Rabat –
Morocco is a country in Africa that is in mourning due to an earthquake. This country has various unique things ranging from culture, food, to tourism.
Morocco is located in the northern part of the African continent, so it borders directly on the European continent. So Morocco has a mix of cultures from Latin Europe, Africa to the Middle East.
What’s even more interesting is that this country at the northern tip of Africa is actually close to Indonesia, even though it is quite far away. How come? So, here detikTravel summarizes some of the unique things about Morocco.
1. It is located on the border with Europe
Map of Spain and Morocco. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto/PeterHermesFurian
Morocco is located in North Africa, this country juts north so that it is located directly across the Strait of Gibraltar and directly borders Spain.
Meanwhile, they border Algeria to the east and southeast, then Western Sahara to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north.
Morocco has rows of mountains. The largest are the Atlas Mountains, which snake from the heart of the country to the south. Apart from that, there are also the Rif mountains which are located in northern Morocco.
2. Ethnic Religion
Portrait of a farmer in Morocco. (doc. Boredpanda/Aurel Paduraru)
Moroccan society is dominated by Arab and Imazighen ethnicities, or a mixture of both. There are also Berber tribes who are a native ethnic group from the North African region, east of the Nile Valley.
Apart from that, because it is located on the border with Spain, there are also people descended from refugees from Spain who fled the Reconquista and sub-Saharan Africa.
As for religion, the majority of Morocco’s population is Muslim and Islam is the country’s official religion.
3. Has another name
The beauty of the Moroccan sky is orange. (Getty Images/Eloi_Omella)
Morocco also has another name, namely Dima Maghrib. ‘Dima’ means forever, while the word ‘maghrib’ in Arabic means sunset, which refers to Morocco.
Meanwhile, as reported by The Focus, Dima Maghrib is a slang phrase that has several meanings such as ‘live Moroccan’, ‘Moroccan forever’, or ‘always Moroccan’.
The word is taken from Arabic, which is one of the country’s two official languages.
Morocco also has another name, namely Al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyyah. This is also the official name of Morocco in Arabic.
4. Language
Arabic is one of the official national languages of Morocco. Arabic is spoken by about ⅔ of the population, and is taught in educational institutions. Apart from that, there is the Amazigh language known as Tamazight, which also became an official language in 2011.
In addition, there are also French, Spanish and English that are widely spoken.
5. The meaning of the flag
Morocco has a red flag with a star in the middle. This flag has a deep meaning regarding Islam, which is the majority religion in Morocco.
The Moroccan flag was adopted in 1915 during the reign of Moulay Youssef Alaoui, during the Alaouite or Alawi dynasty. At that time, the Alawi dynasty used a plain red flag. Then an asterisk is added to differentiate it.
The meaning of red is the main color of Arabia and is associated with victory on the battlefield. Red is a symbol of Moroccan courage and strength.
Meanwhile, the green star with five corners is a symbol of the pillars of Islam. Apart from that, stars also represent the hopes of the people and the relationship between God and the King. This star symbol is also known as the seal of Solomon by Moroccans.
6. Proximity to Indonesia
Who would have thought that this far away country would actually be close to Indonesia. This closeness began with the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Sukarno.
The story of the closeness of Indonesia and Morocco is a trace of the closeness between the Moroccan King Mohammed V and Sukarno in 1960.
Indonesia’s relationship with Morocco was so close that King Mohammed V even created a special street name for Sukarno, which was named Sharia-Al-Rais Ahmed Sukarno and is now Rue Sukarno. Meanwhile, in Jakarta there is also a street name inspired by Morocco, namely Casablanca.
7. Tourism
Red City of Marrakech in Morocco. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/Olena_Z) Kota biru di Maroko. (Photo by: Duffour/Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Foto: (Duffour/Getty Images)
Morocco is one of the favorites for world tourists. This is because the Moroccan landscape is so interesting, including deserts and mountains.
One of the highlights is the red city called Marrakesh. This city’s buildings are dominated by red. This is because the buildings here such as houses, forts and even stadiums are made from red mud.
This city is also nicknamed the city of a thousand coffee shops. Some of the historical ones here include the Koutoubia Mosque and the Djemaa El-fna city square, Bahia Palace and the luxurious La Palmereie area.
Apart from the red city, there is also a blue city called Chefchaouen which lies in the Rif Mountains. This city, as the name suggests, has a blue view from the color of the buildings. According to some historical records, the blue color of the city of Chefchaouen is a remnant of history from the 15th century, when Jewish refugees fled Spanish rule and settled here.
8. The highest ski resort in Africa
Berber village in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. (Youssef Boudlal/Reuters)
Being on the African continent, who would have thought that Morocco has skiing attractions, you know. In fact, this ski resort in Morocco is the highest ski resort in Africa.
This ski resort is located about 80 kilometers from Marrakesh, precisely in the snowy Atlas mountains. This place has a height of around 2,600 meters above sea level.
9. Culinary
Moroccan food illustration. (Wisma Putra/detikJabar)
Another uniqueness that radiates from the cultural mix in Morocco is the culinary delights. Food in Morocco is a mixture of Arabic, European and African specialties. Considering this area is strongly influenced by Andalusia and the Mediterranean.
Typical culinary delights include Couscous, which is a type of rice dish that is popular here. Apart from that, Morocco has advantages in fresh fruit and vegetables, squeezed oranges and mint tea are dishes that are easy to find when traveling in Morocco.
Apart from that, coffee and olives are also easy to find in Morocco.
10. Charming architecture
One of the charming buildings in Morocco, the Tin Mal Mosque. Photo: (iStock)
Morocco it is also known for the architectural beauty of many parts of the city. From iconic mosques, to street corners that are also full of color.
Moroccan architecture is inspired by Islam and Hispano-Moorish. And there is also a Latin touch from Spain in the architecture here.
Watch the video “Seconds of Moroccans scattering onto the streets when the earthquake shakes”
(wkn/wsw)
2023-09-11 15:05:01
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