Friday, February 22, 2013

Morocco, the land where I fell in love with day moons and geometric tiles.


Two weeks late. I have no excuse.

We embarked on our ten day Moroccan adventure January 19th.
The first night of our trip, we stayed in a PALACE!




We stay in the most beautiful hotels..



 We walked through the shuk in Marrakech.
All these pots are made by hand.


 Morocco is famous for it's leather, we got to see a tanner in his element.


Leather bags, bought one, didn't know it would smell like animal feces.


We met a Berber man named Harim. Harim lives in a village in south Morocco called Azaran. This village was once populated with around 500 Jews, but once the Jewish State was created, they all fled. Before the rabbi of the village left, he gave the key of the synagogue to his neighbor Harim. He told Harim to give the key to any Jew that returns to Arazan. Harim has been holding the key for 40 years. A few years ago our amazing tour guide, Rafi, went to Arazan for his Moroccan Jewry project. He asked the villagers if Jews ever lived there. They were too young to remember, they directed Rafi to Harim. Harim fulfilled his task and gave Rafi the key.


Everywhere we went we were offered tea and cookies, ah, I love Morocco!


 "Ain’t nobody fuckin’ with my
Clique, clique, clique, clique, cliqueAin’t nobody fresher than my motherfuckingClique, clique, clique, clique, clique" - Clique, Kanye West


Lev conversing with the locals.




The only thing we were able to eat in Morocco(besides couscous).



DAY MOONS, AM I RIGHT OR WHAT?!



We went to the date shook, literally dates on dates on dates.



We visited so many kasbahs I cant keep count. A kasbah is a type of Islamic city/fortress. It was a place for the local leader to live and a defense when the city was under attack. It was something necessary for the city to survive, Having a kasbah was a sign of wealth of a city. 

ROCK THE KASBAH



We spent a night in a berber village in the Atlas Mountains. 




Where the cutest kids live.




Walkin through the village, like a boss.




After a couscous dinner, the village people but on a show for us.



Woke up to the most beautiful sight, double rainbow over the village.



Early morning camel ride through the Sahara. Hands down my favorite part of the trip.


Sunrise


Believe me, I was there and it still doesn't look real.


If you where wondering what I look like while riding a camel in the Sahara Desert in Morocco 8 AM, here ya go!




This looks exactly like the yoga studio in my house, small world!


We visited the Rambam's house in Fez, COOL!


As we drove through the Atlas Mountains we stumbled upon purple mountains. Morocco is amazing.


 GEOMETRIC TIALS, AM I RIGHT OR WHAT?!

In Marrakech we visited one of their active synagogues located in the Jewish quarter.




The Hassan II Mosque located in Casablanca, is the largest mosque in Morocco and the third largest mosque in the world. (After the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina.)





The mosque has a retractable ceiling. like football stadiums. The ceiling is open once a year, the 17th day of Ramadan, the day Mohammed received his prophecy.


I will be copying this design for my future bathroom.


In the basement the mosque has sinks to wash up before prayer. It is Islamic ritual to wash one's hands, feet, and face before praying.
As it says in the Quran "O you who believe! When you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles." - sura 5 Al-Maida, ayat 6




So overwhelming.



King Mohammed V's mausoleum.





King Mohammad V saved the Moroccan Jews from the Nazis. During WWII, Morocco was a French protectorate. King Mohammad V refused to make the 200.000 Jews living in Morocco wear yellow stars, like they did in France.
"There are no Jews in Morocco. There are only subjects."- King Mohammad V


More geometric tiles.


World's largest tannery, located in Fez, Morocco.  
Words can not describe how bad the smell was.



"hey look a cat.."


"OMFG LOOK A CAT!"


5 comments:

  1. Amazing! The little berber old ladies were my favorite things ever! Also got a purse that smelled like a camels butt so I left it in Israel....

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    Replies
    1. my bag is currently stuffed in a plastic bag in my luggage in the machsan. now all my clothes are going to smell like dead animals. dee-lish.

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    2. That's artisan tanned leather for you, you can't counterfeit the smell. Get it out of the plastic bag and hang it somewhere aerated, the smell will fade away, then you can keep a perfumed kerchief inside.

      I am glad you enjoyed your trip. Come back some day :)

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