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!

http://themoroccandream.blogspot.com/

While it hasn ‘t been updated since 2007 the information in this blog is still worth checking out!

When the 13 separate states of America declared themselves the United States, the Morocccan Sultan Sidi Mohammed was the very first sovereign to recognize the new American nation.The greatest heroes of American early history were the strongest proponents of friendship with Morocco. The Treaty of Friendship between our nations was urged on Congress by Benjamin Franklin, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, signed by John Adams and affirmed by George Washington in a letter to the Sultan. The Treaty of American-Moroccan Friendship is the oldest American treaty of its kind still enforced today.The oldest property owned by America on foreign soil is one of the most beautiful buildings in Tangier, Morocco. A gift to America from Morocco.

http://moroccotravelblog.com/

Essaouria, formerly known as Mogador is located on the Western Atlantic coast of Morocco. The Director and actor Orson Welles stayed at the Hotel des Iles just south of Essaouria in the 1950’s during the time he filmed the classic version of “Othello.”

“Othello” is a film worth watching before your Essaouria tour as there is several scenes in “Othello” that were shot in Essaouira’s old labyrinthine medina. During Orson Welles stay in Essaouria he met Winston Churchill who was apparently another guest at Hotel des Iles. Winston Churchill was also a guest at the La Mamounia Hotel & Palace in Marrakech. In fact today, there is still a Winston Churchill dedicated room at La Mamounia that Moroccan travelers can visit on a one-day tour to Marrakech.

Festival of the Atlantic Andalusias

The Festival of the Atlantic Andalusias was held in Essaouira for the first time in 2003. It was such a huge success, that it has become an annual event that everyone looks forward to each year. It is a music festival that celebrates and promotes the influences that Andalusias has had on a variety of cultures such as Latin America, Spain and North America. Organizers of the Festival of the Atlantic Andalusias created the music festival with one main goal, to encourage peaceful co-existence and cultural exchange.

The town of Essaouira is located near the popular city of Marrakech and thousands of music enthusiasts gather to enjoy the vast variety of entertainment and music genres on exhibition at the festival. Many of the musicians performing at the festival are known to collaborate on some of their performances, combining their styles to create a unique experience. Festival goers can look forward to hearing everything from Mexican folk music and flamenco rock, to Arabic violin solos and even a few love songs. Some performances are purely instrumental, adding variety and diversity to the festival show program. Bands that have previously performed at the Festival of the Atlantic Andalusias include The Radio-Tarifa Band, Pedro Solar, Javier Ruibal, Touria Hadraoui, Ines Bacan, Majid Bekkas, Guason, Mohamed Ben Omar Ziani, Maurice El Mediouni, Samira Kadiri and Hayat Boukhriss.

Over and above the festival offering wonderful performances by an international line-up of artists, there are many other activities for festival goers to participate in. Some musicians or bands perform exhibits for fans to enjoy, art workshops explore a variety of topics, art exhibitions and fascinating seminars complete this wonderful festival of culture, fun and entertainment. There is definitely something for everyone at the festival and foreign visitors to Morocco should not miss out on this annual event, as the Festival of the Atlantic Andalusias offers them the opportunity to experience and discover a variety of cultures, through hip swinging rhythms and heart tugging ballads. The festival is a wonderful networking venue for musicians, the public and for the different cultures that come to the festival through one common denominator, namely music.