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A cook in Djema el Fna market, Marrakesh
Moroccan food, especially that offered at street markets like this one in Marrakesh, offers something for everyone. Wonderful sweets, finger foods, baked goods, meats and salads.
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A dried fruit and nut vendor in Djema el Fna market
While Morocco borders the Sahara, the land and the climate is remarkably fertile. Orchards of olives, walnuts, and countless other fruits dot the central and northern hills providing vendors, like this one in Marrakesh, their living.
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A small scarf factory of hand looms in Fes
While Morocco is known for beautifully embroidered Berber rugs, looms like this one, in urban areas throughout the country, turn out colorful scarves, shawls, and light blankets as fast as workers hands can shuttle them.
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Essaouira Fish Market
For a midwestern boy like me, the riot of color and activity at Morocco's west-coast fish markets was enthralling. As this image shows, the phrase "packed like sardines," doesn't only apply to those found in supermarket tins.
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Gnawa street musicians in Fes
Gnawa music, the "roots" music of Morocco, is popular throughout the country. Musicians find welcome crowds in markets, on street corners, and at various celebrations throughout the year.
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Ali ben Youssef Islamic school historic site
Is there a more beautiful script than Arabic? This carved plaster column from the Ali ben Youssef medersa demonstrates an aesthetic beauty that needs no translation.
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Window detail in an old palace - now a hotel.
Fes, the historic center of learning and culture for Morocco, is listed on the UNESCO world heritage list. Palaces are slowly being restored and the intricate work of some of the world's finest craftspeople is being reborn after hundreds of years of neglect.
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Moroccan toothpicks
Like all "grounded" societies, Moroccans seem to have maintained a strong connection to nature, despite their sprawling cities. One tiny bit of evidence is these natural toothpicks, for sale in a local herb market.
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Melons for sale in Essaouira
It seems that every country I've visited has better fruit than the United States, and Morocco was no exception. These Moroccan melons, for sale in an Essaouiran market, are colorfully painted in red ink to demarcate their quality.
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Detail from a door in a Marrakesh Islamic school
It's easy to fall in love with the remarkable detail that architects and artisans have brought to Morocco's living spaces for centuries. Even a simple brass door handle is intricately carved with vision and grace.
