CULTURE: ART
With the Roman domination, which left works of civilization and influences that survived even the Arab conquest, Morocco became a center of considerable economic life, as evidenced by the wealth of the newly founded cities: Tingis (Tangier), Lixus and above all Banasa (Iulia Valentia) and Volubilis. The Arab conquest separated the country from European civilization by linking it spiritually to the Islamic East, however the Islamic art heritage of Morocco is greatly influenced by the nearby cultural and artistic core of Muslim Spain and in particular of Cordoba. The al-Qarawiyyīn mosque (of the Kairouanese) in Fès, begun by the Idrisis (9th century) and enlarged by the Almoravids (1056-1148), in the layout and in many decorative elements recalls the Umayyad mosque of Cordoba, while the domes with internal he stalactites derive from Persia. The dual presence of Cordovan and Persian elements in Qarawiyyīn illuminates the character of Almoravid art, which was a mediation and conciliation between the Islamic East and West; the fusion of these elements is the basis of the subsequent developments of the Moorish art. With the Almohad dynasty there was a second moment of splendor, characterized by greater ornamental austerity, the result of very rigid religious concepts.
In Fès, Marrakech, Rabat, the Almohads enrich the previous style with new Persian and Fatimite elements, including the ceramic coatings and the multiplication of the domes in front of the back wall of the mosque. The best example of the art of this period is the Koutoubia minaret in Marrakech (first half of the 12th century). Between the century XIV and XVI the architecture maintained its general characteristics and decorative details unaltered. Among the most notable buildings are the al-Badī palace (1594), the work of Mūlāy Aḥhmad al-Manṣūr, and the including the ceramic coatings and the multiplication of domes in front of the back wall of the mosque. The best example of the art of this period is the Koutoubia minaret in Marrakech (first half of the 12th century). Between the century XIV and XVI the architecture maintained its general characteristics and decorative details unaltered. Among the most notable buildings are the al-Badī palace (1594), the work of Mūlāy Aḥhmad al-Manṣūr, and the including the ceramic coatings and the multiplication of domes in front of the back wall of the mosque. The best example of the art of this period is the Koutoubia minaret in Marrakech (first half of the 12th century). Between the century XIV and XVI the architecture maintained its general characteristics and decorative details unaltered. Among the most notable buildings are the al-Badī palace (1594), the work of Mūlāy Aḥhmad al-Manṣūr, and the madrasa of Abū Imān (14th-16th centuries) in Fès. Even after the Christian reconquest of Spain and the exhaustion of the Hispano-Moorish tradition, Morocco has maintained purer architectural traditions than Algeria and Tunisia. Nor has the tradition of the minor arts disappeared, the development of which has had a great increase, especially starting from the century. XV, following the decline of Syria. Noteworthy are the carpets with floral decoration from Rabat, the ceramics from Fès and the niellated weapons encrusted with silver or enamel from the southern Israeli villages.
After the Second World War, a modern architecture of considerable level developed in Morocco, which in the 1960s took on the characteristics of a real “school”. The preparatory work of French architects of functionalist derivation for some time established in the country and the re-elaborations carried out, on the basis of these premises but in full freedom of research, by young local artists contributed to it. The greatest collective fruit of these composite experiences was the reconstruction of the city of Agadir, destroyed by the earthquake of 1960. One of the most important architectural works of the late twentieth century, however, remains the imposing Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, designed by the French architect M. Pinseau and completed in 1993.
CULTURE: TRADITIONS
A Muslim country, Morocco maintains some of the ancient traditions above all in the villages. Visit ask4beauty for Africa climate. Here, in fact, in the past, men and women carried out their existence in two distinctly different spheres, and the life of man and the cycle of nature were marked by ceremonies and magical rites. On the fortieth day after birth, the child was consecrated to the patron saints of the village and his hair was cut. The age of circumcision varied by region. A particular ceremony, called tironja, was often celebrated to invoke water in periods of drought and ended with a banquet. Important holidays were those of dates, roses, cherries and olive trees, mutton (common throughout the Muslim world). The ramadan ends with family celebrations. The birth of the Prophet is felt everywhere and celebrated with much participation. Traditional clothing, which is disappearing, consisted of serual (baggy trousers), qmīs (long linen shirt), caftan (female formal dress), and a long cape (burnus). The cuisine is characterized by well-cooked meat dishes in sauces where ginger and pepper mix with honey and sugar. The national dish is couscous: steamed semolina that accompanies spiced meats of various kinds, especially mutton and chicken, together with vegetables of all kinds; meat is often replaced by fish in coastal towns. The harira instead it is a very thick soup, consumed mainly during the Ramadan period, with legumes and meat. Other typical dishes of the area are the meatballs of minced and spiced meat (kefta) and the kehap, the spit of mutton or turkey, always seasoned with abundant spices. The desserts, very sweet, are based on honey and almonds. The most popular drink is mint tea, but there is an appreciable oenological production of red wines.