Hmm, so where is Morocco in the map?

Look at the World Map, and you will find it to be situated in the farthest west of the North African continent. Al-Maghreb al-Aqsa, which means “The farthest west.”

Morocco, just its name invokes a feeling of magical surroundings, beautiful people and tranquil landscapes. The High Atlas, the barren yet golden and spacious sand dunes and of course the sparkling and rich Atlantic Coast, some of which is windy all year round and is a haven for wind surfers and enthusiasts.

Morocco, though just a “Straits of Gibraltar” away from its nearest European neighbour, Spain, is deeply still a religious and traditional country. Nearly 99% of the population are Muslims, with tiny minorities of Christians and Jews.

600 year old masjid in Tinerhir (Tinghir).

It was undergoing restoration at the time when I visited it.

Five times daily, you will hear the adhan (call of prayer) by the muezzin, calling the faithful believers to prayer from the many masjids (mosques) in the country. Whether you are in bustling and modern Casablanca, or in the medieval medina of Fes, you will hear the call to prayer. Muslims pray five times a day, that is fajr (dawn), zuhr (noon), ‘asr (late afternoon), maghreb (dusk), and isha’ (night). Facing Makkah in Saudi Arabia, all faithfuls will perform the prayers (salah) 5 times a day. Be it in the masjid, their workplace or of course, at home. A true Muslim will never miss even 1.

Assalamu alaikum, kif halek, labas ‘alik, l3a’ila labas? These are some of the greetings exchanged between Moroccans when they meet. Moroccans speak their own version of Arabic, that is, Darija : Moroccan Arabic. The main languages in Morocco are Arabic, French and Berber.

That’s a little introduction, as told by me. See you in my upcomings posts, inshaAllah.