Religious Freedom Conference in Morocco

Morocco - The Law & Religion Symposium

The annual Africa Symposium on Law and Religion was held this year in Rabat, Morocco.  Because the Law & Religious studies department at the BYU Law School is one of the sponsors,  they extended an invitation to all of the Area Legal Counsels in Africa to attend along with various delegates, attendees and presenters from Africa, Europe and the US.  In addition to attending the conference, we were able to take a few extra days to enjoy this beautiful country, learn of its history and enjoy the Moroccan culture.  

We began our trip by flying 10 1/2 hours from Johannesburg to Madrid (basically all night) and then caught a flight into Casablanca.  We began our journey by touring one of the largest mosques in the world. The Hassan II Mosque is built on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.  It holds 25,000 people inside and another 80,000  in the courtyard.  It has a large retractable hard roof (which takes only 5 minutes to move). Its minaret is actually the tallest in the world.  The muezzin who calls the people to prayer, actually has an elevator to ride up in.  The mosque is filled with beautiful marble, granite, cedar wood, carved and painted plaster, and tiles. It was really quite spectacular both inside and out.  Evidently it took 7 years to complete its construction.

Islam is the dominate religion in Morocco and most are from the Sunni branch. Despite the freedom given to Christians and Jews to practice their faith, we learned that proselytisation of Muslims to another belief is prohibited.

Hassan II Mosque on the Atlantic Ocean in Casablanca

A close up shot of the exterior of the Hassan II Mosque - this is part of the courtyard that has the capacity to hold 80,000 people for prayers.







 This is the prayer hall which you can see is quite elaborate. Note the retractable roof.

Notice the mezzanine floors to the right (dark wood).  That is the area reserved for women. Beautiful marble floors were everywhere.

We were surprised to find a hammam actually located in the basement (though not used as one currently) as well as the ablution room for washing.

/

Our next stop was to the Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic Church. This unique Cathedral houses incredible stained glass windows.  We were surprised to see one window which had an American Indian in it! 

Note the the American Indian.

Stained glass windows from floor to ceiling.

Now for a little bit about the government of Morocco.  Morocco is actually a monarchy with a constitution. They have an elected Parliament,  however the country is ruled by a king who has both executive and legislative powers.  Morocco has a multi-party system and elections are held on both national and local levels. The royal family has been ruling the the kingdom since the 17th century. 

The  Royal Family of Morocco.

  Of course, after a long day we needed to enjoy a great seafood meal all together at Casa Jose.  What a feast!

Here is our Legal group from ASEA and Africa West Area.

After we left Casablanca we went to Marrakesh.  Known as the "Red City. " It gets its name from the red walls and buildings (made from the red sandstone).  At one time it was the capital.  Like many of the other major cities in Morocco,  it is comprised of an old fortified city with a medina (full of shops and stalls of vendors) within those walls.  But before entering the city, we stopped just on the outskirts and found some camels at an oasis.  As you can see, we had the opportunity to enjoy some up close and personal encounters.  Seeing the camels made us think of our travels in Turkey and our daughters' travels in Israel.  

We had a short visit with the camels but after 5 hours on the bus none of us wanted to ride one.
Look at that smile -- on the camel!

Our next stop was a city tour.  Our guide Hasan was excellent and shared many historical details about Morocco and Marrakesh.  Marrakesh was a former imperial city that is now a major economic center and home to many mosques, palaces and gardens.  We spent most of our time on foot exploring the medina. The medina is the walled medieval city that dates back to the Berber Empire.  We went down narrow alleyways that were like a maze! Believe me, you could become seriously lost without a guide.  Our guide grew up inside the medina and knew it so well along with many of the people that lived and worked there.  He shared about his memories as a child playing in the narrow alleys. Mixed amid the homes were alleys that led to the souks (the marketplaces) that sold everything from food, to pottery, textiles, jewelry etc. The thing that caught our eyes the most were the unique doors.  You could not help but wonder what was behind those doors.  We decided to share a few of them with you as well as some alley shots.

Obviously, no cars in these alleys! Instead, a little helper.

There were many narrow alleys.

After leaving the more residential area, we had the opportunity to explore the souks.  They were bustling with activity.

There were so many little market stalls,

and colorful shops.

We wish we could have stopped to enjoy some of the great produce.  Everything looked so fresh!

And of course there were the snake charmers!  Knowing Lynn's lack of love for snakes we were not sure we wanted to linger long at this stop!

Say hello to a cobra and two vipers!

It would have been nice to have enjoyed a carriage tour around the town, but we were on the run trying to see as much as we could.

Our next stop was to see the beautiful Bahia Palace.  This palace and its gardens was built in the late 19th century.  The name Bahia actually means "brilliance" and was suppose to be one of the greatest palaces of its time.  Here is a picture of the harem.

                 The ornate and colorful tile work was spectacular in this palace.

What a ceiling!  We cannot imagine the skill of the artisans who created such masterpieces!

Notice the stain glass windows as well.

From here, it was back on the road!  On the way from Marrakesh to Beni Melal we stopped at the beautiful Ouzoud Falls where we had some outstanding Tajeen and fed the monkeys as we viewed the falls.

Preparing the Tajeen over the coals.

 The Tajeen served steaming hot.  The flavors were delicious.

Here sits one of the monkeys patiently waiting for some peanuts. 


Notice the baby on its Mama's back waiting for a shelled peanut.
These monkeys really were cute and very gentle.




Ouzoud Falls as it cascades down.


Closer to the falls

 Sharon, Tina, Sherry, and Evelyn at the bottom of the falls.
From the falls it was time to load up and get back on the road again! 

The King built many dams throughout Morocco. They call their water "blue gold."

Water  is piped over the mountains to irrigate the "fertile" valleys.

Next stop, Beni Melal.
Beni Melal was one of Moroccos 5 Imperial cities.  At one time,  it was the capital of Morocco.   The walls of the city date back to 1688, but most of the city is relatively modern. 

The Tazerkount Hotel where we stayed in Beni Melal.

The peacock outside our window that woke us up in the morning.

One of the most common and reliable forms of transportation.

A palace in Beni Melal with large ornate doors.

Another view of the Palace doors.

Momo explaining about the artisans who did the work including the intricate tile work.

Note the workmanship and detail on the brass.
 At the palace gates, Momo explained to us that the knobs were up high so the guards on the horses could open them.

Our OGC group with our guide Momo.

Next we traveled on to the ancient city of Fez that is known for its pottery, particularly in blue, and its leather goods.

We throughly enjoyed this pottery factory and watching the artisans at work.  Here is one of their master potters at his wheel creating a tajeen pot.

And another doing fine painted details on plates.

Here is a sample of a traditional Fez blue plates.

As we wandered through the old city, we came upon a carpet shop.  One would have never known what was behind the door in the alley!
Then it was on to the tannery district.

 Strong odors! Soaking vats.

The dye area at the tannery.

Finished products at the Tannery - and two finished tourists.  Sharon got a blue leather purse for $6. We all thought he said $60.

One of the residents we met in the alley!

Meet the community baker.  Residents still take their dough to him to cook their bread in the communal oven.

"Doorways to Another World."  Looking into a mosque which has been a madrasas (koranic school) .



After we left Fez, we saw beautiful fields and orchards on our way to Volubilis, an ancient Roman City.

Note the  olive orchard behind the residents as they await transportation to another city.

There is more than one way to get around!

Here they harvest the wheat by hand into "sheaths".

We never expected to see so many cactus fences. Cactuses keeps cattle in and people out!

Here is the Century plant.  They use the strands from the leaves as "artificial silk".


While traveling through the countryside we stopped to explore the ancient Roman City of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It is a partially excavated Berber and Roman city located near the city of Meknes. It was inhabited and then abandoned numerous times. The 1755 Lisbon Earthquake caused severe destruction to the area.  Excavations and restoration of the area continues today.

Map of the Roman Empire.

A Roman olive press.

Some of the remaining walls of the homes.

Beautiful mosaic tile floors in the patrician homes.

More tile mosaics in the patrician homes.

The most important place in the city was the Library.

Moroccan school children on a field trip to Volubilis.

Ladies on the way to the market.

Some local entrepreneurs with items to sell the tourists.  


Next stop....Meknes. Meknes was one of the royal cities known for its high ramparts and colorful markets.

One of the gates into the city.

We learned the holes in the walls allow them to expand and contract without cracking & crumbling.

So many different kinds of olives!

We loved the "presentation" of these spices.  We are not sure how they "scoop up" your order!

Beans, lentils, and spices...do you have your shopping list?

We finally made it to Rabat for the Religious Conference. A beautiful city!

The home of a member who works at the US Embassy where the  small Church group meets.
Visitors outnumbered the regular members two to one today.  The members were so gracious and even had boxes of sweet treats for all the women as it was "Mother's Day."

The wall around the bazaar / market.

The view of the  Atlantic Ocean  along the  Rabat coastline.

There were lots of storks with nests everywhere.

Some more shots from Rabat

 

One of the Royal Guards at the entrance to the Mausoleum grounds.

The Mausoleum of Mohammed V located on the opposite side of the Hassan Tower.  It contains the tombs of the Moroccan King and his two sons (the late King Hassan II and prince Abdallah).

A very large Royal Guard at the doorway into the Mausoleum.

The King's tomb in the center  of the Mausoleum.

Next stop,  the beginning of the Law and Religion Conference.

Our first speaker for the  Conference spoke to us as we had dinnner.

The OGC group of Attendees from Ghana (Lillenquist, Webster, Richards)

One of our favorite delegates and his wife.  He was a Muslim Professor from Morocco.

President Hamilton and his distinguished panel discussing the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

President Hamilton did an outsanding job of moderating the group.

We called this plant alley.

The front side of our breakfast buffet, which is included with your room rate.

The backside of the breakfast buffet.

The young lady who fixed our omelettes each morning.

A bellhop at the La Tour Hassan Hotel in Rabat in the old traditional uniform.

The Winns, the Deamers, and the Whytes bid farewell to Rabat and Morocco.