The Diversity of Morocco
There are a few places as diverse as al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyyah or Morocco as most of us know of it as – be it geographically, economically, ethnically or spiritually. Located on the North-Western corner of Africa, washed by both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Morocco has been inhabited for over 300,000 years and is a meeting point and melting pot of Berber, African, Arab and European cultures. Its diverse population forms a strong national identity, but an increasingly youthful one, taking the best of its traditions and weaving the pattern anew - Morocco has a thousand faces and sounds, all seemingly similar and different at the same time.
From thousands of kilometres of coastline (with amazing beaches) to the Sahara and the mountains of the Atlas and Rif, the landscape is both lyrical and welcoming. And no matter where in the country you are, there is the food – tajine in all its forms, couscous, breads of all kinds dipped in olive oil and farm fresh fruit. It is a country bursting with surprises and Moroccans are passionate and extremely proud of what their country has to offer.
This passion, pride and diversity is reflected in the spectrum of handicrafts that Morocco is famous for – from the exquisite pottery found in Safi, Fes and Marrakesh to the wonderful rugs that are famously woven in the villages that dot the Atlas Mountains to the softest cotton and wool blankets hand-loomed in Tetouan and Marrakech – in fact, each region, each artisan and each piece has a story to tell.