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Essaouira Death's Mystery Deepens
Blog: The View from Fez - 29 August 2011
On August 26th, The View from Fez reported on the tragic deaths in Essaouira of Roger and Mathilde Lamb. The couple died while on holiday in Essaouira on Morocco's Atlantic coast - leaving their four children orphaned. The first police reports said that Mrs Lamb had died after an accidental fall from a window. The following day, her grief-stricken husband is reported to have jumped from the second floor of the Sofitel Hotel in Essaouira.
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The Call to Prayer ~ to amplify or not?
Blog: The View from Fez - 29 August 2011
For a first time visitor to Morocco, one of the most immediate indications that they are in an Islamic country is the sound, five times a day, of the call to prayer. Because a majority of the mosques now use microphones and amplified speakers, the sound is all pervasive. And there lies a problem - not for visitors but for the locals.
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Morocco #5: Cookbooks
Blog: Roving Gastronome - 29 August 2011
I try to collect a cookbook from wherever I go, sometimes in the local language, sometimes not. I prefer older and traditional, maybe with a picture of a granny on the cover. (My favorite so far: Cocinando con mi abuela, from Campeche, Mexico.) For anyone who thinks in the same vein, may I recommend two [...]
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Ramadan in a Moroccan Town
Blog: Vagobond.com - 29 August 2011
Ramadan with a Moroccan shepherd's family isn't really what I expected it to be. It's not like I'm some stranger here, the shepherd is my wife's father.
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Young Moroccan Wins Quran Recital Prize
Blog: The View from Fez - 28 August 2011
A twelve-year-old Moroccan boy, Abdul Baset Abdel-Fattah Wurash , has won the QR 100,000 ($27,000 USD) top prize in the final of the World Holy Quran Recitation Competition of 2011 held in the Katara cultural village in Doha.Two other twelve-year-olds were also minor place winners. Amjad Yahya Nasser (Yemen) came second with QR75,000. Third prize went to a young girl, Nuralchhama Takya bint Nuri Najmy, from Malaysia, who bagged QR50,000.
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Italian Restaurant in Fez - Reopens
Blog: The View from Fez - 28 August 2011
With Ramadan drawing to a close, eating a long lunch is again back on the agenda. So the news today that one of our favourite restaurants is opening again, comes as good news.
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Mysterious Deaths in Essaouira
Blog: The View from Fez - 26 August 2011
The UK newspaper, The Times, is reporting a very strange and tragic event in Morocco. According to the story, by Simon de Bruxelles, a man and his wife died just four days apart. Both died from falls. However, there are many unanswered questions.The couple, Roger and Tilly Lamb were originally from Pershore, Worcestershire and had been on holiday with their sons aged 9 to 16. The now orphaned children have been flown back to Britain and are now being cared for by a relative.
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Schweea by Schweea…Nothing Moves Quickly in Morocco
Blog: Vagobond.com - 26 August 2011
Schweeya b schweeya translates to little by little and if there is a modus operendi that nearly every Moroccan plays the game of life by, this is certainly it.
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Morocco makes progress - despite regional turmoil
Blog: The View from Fez - 25 August 2011
In spite of regional unrest and rising commodity prices, leading to an increase in the trade deficit, the prospects for the Moroccan economy are encouraging, according to Global Arab Network and the highly respected Oxford Business Group. They report that thanks to factors such as a strong harvest and broader diversification, the outlook for 2011 is promising.
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One Thousand and One Nights ~ in Edinburgh
Blog: The View from Fez - 25 August 2011
Back in June, The View from Fez reported on the problems being encountered by the Tim Supple production of One Thousand and One Nights. The dramatisation from original Arabic texts, translated by Hannan al-Shaykh, is intended to present the ancient stories in authentic form. We had a keen interest in the play as the rehearsals were held in our city of Fez and it was heading to the Edinburgh Festival where much was expected of it. Sadly, the reception has been lukewarm.
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Morocco #4: Fez, Then and Now
Blog: Roving Gastronome - 22 August 2011
When I was a kid, my father and I would drive from New Mexico to Los Angeles to visit my grandmother. We’d leave before dawn, and drive straight through. When we got out of the car in L.A., the night air was warm and humid and smelled of orange blossoms. My grandmother’s house always seemed [...]
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How Organic is Moroccan Food?
Blog: The View from Fez - 22 August 2011
To the legions of Western eco-tourists who descend on Morocco every year, the souk symbolizes a way of life distant from the ills of the modern food economy. If the supermarket, with its packaged goods and processed foods symbolizes the evils of the 'food-industrial complex', the souk epitomizes 'organic': produce is piled in haphazard pyramids, as if thrown there by the farmhands who picked it. Many fruits and vegetables are speckled with clods of dirt, too 'organic' to be cleaned before sale. However, these appearances are deceiving.
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287 Moroccan Prisoners Granted Amnesty
Blog: The View from Fez - 20 August 2011
HM King Mohamed VI yesterday granted amnesty to 287 prisoners as part of activities marking the 58th anniversary of the 'Revolution of the King and the People', celebrated on the 20th of August in Morocco.Seven prisoners will be released immediately, while others will benefit from reduction of their sentences or penalties.
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New Low-Cost Flights Between Morocco and France
Blog: The View from Fez - 20 August 2011
Morocco’s low-cost carrier Jet4you has begun taking reservations for Winter 2011/12 season, and announced starting 10 new routes between Morocco and France.New routes are:Agadir – BordeauxAgadir – LyonAgadir – MarseilleAgadir – NantesAgadir – ToulouseMarrakech – BordeauxMarrakech – LyonMarrakech – MarseilleMarrakech – NantesMarrakech – Toulouse
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"Omar Killed Me" heads to the Oscars
Blog: The View from Fez - 20 August 2011
According to a statement from Morocco's Movie Centre (CCM) the latest offering from the Moroccan filmmaker Roshdy Zem, has been entered for the Oscars 2012 in the category of best foreign language film. The film, is expected to be a strong contender.
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Another blogging win for Fez !
Blog: The View from Fez - 18 August 2011
The View from Fez has been chosen to receive a Iglu 2011 Blog Award. It came as something of a surprise as we had not entered. However,the judges wrote...
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Photo Essay: The Beauty of Doors
Blog: Vagobond.com - 17 August 2011
We all wonder just what is on the other side of the door and sometimes it's even more wonderful than we imagine.
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Morocco's Elections ~ Date change
Blog: The View from Fez - 15 August 2011
Morocco's government has changed the date of the proposed parliamentary election. According to Communication Minister Khalid Naciri, the elections will now take place early in November instead of the scheduled date of September next year.HM King Mohammed VI has said he wants early elections to follow through on a package of constitutional reforms that were designed to reduce the risk of the "Arab Spring" uprisings reaching his country.
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Getting the most out of The View from Fez
Blog: The View from Fez - 12 August 2011
Over the last few months The View from Fez has had a big increase in the number of regular readers and so for newcomers, here is a quick guide to getting the most from our site.SEARCHING THE VIEW FROM FEZ
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Meanwhile, just out side the Medina...
Blog: The View from Fez - 12 August 2011
Sidi Mustapha's neighbours, the Abdellah's, had recently bought a camel and kept it in their backyard, right beside Mustapha's back yard. It was a problem because it kept Mustapha awake all night with its incessant rasping and belching sounds.
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Morocco would like half the tourist income from the Alhambra
Blog: The View from Fez - 11 August 2011
One of Morocco's many great contributions to the world's cultural heritage would have to be Al-Qal‘at al-Ḥamrā’ - "the Red Fortress" - the Alhambra. It is ironic that Spanish Christians spent 800 years trying to kick the Moors out and, having succeeded, are now making so much of the city's income from their legacy. However, if one visionary Moroccan Government Minister has his way, that may be about to change.
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Two Hundred and Fifty Dirham Coin for only Five Hundred!
Blog: The View from Fez - 11 August 2011
A significant marker of the twelfth anniversary of HM King Mohammed VI's ascension to the throne is a commemorative 250 dirham coin, issued by Morocco's central bank, Bank Al Maghrib.The obverse of the coin bears the image of the Sovereign as well as "Mohammed VI" and "the Kingdom of Morocco" struck in Arabic, with the dates "2011-1432".
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Not All Ramadans are Equal - opinion
Blog: The View from Fez - 10 August 2011
For the faithful, Ramadan is a time of spiritual and physical cleansing - a month long detox that is welcomed each year. However, as Ibn Warraq reports for The View from Fez, daylight hours vary from country to country and this does cause some very real health problems and its timing may need some adjustment.
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Morocco #3: Casablanca
Blog: Roving Gastronome - 8 August 2011
Poor unloved Casablanca–or “Caza,” as locals say it, with a nice buzzy z. Six million people strong, and typically dismissed by guidebooks and travelers as not scenic, too busy, too modern. But especially in a still-very-traditional place like Morocco, it’s interesting to go to the modern place and see just what details are preserved. As [...]
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Breaking the Ramadan Fast in Fez
Blog: The View from Fez - 8 August 2011
For visitors to Morocco, the month of Ramadan can be a very interesting time. One of the great joys is the moment each evening when the fast is broken. Our special correspondent, Rose Button, gives a personal account of a wonderful evening in the Fez Medina.
