Moroccan Cities

Barack Obama's Cairo Speech "The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco"
Just ten miles from Europe, Morocco is another world and simply never fails to amaze visitors with its mesmerising and refreshing culture. What first strikes you is the staggering variety of everything you see, hear and experience. It is a country of outstanding natural beauty with the scenery ranging from unbelievably beautiful Tuscan-like lush countryside to meadows covered with colourful wild-flowers, then cedar-covered rolling hills leading up to the snow-capped, majestic Atlas Mountains punching high into the azure-blue sky. Further south, arid plains studded with mud-brick villages stretch into the horizon, whilst the haunting deserts remain little changed since biblical times. The people are very different too: the smart and sophisticated intermingled with the wandering nomads who tend their sheep as they have for centuries, always clothed in the vibrantly coloured traditional robes of the Berber tribes. A delightful common denominator though, is that most endearing tradition of hospitality, with even the smallest of transactions accompanied by a refreshing cup of mint tea. Once a protectorate of France, this influence is still very much in evidence in its food, language, architecture, and even its road signs!

Morocco is a country that is unique in the Muslim world, its richly diverse culture has been shaped by 3.000 years of history, by ethnic groups whose roots go far back in time, and also by its geographical location, with Atlantic Ocean to the West, sub-Saharan Africa to the South, Europe to the North and Mediterranean countries to the East.

Since the time of the Phoenicians, foreigners have been attracted to Morocco. Later, Carthaginians, Romans, German Vandals, Visigoths, and Byzantine Greeks all settled the area. Muslim Arabs arrived in the country in the seventh century. As a result, Morocco is rich in history with Roman ruins and monuments built during Muslim dynasties. Before Spanish and Portuguese settlement, in 1912, Morocco became a French Protectorate after the Treaty of Fez was signed, with this action the king became a figurehead. On March 2, 1956, the French Protectorate officially ended. In 1962 the first democratic constitution was formed, and in 1963 the first parliamentary elections were held.

Lifestyle of Morocco is more dramatic. From the moment you land adventure assails you. In simple transactions, there is unexpected drama, humour and competitive gamesmanship. The sun is always shining somewhere in Morocco. Travelling from the cool peaks of the Atlas Mountains to the baking heat of Saharan oasis, to the fabulous beaches in coastal cities.

It is not only the sites of Morocco-the Roman ruins, the ancient cities, mountain Kasbahs and elegant Islamic monuments-but also the everyday way of life that lingers in the memory. Morocco is a land full of extremes reflect the changing whims and petulant egotism of proud spirits-high mountain chains, desert plains, long rivers, lush secluded valleys, broken wooded hills undulating farmland.

Moroccan landscape and the country's regional cultures are all extraordinarily diverse, but ultimately it is its people that prove most fascinating. In any one Moroccan there may lurk a turbulent and diverse ancestry: of slaves brought across the Saharan wastes to serve as concubines or warriors, of Andalusian refugees who came from the ancient Muslim and Jewish cities of southern Spain, and of Bedouin Arabs from the tribes that fought their way along the North African shore. All these peoples have mingled with the indigenous Berbers, who have continuously occupied the land since the Stone Age.

Morocco is a country of a thousand faces, was discovered with patience, not to miss any aspect of its more hidden secrets. It is above all a country with a rich past, where traditions are deeply rooted.

Such is the importance of Marrakech that it gave its name to Morocco. For more than two centuries, this Berber city at the point of interchange between the Sahara, the Atlas and the Anti Atlas was the hub of a great empire, and the achievements of illustrious builders can be seen within the city's walls. It is the capital of the great south, and its fabulous palaces and luxuriant palm grove continue to hold a powerful fascination for visitors.

Marrakech the red is the heart that beats an African identity into the complex soul of Morocco. The city walls, overlooked by the Koutoubia minaret, are framed against the towering blue wall of the high Atlas Mountains. From outside the city promises much, but at first it may seem to contain nothing more than a vast transitory souk. The Jamaa el Fna, the celebrated square at the centre of the medina, this huge square is the heart of Marrakech, and comes most alive at night with snake charmers, monkeys, traditional musicians, and storytellers, there is always more than one thing to engage you at a time. You will also be drawn to the rows of open-air restaurants that offer an endless selection of mouth-watering food. Another memorable way to spend the evening is with a horse and carriage tour around the city.

The Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and idrissid ruled over a mere portion of Morocco, a patchwork of hills and the northern Atlantic coast. The empire of Morocco was first created not by any of these distinguished, alien powers, but by a Berber tribe from the depths of the Western Sahara, they were the first to forge a Moroccan identity by linking a vast continental hinterland to the civilized lands of the northwest. Marrakech was the own terms. Here they brought together, like heraldic symbols of the future state, palm trees from the desert and craftsmen from Andalusia, Marrakech has retained its aura of African exoticism, while its guaranteed dry heat, the heady atmosphere of its souk, its celebrated monuments, and the nearby high atlas mountain valleys have a universal appeal.

Archaeologists have found that the site of Marrakech has been almost continually occupied since Neolithic times; it was once the proud capital of a massive empire that ran through the present day Africa to Europe. The empire covered an area from Spain to Senegal. From an early age Marrakech had been a key destination for business purpose a sit laid on the crossroads of ancient caravan routes from Timbuktu. It was the supply chain route for precious materials like gold, salt and slaves bound for Europe for the sub-Saharan traders. The rich heritage of Marrakech includes the ravishing snow-capped Atlas Mountains, age old palm groves, faded red ochre walls and the enchanting Arabian music that casts a magical spell in the mind of the travelers.

The Holy City of Fez is a jewel of Spanish-Arabic civilization. Fez does not reveal its secrets easily. Secretive, shadowy, they need to be discovered little by little, with reverence. Only in this way can the splendors of Medersa architecture be fully appreciated. Only in this way will the call of the medina tempt you. Bustling with artisans and merchants, its captivating sounds, fragrances and colors mesmerize the visitor with a constant swirl of activity. The city of Moulay Idriss 1st, sanctuary of human and moral sciences.

Located between the fertile lands of the Sais and the forest of the middle Atlas, Fez is the oldest of Morocco's imperial cities. It is the embodiment of the country's history and its spiritual and religious capital, and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Fez is the most complete Islamic medieval city in the world. Its history had for a thousand years also been the history of Morocco's political, commercial and intellectual life, even though it is now superseded by the modern cities of Rabat and Casablanca, and to some extent by its own new town, built the French after 1912.

Fez was founded in the 9th century as the capital of the idrissid state, the first Muslim kingdom of Morocco. A century later the idrissid dynasty had declined, but the city they had established survived. Fez grew in wealth and remained the acknowledged religious and cultural centre of Morocco. Despite the establishment of new administrative capitals at Marrakech and then Rabat, its golden period of wealth, fame and prosperity was in the 13th and 14th centuries under the merenids sultans. Much had perished in the long decline from the period, and it is chiefly the old mosques, tombs and religious colleges that have survived, respected by each dynasty, every mutinous regiment and pillaging tribe. The Medersa are open to non-Muslims, but the rest of the vast heritage of religious architecture remains inaccessible. Visitors are left to concentrate on the street pattern, the style of life, the sounds and odours, which remain triumphantly unchanged.

Fez is layered with history and culture, a world of its own where reality mingles inextricably with legend. In this, the most beautiful of Morocco's cities, the medieval walls reveal its everlasting traditions. In the centuries since its founding, Moulay Idris's supplication has become manifest in myriad ways, this is apparent when reflecting on one of the most magnificent pages of Moroccan history: the founding of the Qarawiyine mosque and university. Greatly renowned for its embrace of worship and the quest for knowledge, the Qarawiyine made Fez the cradle of Islamic cultural traditions in Morocco. It is considered to be the pearl of the Arab World, sensational in every sense of the world. Like Athens or Florence, it is pinnacles of a civilisation, replete with the undoing riches of profuse and varied life, the sensuality of sunlight, colours and flavours, a place that truly offers something for everyone. Fascinating Fez, presenting a striking insight to North African city life, is packed with delights from its cultural snapshots to its religious and architectural trophies of mosques and medinas. A well preserved and ancient World Heritage Site as well as a vibrant modern Moroccan city, the treasure trove of Fez is overflowing with enigmatic tourist attraction trinkets.

This city is a surprise for those who have been fed with picturesque images of Marrakech and fez. For here is a modern city, with a skyline dominated by towering office blocks and sprawling suburbs ringed in the approved metropolitan style by a motorway ring road. The streets are jammed with cars and the five-storey apartment block is the dominant housing motif. The pavements are filled with elegant besuited figures.

Casablanca dominates the national economy, it is the chief port, the financial, industrial, commercial and manufacturing centre of the kingdom. This has all been achieved within this century from a town of 20.000 in 1900; the Casablanca conurbation is now home to 3.500.000. In North Africa only Cairo can compete with Casa in growth, verve and vibrancy, but this city facing out to the Atlantic that seems the more oriented to the international pattern of trade and sympathetic to western influences. At time, as you cruise down a palm fringed car-packed boulevard to catch glimpses of the sun setting in a western ocean, you could be mistaken for thinking yourself in California.

The French administration must be credited with much of this achievement. They carefully planned the new Atlantic face of Morocco in their own image, while allowing the xenophobic cities of the interior to wither into mere historical monuments. The fusion of cultures, Moroccan and French, seems so complete and intricate here that one can easily forget that the battle for independence was chiefly fought on the streets of Casablanca. Morocco's future national and political growth is inextricably linked with the actions of Casablanca. This is the only place in Morocco where it's possible to talk in terms of class awareness, and to foresee a time when a larger political role is forcefully demanded by its citizens.

The new city was at the forefront of agitation against French colonial rule. It is still the centre of contemporary political protest. In western minds it is linked to three rather spurious events, the landings, the conference and the film. The Casablanca landings of November 1942 had no military significance as the result had already been pre-arranged between the supposed opponents, the American and Vichy French generals. The Casablanca conference was held two months later in January 1943. It had no significance for Morocco; Roosevelt and Churchill spent their days planning the invasion of Sicily from a suburban villa in Anfa.

For almost 40 years, the most innovative architects worked continued to expand even after independence. Futuristic high rise buildings and a colossal mosque sending its laser beams towards Mecca once again expressed the city's forward-looking spirit. With almost 5 million inhabitants, Casablanca is, today, one of the four largest metropolises on the African continent.

Facing onto the Mediterranean, Rabat is an attractive city of dome and minarets, sweeping terraces, wide avenues and green spaces. It is markedly more pleasant than some other Moroccan cities and also undergoing fundamental change. Facing Sale, its ancient rival, across Wadi Bou Regreg, Rabat is the political, administrative and financial capital of Morocco, the country's main university town and its second-largest metropolis after Casablanca.

The twin cities of Rabat and Sale, on opposite banks of the Bou Regreg estuary, have a long history. Rabat, the city on the southern bank had known greater extremes of fortune, while its northern twin has had a steadier but less glamorous history. Half and hour's walk from the city centre, sale is now really a suburb of Rabat, but retains its own traditional identity.

The 12th century city walls still dominate 20th century Rabat. The more intimate achievements of the Merenids dynasty can be found in the 13th century medina of Sale and in Rabat's royal necropolis-the walled garder of the Chella. The Rabat Kasbah, in its strategic position above the estuary, has been at the heart of the city's long Islamic history. It has a celebrated Almohad gate, and Andalusian urban interior and a garden palace from the 17th century now transformed into delightful museum. For rarer insights into the Phoenicians and classical achievements there are the archaeology museum and the ruins of Sala colonia inside the Chella walls, to reward you with hunting views and art of the highest order.

Like other cities of the Moroccan coast Rabat was first Phoenicians, then roman. It was the southernmost urban centre of the roman province. And, as Sala colonia, given the privileges of a colonia or self-governing city by Trajan. Though roman rule was withdrawn in the 3rd century it remained a trading centre, identifying with the Muslim kharijite heresy in the mid-8th century. Protected by the powerful Berber Berghouata confederacy it survived until the 10th century, when a garrison of orthodox Arabs established a Rabat, a religious community of warriors, on the site of the present Kasbah. The Almoravids took up the struggle against the heretic berghouata and lost their first two leaders to it, but their deaths were avenged by Youssef Ben Tachafin, celebrated founder of the Almoravid Empire.

The 'Royal City' Known nowadays as the 'Washington' of North Africa, because of its parks, boulevards, monuments, embassies and government buildings, Rabat is also the seat of the Royal Family. Not surprisingly, therefore, it is home to a great many bewitching palaces, mosques and parks-all in the sensual North African style that evokes visions of a thousand and one nights.

Tangier is the oldest continually inhabited city in Morocco. It sprawls over a series of low hills that overlook a wide sandy bay halfway along the narrow straits of Gibraltar. The medina, the old walled city with its dense mass of narrow twisting alleys, overlooks the port area. To the south and west of the medina are spread the 20th -century streets of a fast expanding northern city overlook by an assortment of Christian spires and Muslim minarets that bear witness to its confused past. To the east of the port, fronting the long sandy bay stretches line beach hotels. From the tops of the mountains that surround Tangier, a magnificent spectacle unfolds as the evening sun sinks into the Atlantic Ocean and a bright moon slowly rises up out of the dark waters of the Mediterranean. Such is the view of Cape Spartel, where the waters of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet. This cape, famed since antiquity, contains the Caves of Hercules-for centuries the haunt of the Barbary Corsairs, the savage pirates who were the curse of the Mediterranean.

Tangier city has always been of prime importance thanks to its position at the junction of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines and Muslim Arabs have all settled here and for two hundred years a power struggle existed between the Spanish and Portuguese. Evidence of their occupation can still be seen today. Tangier was even briefly occupied by the British as it was part of the dowry given to Charles II by Catherine de Braganza. Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist and Tangier's treasurer in London, once referred to the city as 'the most considerable place the King of England hath in this world'.

Visitors will most likely first set foot on Moroccan soil at Tangier. Their first impressions of Morocco will be punctuated by the scent of sulphur that hangs in the air and the sultry atmosphere that accompanies it. A broad palm tree lined promenade borders an impressive golden sandy beach to the East Cap Malabata with its sparse collection of villages and to the West the old town of Tangier, a cluster of little sugar-cube houses, covering every inch of the hillside. It is this very mood that has proved irresistible to writers and artists alike. Henri Matisse, Tennessee Williams, Samuel Beckett, Orson Welles and the heiress Barbara Hutton added a bohemian touch to this remarkable city.

This is the place to see and be seen. Alternatively, relax at one of the many beach bars and as the sun sets on another day, suffusing the town with its rosy hue, and you see the lights of Spain twinkling in the distance you can reflect on just how close Tangier is to Europe, so close, yet worlds apart.

Chefchaouen is an enchanting town sitting at the foot of the Rif Mountains. It is a unique place to visit for various reasons: it is small and manageable yet friendly to tourists, the mountain air and atmosphere are relaxing, and one can catch a glimpse of rural life while hiking in the surrounding mountains and hangs like crescent form high twin mountains. The medina, a mass of red tiled roofs, crisp whitewashed walls and elegant architecture details, is a precious 15th century relic from the Muslim civilization of Andalusia. The cemetery immediately above the town creates a fine contrast between the wilderness of graves and the tightly packed medina. Surrounded on all points of the compass by the Djellaba Mountains, this compact town is a popular but still friendly destination.

Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 as a fortress for the faith, a secure mountain citadel from which to assault the growing power of Portugal. It was established by a native Idrissid prince, Sheriff Moulay Ali bin Rachid, who used the village as a base for Guerilla attacks on the Portuguese, who were expanding southward from their coastal garrison at Ceuta. This anti-European sentiment increased over subsequent decades with the arrival of Jewish and Muslim refugees fleeing the Christian reconquest of Spain. For centuries onward, Chefchaouen increasingly turned inward, welcoming only Muslim and Jewish pilgrims who had journeyed to pay homage to the surrounding saints and locking the gates of its protective walls each night. The city largely settled by the flood of skilled Andalusian refugees that were fleeing from the Catholic conquest of the old Muslim kingdom of Granada. The Andalusians were responsible for the rapid and elegant growth of the town while the sherif and his heirs ruled over much of northern Morocco. The Idrissid emirate of Chefchaouen, Tetouan and Targa was recognized by the sultans in fez until both were swep away by the Saadian dynasty in the mid-16th century. The last emir escaped and died a pilgrim at Mecca.

By the time the Spanish made their way here in 1920, only three Westerners had braved entering Chefchaouen: Frenchman Charles de Foucauld spent an hour in the village - disguised as a rabbi - in 1883; Walter Harris, Morocco correspondent for the London Times in 1889; and American missionary William Summers, who was poisoned here in 1892. The Spanish were amazed to find the village Jews still speaking a language that hadn't been heard in Spain for 400 years.

Now well and truly discovered, Chefchaouen still retains its village atmosphere and strong Riffian culture combined with a lingering Spanish influence. Here you will see the distinctive dress of the women of the Rif: a red-and-white-striped overskirt, and large conical straw hat with wool bobbles.

Tetouanis claim that they are the true heirs of the Andalusian civilization and affectionately call their city "the daughter of Granada". Architecturally the Hispanic influence is dominant throughout the city, for Tetouan was first built by Muslim refugees form Spain in the 15th century, and then many years later was enlarged by the Spanish government in the early years of the 20th century to become the official capital of their protectorate of northern Morocco. Its medina is one of the most fascinating and absorbing in the country, a delightful warren of detail even if it is not always free from a tinge of alarm for the newcomer. The modern Spanish new town complements this old Andalusian medina. The ostentatious grandeur of the tall and formal official building, constructed on a rational, regular grid of wide, straight and Iberian-looking streets, contrasts well with the eclectic and every individual disorder of the medina.

Beneath this civilized veneer Tetouan is also very much part of the Berber hinterland. It has a dramatic position on the north-western edge of the Rif. The densely-packed dirty white city falls from the slopes to dominate the green valley of the Martil, and is overlooked by improbably folded and majestic mountains to both the north and south. Tetouan is a Berber word which can variously be translated as; the eyes, 'the springs' or the edges of water.

This is well illustrated by its art and architecture, which reveal clear Andalusian influence. Although one of the smallest of the Moroccan medinas, Tetouan is unquestionably the most complete and it has been largely untouched by subsequent outside influences.

There is nothing as refreshing as watching the beautiful blue waters of the ocean, sipping a fresh fruit cocktail with the mild smell of the Eucalyptus, Agadir is a completely modern city, a well planned, all season resort town that is permanently full of tourists. It is a model of its kind, with a concentric tourist zone of large, garden-shrouded hotels arched around the wide shores of its vast sandy bay, which stretches from the port to the Souss estuary.

Agadir's history goes way back. Unfortunately, there is nothing left to show for it. It all ended with a huge earthquake in 1960. Before that fateful day, Agadir enjoyed the same history as most of the other coastal towns of the Sultanate. It was conquered by the Portuguese in the 15th century. The European traded directly with Saharan caravans, which cut out the middlemen from Fez and Marrakesh. A Portuguese merchant built the castle of Santa Cruz de Capo Gere. The castle rapidly became the largest and most profitable Portuguese fortress in Morocco. The Saadians, a holy family from the Draa Valley, re-conquered Agadir in the 16th century. It enjoyed some autonomy from the central state in the centuries to follow, mainly because it was on the other side of the High Atlas.

Agadir is strangely calm and open, empty of mystery and verging of the bland. It is not for this desolate shopping mall that visitors fall in love with the place, but for wonderful sandy bay below which offers some of the safest bathing on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. When this beach, overlooked by mountains to the north and stretching south for 10 empty km to the Souss, begins to pall there are a series of undeveloped beaches and coves easily accessible off the coast road to the north of the city. Here the Atlantic is much stronger and though more dangerous for weak swimmers it is near-perfect for surfers and windsurfers. If you are in search of a tan, a swim, a beach picnic or just another chance to watch the furious southern sun set into the cool haze of the Atlantic horizon, you might yet end falling slowly in love with this initially unlovely modern city.

Agadir's reputation as a beach resort has spread worldwide. From a cliff-road flanking the hill, the old Kasbah, dating from the 16th century, overlooks the azure spread of the ocean, the verdant valleys of the Great Souss and the majestic slopes of the Anti-Atlas. Agadir is not only the kingdom's main fishing-port, it is also its first holiday haven, and the city is very much organized around seeing to the comfort of its visitors.

This is the most enchanting town on the Atlantic, and perhaps on all the coasts of Morocco. The old town and port, encircled by 18th century battlements, overlook a scattering of barren, wave-worn islands. A great sandy bay sweeps out to the south, while wooded hills dominate the skyline to the east. The old parts of the town, the medina, the Kasbah and the Mellah, fully express the exoticism of Morocco. The dark alleys are broken with frequent arches, and the women of the town are mysteriously concealed under their enveloping haiks.

Essaouira has been known over the millennia as Amougdoul, Mogdoul, Mogdoura and Mogador. The offshore isles still collectively know Mogador, a name that probably derives from the Phoenician Migdol, a look-out tower. Phoenician sailors used these islands from at least the 7th century BC, while archaeological evidence suggests that the principal villa remained in occupation for a thousand years from 500 BC to 500 AD. Through there is no evidence it would seem likely that this was a base for the silent barter trade in gold described by Herodotus. The excavations also confirmed that a sizeable settlement specialized in extracting the famous Tyrian purple, crimson to us, from shellfish during king juba II's reign. King juba's son, Ptolemy, was wearing just such a purple when the circus crowds at Lyon cheered this young prince more heartily than their own monarch, the emperor Caligula. Caligula was infuriated that any prince should be more popular than himself and had his cousin Ptolemy (the grandson of Anthony and Cleopatra) murdered, driving Morocco into full rebellion against Rome.

Essaouira is a charming, laid-back artists' colony with cobble stoned streets, whitewashed walls and massive stone ramparts along the Atlantic Ocean. A former Portuguese trading colony built in the 18th century, this port town once held large populations of British and Jews. Although no longer a trading center, it is still a fishermen's town. Its pretty harbor is filled with tiny, colorful boats which go out early every morning for the day's catch. Its resident guests, seduced by its charms, included such diverse figures as Orson Welles, who made it the setting for his 1952 Othello, and Jimmy Hendrix, who spent much time here in the 1960's.

Essaouira's romantic ambiance, plentiful shops and intriguing art galleries, wood workshops, fishermen and colorful boats- all enclosed by ancient red walls make this little town a particularly pleasant place to unwind and relax for a few days. It enjoys a growing reputation for its unique art - which is only now becoming available in limited venues in the U.S and Europe. Essaouira is even more famous for its burled Thuya wood - delicately formed and inlaid in tiny shops built into the thick walls of the Portuguese ramparts. The scent from the oils used to polish this richly-colored wood permeates the air. The town faces a group of rocky islands and is surrounded by an expanse of empty sandy beaches and dunes. Everything in the small center is within walking distance and the beaches are quite clean.

This fascinating region begins at the southern edge of the High Atlas, where desert and mountains meet. The stony desert is broken by green oases where shade-giving date palms grow in profusion. Cut by steep canyons and studded with arid hills, it is criss-crossed by wadis right up to the edge of the Sahara. Here, the light is intensely bright and colours sumptuously rich.

Ouarzazate a city of different cultures and artistic traditions it is in the midst of the desert and is the point of the departure for the oasis. The city is also known among tourists by its marvellous town. Many people from all over the world come especially to Ouarzazate to live these fantastic spiritual moments before the pure down beneath the virgin Sahara. One of the attractive things in Ouarzazate its luxurious hotels which provide all means of rest to actors and directors who choose this city as location for their films.

The city is importance is increasing to the point that it is now called the Moroccan Hollywood. Apart from its artistic role, the city has historical importance, it has two kasbahs the UNESCO has included in its heritage programme. Ouarzazate does not live up to the exotic elegance of its name. It is a modern-looking administrative centre for the half-million people who live in southeastern Morocco. It has recently been given a generous face-lift which has placed a number of opulent public squares, well-lit pavements and shady arcades along the central highway of the town. Ouarzazate is well placed to be a regional centre, for it had an airport and is on a strategic crossroads with trunk roads west to Agadir, north to Marrakech, south to Zagora and east to Errachidia. It has also been invigorated by a burst of economic development based on those most ephemeral and deceptively glamorous of industries, film and tourism. Both have been attracted by the consistently dry, not climate and the easy access to the stunning sub-Saharan landscape that surrounds the town. Apart from the hundred years old Taourirt Kasbah, on the eastern edge of town.

Ouarzazate It is however a convenient shopping and transport centre, and its spacious cafes, large choice of hotels and easy street life can also appear attractive when compared to the hassle in other towns. You will in any case inevitably pass through the town several times while you are traveling in the south, and may well need to stay here. Ouarzazate risen from the bowels of the earth, in the midst of the desert in the south of the kingdom, a breath-takingly and elusively varied setting. Burning sands, snowy peaks, palm groves and verdant oases, lofty ksours, walled villages and sumptuous kasbahs the idyllic wonder of a town from another age.

Erfoud a French military outpost stood on this site before the development of the city in 1930. Because Berber tribes had long resisted French rule, this was one of the last areas in Morocco to surrender to the French. Erfoud is especially known for its variety and abundance of dates and for the distinctive polished marble inlaid with fossils. Erfoud is not a typical tourist destination, but a good number of travellers from all over the world fill the streets almost all through the year. Erfoud can work as a good base for people exploring the Ziz valley, and the dunes out at Merzouga.

Erfoud is only 50 km North of Merzouga and the nearby Erg Chebbi, the only genuine Saharan dunes in Morocco, this area is a great expanse of ever-changing landscape, with dunes as high as 650 feet. Sunrise and sunset tours can be arranged from Erfoud itself, as can camel treks or you can spend the night out at the base of the dunes in a Berber tent and watch the fascinating changes colours of the sand. Often seasonal lakes appear which attract flocks of flamingos and other water birds, there is also a healthy resident population of desert bird species that can be see at dawn and dusk.

Erfoud is in the Tafilelt. This region used to be the most important place of departure for the cross Saharan caravans. From the city of Sijilmassa, which is not far from Erfoud, they would leave for Ghana and Tombouctou. In the 14-th century the Genoans had an embassy here. Rissani a nearby village to Erfoud is only a short drive and definitely worth a visit, a small town rich in history and there is a busy souk and camel market three times a week and the place where the present dynasty settled before they took power. The tomb of the founder of the Alaouite dynasty is still to be found here.

The majority of southern Morocco is the Western Sahara, this area of desert is relatively unexplored and a self-drive holiday with a four-wheel drive vehicle is necessary if you wish to visit this area properly. However in northern and central Morocco you can visit the desert from either Zagora or Erfoud where accommodation can be arranged in Berber tents, guest houses or hotels and you can visit the dunes from the back of a camel or horse or explore on foot.