MOROCO: “The Farthest West”
Morocco, the third North African country after Tunisia and Algeria, is in Africa It is the only country in the African Union that is not a member.. Although it is hard to believe that it is 13 km from Europe, it is one of the rare countries in the world in terms of location.. When I say Morocco, the name issue is still a strange thing.. Because Morocco is just Morocco to us, Morocco to everyone and its derivatives (at least the evocative names). While we are lamenting why we always take things uphill, we learn that the Ottomans were called Morocco because of the time when the “fez” came from this country.. We seem to be convinced.. So what’s the deal with Egypt? (^+%&)
Is Morocco Safe?
The security problem in this semi-Mediterranean country where the Berbers, the oldest known people of North Africa, have their roots, sometimes surpasses the mystical atmosphere of the country. This was the first and common question of everyone we said we were going to Morocco.. “Will you and Merve go alone, is it safe, two girls, to go to Morocco?”
After some research, we found out that there are some rules you must follow to stay safe in Morocco.. For example, you should not wear a mini skirt and wander around the old city center, which is known as the “medina” in all its cities.. It is difficult to find an alcoholic environment, but if you are not an alcoholic, you should not choose even if you find alcohol on the menu.. You should stay away from people who come close to you and try to “help” you, give you directions, ask for something or sell them.. You shouldn’t ask young boys for directions or addresses.. If you have the option of traveling with an Arabic-speaking guide, you should immediately consider it.. Here, if you follow such unwritten rules, you will not have any problems.
We did not encounter any incidents such as theft, pickpocketing, harassment during our 6-day Moroccan holiday, and frankly, we did not see anyone who did.. On the first day, we went on our own trips and embraced our backpacks, but we soon realized that this was an unnecessary move.. Only once in Essaouira I was spoken to in French because of my dress that was a little too low-cut, but isn’t that something that can happen to you anywhere?
What language is spoken in Morocco?
After many civilizations such as the Romans and the Arabs, Morocco, which was last ruled by the French, gained its independence in 1957.. Many ruins can be seen in the lands that have hosted so many civilizations, especially in their language.. The mother tongue is Arabic, it is called the Arabic spoken among the people or Darija.. They also speak French, English and Spanish.
Entertainment and nightlife in Morocco
There is no advertising of alcohol in Morocco. You don’t see much of the local people drinking alcohol either.. However, it is legal to sell alcohol to foreigners.. However, you can only find it on the black market if you search a lot in the menus of places with the word “bar” in their name, in the bars of some luxury hotels.. We read that there are entertainment venues along the coastline that we turn as La Corniche in Casablanca, but we did not find any such information about other cities.. Frankly, we did not go into such a special research as we were not in a very hands-on mode on our way to Morocco.. In Marrakech, the girls, dressed in miniskirts, running fast in Jamaa El-Fna square with high-heeled shoes and nice make-up, caught our attention, but “Where are you going, sister?” We were not in the mood to say, nor to learn by chasing them.
Moroccan currency
The dirham, in short, we call it DH or MAD. In Morocco, Euros or credit cards are accepted in some places, especially in more crowded cities such as Marrakech and Casablanca, along with the Dirham.. Often the streets are filled with ATMs or exchange offices.. However, if you plan to visit smaller villages or even use the highway, you should definitely take cash with you before you go, otherwise you will be stuck on the road and starve By the way, remember to count when you get the money, you may accidentally get the missing money.
Spending money in Morocco
You spend money on almost everything in Morocco. You asked someone for directions, he wants money. Someone came to you unintentionally, wants to guide you, you say no, he does not go, then he follows you for a few minutes and asks for money for his trouble.. You captured an interesting frame (it doesn’t matter what it is) and you took a photo, someone hops up to you and asks for money.. You want to park on the curb on an empty street, a passerby takes a badge out of his pocket and asks you for money like he puts it on his chest.. It’s really interesting That’s why it’s best to carry a coin with you and give it away when asked without much argument.. Otherwise, you will get bored.
Transportation in Morocco
You can travel between cities with CMT buses or ONCF trains.. Seats on trains are not numbered like on buses. You sit in the empty seat you find. You can easily get your train tickets from the stations, but you need to make a reservation for the bus ticket in advance or buy your ticket from the ticket office in advance.
Especially if you do not buy your ticket between Chefchauene (Chefchauen) – Fez in advance, you may experience difficulties. Because there is no train line to Şafchavan, you can only reach here by bus from Tangier.. The bus terminal is 1 km from the city. Marrakech and Fez train stations are approximately 3 km from the city center. Casablanca bus station and train station are located in the heart of the city.
Haggling is very common and natural throughout the country.. Taxis do not open the meter, you have to say where you are going and bargain. There are yellow taxis in Marrakech, red petit taxis in Casablanca and Fes, and blue taxis in Essaouira.
Renting a car in Morocco is a very comfortable alternative.. We rented a car from Casablanca and visited cities such as Fez, Marrakech and Essaouira very easily.. The possibility that the signs may have been written in Arabic before we left made us think a lot, but thanks to them, they wrote in Latin letters and made their highways very comfortable to travel without even the need for GPS.. The only problem is that the highways are expensive.. Apart from that, you do not have any problems while driving due to reasons such as traffic rules, except in city centers.
When to go to Morocco?
Atlas mountains on one side of Morocco, There is also a geography surrounded by desert on one side and Atlantic Ocean on one side.. There are four seasons in this country, just like in our country.. Mediterranean climate is seen in the north of the country, and a desert climate is seen as it moves towards the interior.. Spring is the ideal time to visit Morocco as a tourist attraction.. Especially in April-May, the weather is not too overwhelming and the chance of rain is very low.. We did our Morocco tour in November and the weather was 25-26 degrees.. The sun-drenched areas were incredibly hot, but the shaded areas and inside the stone buildings were incredibly cold.. Unfortunately, we returned with a cold at the end of the trip, as we believed in the weather and made the mistake of dressing a little thin.. So even if the weather is hot, do not forget to take a shawl or cardigan with you.
Cities that must be seen in Morocco:
Marrakech:
strong>Actually, it is a city that you can finish in one day, but we recommend that you enjoy it for 2 days.. Then if you have time definitely join the 3-day desert tour of Merzouga. Attention here!!!! The tour you must attend must be Merzouga. If you join the Zagora desert tour so that it is close, you will not have had a very good desert adventure.. You can read our detailed article about the desert tour in Morocco by clicking here.
Fez:They told us that this place will not be able to attract your attention after Marrakech, but we said the opposite. we experienced. Compared to Fez Marrakech, it definitely seemed more authentic, more natural, more untouched, more colorful and surprising.. That’s why we felt very unhappy about what we left behind when we left Fez, which we limited to 1 day while making our Morocco plan.. We recommend you to spend at least 2 days here!
Chefchaouen / Chefcahouen: You can plan a day trip from Tangier, or a 1-night stay from Fez, Meknes or Rabat.. We were planning to do a one-day tour of Fez-Shafshavan, but unfortunately, we couldn’t go to Shafchaun, as we spent more time here than we expected, as Fez exceeded our expectations.. The Shafchawan city tour can actually be completed in 1 day, but the road from Fez was not too close for the same day commute and the highway is quite expensive.
Casablanca:. The most important structure of the city is the famous Hassan II mosque with the world’s tallest minaret.. Since flights to Casablanca are more affordable, you can plan your flight to this city and continue by taking a photo of the mosque on the way.
Tangiers (Tanger): A port city in the north of Morocco. From here, you can cross the Strait of Gibraltar by ferry to the Spanish city of Algaciras.
Rabat: Capital. The cleanest and livable one compared to other cities of Morocco. It looks like a village in France, but compared to other cities, it is a good choice for those looking for city life.
Essaouira: This city, which we have planned as a daily city, is definitely a place to spend 3 months comfortably.. It has a very different atmosphere, a very different style.. A little hippie, a little modern, a little like a fishing town, a little Marmaris, a little Spain.. The artist head is a place where you can live.. If we say that Jimi Hendrix already lived here, I think we would give a little clue.. During the 6 days we spent in Morocco, this is the only place we saw a drunk Moroccan on the street.. We liked it very much, but of course we do not know if it will appeal to your taste
Technology and internet in Morocco:
First of all, the sockets are the same as ours.. Therefore, you will not have a problem charging electronic items.. There is no need to worry about buying a converter before traveling.
You can get free sim cards from airports in Morocco.. There is very little internet in it, but you can buy the internet package separately.. We bought 6 GB internet by giving 50 DH and it has already increased..
Morocco visa
Morocco is a country that does not apply visas to citizens of the Republic of Turkey.. It is enough to take and fill the embarkment cards distributed on the plane and present these cards to the officials while passing through the passport control.. You fill these cards both at check-in and check-out.
What to buy in Morocco?
Leather, argan oil and products, wooden decorative items or utensils , tea, spices are among the main things you will see in the souvenir shops in Medina, in the old city centers, in almost all cities.. Whatever you buy, offer 1/3 of the quoted price. A country where you have to bargain hard. But do not exaggerate and devalue handcrafted products.
What to eat in Morocco?
Everyone in Morocco has a large plate placed in the middle of the table. they share. Of course, in some restaurants, if you want your own special service, they will not turn you down, but as a general rule, people here share not only their table but also their plate.. In general, equipment such as forks and knives are not used.. You use most of your bread for this purpose, but the real eating apparatus is the hands.. Speaking of hands, right hand. If you’re left-handed, you might have some trouble with this, as the left hand is considered dirty in Morocco.. Moroccans take the bread first in their right hand and then break it into small pieces with two fingers.. Therefore, it is guaranteed that left-handed people will have a very difficult time.. It is often said that you will not find a typical local and delicious Moroccan meal in restaurants.. So, if you are staying in a riad, you may prefer restaurants in riads that offer a more local flavor for dinner, as they cook it as if it were their home.
- Tajin (Stew fish, chicken or meat)
- Couscous
- Zaalouk (Eggplant salad)
- Harira (Chickpea, lentil and lamb soup)
- Bissara (Dried broad beans soup)
- Shebakia (Sesame, cinnamon, orange, honey sweet dessert)
- Mint tea
Recommended street delicacies are;
- Msemmen (One kind of pancake)
- Sfinge and Kringo (Donut)
- Ma’akouda (Spicy fried potato balls)
Cause to Morocco go?
To tour the desert and stay in Berber tents, to climb the Atlas mountains, to breathe the stench of the world’s oldest tannery and to buy traditional leather products, to visit Al-Karaouine, the oldest university in the world. to, Marrakech’s red, Fez’s earth color, Casabl To see the white of Phoenix and the blue of Shafchavan, to have visited the lands where all the Argans in the world grow, Hassan II, who has the tallest minaret in the world. You should definitely go to Morocco to photograph its mosque, sleep in riads, travel through time in narrow streets and say how developed our country is.
We wish you a pleasant trip in advance.
