Marrakesh

Spectacular location complemented with wonderful atmosphere has together been responsible for the popularity of Marrakech. With the City of Entertainment in Morocco having innumerable options for spending quality time, you’ll never have a dull moment in the city!

Marrakech is the symbol of Morocco. One thing which is very central about Marrakech is that the city has never been Arabic, but always a Berber. It is from the city only that Morocco has been derived. It is the second largest city of Morocco and also a prosperous industrial area. Again, it is the organizational center and a significant market of Southern Morocco.

 

Spectacular Location

The most unique thing about Marrakech is that it does not have any buildings and historical monuments. The beauty of the city lies in the spectacular location and the beautiful atmosphere. The beautiful peak of Atlas expands behind the city and has shimmering snowy winters and humid summers.

Medina

It is in Medina where one will find bistros, French style cafes, bars and restaurants. The choices for meals are uncountable which also includes Djemaa el Fna food stalls. The traditional cuisine of Morocco is very good.

// //

 

Souks

A guide is not mandatory. The Souks are very interesting and small squares and alleys are a dedication to the special crafts. You can also watch its making process. Early morning and late afternoon are the appealing time to visit the Souks because it is during this period when they auction off the merchandise to the public.

Marrakech Museum

The Marrakech Museum is a must visit place for those who are keen to understand the beautiful history behind this beautiful city. It houses contemporary and traditional exhibitions of Moroccan sculpture and art. Summers are very hot and to spend time during this season, the beautiful gardens are the best bet.

Djemaa Elfna

Marrakech is known as the city of ‘entertainment in Morocco’. The Djemaa Elfna, which is the center of the Marrakech Square, is the heart point for entertainers that include drums, dance, pipe musicians, acrobats, storytellers and comedians.

One thing is for sure that planning a trip to the city of entertainment in Morocco will keep you far from having single dull moment.

Travelzones.net

Mosaic

The history of mosaic goes back some 4,000 years or more, with the use of terracotta cones pushed point-first into a background to give decoration. By the eighth century BC, there were pebble pavements, using different coloured stones to create patterns, although these tended to be unstructured decoration. It was the Greeks, in the four centuries BC, who raised the pebble technique to an art form, with precise geometric patterns and detailed scenes of people and animals.

By 200 BC, specially manufactured pieces (“tesserae”) were being used to give extra detail and range of colour to the work. Using small tesserae, sometimes only a few millimetres in size, meant that mosaics could imitate paintings. Many of the mosaics preserved at, for example, Pompeii were the work of Greek artists.

The expansion of the Roman Empire took mosaics further afield, although the level of skill and artistry was diluted. If you compare mosaics from Roman Britain with Italian ones you will notice that the British examples are simpler in design and less accomplished in technique.

Typically Roman subjects were scenes celebrating their gods, domestic themes and geometric designs. The inter-twined rope border effect here is called “guilloche”.

In the west of Europe, the Moors brought Islamic mosaic and tile art into the Iberian peninsula in the 8th century, while elsewhere in the Muslim world, stone, glass and ceramic were all used in mosaics. In contrast to the figurative representations in Byzantine art, Islamic motifs are mainly geometric and mathematical. Examples can be seen in Spain at the Great Mosque at Cordoba and the Alhambra Palace. In Arabic countries a distinctive decorative style called zillij uses purpose-made ceramic shapes that are further worked by hand to allow them to tessellate (fit together perfectly to cover a surface).

Qasbah oudayaya

There is blue everywhere. The intense blue of the sky and the sea. And, nestling within the protection of the ochre-colored ramparts, a gleaming white city and a minaret (tower) that reaches up to touch the clouds: this is Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Rabat has a long history as a capital city. In the XIIth century, Yacoub el-Mansour, the great Almohades conqueror chose it to be the symbol of his splendor.

But history had already been made at Rabat. The Marinades (XIIIth and XIVth century) honored the city by making it the site of the Chellah necropolis, building on the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Sale.

History has left its mark upon Rabat, and Rabat honors those who made it. As Yacoub el-Mansour is honored with the Hassan tower, dominating what should have been one of the greatest mosques in the Muslim world, or the mausoleum of the late King Mohammed V, architect of Moroccan independence in 1956 and the imposing Royal Palace, residence of the king and seat of the government since 1912.

THE KASBAH OF THE OUDAYA

History stops in Rabat and does not leave. It appears on the corner of an alley, in a stall of oriental slippers and poufs fragrant with the scent of leather, in a carpet auction. It impregnates every stone of the Oudaya Kasbah, fortress of indomitable Andalous Corsairs of XVII century. Nothing is more pleasurable than imagining their exciting lives, delightfully installed at the Moorish coffee, savoring gazelle horns (Moroccan cake) with a mint tea, looking at the boats which dance in the Bou Regreg river at the bottom of the Sale city ramparts.

THE KING MOHAMMED V MAUSOLEUM
Here, everything is luxury and sophistication. The traditional Moroccan art is put on exhibit : under a gilt cupola made of mahogany and Lebanon cedar, arises the Royal sarcophagus of Pakistani white onyx (marble).

THE NECROPOLIS OF CHELLAH

Situated on the site of the ancient city of Sale, the Necropolis is located 2 km from the city center. Passing through the lovely door, you will discover a site overtaken by an exuberant vegetation.
You can distinguish tombs and a stone basin where there are fish and sacred turtles.
It was fed by a miraculous source where, according to legend, a golden fish lived. Further on, a minaret has partly maintained its multicolored decor. It is occupied now by storks.

Thuya

The thuya comes from Morocco. The color is golden brown to red, highly figured with

small eye clusters of tight burls. Moderately hard and heavy. Aromatic smell. It works

well with tools and polishes to a fine luste is relatively rare.

The Thuya tree is a short scrub-like conifer indigenous to Morocco. The exceptional natural patterns in the grain are only found in the root of the tree. This wood has been coveted since Roman times and in modern times extracts from the tree are used in both homeopathy and aromatherapy. Thuya trees are constantly being replanted. The Atlas ranges of Morocco, home of Africa’s most northerly simian, the Barbary ape, have long been known for their majestic forests of cedar and walnut. Cedar in particular, from the Middle Atlas, was prized for its light colour, strength, scent and smoothness of grain. Traditionally it was used for large front doors, balconies, ceilings, carved screens and good quality furniture, so much so that forests became depleted, increasing erosion and the risk of landslides. Controlled logging and replanting schemes have been introduced as a countermeasure, thus also ensuring future supplies and the survival of woodworking skills in the Atlas area. Walnut trees are also protected and cultivated, both for their fine wood swirled with black, brown and tan, and for walnuts, known locally as ‘brain fruit’ and sold in glass preserving jars. Until a decade ago, the future for thuya, its carvers and their landscape looked bleak. Trees were being over-cut or destroyed in the rush to produce thuya goods for the tourist and luxury overseas markets. Some woodworkers abandoned their villages and went to urban areas. Others reduced the size of the objects they produced and started replanting. Fortunately, the Moroccan government, keen to slow urban drift, and wanting to preserve Berber workmanship and culture and protect the environment, has encouraged thuya replanting schemes. Finding the right balance between sustainability of resources and local incomes is clearly the key.

Tajine

Morocco’s Tasty Contribution To The Culinary World
By Habeeb Salloum

My first introduction to tajine, a dish which vies with couscous as Morocco’s national dish, took place in Rabat at the home of my friend Idriss. I had met him during his student days in Toronto after he had finished his studies at Laval University in Quebec City. Before he returned to his country, he, with his wife, Amina, had spent some time as our guests and enjoyed our home-cooked meals of Canadian and Middle Eastern foods.

Often after a meal, we would discuss the attributes of dishes we had just consumed, after which , more than once, Idriss or Amina would comment, “You must come to Morocco as our guests! I am sure after savoring our dishes, you will never forget Moroccan food – especially our tajines and couscous.”

Now, sitting amid the luxurious Moorish architecture of Idriss’s home, I watched a maid place before us a large steaming dish of what appeared to be a colourful stew. Noticing that I was looking at the dish before us, Amina remarked, “It’s called Tajine Fas! I’m from the city Fez and we are renowned for our tajines.” She smiled as she urged us to dip into that well-known Moroccan dish.

Soon, we were dipping morsels of thick bread – the best way to eat tajines – into the huge common dish. While relishing our Tajine Fas, I looked at Idriss with a satisfied grin, “You were right when you told us in Canada that once we tried Moroccan food, it will always stay in our memory.

Tajine, similar to the French etouffé, is both the name for a vast number of stews found on the menus of every Moroccan eating place and the shallow and handleless earthenware utensil with a cone-shaped lid in which they are cooked. It derives its name from the Greek teganon (frying pan) and is believed to have a history to the times that the Greeks were in North Africa.

Prepared from fish, chicken, lamb or other meats and a wide variety of vegetables, tajines are fragrant, tart, spicy and sweet. Stewed with fruits, olives, lemons, herbs and spices, and simmered to produce tasty sauces, they are a perfect answer to a hungry person’s dreams. When cooked in tajine earthenware, they reach their epitome of flavour. The mouth-watering taste of steaming tajines are as a result of the conical-lid capturing the steam and juices from all the ingredients simmering together for long hours over very low heat without the cover being removed.

I had a chance in the 1980’s, while travelling by bus from Casablanca to Marrakesh, to sample one these traditionally cooked tajines. During the journey, I became friendly with Muhammad, my seat companion – a jeweler from Casablanca. When the bus stopped for lunch, as the passengers were streaming into a roadside restaurant serving French food, Muhammad took me by the hand and steered me to a nearby peoples’ eating place where everyone in the place was dining on tajines.

I learned, as I enjoyed my succulent dish, that the tajines were prepared the previous day and allowed to simmer all night. For a few dirhams, I had savored a memorable meal. When I came to pay, Muhammad pulled my hand back, “Don’t think of paying! Are we not Arabs? You are my guest!” That meal, along with Muhammad’s hospitality, I have never forgotten.

The Moroccan kitchen would be much poorer without the delectable tajines. Fragrant, zesty, spicy or sweet, they are always delicious and inviting. Simmered to produce tasty sauces, their enticing aromas as they cook, and the flavours of the ingredients all meld together, making even the one who has just eaten yearn to sample the simmering dish.

Outside of Morocco, tajine earthenware utensils are hard to find. However, ordinary casseroles with lids or covered pots simmering over the fire are a fine replacements. The tajines might not be as tasty, but just about.

While dining on tajines outside of Morocco, one can enjoy the dish in various ways – by dipping crusty bread into the stew, or with a side dish of mashed potatoes or rice.

Fish Stew – Tajine Hout

Serves 4

*

1/2 cup cooking oil
*

2 pounds salmon or similar type fish steaks
*

2 medium size onions, finely chopped
*

4 cloves garlic, crushed
*

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
*

coriander leaves
*

1 small hot pepper, finely chopped
*

2 cups stewed tomatoes, puréed with 1 cup of water
*

1 teaspoon salt
*

1 teaspoon ginger
*

1/2 teaspoon cumin
*

1/2 teaspoon pepper
*

1 lemon, quartered, then sliced
*

1/3 cup green olives, pitted

In a frying pan, heat oil, then sauté fish steaks over medium heat for 10 minutes, turning them over once. Remove steaks and place in a casserole. In same oil, sauté onions, garlic, coriander leaves and hot pepper over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients, except the lemon and olives, to the frying pan contents then pour over the steaks in the casserole. Cover then bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 50 minutes. Spread lemons and olives evenly over the top of the steaks, then bake for a further 10 minutes. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes or cooked rice.

Egg and Almond Stew – Tajine Tufaaya

Serves 4 to 6

* 3 tablespoons butter
* 2 medium onions, finely chopped
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
* 1 pinch saffron
* 1 1/2 pounds beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
* 2 cups water
* 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 cup slivered almonds
* 4 hard boiled eggs, shelled and quartered

Melt butter in a saucepan, then add the onions, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, saffron and meat. Stir-fry over medium heat until meat begins to brown then add water and coriander. Cover, then cook over low heat for 2 hours or until meat is well cooked, adding more water if necessary. Turn off heat and set aside. Heat oil in a frying pan, then add almonds and sauté until they turn golden brown. Remove from oil and set aside. Place meat with its sauce in a serving platter, then garnish with almonds. Place egg quarters spaced on top, then serve hot.

Fava Bean and Meat Stew – Tajine M’qualli

Serves about 4 to 6

*

1 pound beef or lamb, cut into medium size pieces
*

1 large onion, finely chopped
*

4 cloves garlic, crushed
*

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
*

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
*

1 teaspoon ground ginger
*

3/4 teaspoon pepper
*

1/2 teaspoon turmeric
*

2 cups water
*

4 tablespoons olive oil
*

2 cups fresh or frozen fava shelled beans
*

2 tablespoons lemon juice
*

1/2 cup black olives, pitted and halved

In a saucepan, place meat, onion, garlic, coriander leaves, salt, ginger, pepper, turmeric, water and olive oil then bring to boil. Cover, then cook over low heat for 2 hours or until meat turns tender. Add fava beans, then cook for a further 20 minutes or until beans are done, adding more water if necessary. Stir in lemon juice then place in a serving utensil. Decorate with olives, then serve hot.

Almond, Prune and Chicken Stew – Tajine Dajaj bi-Barqooq wa Lawz

Serves about 8

*

chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces
*

3 medium onions, chopped
*

8 cloves garlic, crushed
*

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
*

4 tablespoons butter
*

2 teaspoons salt
*

1 teaspoon pepper
*

pinch of saffron
*

3 cups water
*

1 cup prunes, pitted
*

2 tablespoons honey
*

1 teaspoon cinnamon
*

1/2 cup blanched almonds

In a saucepan, place chicken, onions, garlic, coriander, butter, salt, pepper, saffron and water, then bring to boil. Cover, then simmer over low heat for about 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is well-done, adding more water if necessary. Remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and place on platter – keep warm. Add prunes to the sauce, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in honey and cinnamon, then continuing simmering uncovered for another 10 minutes. Pour hot sauce over chicken pieces, then decorate with almonds and serve hot.

couscouss

Moroccan Couscous with Vegetables

Photo © Christine Benlafquih

Classic Moroccan Couscous with Seven Vegetables. Steamed couscous is piled high with stewed meat and vegetables – very delicious! Omit the meat for a vegetarian couscous.

See if you’ve never used a couscousier. If cooking chicken, an organic, free-range bird works best due to the long cooking time.

Vary the vegetables to your family’s preferences, but try to include the full variety to achieve an authentically flavored sauce. Popular additions are listed as optional ingredients.

Buttermilk or saykouk are traditionally offered afterward.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: Generously serves 6 adults

Ingredients:

• 1 kg (2 lbs. 3 oz.) dry couscous (not instant)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• ——————————————————————
• 1 kg (2 lbs. 3 oz.) lamb or beef, cut into large pieces on the bone (or 1 whole chicken)
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric, or 1/4 teaspoon Moroccan yellow colorant
• 1 handful of parsley and cilantro sprigs, tied into a bouquet
• ——————————————————————
• 1/2 of a small cabbage, cut into 2 or 3 sections
• 3 or 4 turnips, peeled and halved
• 10 carrots, peeled and halved
• 1 or 2 tomatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 or 2 small onions, whole or halved
• 1 small acorn squash, quartered (or a small section of pumpkin, cut into 3″ pieces)
• 4 or 5 small zucchini (long or 8-ball round), ends removed and halved
• 2 or 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and halved (optional)
• 1/4 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh fava beans (optional)
• 1 or 2 jalapeño or chili peppers (optional)*
• ——————————————————————
• 2 tablespoons butter (for the couscous)
• 1 tablespoon salt (for the couscous)
• 1 teaspoon smen (Moroccan preserved butter – optional)

Preparation:

Mix the meat, onion, tomatoes, oil and spices in the bottom of a couscoussier. Cook uncovered over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the meat is browned and the onions and tomatoes have formed a thick sauce.

Add 2 1/2 liters (about 2 1/2 quarts) of water, the parsley/cilantro bouquet, and the chick peas. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer rapidly for 25 to 30 minutes. (Note: If omitting both meat and chick peas, there’s no need to simmer for awhile before proceeding to the next step.)

First Steaming of the Couscous

While the meat is cooking, get the couscous ready for its first steaming. Oil the steamer basket and set it aside. Empty the dry couscous into a very large bowl, and work in 1/4 cup of vegetable oil with your hands, tossing the couscous and rubbing it between your palms. (This will help prevent the couscous grains from clumping together.) Next, work in 1 cup of water in the same manner, using your hands to evenly distribute the liquid into the couscous. Transfer the couscous to the oiled steamer basket.

Add the cabbage to the broth, and place the steamer basket on top. Once you see steam rising from the couscous, steam the couscous for 15 minutes.

Note: If you see steam escaping from between the basket and couscoussier, you’ll need to seal the joint. You can do this in several ways:

• wrap and tie a long piece of damp cloth over the joint, or
• tightly wrap a long piece of kitchen plastic film around the joint, or
• wrap and drape a long piece of kitchen plastic film onto the rim of the couscoussier, and then place the basket on top (this is my preferred method)

Once the couscous has steamed for 15 minutes, empty it back into your large bowl and break it apart.

Second Steaming of the Couscous

When the couscous has cooled enough to handle, gradually work in 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt with your hands. Again, toss the couscous and rub it between your palms to break up any balls or clumps. Transfer the couscous back into the steamer, taking care not to pack or compress the couscous.

Add the turnips, tomatoes, onions, carrots and fava beans (if using) to the pot. Place the steamer basket on top of the couscoussier, and steam the couscous a second time for 15 minutes, timing from when you see the steam rising from the couscous. (Again, seal the joint if you see steam escaping.)

When the couscous has steamed for 15 to 20 minutes, turn it out into the large bowl again. Break it apart, and leave to cool a few minutes.

If using pumpkin, add it to the couscoussier, and cover the pot.

Third Steaming of Couscous

Gradually work 3 cups of water into the couscous with your hands, tossing it and rubbing the grains between your palms. Taste the couscous, and add a little salt if desired.

Transfer about half of the couscous to the steamer basket. Again, try to handle the couscous lightly and avoid packing it into the steamer.

Add the squash, zucchini, and sweet potatoes to the couscoussier, and place the steamer basket on top. (Again, seal the joint if necessary.)

When you see the steam rise through the couscous, carefully add the remaining couscous to the steamer. Continue cooking, watching for the steam to rise from the couscous. Allow the couscous to steam a third time for a full 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, all of the vegetables should be cooked. Test the vegetables to be sure, cooking longer if necessary. Taste the sauce – it should be salty and peppery – and adjust the seasoning if desired.

If you’re using smen, add it to the sauce in the pot.

Serving the Couscous and Vegetables

Empty the couscous into the large bowl, and break it apart. Mix in the 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 ladles of sauce.

To serve the couscous, shape it into a mound with a well in the center. Put the meat into the well, and arrange the vegetables on top and all around. Distribute the sauce evenly over the couscous and vegetables, reserving one or two bowlfuls to offer on the side for those who prefer more sauce.

* If you’re serving the couscous with jalapeño peppers, simmer the peppers, covered, in a half ladle of sauce and a little water, for about 40 minutes, or until the jalapeños are tender. The peppers are typically placed on top of the couscous, and small pieces may be broken off as a condiment.

 

Tafraout

TAFRAOUTE Red city, pink mountains The mountains around Tafraoute is the main attraction. They seem to avoid gravitation, as if they were held up by their sparkling colours alone. Everything is different here, people are less friendly than in most places in Morocco, but the rest stand out with excellence. Almost no other place in Morocco has inhabitants as proud of keeping their sorroundings proper. The windows of the red houses are framed by white painting, and holds a slight resembling to the monumental architecture of Sana’ in Yemen. But the architecture here is simpler, as the inhabitants are more conservative. Or the simplicity could come from the weak economy in this region, which is based upon revenues sent back home from foreign workers in Europe, and not too profitable agriculture.

By Tore Kjeilen

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Argan oil

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Argan Oil Benefits

Argan oil is extracted from the kernels of Argan tree found in Morocco. Lately, argan oil has grown immensely on the popularity charts around the world. Let us know more on the argan oil benefits through this article.

Argan tree is an endemic tree found in Morocco. Argan oil is extracted from the kernels of the fruit produced by the argan tree. The production of the oil is limited to one growing area and small supply, thus, making it one of the highly priced and rare oils in the world.

The oil is traditionally produced using hands, by stripping the nuts off their soft pulp and dried. The dried nuts are then cracked open using stones to remove the seeds that are toasted to give a rich, nutty flavor to the oil. The roasted seeds are added with a little water and then ground into a thick paste. This paste is squeezed by hand that results in extraction of the oil. It is also said that the people of Morocco would collect the undigested pits of argan seeds from the goat pellets or droppings. They would ground the pits and extract the oil. Today, modern methods like harvesting using machines is being put into action.

What is Argan Oil?

Argan oil is loaded with essential fatty acids like linoleic acid, which is the precursor of vitamin E. This makes it well-known for its anti-aging, moisturizing and antioxidant properties. It has been scientifically proved that argan oil is able to correct the age related deficiencies in skin that cause dehydration and loss of skin elasticity. It is found to contain 700 mg per kilogram of tocopherols that is twice the amount found in olive oil. It is a natural antioxidant and can stimulate intracellular oxygenation. This helps neutralize the free radicals and protects the soft tissue. The nutrient content of the skin is restored with the help of argan oil tropical application.

Benefits of Argan Oil

There are many benefits of argan oil in the cosmetic industry as an anti-aging skin care product, anti-wrinkle skin care products and make up products. Let us know more on argan oil benefits.

Argan Oil Benefits for Skin
There are many argan oil benefits for skin that make this oil a very popular skincare product among women. Argan oil helps in reducing the wrinkles and softening the skin. It has also shown to increase the elasticity and tightening of the skin. Benefits of argan oil for skin also include regeneration of the skin by revitalizing the cell functions that prevent early skin aging due to sun, pollution, stress, smoking, etc.

Argan oil has a sebum regulating action on the oily skin that reduces the oiliness. Argan oil health benefits for the skin also include reduction of skin irritation and inflammation. If you are suffering from acne or chicken pox scars, application of argan oil has been known to reduce these blemishes. Pregnant women can apply argan oil to prevent the onset of stretch marks. Argan oil is also known to hydrate the skin, neutralize free radicals, treat acne, eczema and psoriasis. Know more on acne scar removal.

People with brittle nails can make their nails stronger by application of argan oil. Crinkly under-eyes can be reduced by applying argan oil on the eye with or without applying your regular skin cream. Mineral make up tends to dry skin. This can be avoided by application of 1 – 2 drops of argan oil for 5 minutes, before applying the mineral make-up.

Argan Oil Benefits for Hair
Say good-bye to frizzy hair forever with just 1-2 drops of argan hair applied to hair. Split ends can be avoided using argan oil and damaged hair can be restored. Argan oil health benefits for hair also include providing an remarkable shine to dull hair. It not only prevents hair damage due to styling and outdoor activities, but also improves elasticity and reduces hair loss due to breakage.

Argan Oil Benefits for Body
Benefits of argan oil are not only limited to skin, hair and nails, but also to the internal body health. It is also known to sooth and provide relief from pain due to rheumatism and arthritis. Argan oil has a positive effect against cholesterol and atherosclerosis. It helps protect the cardiovascular system. It is also beneficial in case of burn injuries and in enhancing prostaglandins synthesis.

Argan oil benefits are innumerable and scientifically proved thus, making it one of the most sort after oil. The drawbacks of the oil include high price, limited supply and its comedogenic nature. It is good for oily skin and psoriasis, but it tends to clog the skin pores making it prone to acne. Moroccan women have been using argan oil for centuries as a great cosmetic product and you may safely try some of the argan oil health benefits for yourself.

By Batul Nafisa Baxamusa

Morocco

Morocco is a country in northern Africa,lies across the Strait of Gibraltar on the Mediterranean and looks out on the Atlantic from the northwest shoulder of Africa

country known for its diverse culture, Morocco lies in North Africa, and is home to a population of almost 34 million. Moroccan culture is a testimony to the fact that history and tradition are an integral part of a country.

A place where tradition blends with ethnicity, Morocco shares its international borders with Spain and Algeria. The picturesque rocky terrains and world renowned cuisines, along with its vibrant heritage, makes Morocco one of the most exotic places in the world. The uniqueness in every region contributes towards the national culture.

The Arabic name for Morocco is “Al Maghrib”, which means, “where the sun has set”. French is widely spoken in this country, but Moroccan Arabic is the local dialect of this region. A significant amount of revenue generated in Morocco comes from the tourism industry. Morocco also happens to be one of the leaders in the export of phosphates. The street markets in Morocco, which are a colorful sight are flooded with carpets, traditional dresses and other handicrafts. For tourists, the art of bargaining is decisive in determining that hawkers don’t burn a big hole in your pocket.

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synesthesia

I am one of people who experience this phenomene which only few people know about it.

Synesthesia (also spelled synæsthesia or synaesthesia, plural synesthesiae or synaesthesiae).

Synesthesia is an involuntary joining in which the real information of one sense is accompanied by a perception in another sense. In addition to being involuntary, this additional perception is regarded by the synesthete as real, often outside the body, instead of imagined in the mind’s eye. It also has some other interesting features that clearly separate it from artistic fancy or purple prose. Its reality and vividness are what make synesthesia so interesting in its violation of conventional perception. Synesthesia is also fascinating because logically it should not be a product of the human brain, where the evolutionary trend has been for increasing separation of function anatomically.

R. Cytowic, “Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses” Springer-Verlag, NY (p.1)

In one common form of synesthesia, known as grapheme → color synesthesia or color-graphemic synesthesia, letters or numbers are perceived as inherently colored,^[5][6] while in ordinal linguistic personification, numbers, days of the week and months of the year evoke personalities.^[7][8] In spatial-sequence, or number form synesthesia, numbers, months of the year, and/or days of the week elicit precise locations in space (for example, 1980 may be “farther away” than 1990), or may have a (three-dimensional) view of a year as a map (clockwise or counterclockwise).^[9][10][11] Yet another recently identified type, visual motion → sound synesthesia, involves hearing sounds in response to visual motion and flicker.^[12] Over 60 types of synesthesia have been reported,^[13] but only a fraction have been evaluated by scientific research.^[14] Even within one type, synesthetic perceptions vary in intensity^[15] and people vary in awareness of their synesthetic perceptions.[

While cross-sensory metaphors (e.g., “loud shirt,” “bitter wind” or “prickly laugh”) are sometimes described as “synesthetic,” true neurological synesthesia is involuntary. It is estimated that synesthesia could possibly be as prevalent as 1 in 23 persons across its range of variants.^[17] Synesthesia runs strongly in families, but the precise mode of inheritance has yet to be ascertained. Synesthesia is also sometimes reported by individuals under the influence of psychedelic drugs, after a stroke, during a temporal lobe epilepsy seizure, or as a result of blindness or deafness. Synesthesia that arises from such non-genetic events is referred to as “adventitious synesthesia” to distinguish it from the more common congenital forms of synesthesia. Adventitious synesthesia involving drugs or stroke (but not blindness or deafness) apparently only involves sensory linkings such as sound → vision or touch → hearing; there are few, if any, reported cases involving culture-based, learned sets such as graphemes, lexemes, days of the week, or months of the year.

Although synesthesia was the topic of intensive scientific investigation in the late 19th century and early 20th century, it was largely abandoned by scientific research in the mid-20th century, and has only recently been rediscovered by modern researchers.^[18] Psychological research has demonstrated that synesthetic experiences can have measurable behavioral consequences, while functional neuroimaging studies have identified differences in patterns of brain activation.^[6] Many people with synesthesia use their experiences to aid in their creative process, and many non-synesthetes have attempted to create works of art that may capture what it is like to experience synesthesia. Psychologists and neuroscientists study synesthesia not only for its inherent interest, but also for the insights it may give into cognitive and perceptual processes that occur in synesthetes and non-synesthetes alike.