Adrian Campbell-Howard – Archives of photos from the lens of a photographer in Morocco.

Adrian Campbell – Howard

Here is a look at why this blog was nominated for the 2011 Bombies.

Went to Oualidia last weekend with some friends. It’s about 2 and a half hours drive east of Marrakech on the Atlantic Coast south of Casablanca. You can imagine 20 years ago before buildings started to go up it must have been one of the most idyllic places on Earth.

It is still amazingly beautiful and very peaceful away from the main village.

We stayed at the Hippocampe (wow that could be a superb hotel with a bit of investment – if only it was to come up for sale). Had Lobster, Calamari, Turbot, John Dory, Whitebait, Spider Crab, Tiger Prawns and sooo much more). Lobster coming out of our ears.

A wonderful place.

Life in Marrakesh – The chronicles of an American lady who grew up in Marrakesh, Morocco, has two degree, three children, speaks four languages. Laugh, cry or roll your eyes as you read her chronicles of what life is really like in Marrakesh.

Life In Marrakesh

Here is a look at why this blog was nominated for the 2011 Bombies.

Ramadan has made the transition back to Morocco, after two months in the states, very kind. Most people are being the best they can be. Those who generally “know better”, in Ramadan actually “do better”. When I walk by, I can recognize the young men who might, if they weren’t fasting, make boorish cat-calls to me and any other female. But because it’s Ramadan, they just lower their gaze (and I don’t need to puke, thank you very much).One of the Islamic teachings about Ramadan is that “demons are chained up, and the gates of heaven are thrown open”. It does seem that people are freed from their demons, because when you give up food, smoking, sex, drinking and drugs, for 14 hours a day, what demons are left? I drove through the empty streets of Marrakesh, and really that was a treat in itself. There is no other time when the driving is that pleasant.The Koutoubia mosque was built some 1000 years ago (ok, I’m a little loose with dates), by the founders of Marrakesh, the Almoravids. It was then partially destroyed and rebuilt by the Almohads around 1150 C.E. It stands at an impressive 69 m (221 ft) which was quite an architectural feat for its time. Tonight, the towering minaret is all ablaze with lights. Atop the minaret are 4 decorative golden balls, tour guides will often perpetuate the urban myth that highest ball was donated by the wife of Sultan Yaqoub el Mansour, who melted down all her gold jewelry, as penance for breaking her fast. (I find this Arabian nights-esque tale rather implausible, as there are 3 ways of atoning for a fast that is broken for no reason: either freeing a slave, or if that’s not possible, then feeding 60 poor people, or fasting 2 months back to back).

To nominate a blog for the Best of Morocco Blogs, just make sure it fits the criteria at this post and then let us know about it!

Jess Stevens of Culture Vultures Fes is having an exhibition of the unusual and fresh work of…Jess Stephens! The show includes sculpture, art jewelery, painting and other 2D, 3D and electronic marks.

Please note that LIFE SIZE opens on Wednesday 15th of September and runs until the 25th and since we’ve already seen some of Jess’s work, we can tell you that you don’t want to miss this.

As long as we’ve known Jess she has dedicated herself to getting the word out about Moroccan artists, musicians, poets, performers, and crafters. If there was an award for Welsh women who have contributed to the growth and appreciation of the Moroccan art scene, we are sure that His Majesty, the King would bestow it upon her.

Now is a chance to see some of what Jess has been doing with her diverse talents, diverse background, and diverse self! Go, go, go!

Now that the Sefrou Cherry Festival has concluded (see a nice wrap-up at Vagobond.com) it’s time to let you know about the next great Morocco Summer Festival.

The Festival Gnaoua has been rocking the beautiful seaside town of Essouaria since 1998. This year the Gnawa Festival will take place from June 25, 2010 -June 28, 2010. The official site and program can be found at
Festival-Gnaoua.net

Here is a little bit of the history of the Gnawa Festival in Essouaria

Every June thousands of ecstatic fans swoop down on the usually peaceful coastal town of Essaouira. The Gnaoua World Music Festival, brings incredible music, excited fans, and makes it nearly impossible to find accommodation.

Through the years the festival has been visited by such celebrities as Orson Welles, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger. Each year there are scores of brand new acts and returning stars. This is the premier event in the world for Morocco’s most famous music.

Recently, the United Nations named the site where the event takes place a world heritage site. Included in the venue are nine stages where headliners play and two outdoor ampitheatres where free shows fort the public take place. As if that is not enough, there are also several acoustic tents and a couple of small outdoor stages where you will find yourself within intimate range of some of the best world music on the planet.

http://joyinmorocco.blogspot.com/

Here is a recent post that illustrates some of the difficulties a PCV encounters.

A Peace Corps Volunteer’s job description is not quite like any other. The more I examine the realities of my job, I see myself as a behavior change agent. I can’t give them the magic formula to running a successful craft business. I don’t have the foresight of which retailers will continue a steady, if not growing, business relationship with them. However, I can teach them some basic business skills and knowledge. I can impart some advice on colors, styles and customer tastes. I can teach them new crochet techniques. I can lead them through trial and error. And I can model good behavior. All of this is done in hopes that one day my counterparts see the value in changing their current habits.

I’m finding that two years service is not enough time for dramatic behavior changes. The challenge is that they need to decide to change. This goes back to the constant nagging question of motivation. How badly do they want this small business to succeed? I wonder.

Filling and shipping orders in a timely fashion is a key component for business success. An RPCV had placed an order of bracelets back in late October. The ladies did not finish the bracelets before she left Morocco in November. When I left for vacation in Spain, I gave them an envelope with her address.

Before I left, I told them, “Whenever bracelets are done, send it in the mail.”

In hindsight, I should have said “Next week, when you finish six bracelets…” Then again, maybe not. I’m not the boss. Time passes. It doesn’t occur to me to follow-up. Until February, when I realize no one has made the bracelets. Why? I don’t understand. In the meantime, they made plenty of tea kettle holders and lace doilies. (Note: none of those items are for sale.) Time doesn’t seem to be the limiting factor. Hmm. Lucky for them, the RPCV is forgiving and still wants her order. I personally mailed the bracelets. It’s almost five months since the secretary recorded the order in the Association notebook. I wonder.

I face the same confusion when trying to understand why ladies refuse to buy their own crochet hook. There’s one extended family that share one crochet hook between three ladies. To me, sharing one crochet hook is an unnecessary hassle. Some ladies have their own hooks but only have one. I repeatedly talk about the importance of gauge and needing various crochet hooks for different threads. For the new line of headbands, I want a loose crochet for a softer feel. Ladies need to work with a number 5 crochet hook. I reiterate this concept during the product critics. Hooks sell for 2dhs. Why do some ladies still refuse to make this investment? Why do they come everyday to the nedi and pester others (myself included) to borrow a crochet hook? They just spent 3 dhs on half a sardine sandwich the other day. See why I wonder about their motivation?

The issue of motivation makes me question my purpose here. If they can’t pay 2 dhs for a crochet hook, why am I trying to teach them new crochet techniques? Why am I attempting product development? Why am I working harder than them when this isn’t my life?!

Thankfully, at the end of the day, I find this in more ways fulfilling than frustrating. You might argue that I’m wearing rose-colored glasses. I delight in small successes as if they were huge milestones. And maybe they are.

The Association still haven’t started construction with the approved grant money. The legal paperwork to start construction have been stalled at the local municipality level. Yesterday, I ran into the President and Secretary after they had a meeting with the qiad. They were pressuring him to expedite the paperwork process. Sweet! Look at them take initiative and responsibility!

We recently had great success with a new line of headbands. In January and February, the ladies learned and perfected these new headbands. At the American Club Bazaar, these headbands sold like hot cakes. However, the production process has several holes. The thread is purchased unwound. Currently, a local tailor, Robio, winds the thread for us at 2 dhs a spool. Two spools produce one headband. With approximately 20 ladies, needing two spools of wound thread each, in addition to wooden beads and elastic bands, raw material cost adds up fast. Additionally, Robio misunderstood the proper thickness for the thread. On two occasions, we sent a bag full of thread to be rewound. Amina, who helped me send and collect the thread, was well aware of these costs. About two weeks ago, she bought her own thread-winding machine for 150 dhs. What great foresight! Go Amina! She’s learning how to wind the thread for future headband orders at 1.5 dhs a piece. What a good personal investment!

Wanderlust Design- A Global View on the Shape of Things to Come

Spring is definitely in the air. The sun now shines all day long, the breeze is warm, I’ve got all my windows and doors open and I can hear the birds singing their songs beginning at 5am. The scent of the orange blossoms is still in the air too. I have been collecting the the tiny blossoms so that I could bring them and their wonderful fragrance into my apartment. I’ve noticed that I’m not the only one as I’ve caught young boys, older women and the guy who works at the local undercover liquor store doing the same. I’ve asked them all what their plans are for the blossoms but their reason is different than mine….theirs will be used to make tea. I can only imagine what it tastes and smells like…I have the feeling it might be a little like Jasmine tea…so nice. And here I am thinking of going back to NY….silly girl.
Tiny orange blossoms…unfortunately I can’t capture the scent for you…

Moroccan Clothing

The traditional dress

http://home.mindspring.com/~cybergnawas/homepage.htm

Cyber Gnawas is an online resource for all of those interested in the Gnawa brotherhoods and Ganawa Music.

This site is dedicated to the Gnawa, (or Gnaoua, French spelling) a mystical brotherhood of musician healers based primarily out of Morocco, and their recent representation on the Web. From marginalized subculture to “official” representatives of Moroccan culture, many Gnawa have undergone a dramatic transition in the past decade as their music has been “discovered” by western “world music” lovers. Consequently, the Web has been a central mean of disseminating information about this culture.

My objectives here are two fold. First, I’m interested in providing a service by gathering together and assessing a large sample of the myriad sites dedicated to the Gnawa. This idea came to me while surfing the Web for information about the Gnawa and finding out that there weren’t any portal sites dedicated to this subject matter. My hope is to facilitate the user’s navigation by offering a representational sample of what the web has to offer. The sites are presented by subject matter and are annotated.

Second, I would like to provide a critical perspective on the issues surrounding the representation of the Gnawa on the Web. Today, refugee populations, exiles, and migrants around the globe have created what Anthropologist Arjun Appadurai calls the “global ethnoscape”, a condition primarily driven by heightened intercultural contact, transcultural exchanges and hybrid cultural formations.

Moroccan Tea, lovingly refered to as Moroccan whiskey

Mastering the art of making Moroccan tea is well worth the effort it involves. To make about a litre of tea, first heat the teapot. Add about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of green tea, a handful of fresh whole mint leaves with their sprigs intact, and between 150 – 180 grams of lump sugar. Swirl the liquids around and then quickly pour out the water, taking care not to lose any of the leaves or undisolved sugar. (Moroccans swear this takes the bitterness out of the tea). Add the mint and and more sugar to taste and pour in about 1 litre of boiling water. Let the mixture brew for about 6 – 8 minutes.

The technique of pouring the tea is almost as crucial to the success of hosts as the quality of the tea they use. This becomes easier to understand when one realizes that all Moroccan tea pots have long, curved pouring spouts and this allow the tea to be poured into even the tiniest of glasses from a height of half a metre or more. Practice is definitely advised before trying this with your guests. Moroccans like their tea lightly flavored by herbs, only rarely is it served “neat”. The most popular herb added to tea is mint

The origin of tea in Morocco is much debated. Several theories attribute it to various sources. One claims that Morocco’s taste for green tea evolved from the first Phoenicians who visited the area. Another asserts it originates from Andalusia at the time of the Spanish reconquest. Yet another hypothesis extends further back in time to the Berbers, the first inhabitants of North Africa, who originally came from Central Asia.

http://moroccandesign.com/

Here is why we love this blog though…check out this incredible article on the 8- point star!

Universal Symbolism

In truth, the eight-point star is not unique to Morocco. It appears in cultures around the globe. It can be found on national flags and in religious iconography. It carries various meaning associated with each culture that utilizes it. The are eight-paths in the way of Buddah and eight immortals in Chinesse tradition. However, its universal symbolism is one of balance, harmony, and cosmic order. Its pattern is associated early astronomy, religion, and mysticism. It is symbolic of both stars and humanity’s earliest attempts to understand and communicate the order and unity inherent in Creation, nature’s rule.

Astrological Origins

The roots of the eight-point star symbol are in early astronomy. The eight lines are symbolic of the four corners of space (north, south, east, and west) and time (two solstices and two equinoxes). 1

Use in Islam

By the middle-ages, the eight-point star is widely used as a symbol in Islamic art. It is called khatim or khatim sulayman, seal of the prophets, as in signet ring.see #1 The phrase “seal of the prophets” is also used in the Koran and has particular ideological meaning for Muslims. Moroccan zillij artisans also refer to the eight-point star as sibniyyah, sabniyyah, which is a derivative of the number seven sab’ah.

The design of the Muslim khatam was likely inspired by Jewish version, which is the Seal of Solomon. The seal of Solomon is a six point star formed by overlapping two triangles. According to the brilliant book, Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe” Muslim legend recounts Solomon using the star to capture djinns, genies, the immaterial counterparts to humans.3

Ancient use of Eight-point Star Symbol

The eight-point star was used as a symbol long before the rise of Islam.

An Italian nobleman named Pietro della Valle discovered the use of an eight-point star as a seal in the ruins of the ancient city of Ur (~2000BC), Tell al Muqayyar, in the mid-seventeenth century. He wrote “I found on the ground some pieces of black Marble…which seem to be a kind of Seal like what the Orientals use at this day: for their Seals are only letters or written words…Amongst the other letters I discovered in a short time was…a star of eight points…” 2

Abraham, the shared prophet of the monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) lived in the Sumerian city of Ur. Excavations from Ur reveal early use of the eight point star, often in the form of an eight petal rosette used in jewelry or metalwork decoratation. see #2

The Sumerians used an arrangement of lines as a symbol for both star and God. The linear eight-point star represented the goddess Inanna, Sumerian queen of the heavens and Ishtar (Astarte), the Babylonian goddess known as “The Lightbringer.” An eight-point star enclosed within a circle was the symbol for the sun god. The “Babylonian star-cult is the core and the archetype of subsequent astrology.” 3

For centuries, the Greeks believed that the morning and evening star we different entities. The Greeks recognized Venus as the morning and evening star is 400 BC, 1,500 years after Sumerians.4

Religous Integration of Symbol

How does the pagan symbol for God/star transform itself into an Islamic symbol? What could the connection be between the Islamic use of the eight-point star and its uses as a symbol in Sumerian culture?

I mention the Sumerian history to show the earliest origins of the eight-point star as a reflection of astronomical observations from one of the world’s oldest civilizations. Sumer is located in an era of the world where several civilizations, such as Babylonian, Arkadian (Semetic), Elam (proto Indo-Iranian), Egyptian, and Greek expanded and retracted. It doesn’t require much imagination to imagine how these symbol migrated to other cultures and eventually made its way into Islam. Why the eight point symbol endured instead of a six point star or some other shape is the real story, I suppose.

Additionally, all the monotheistic religions accommodate astrology in some way through fact that the stars are part of the Creation. Islam inherited pagan symbols along the same lines as other monotheistic religions, which share the same history and origins. see #3 Muslims accommodated ancient symbols inasmuch as they supported the Islamic view of Creation.

Moreover, astronomy plays an important role in Islam in both its expansion, obligations (pilgrimage), and daily act of worship (five times of daily prayer done directed towards Mecca). Astrology had an impact on Muslim scholars as well. As inheritors of ancient texts and avid supporters of scholarly study, Islamic scholars poured over Greek learning, which included meanings attached to the movement and position of the stars. Pythagoras, who is credited as being the first person to call himself a philosopher (lover of wisdom), is of particular important to Muslim scholars. Pythagoras developed a system of belief that centered around mathematics. Pythagoras identified the planets as being spheres rotating around a central fire. Pythagoras also influenced Plato and Aristotle and the philosophies that followed.

The following picture, taken from www.discoverislamicart.org is of an astrolobe in the Batha Museum in Fez. “This astrolabe includes all of the component parts of the planispheric astrolabes that were indispensable to ancient astronomers for determining prayer times and the height of the stars, and for establishing horoscopes. It is one of the first portable astrolabes in the West.”

Use in Ornamentaion and Pattern Building

Further symbolism of the eight-point star can be discovered by examining its role in Islamic ornamentation and pattern building. The khatam is at the heart of many Islamic ornamental patterns.

Ornamentation is particularly important in Islam. Islam discourages representational art in an effort to avoid the temptation of idol worship that arises with created mimics of Creation. Therefore, Islamic art grew from the study of geometry and the practice of ornamental decoration, as well as the sciences, literature, and development of architecture. The idea in Islamic faith is to seek to understand Creation, not to worship it, but to honor the Creator through the application of understanding. “Praise God the creator who has bestowed upon Man the power to discover the significance of numbers” the Prophet Mohammad is quoted as saying. see #1

Furthermore, the mental disciplined, study, and restraint required for constructing complex, precise, geometric patterns support the Islamic belief that humans are the greatest of God’s creation.

The following photo shows detail of a zillij pattern used to decorate a wall in the media of Fes. The pattern contains multiple uses of the eight-point star, both as a center point and an encompassing shape of the pattern.

More complex patterns can be developed using the khatam or its variant as a centerpiece. The following diagram shows how a pattern that employs a symmetry of eight is built around a central khatam using a grid of four circles around a central circle.
Diagram of pattern construction

The following picture shows a fountain in Fes that is decorated with various patterns based around a central khatam that radiates outwards into various star formations.

Mytical Signifigance

The Sufi mystic Ibn al-Arabi drew a diagram similar to the one used to develop a pattern around a khatam (see above). However, Al-Arabi’s diagram’s diagram is concerned with spirituality, not ornamentation. He drew it as part of his explanation that “all phenomena are nothing but manifestations of Being, which is one with God.” 6 Conincidentally, Al-Arabi was born in Spain at around the same time the practice of zillij, mosaic design, was starting to flourish. As Sufism had particular appeal to North Africa, his spirtual use of the pattern may explain the prolific use of the eight-point star and and symetries of eight in Moroccan Islamic patterns.

The number eight was important among Sufi mystics. “The octagon, with a ninth point in the center, is also central to the mystical symbology of Sufism. It is the seal or design which Ernest Scott says ‘reaches for the innermost secrets of man’. Meaning wholeness, power and perfection, this primary geometrical symbol is one which Sufis associate with Shambhala …” 7

On his website of natural patterns, Ian Alexander refers to the eight-point star as both the Sufi star and the Moroccan star. He offers the following explanation, as quoted from Friday mosque in Iran “Form is symbolised by the square. Expansion is symbolised by the square with triangles pointing outwards (an 8-pointed star). Contraction is symbolised by the square with triangles pointing inwards (a 4-pointed star). The two star-shapes together symbolise the cycle of creation, ‘the breath of the compassionate.’”

Breath of the Compassionate

The following pattern is created by repeating the khatam. The cross-like four-point star mentioned above appears in the negative space. This pattern is called the Breath of the Compassionate. Of the ninety-nine knowable names of God in Islamic tradition, the Compassionate is the highest pronounceable name. “Through the polar cycle of the divine breath the universe is periodically created, maintained, dissolved, and renewed…More than just an ornamental motif, the Breath of the Compassionate is a cosmological model symbolizing the interplay of polarities that manifest form.” See #4 Given the Muslim belief in both humans and jinns and the squares association with material worlds, it is no wonder that the Breath of the Compassionate and the Seal of the Prophet in the Muslim context would also represent a balancing act between the two.

Keith Critchlow has extensively studied Islamic patterns and states the four-fold archetype “has a deep and profound relationship to the Moroccan genius, particularly as it relates to the crossroads of Africa and the migration of symbols from the south. Critchlow describes the Moroccan patterns language similar to late King Hassan II’s often quoted description of Morocco: “…drawn from the depths of Africa but transmuted in the light of Islam, memorized and learnt by heart and transmitted from generation to generation for the love of beauty.” see #1

Conclusion

The eight-point star as a symbol marks early human understanding of the intellegent order that underlies our universe. Today, it carries religous and mystical associations. Known as the khatam in Islamic cultures, it and its variants are found at the center of stunning zillij masterpieces throughout Morocco. Amidst the color and compostion, the khatam stands as a symbol of early astronomy, interconnectedness, and faith in the ultimate harmony of Creation. In this way, the khatam represents the highest virtues in Moroccan culture: learning, community, faith, and love of beauty.

Sources:

1. Zillij: The Art of Moroccan Ceramics
2. Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur
3. Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe
4. Islamic Patterns: An Analytical and Cosmological Approach
5. Astrology: Between Religion and the Empirical
6. symbols.com
7. The World of Islam: Faith, People, Culture
8. Shambala as quoted on the Web at www.songsouponsea.com/Promenade/Monte.html

Also of interest, check out Thinking squared.