Major cities in Morocco:
Meknes – spread out among idyllic nature, fascinates with fabulous beauty. In the 17th century, Sultan Muley Ismail wanted to turn it into a dream. Palaces, mosques, gardens are living monuments of architecture that keep the secrets of past centuries. See Countryvv for labor market in Morocco.
Fez is a center of cultural tourism with numerous museums, is the birthplace of fez widely spread around the world. 15 km from Fes is the modern thermal center of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Rabat is the administrative capital of Morocco, the royal palace and foreign embassies. Do not forget to visit the museums of antiquity and Moroccan art, see the 55-meter minaret of the 12th century (Hassan Tower) and the remains of the Yakub el Mansour mosque, also dating from the 12th century.
Marrakesh is the heart of the Moroccan East. The center of Marrakesh – Medina – revived history: the mausoleum of Yusuf bin Tashfin, the mosque of the Golden Apples, the Bahia Palace. There is a ski resort 75 km from Marrakesh.
Casablanca is the largest city and the economic capital of Morocco. A business center with skyscrapers and a giant Hassan II mosque, which can accommodate 25,000 people for prayer at the same time. Headquarters of the main banks, more than half of the Moroccan companies and representative offices of foreign corporations. Moroccan’s largest international airport named after Mohammed V is also striking. Its ultra-modern landing strip is a monument of modern architecture.
Agadir– the pearl of modern tourism in Morocco. The resort is located in a picturesque corner on the Atlantic coast in the Su Valley, protected by the High Atlas mountains from the desert heat. The atmosphere of a European resort reigns here. The beach of Agadir stretches for 10 kilometers. Covered with golden sand and framed by the greenery of eucalyptus and pine trees, it is recognized as the most beautiful and most hospitable of all Moroccan resorts. Modern Agadir is the capital of celebration and fun. Here are all kinds of entertainment that are cultivated in the East and seaside resorts: hookah smoking, camel riding, sea fishing, thoroughbred horse riding on the beach, golf and tennis. Nightclubs and discos are plentiful, plus constant festivals, pop concerts and variety shows.
You can eat anywhere and without much effort. Something, but there are a lot of small cafes and restaurants in Agadir. The cuisine is the most diverse, however, as elsewhere in Morocco: from refined French to Japanese and various Chinese variants. Of course, traditional Arabic dishes are kebabs, couscous, coffee with cardamom, but the real delight is freshly prepared fish. Agadir has the largest sardine fishing port in the world, and the assortment is simply magnificent: freshly caught sardines, perch, tuna, in addition to shrimp, lobsters and crayfish. In any restaurant, they are immediately grilled with lemon or tangerine. Alcohol is sold everywhere and quite inexpensively. The main and only problem is that its sale stops at eight in the evening.
Essaouira – in the old days – the city of pirates, located 170 km north of Agadir. The charming, provocative and attractive beauty of the city with streets and houses in the Moorish style attracted and still attracts poets, artists, scientists who turned the city into a center of contemporary Moroccan art. Vacationers and tourists, especially windsurfers, appreciate it for the highest wave on the coast and a light constant breeze.
NATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS OF MOROCCO
The holiday plays an exceptional role in the life of Moroccans. Lush, but short, holidays allow you to recall ancient folklore and revive traditions.
CIVIL HOLIDAYS
January 1: European New Year
January 2: Independence Day
March 3: Anniversary of the accession to the throne of King Hassan II
May 1: Labor Day
May 23: National Day
July 9: Youth
Day August 20: Revolution Day
November 6: Green March Commemorative Day
November 18 : anniversary of the return from exile of King Mohammed V
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
May 16: First day of Muharram (Muslim New Year)
July 29: Mawlid, birthday of the Prophet Muhammad
February 23: Eid as-Saghir, end of Ramadan
April 30: Eid al-Kabir, sacrifice of Ibrahim (Christian Abraham)
June 1: Ashura, holiday poor people and children
These dates change every year, so it is worth getting information about the festive ceremonies in advance from the National Tourist Office of Morocco.
Cuisine in Morocco
Moroccan cuisine mainly uses fruits and vegetables grown in the land generously drenched in the sun, many rare aromatic spices, fish delicacies and succulent meat. This is all the best of Oriental cuisine, famous all over the world – a real delight for your delicate taste.
You can also try delicious kebabs cooked in front of you at the entrance to the oriental bazaars, and along the roads. Delicious and cheap treat.
Couscous – Couscous : A traditional family meal for Friday breakfast, but can be found every day in restaurants. You will be able to taste many different types of couscous throughout your trip as the preparation of couscous varies greatly depending on the region and the imagination of the chef.
Try not to use cutlery, try eating with three fingers of your right hand, this is Moroccan style.
Mechoui : Oven-cooked or roasted lamb meat. The meat is so tender that it melts in your mouth.
Pastilla: A beautifully airy oriental dessert with almonds that has the famous Moroccan sweet and savory taste. There are also options with fish, chicken and even milk for dessert.
Dishes for Ramadan (Ramadan): after sunset, the ban on food ends and rich and savory harira is prepared, a soup of lentils and oriental peas (chickpeas), with beghrir, small pancakes, with ghee and honey and with shebbakia, pies, fried in oil and doused with honey.
It’s a “snack”, a real lunch, starting later in the night.
Tajine : This word means both. Chicken or fish are stewed with vegetables in a clay conical vessel.
Try it and you will understand why Tajine is the Moroccan national dish.
Peppermint tea : Refreshing, hot and stimulating, drunk in the morning, after breakfast or at any other time. A pleasure you will never miss.
