The Cherifian Kingdom
This page concerns only the two short stays that we both made, simply to be able to have a rest easy and avoid the tiredness of a circuit in May or November.
Of course, we were profitable there to visit surroundings of our place of holiday, a short outline but perhaps will be us t-il useful within the foreseeable future in the perspective of a circuit in this country.
We were in Morocco twice, always in May because we could not leave more than a week.
And in stay because to make a full circuit was impossible in if not enough time.
Other advantage, the airline company Marseille-Marrakech is direct and itinerary lasts only two small hours.
The first time, we opted for calm and we found ourselves in the palm grove at the hotel Tikida Garden .
Its only fault is that we are far from everything and you have to take a taxi to go downtown, apart from that it was a quality hotel with very good services.
On place we bought excursions being or in the city around (explanation farther).
The second stay is located in the center between Mamounia and Koutoubia in a superb hotel, Chems () .
What with us allowed to take for a walk us to easily on the place Jemaa El Fna (where there always happens something in the morning, midday and evening)
The souk (to see at least once) and all side streets, without forgetting stores and cooperatives (take time!!!).
Excursions are numerous and various: the first one which is obvious, it is the city simply because it is an ancient imperial city (bulwarks, medina, tombs Saadiens , the fountains, the Majorelle garden and ryads).
Nicknamed the red City or ochre City, is a city in the inside of lands, at the foot of mountains, by snowy times, of l ' Atlas visible in the background on numerous photographs of Menara for instance.
Outside the city, visits do not miss.
We did the Ourika valley () , in about 80km from the city, which is very green with small hamlets in houses in adobe and by going up they can see some snow.
The return is made by crossing a desertique zone with a pause meal under a bedouin tent (folklore for the tourists, but rather nice).
In any case, it is very easy of ballader in the country, it is enough to find a good destination and a local agency will be delighted to put in you it in the point.
INFORMATION3 Octobre 2022
Coronavirus Covid-19
Regarding the conditions of entry, stay and exit from the national territory, it is advisable to consult the Covid Alert as well as the website of the Ministry of the Interior.
The Phoenicians, enterprising traders, settled on the coasts of Morocco from the 11th century BC and founded trading posts like Tingi (Tangier) or Lixus (Larache). The Romans made their appearance around the 2nd century BC, after the destruction of Carthage, but they only conquered the kingdom of the Moors in 40 AD, which became Tingitane Mauritania. Their domination is limited to the northern plains (Volubilis near Meknes), having to fight constantly against the mountain Berbers. In the third century of our era, they were confined to the coastal regions. The Berbers of North Africa These people live in Morocco and Algeria. Most of them prefer the name of Amazigh or free men. Their history is turbulent (the term Berber was imposed by the Arabs and the French). The people already inhabited the mountains and deserts thousands of years before Islam was introduced there in the 7th century BC.
1894: death of Moulay-al-Hasan, proclamation of the new sultan, the young Moulay Abd el Aziz. But the reality of power belongs to Ba Ahmed, which shows the influence of black elements in Moroccan affairs.
1900: Moroccan finances prosper thanks to the results of the economic action of Moulay-al-Hasan. This guarantees Morocco national independence.
1900: death of Ba Ahmed who is replaced by the prodigal Moulay Abd el Aziz. These expenses encourage the intervention of European credit organizations including the bank of Paris and the Netherlands.
1902 - 1912: European economic penetration intensifies to such an extent that Sultan Moulay Hafid, brother of Moulay Abd el Aziz, is forced to sign in 1912 the protectorate treaty that is the Convention of Fez.
1907: French forces must intervene to protect nationals.
1907-1910: Hubert Lyautey pacifies eastern Morocco, General Drude who succeeds General Amade must pacify western Morocco.
1911: French troops must release the besieged Sultan in Fez. This intervention triggers the second Moroccan crisis.
1912: Hubert Lyautey is appointed Resident General of France, which causes the uprising of tribes. Mouley Youssef replaces Sultan Mouley Hafid, he sees his authority over Morocco strengthened.
1956: Independence of Morocco proclaimed on March 2. Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Youssef takes the title of King Mohammed V.
1915: Hubert Lyautey receives the order from Paris to withdraw the troops from the interior to send them to France. This evacuation seems premature insofar as pacification still comes up against rebel movements supported by the Germans.
Entre 1921 et 1926, les Rifains se révoltent contre l'Espagne, puis contre la France. En 1921, ils ont écrasé les forces espagnoles dans la fameuse bataille d'Anoual. Même leur chef,le général Silvestre a été tué, de grandes quantités d'armes et de munitions ont été confisquées. Et en 1922, Abd el-Krim proclame la République confédérée des Tribus du Rif. Madrid et Paris ont alors recours à des techniques de guerre totale, notamment les gaz de combat. Les Rifains ont été battus en mai 1926. Abdel krim est exilé sur l'île de la Réunion jusqu'en 1948. Le Maroc a partiellement annexé le Sahara occidental à la suite de la Marche verte en 1975, puis totalement en 1979. Le royaume fait face au désaccord de la Mauritanie qui elle aussi revendique ce territoire, de l'Algérie et surtout des populations sahraouies (Front Polisario) mais la résolution finale sur le statut du territoire reste suspendue à un référendum organisé par l'Organisation des Nations unies, qui a été reporté à plusieurs reprises à cause d'un désaccord entre les parties sur le recensement du corps électoral.
Morocco is a parliamentary kingdom in which most power is concentrated in the hands of the king.
To the south lies the disputed territory Western Sahara. To the east and southeast, Morocco borders Algeria. Some distance from the Atlantic coast are the Canary Islands and Madeira. North of the Strait of Gibraltar is Spain. There are also four Spanish enclaves along the Mediterranean coast (Ceuta, Melilla, Peñon Velez de la Gomera and Peñon de Alhucemas), as well as several islets (Perejil) and islands (Chafarinas). The existence of these territories is a source of tension between the two states. The capital is Rabat.
Among the remarkable cities are Casablanca, Agadir, Fez, Marrakech, Meknes, Tangier, Tetouan, Ouarzazate, Essaouira, Safi, Cap Bojador or Boujdour
These last years, Morocco tried to set up some reforms to straighten the « economic Machine », liberalization and deregulation of a big number of areas of economy, privatizations, agreements of free exchange with the European Union and the United States, lowers public deficit, control of the inflation. If reforms began giving some results, notably a hause of GNP, many remains to make so that the country gets involved definitely in the way of lasting economic development.
Source : Wikipedia
All year long if you want it, especially when the sun is of service. His geographical nearness is a big advantage.
The roads are as everywhere in the world, of the check and the least good. What what fears most vehicles especially without motor and with animal and finally pedestrian belong.
The tourist hôtelerie is of quality and furthermore they eat trés there definitely.
A little craftsmanship but nothing too fancy: clothes, copper, trinkets and the eternal 'handmade' rugs.