Green areas in Morocco

Agadir newly created gardens

In recent years, the capital of Souss became a city flowered. In an area known for its aridity due to low rainfall, this does not go unnoticed. It is rather the result of a refurbishment program the city of gardens and creating new green spaces.
With the development of green spaces in the city and to the water problem is recurrent, the city put on the drip-drip and recycling of wastewater to stay the course.

Marrakech: First Class

Marrakech is among the top greenest cities in Morocco: 8 m2 of greenery by Marrakchi.

It is a city where the gardens are an outstanding example of landscape architecture, it is Marrakech. A city where the art of gardens is set for a long time. Indeed, already in the middle of the 12th century, the red city was the city of the Maghreb where we found most of gardens and orchards.

Today, the green areas are present even in the heart of the city: 620 hectares of green space (800 ha according to international standard) and about 8 m2

greenery per capita (10 m2 recommended). Ranking it among the top greenest cities of the Kingdom. Icing on the cake: new green spaces are under development.

gardens marrakech

Casablanca: The time is first in the renovation of the existing

In the economic capital of Morocco, gardens and other green spaces do not represent more than 1% of the total area of ​​the city! Main reason for the disappearance of these areas: the invasion of concrete. Over the years, many buildings were erected around the city at the expense of existing green spaces. New plans of land use, development and urban development seem to little importance to the countryside.

The current threat to the parks and gardens of the economic capital is real. Since then, an extensive program has been initiated to develop them: rehabilitation of parks, gardens, rows of trees and green areas on roads.

Rabat: green spaces progression.

Rabat was selected as "First City" by the American organization "Earth Day Network" to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

The choice of the capital of the Kingdom was not due to chance, it is due to the interest in environmental issues in Morocco and commitment of all components of Moroccan society for sustainable development, especially more than with its parks, Rabat has a ratio of 20 m2 of green space for every citizen, twice the required international average.

The total area of green space in this city is increasing with several project as the rehabilitation of the botanical garden of tests. it consists

Read More

Riad

Moroccan riad is a typical houses following a specific architecture model that defines the houses in Moroccan medinas. A Riad is a Moroccan house in the old cities (Marrakech, Fez, Meknes). Inside the Moroccan medinas you can find small streets and hidden alleys that give some exotic atmosphere inside the old quarters of Morocco's cities, the ideal place to find a riad.

The riad is the subject of cultural wealth for Morocco and constituted a remarkable tourist attraction.
A traditional riad is a square house around a garden on the patio. This garden is divided into four parts with a fountain in the garden center iriguer and refresh the air in summer.
The patio is by definition a living space where it is good to be with family. Some chairs or benches will be placed in the shelter of a canopy or in an alcove (bhou) to enjoy the view of the garden drinking a glass of tea with mint.

Patio garden trees of riad are mostly orange and sometimes also other citrus or even a palm tree. The trees provide shade in summer and perfume the air in the season of flowers. The fountain can be integrated into a small shallow pool where space permits. Sometimes this fountain is installed against a wall of the patio to reach the center. As against the installation of a swimming pool in the middle of the patio is an architectural innovation XXII century, inspired by European culture.

riad

In recent years, former riad is transformed into restaurants, guest houses and boutique hotels. This formula was born in Marrakech is now spreading to other cities of Morocco as Essaouira, Fez, Rabat, and even in some southern villages.

If many riads have been refurbished to fully enjoy all the modern comforts (bathroom tadelakt, fireplace for winter ...) other, more traditional, almost nothing have changed, favoring the discovery of a culture different.

Generally, a riad is characterized by a level of one to four stages. It completely close on the outside by conventional, austere and secret facades whose openings are smaller to protect themselves from the heat and noise of the street. The riads are built around a patio, a lounge and a central dining room with the foundation of an architectural structure well-like bunk balcony turned on the inside. The construction of the naturally cool patio both conditioning was inspired oasis, Islamic gardens and Persian gardens.

Read More

Moroccan wedding

Make a Moroccan wedding according to the traditions is essential to respect the religion and parents. Therefore, the most important time in a Moroccan wedding is meeting the families of the bride and groom. This is what will determine whether the Moroccan wedding will take place or not with the blessing of the families of both spouses. If the answer is yes, then many Moroccan wedding invitation cards are sent to the guests. It is then the opportunity for guests to be seen with her best outfits or other jewelry throughout the week of the wedding. But before getting married and get to the cérénomie Moroccan wedding, you should know that there are many things to celebrate and can last from two to six days depending on the families.

Moroccan wedding several phases according to tradition.

First Moroccan wedding phase is Engagement and Henna:

It's time to find the right hall, the perfect orchestra, the inescapable catering and especially Neggafa fashionable. All must be available Moroccan wedding day, and the total of all these services must match the budget.

A few days before the big Moroccan wedding, the bride is taken to the hammam by the women of his family. Candles, singing and ululating accompany this step in which purified the bride with a milk bath. Then comes the day of Henna. The bride is usually dressed in green, and "nekkacha" (henna tattooist) decorates his hands and feet patterns amid singing and dancing. This ritual, which symbolizes prosperity is 100% female, and guests can decorate a hand or finger henna, it brings good luck according to tradition. If this Moroccan wedding stage was reserved for relatives of the bride, we invite more relatives of the lucky, especially in the late afternoon for dinner.

That night, it is also the ritual of "hdiyya" gift for the bride. In "taifours" the groom and his relatives send gifts to the bride: sugar, symbol of happy life, milk, synonymous with purity, but also the caftans that the bride will wear during the evening, jewelry, shoes, bags but also lingerie.

moroccan wedding

The Moroccan wedding day:

The bride, accompanied by some women close to him, went to the beauty salon, where she offers hair and makeup, manicures and pedicures. If guests start arriving around 21h at the party, the bride will enter that around 23h. The band sings Moroccan wedding songs, but also Eastern and Gulf. Servers offer juice, tea, and biscuits, and an assortment of dried fruits of all kinds.

That evening, the bride is treated like a princess: it takes many outfits and beautiful jewelry she wears a tiara and entered into "ammarya" to make it around the white room. With her husband, she occupies masterful chairs. Four women are responsible for helping to change several times in the evening and bear heavy jewelry. The princess for a night also carries a specific traditional attire to the origins of the family: Fez, North, East, Berber ...

Dinner in Moroccan wedding  is generally composed of three dishes: a pastilla, a dish of meat (prune tagine, lamb barbecue or roast chicken with olives) and a dessert. More and more families are iced cake in addition to the traditional fruit basket. The ceremony will last until daybreak, and the grand finale is the western white dress that many Moroccan youths adopt. The festivities do not end there. The next day, the family of the bride visits the new couple bringing breakfast. In others, the new wife leaves her the 7th day after his marriage, to visit his family. And throughout the week, the newlyweds will visit and receive friends and relatives.

Moroccan wedding is rich in colors and flavors, you can admire the magic of traditions and a couple unite to life under the spotlight. if some do not want the ceremony of the thousand and one night too.

Read More

Moroccan food

Introducing Moroccan food.

Traditional Moroccan food including all Moroccan recipes, is considered one of the most delicious and fragrant in the world.
Moroccan food is also extremely varied.
From appetizers to desserts, the Moroccan food  full of dishes with subtle and often spicy flavors that awaken the senses.

Moroccan food examples:

Tajine:

This is a traditional dish in glazed terracotta, the tagine clay cooking consists of two parts, the palm flat and round receiving the food for cooking, and the lid, conical in shape.
The Moroccan food Tajine and dish consisting of meat, fish or chicken, a variety of vegetables and many spices.

moroccan food tajine

Couscous:

To make this Moroccan food, you need a couscous. It consists of a pot which fits on to the "Kesskass" strainer with holes that allow the steam to swell the granulated grains. If these two items do not fit together tightly and steam tends to escape, take a strip of cotton cloth five inches wide, the circumference of the pot.
Housewives prepare Moroccan couscous with meat.
As to the true chicken couscous, made entirely with poultry, it is the finest of couscous, a real treat for the most demanding gourmets.
The fish couscous is typically the Essaouira region.

moroccan food couscous

 

Pastilla:

Pastilla is a traditional Moroccan food, formed a kind of laminated, based onion, chicken, or seafood, parsley, coriander, sliced eggs and almonds, mixing sweet and salty flavored with cinnamon and saffron.
Pastilla is a dish that is prepared in different stages, requires a relatively long production time but remains without much difficulty. Just a little organization preparing for example the filling the day before, and carefully follow the method of preparation to make a pastilla in the rules of art. Your guests will be impressed and delighted to discover and recover the wealth and taste of the Orient with this wonderful Moroccan food.

moroccan food pastilla

Rfissa:

This Moroccan food requires a fairly long period of preparation. We begin by Trid make the (very fine msemen leaves) is cut into strips and subsequently watered a particularly tasty chicken sauce decorated with lentils, fenugreek and other spices.
To a question of organization, you can make the Trid the day before and prepare the sauce the next day that does not take longer than a chicken tagine. So you minimize preparation time.

It is a typical Moroccan food is prepared for the opportunities and especially the 3rd or 7th day of birth.

moroccan food rfissa

Read More

Essaouira

History of Essaouira:

Essaouira's history begins in the seventh century BC The Phoenicians were calling at the island of Mogador when down to Africa. The Romans later settled there a purple manufacturing center; This bright red dye that gave its name to the Purple Islands of Essaouira.

In 1764, Sidi Mohammed Abdallah to counter the growing rise of Agadir decided to make the city of Mogador a fortified city. Sidi Mohammed Abdallah told a French architect Théodore Cornut, the responsibility for the construction of new walls, new city within the city walls is well protected from possible attacks of rebellious tribes.

Climate of Essaouira

The climate in Essaouira is mild all year round, with average temperatures ranging between 18 and 28 °. The nights are cool even in winter ballast empératures not drop below 10 ° C. Attention to moisture and especially the ubiquitous wind.

Essaouira is ideal, especially for those of you who do not like hot weather. Indeed, the summer climate of Essaouira is much less than the torrid climate of its neighbor Agadir.

Essaouira is nicknamed "The City of the Wind". The Cherki, the trade winds of the northeast, blowing from March to November with an average force 4. In the summer, the anemometer displays average force 6! The constancy of the wind makes Essaouira paradise for windsurfers. Surfers are not left with a spot that offers good waves to surf. 1 to 2 meters from March to November, excluding July and August when the swell is lower.

Places to visit in Essaouira

The skala of the kasbah:

It is the small path you will take to get to the medina (old town). It is a narrow street with a passage under vault, which will give you a magic illusion. Be aware that you will see the fortifications at this level were designed to protect the city formerly of attacks from the sea.

essaouira skala kasbah

Port:

The Port of Essaouira was born in the eighteenth century, when the Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah decided to build on the rocky headland of Cape Mogador shelter serving naval base, the Port of Mogador, which was also called "Port of Timbuktu "when used to link Africa to Europe and America.

Essaouira is now a pretty little fishing harbor, Morocco's third sardine port, which is experiencing an intense life, especially when the boats arrive in the late morning.

essaouira port

Medina:

Medina was since 2001 belongs to the heritage of humanity and world heritage of UNESCO.

The medina of Essaouira offers a pleasant stroll in the heart of the old town. Tourists can have fun getting lost in the tiny streets that comprise it. The dominant color of the architecture is blue.

In the streets of the medina you will discover shops (jewelry, fabrics and other local products) and coffee shops that litter along the terraces.

essaouira medina

Read More