Impressions of Marrakesh
Marrakesh is one of the largest cities in Morocco's southern region, and certainly the most unique of Morocco. The city is home to rich diversity of Arab, African, and Berber influence. Physically it is much like many of Morocco's main cities with a 'new city' and a medina. However the culture is very different. It is the most heavily visited city in Morocco by tourists which has given life to its markets and cultural scene. The souk (market) of Marrakesh is sprawling with different shops from the typically modern pirated DVD stands to woodworkers using centuries old methods to create their products. Fabric, leather, and clothing shops are the most ubiquitous, giving the shaded markets an almost overwhelming sense of color. Dazzling jewelry and antique shops are also an enticing highlight of the souk. Aside from having the traditional garment and shoe wear stores, there are also a few innovative shops including one the furbishes furniture and interior items made entirely out of tires, from mirrors to chairs to tables and more. Another unique feature is the rug market which is home to many boutiques sporting Moroccan rugs from all over the country, with unique styles from many different areas and demographics of the country.
Even larger an attraction than the market is Jma al-Fna, a square in the center of the city that is home to dozens of food stalls, orange juice pressers, Moroccan storytellers, snake charmers, hustlers and more. The square is full of Moroccans and foreigners alike, and gets extremely crowded at night. It is common to see all sorts of entertainment happening in the square next to the food stalls. The stalls are consolidated into their own corner that number well over 50. Because they are so tightly packed and many serve the same, but delicious food, the waiters or "ushers" of each stall are very energetic about getting people to sit at their stall, some even attempt to block your way and push you into a seat. The meals are relatively cheap and of good proportions for a Moroccan meal.
We spent part of our day having our first official lesson in Tashlheet, a popular dialect of the Berber language which is an interesting mix of ancient Berber and Arabic. The language has only recently adopted an alphabet, as it has been a language of a culture based mainly upon oral and not literate tradition. Our teacher, Muhammed, also gave us a lecture the day earlier on Moroccan-Berber identity. He told a captivating and unique story about slavery in Morocco and his grandfather who had been enslaved even into the 1900s. He spoke of the lack of discussion of the topic of slavery, something scorned upon in "traditional Islam, in North Africa and the Arab world. He spoke on its continued presence into the 20th century and the lack of acknowledgment by Arabs of slave descendants in Morocco as well as Berber acknowledgment. He also touched upon a broader topic of emerging Berber identity that has been growing in Morocco since the 1930s when the French protectorate government of Morocco issue the "Berber Manifesto" decreeing Arabs and Berbers as separate people, in order to sow seeds of disunity in the non-French populous in order to defend against rebellion.