Morocco is widely regarded as the most attractive tourist destination in Africa. There are a lot of amazing things about Morocco. The richness in its history, the culture, the beaches, the Ourika valley, the Atlas mountains, etc.
A country in the Maghrebi region of North Africa with over 36 million in population. It shares its land borders with Algeria to the East, its water borders with the Atlantic to the west. You can access the mediterrnean sea in its North and the territory disputes of Western Sahara to its South. Rabat is its capital and Casablanca is its largest city.
Below Are Some Fascinating Things About Morocco;
Morocco Has The Oldest University In the World
The Kairaouine Mosque is the world’s oldest university. It was built in 859 by the daughter of a wealthy kairaouine refugee. For the longest time, the mosque was the largest mosque in Morocco until the Casablanca Hassan (II) mosque was built in the early 90s.
The university operated on its own but was integrated into the states education system in 1963.
Two years later, the mosque became a significant complex of historical Moroccan and islamic architecture that has many features of elements from many different periods of Moroccan history.
However, many scholars did reluctantly associate the word “university” with it because they felt that ‘status’ was given to it because of European intervention. Education at the university focuses on islamic studies and legal sciences but lessons on non-islamic subjects are being offered to students. Women were first admitted into the higher learning institution in the 1940s and Teaching is still delivered in the traditional method.
Excellent Wine
In muslim countries, alcohol consumption is very minimal and Morocco being one is not exempted. However, Morocco has a successful wine industry. It all started 2000 years ago when the Romans first brought viticulture into the country. But it was intercepted in the 7th century when Islam was established, as the vineyards were abandoned.
After a while, Morocco became a French protectorate and the viticulture was revived by the French. In 1990s, French wine brand ‘Castel’ took control over the wine production in Morocco and this was how they became a wine country. The most famous Moroccan wine is the ‘Gris de Boulaoune’, a fruity rosé with hints of citrus.
A Country With Four Capitals
One of the fascinating things about Morocco is the four capital cities the country has had throughout its history. Fes, Marrakesh, Meknes and Rabat respectively.
Fes assumed the capital in 789. It was established by Idrissi I. It served as the capital for close to 8 centuries and stopped being the capital when the Idrissi dynasty fell.
Marrakesh was first founded in 1071 and it serves as the the country’s capital for one hundred years from 1500 to 1600.
The city of Meknes was the capital during the rule of Mawlay Isma’il in 1673. After Morocco became a French protectorate, the French made Rabat its administrative center and it became the capital when the country got its independence in 1955 till date.
Ouzoud waterFalls
Cascades d’Ouzoud are waterfalls on the edge of the Ouzoud village. They are one of the attractive sites in the country, with the waters diving steeply at 110 metres over three waterfall tiers.
The waters run reddish brown when you come at the cascades after a lot of rain, producing an amazing and dream-like effects. Ouzoud waterfalls is the general name for many waterfalls in the province of Azilal in Morocco.
As a result, the waterfalls are famous for tourism with both local and visitors from other countries and the gorge you hike into to see them from can be very crowdy, most especially when buses from Marrakesh turn up.
Ouzoud is 156 kilometres Northeast from Marrakesh and 27 kilometres West of the town Azilal. Most people come here on a 24 hour trip from Marrakesh but if you want to see them without the crowds, there are several accomodation options in Ouzoud and also in Azilal.
Ait Ben Haddou
The Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou or the mudbrick fortified village is one the interesting and beautiful things Morocco possesses. It is the country most photogenic buildings. It is also a bulky adobe fortifcations building in the lush fields and orchards of almond trees.
The history of Ait Ben Haddou goes back to the 11th century when it was a necessary stop on the trans-saharan canavar routes. The beauty of the building made it possible for it to be used in Hollywood movies. Scenes from ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ were short here.
Ait Ben Haddou is 30kilometres Northwest from Ouazazate and 170 kilometres Southeast from Marrakesh. As a result, It is a very famous trip destination for both cities. It is an inportant High Atlas destination for trips going to the Sahara dunes.
It Is Tea Than Coffee
In Morocco, the art of coffee is totally different from most Western countries. It doesn’t have anything to do with the quality or the how it is made. Coffee is is a more like a social ritual in the country. It is also a gendered activity. Just like Algeria, the cafés are for men, as women have theirs at home with their friends.
The more important drink than coffee in Morocco is the tea. The moroccan tea is a mixture of chinese green tea and mint with a heavy amount of sugar, although it requires various steps of washings before it is brew. However, real Moroccan tea is worth the wait and perfect in the heat, as it is offered to guests upon visting.
The High Atlas Mountains
The Grand Atlas as some people call it is a mountain range in the central part of Morocco. It is the highest part of the Atlas mountains. The High Atlas comes up from the West and stretches on an Eastern path to the Moroccan-Algerian border.
The range includes Jbel Toubkal, which is the highest mountain in Morocco at 4,167 metres (13,671 ft). The range lies in the Toubkal National Park. It serves as weather system barriers in Morocco running from East to West, separating the Sahara from the mediterranean.
In addition, the High Atlas forms the basins for a multiciplity of many river systems. The majority of the year-round rivers flow to the North, as it makes them settle there.
The High Atlas mountains were inhabited by Berbers, who live on agriculture and pastoralism in the valley. However, in the steppe zone of the High Atlas where precipitations are low, the people there made a brilliant technique to manage the low precipitation and the weak soil.
They turned the arid lands into fertile valleys called locally by Agdal with the technique. This technique intrigued many foreign agriculturists. This has also led to many French Scientists coming to the locality yearly to observe their living system.
Moroccans Speak Darija, French, English And Spanish
Moroccan has two official languages, they are ‘Berber’ and ‘Darija’ (Moroccan Arabic). However, it is possible for Moroccans to understand the general Arabic language and not know how to speak Darija very well.
Due to French colonization, the French language retains a major place in Morocco as it is the country language of commerce, medicine, education and even government. Although, there is a general agreement that Darija, the classic Arabic and Berber are the national languages. Moroccans can also speak spanish thanks to the closeness they share with the European country.
In addition, the citizens have no problem with English, Dutch, Italian and even German. This is because they are influenced by several tourists from all over the globe coming into their country.
Ibn Battuta
Abū Abd Allāh Muhammad Ibn Abd Allah Al-Lawati popularly known as Ibn Battuta. The most famous Maghrebi traveller, scholar and explorer hailed from Morocco.
In the 14th century, he travelled to various parts of the world starting with his continent in North Africa to the South, Central and Southeast Asia to the Middle East. He brilliantly kept accounts of all his journey which is held as historical treasure today. Ibn also revealed a lot about the medieval civiliazation.
He is the most travelled explorer in pre-modern history, totalling around 117,000 kilometres surpasssing Zheng He with about 50,000 kilometres and Marco Polo with 24,000 kilometres.
Morocco Has The Highest Ski Resort In Africa
Another interesting thing about Morocco is the Oukaimeden Ski Resort . The highest ski resort on the continent.
Oukaimeden is located in the Atlas Mountains at an attitude of over 8500 ft. Interestingly, the Ski Resort has six ski lifts among many other quality facilities to help skiers make their skiing memorable.
Conclusion
With every of the fascinating facts about Morocco you have read in this article, it is no shock that it is the most visited country on the continent.
