAR SI SAID MUSEUM is a sumptuous palace in Marrakech which houses the very quintessence of Moroccan art.
On the ground floor you can find clothes, objects in beaten copper, arms and Berber jewellery.
Splendours from the past? Not at all, for many of the objects on display are still used and worn in mountain areas of Morocco.
The first floor salon impresses with its Hispano-Moorish decoration and elegant furniture in cedar wood.
The other rooms are filled with an abundance of carpets such as those originating from the Sahara region, characterised by the use of leather, and large, simple mats evoking the dry beauty of the semi-desert.
A remarkable collection of door and window frames is to be found around the courtyard, all encrusted with delicate and refined ornamentation.
And once back in the streets of Marrakesh, one can often better appreciate that the City’s inhabitants know how to keep the traditions of their culture alive.
The DAR SI SAID MUSEUM is located within a short distance of many of the riads and hotels of Marrakesh listed here.
Riad Attajmil’s New Farm
One of the Marrakech riads on Morocco Gateway, the popular Dar Attajmil, has recently acquired a small farm, Farm of Lalla Abouch, located 25 km south of Essaouira.
The owner of Dar Attajmil, Lucrezia Mutti tells us more about the Farm and what it offers it guests:
“Working with families of the area, we cultivate and process our products using local materials and traditional techniques” under the caring eye of Argan Abouch, a hundred year old argan tree to whom locals are devoted. We welcome guests to visit us and enjoy a healthy way of life that can only be found in rural Morocco.”
“During their stay, guests can enjoy privacy, a tranquil setting, traditional rustic meals and also easy walking treks through the surrounding area, donkey trails and other farm activities. Breath-taking sand beaches and the lovely beachside town of Essaouira are close by. We also offer massage and yoga classes at the farm, and for those who appreciate culinary arts a cooking experience is available, introducing guests to some of the most typical and authentic Berber dishes.”
The Farm of Lalla Abouch grows a variety of herbs, vegetables, and grains including barley and wheat for our breads and couscous. They also raise poultry, rabbits, and goats for milk and goat cheese – all organic.
They also produce their own organic olive oil and argan oil for both culinary and cosmetic purposes.
Guests are welcome to share in any moment of the farmer’s life, from barley harvest in May and olive oil extraction at the old mill in October, to caring for the goats and cultivating the orchards and gardens all year round. If preferred, guest can just rest in a hammock, have a dip in the pool, or go on a walk with the farm’s dogs.
To get in contact with Lucrezia directly and to learn more about staying at the Farm, visit our Dar Attajmil profile.
Birds of Morocco
It is said that there are 454 species of birds in Morocco. Of these, 156 are considered to be rare and 15 are globally threatened.
So exactly what sort of birds can you expect to find in Morocco? Well, to start with you will find pheasants, partridges, guinea fowl, pigeons, doves, hoopoes and woodpeckers.
If you head to the coast, you will find albatross, gannets, boobies, cormorants, pelicans, oystercatchers, terns and gulls – to mention a few. Inland water holes yield further swans, geese, ducks, herons, storks and flamingo.
The biggest Moroccan bird is the ostrich and there are plenty of birds of prey to admire such as barn owls, kites, hawks and eagles. There are even parrots.
Regarding passerine birds, Morocco is filled with swallows, larks, wagtails, wrens, thrushes, kinglets, wallcreepers, nuthatches, shrikes, crows, magpies, starlings, waxbills, vireos and buntings
Of course you’ll be able to see birds almost everywhere you go in Morocco and even in cities such as Marrakesh, Fes, Meknes as well as In coastal towns such as Essaouira, Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir and Tangier. For Riads and hotels in all these towns and regions, click here.
Riad ZamZam’s Spa Retreat for 2011
One of our featured riads, Riad ZamZam, has just announced the 2011 dates for its new “Goddess Retreat”, which will be held between 2 and 6 February 2011.
ZamZam’s owner Emma Joyston-Bechal tell us more about the Goddess Retreat.
She explains. “Like all our specialist retreats, the Goddess Retreat goes beyond the traditional. We get rid of the mysticism usually related to life exploration and come directly to the heart of the human condition. Based at Zamzam Riad in mystical Marrakech we also explore the Atlas mountains, the Sahara desert and the Atlantic coast.”
“By clearing energetic pathways, stirring up the fire of the breath and discussing what arises in a straight talking, refreshing way we help you gently peel back the layers to uncover your true liberated potential.”
“We think its time to lighten up to Enlightenment and whilst disciplined in our practice we also laugh together, celebrate and enjoy the magical gift of connection, allowing you to leave with a renewed sense of energy and joy.”
To get in contact with Emma directly and to learn more about the retreat, visit ZamZam’s page with us by clicking here.
Relax, unwind and rejuvenate in a traditional Moroccan hammam
If you’re on a short break to Morocco, you’ll want to pack as much in as possible. But if there’s one thing we’d say is essential that you try when visiting Morocco it’s the Moroccan hammam experience. There’s nothing quite like it for cleansing, revitalising and rejuvenating the mind and body, producing an overall effect of total, blissful relaxation.
The spa and hammam tradition is centuries old and many of the staff who work in these spas have learned the ancient local skills passed down from generation to generation, meaning you can rest assured of being in experienced hands.
Many Moroccan riads and hotels have their own hammams to meet growing demand from visitors. Morocco Gateway has a full list of hotels and riads in Marrakech, Fes and Essaouira that have hammams, which you can find here. Even if your chosen riad does not have a hammam of its own, you will find that many other hotels in the area open their spas up to non-guests. It’s best to consult your riad’s staff about booking time in these hammams.
Alternatively, if you are feeling adventurous, there are numerous public hammams that visitors are welcome to use. Again, staff at your hotel can advise you where to find these and how to book.
All hammams are unique and the treatments available in each will vary slightly. However, broadly speaking you can expect to be pampered in warm rooms decked out in marble, steaming the impurities from your skin, various body massages using clays and essential oils, wraps with algae or other plants, foot and scalp massage and treatments with hot towels or stones.
The hammam experience is the perfect way to relax and unwind after a hard day’s exploring the city and you are guaranteed to leave feeling thoroughly refreshed.
If you’ve visited Morocco and have a favourite hammam or spa you think we should know about, leave us a comment. We’re always keen to discover new places of interest in Marrakesh, Fes and beyond.
Image credit – CCA: Rabat hassan 2nd mosque hammam by zongo69.
Speak Moroccan Arabic – Numbers
If you are soon to be visiting Morocco, it will be helpful to have at least a basic grasp of numbers. Here are the numbers 1 to 10 in Moroccan Arabic.
1 wâ7d (masculine), w7da (feminine)
2 jôj (masculine), zôj (feminine)
3 tlâta
4 rb3a
5 khmsa
6 stta
7 sb3a
8 tmnya
9 ts3ôd
10 3shra
You can read a comprehensive guide to Moroccan Arbaic numbers at Speak Moroccan.com