2009-2010 BROCHURE CONTENTS Book at Tour to Marrakech, the Paris of Morocco .............................................................. 3 Book an Tour & Learn How to Make Moroccan Pottery & Zellij Tile ................................... 4 Book a Tour to the Seaside Resort of Essaouira ................................................................ 5 Book a Tour to Ancient city of Fes & the Fes Festival of Sacred Music .............................. 6 Book a Tour to Casablanca & visit the Hassan Mosque .................................................... 7 Book a Tour to Ouarzazaate- REAL Morocco- Discover Kasbahs & Berber Villages ......... 8 Book a Tour to the Sahara Desert & Camel Trek Across the Dunes ................................... 9 Traditional Berber Woman Travel Exploration Morocco wwww.travel-exploration.com Page 2 Discover The Best of Marrakech Visit Djemma El Fna Square in Marrakech. Shop for exotic Moroccan wears. Pointy slippers in metallic and bright colors are a trademark. Travel to Marrakech, Morocco famous 12th century Koutouba and fruit at one of Marrakech most Marrakech is the "red city” or Mosque and its influential minaret and delectable restaurants. Al Hamra," a city in southwestern navigate through the labyrinth like Travel to French, Gueliz also referred Morocco within the foothills of the Atlas streets and alleys of Djemma El Fna to as the garden district. Square. Enjoy the aromatic streets, French Gueliz is also the home Mountains. Marrakech is the second largest city in Morocco. taste the fresh squeeze orange juice of Morocco's Majorelle Garden. and venture into the souks (shops) The Majorelle Garden are a lush, The heart of the Marrakech is specializing in Berber carpets, silver garden estate designed by Jacque Djemma El Fna Square. Djemma El jewelry, artisan workshops, handmade Majorelle and maintained by Yves Saint Fna Square offers an exciting shoes, tanneries, etc. Explore El Laurent. The Majorelle Garden is filled Moroccan travel experience with its Mansour mosque, the sixteenth with colorful walkways, ponds, cactus souks, gardens, palaces, snake century Saadian Tombs with its stark and plants as well as a beautiful shop charmers, outdoor food stalls and towers, the ruined 16th century El with hand-made goods. One place not fabulous shopping for Moroccan Badhi palace, and the Mellah and the to miss is the La Mammounia Hotel goods. Marrakech Medina, located Jewish quarter. Enjoy a three- course Garden (where Alfred Hitchcock wrote in old quarter of of the city. Visit the lunch consisting of fresh salad, tajine the famous film The Birds.) Travel Exploration Morocco wwww.travel-exploration.com Page 3 Pottery & Zellij Tile Making Tour Learn pottery and zellij tile-making traditions in the ancient city of Fes, the seaside town of Safi and with Tamagroute potters in Zagora. Discover Morocco’s Pottery & making. Take time to also learn the take home a sustainable and “green” Zellij Tile-making Tradtions zellij tile making tradition. Zellij tiles souvenir. Learn alongside an English Morocco has become known all serve as adornment on mosques, or French speaking guide. across North Africa and Europe for its riads, universities and famous Pottery In Safi pottery, ceramics and zellij tile. The monuments and gardens. Moroccans argue that the best three most known regions are Fes, Safi Pottery In Zagora pottery with the most refined artistic and Zagora. Each region has its own Tamegroute produces pottery flavor is in Safi. Safi boasts the oldest style and color schemes. inspired by Fes designs. The kilns of pottery kilns and the potters there are Tamegroute are known for their Pottery & Zellij Tile-making in Fes famous for creating vases, plates, and distinct forrest green glazed pottery. Visit the ancient city of Fes, tagines with intricate detail and The green glaze is made from a also known as a UNESCO World beautiful colors. Row upon row of combination of henna, magnesium Heritage site and learn the cobalt and potters’ workshops can be found and copper. A trip to the pottery clay pottery traditions with an English displaying breathtaking works of art. villages is a great way to get inside the or French speaking guide. Discover he There is also the potter’s quarter which local culture of Morocco, to Fassis tradition of century old pottery is home to the potters’ workshops. experience some hands on work, and Travel Exploration Morocco wwww.travel-exploration.com Page 4 Explore Essaouria’s Seaside Resort Explore Essaouira’s seaside resort, ancient Portuguese History, the old medina and it’s Gnaoua Festival of Music. Explore Essaouria’s Seaside Marrakech. Jimi Hendrix made the and jewelry souks of the medina. Visit Resort pilgrimage, as did Bob Marley and Cat Orson Welles’ Square and memorial, Essaouria has long been Stevens. Essaouira was the inspiration designed by Samir Mustapha, a local considered as one of the best for Hendrix’s song “Castles Made of artist, which pays homage to Orson achorages of the Moroccan coast. The Sand.” Visit this sea-side medieval Welles filming of Othello in Essouaria. Medina of Essaouira (formerly town that boasts lovely white-washed Essaouira’s Gnaoua Music Festival. "Mogador") is a UNESCO World and blue-shuttered houses, Essaouria is known for its annual Heritage site and an example of a late colonnades, thuya wood workshops, Gnaoua Music Festival that attracts 18th century fortified town. Essaouira art galleries and mouthwatering 300,000+ people each June. Great is renowned for its kitesurfing and seafood. When touring Essaouria, musicians who have performed there windsurfing, and the Gnaoua Festival. stroll the town’s sunlit pedestrian main are: KyMani Marley, Wayne Shorter, square, Place Prince Moulay el Hassan Discover Essaouria’s History. Hassan Hakmoun, Adam Rudolf, and the Skala du Port, the fishing Essaouria is a former Portuguese Steve Shehan, Mokhtar Samba, harbor, which offers breathtaking fishing village. In the ’60s and ’70s, it Jamey Haddad, Jacques Schwarz- views of the Portuguese ramparts. was a pitstop on the hippie trek from Bart, Randy Weston, The Wailers, Explore the ramparts and the spice Pharoah Sanders, and Omar Sosa. Travel Exploration Morocco wwww.travel-exploration.com Page 5 Travel The Ancient City of Fes Travel the ancient city of Fes, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore the old medina, the spice and pottery souks and it’s old monuments. Travel the Ancient city of Fes known as the famed Kissaria -the salads. Monuments that you will visit Fès is the fourth largest city in commercial center. A multitude of on your tour are the: Morocco and also known as one of the locally produced goods are on sale Medersa Bou Inania: an Islamic ancient imperial cities). It is separated including cotton fabric, silk, brocade school. into three parts, Fès el Bali (the old, work, slippers, and many more. Each Kairaouine Mosque: Morocco’s walled city), Fès -Jdid (new Fes, home district in the Fès Medina produces its second largest mosque. of the Mellah), and the Ville Nouvelle own specialty goods: cobalt blue The Medersa el Attarin: A (Koranic (the French-created, newest section of enameled pottery, carpets, wrought school). Fes. The Medina of Fès el Bali is iron and brilliant colored leather. Zaouia Moulay Idriss II: A zaouia believed to be the largest contiguous Fes Cuisine & Monuments (shrine) dedicated to and the tomb of car-free urban area in the world. Fes is Fes is known for it’s haute Moulay Idriss II, who founded the city also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Moroccan traditinoal cuisine which of Fès. The Fes Medina (Old City) includes pastilla, stuffed philo pie with Dar Batha: A Hispano-Moorish 19th The Fès medina is a labyrinth of pigeon or chicken with powdered century palace that houses admirable winding alleyways crammed full of sugar atop and its melange of of carrot collections of traditional art from Fès. stalls and workshops. This area is Travel Exploration Morocco wwww.travel-exploration.com Page 6 Visit Kasbash’s & Berber Villages Visit the “real” Morocco - and Discover ancient kasbahs and Berber villages. Explore old trade routes, the Gorge of Todra, the Dades and Valley of Roses. Discover the REAL Morocco the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia. This an impressive desert route connecting “See Ouarzazate and die” are feelings spellbinding quiet town is the perfect the Draa Valley and Rissani. Meet a often expressed by Moroccans with home base for exploring the southern local Berber family, partake in a regards to this magical city that is the region of Morocco which is comprised cooking lesson of how to make door to the Sahara desert. Located of ancient Kasbahs, the Oasis of Fint, traditional bread and a tajine. Then just four hours from Marrakech, the Dadès Valley, the Gorge of Todra, explore and tour the village by foot. Ouarzazate is the main Berber city in the Atlas Films Studios, Mount Mgoun, Walk in the green fields and see how the south known for its spectacular Skoura and El Kelaa Des Mgouna the traditional Berbers live with their sunsets and dramatic mountain and (TheValley of Roses). gardens of herbs, live stock, and desert scenery. Surrounded by Visit A Berber Village. henna plants. Have lunch with a breathtaking valleys, Ouarzazate was Aït Ouzzine is a Berber village Berber family dining on fresh baked once crossing point for African traders inhabited by over 300 families who live bread with spices, a chicken or seeking to reach northern cities in in beautifully painted crenulated vegetable tajine and fresh local fruits Morocco and Europe. Ouarzazate kasbahs, with henna fields, water for desert. Have your hands and feet became famous when it’s nearby wells, livestock and gardens. This painted with henna by a local village Kasbah; Aït Benhaddou appeared in peaceful village is tucked away along artist and end the day with mint tea. Travel Exploration Morocco wwww.travel-exploration.com Page 7 Tea In the Sahara - A Desert Trek Tea in the Sahara.