Morroco

Flying to Morocco-Dec 20-21, 2014

Why go to Morocco, I have been asked?  Karen and I like to go to somewhat out of the way places that are not usual tourist destinations, and Morocco fits the bill.  (And if you like this blog you can check out the blogs/pictures on the previous non-traditional trips we have taken to Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam; India; China; and Patagonia (Argentina and Chile)).  We wanted a place that was not cold (it is in the mid 60’s this time of year).  We love mountains and deserts and Morocco has both, the High Atlas mountains and the Sahara desert which we will both visit.  The later will be on camels which Karen likes better than horses except when they get up from sitting with you on them or when they spit at you.  We like to explore ancient cultures and this one dates back more than 4500 years; and the results of Arab spring are evident here with the growth of some democracy.  We also like the influence of the French on traditional Arab cuisine.  And, I get to visit with a pediatric cardiologist who works with us via telemedicine from a university hospital in Marrakech, kindly arranged by Craig Sable.  Finally, it is a relatively safe country, although there was a tourist bombing in 2011.  So that is why we are winging our way over the “Pond” right now, landing in Paris, flying to Toulouse and then on to Marrakech.  Total flight time is around 16 hours; and the time difference is +5 hrs (ie 9am in DC is 2pm in Morocco).

Morocco-A brief History: Morocco is in North Africa, just across the water from Spain.  Its population is about a 10^th of the U.S., ie 32 million.  It’s geographic history starts billions of years ago when the tectonic plates of Europe and Africa came together lifting up the Atlas Mountains (and the Alps and Pyrenees).  The ice age then came and went leaving arable land near the water and the Sahara desert towards the center.  First inhabitants came to the Sahara as horse breeders around 2,500 BC.  The Romans arrived around 4^th century, the time of Caligula, and found these “barbarians” the word for which is Berbers.  The ethnicity of Morocco now is about 60% Berber and 40% Arab.  The Berbers never cottoned to the Holy Roman Empire and were constantly fighting.  Islam arrived in Morocco in the 8^th century and most Berbers converted from a mix of religions that included Jews, Christians and idol worshipers . 

Jewish Berbers were present from the 1^st century in Morocco.  They were farmers, metalworkers, dyers, glass blowers, and bookbinders.  Excluded from European commerce, Jews immigrated to Morocco.  As was true in Europe, when the economy was good they were taxed to support whoever was king and when things were bad they were scapegoated.  However, overall things were not bad.  There continued to be a Jewish presence that swelled after the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 during the Inquisition, eventually reaching 300,000 primarily in Fez and Marrakesh.  There was a Jewish quarter set up in these cities, near the palaces and the major Jewish business was in salt and  sugar.  During the time of Saadian dynesty in the 1500s Jewish leaders were buried near the royal crypts, having been money lenders to the king.  This acceptance lasted from the 15^th to 19^th centuries.  Jews rose to positions of power as ambassadors and ran major businesses.  France started to take over Morocco in the mid 19^th century and completed this in 1912.  The fight for independence fromFrance began with WWII and ended with the granting of independence to Morocco in 1955 after France had lost Algeria in the civil war.  Most Jews left for Israel after independence and only around 5,000 remain. 

Morocco is now ruled by a King Mohammad II and after the Arab spring more independence has been given to the parliament.  It has been a rather stable country in recent years but has not escaped the occasional terrorist bombing.  Tourism is increasing but it is still not a hub.