What do you think?
Rate this book
Culture and Customs of Morocco
Moroccan culture today is a blend of Berber, African, Arab, Jewish, and European influences in an Islamic state. Morocco's strategic position at the tip of North Africa just below Spain has brought these cultures together through the centuries. The parallels with African and Middle Eastern countries and other Muslim cultures are drawn as the major topics are discussed, yet the uniqueness of Moroccan traditions, particularly those of the indigenous Berbers, stand out. The narrative emphasizes the evolving nature of the storied subcultures. With more exposure to Western-style education and pop culture, the younger generations are gradually turning away from the strict religious observances of their elders.
General readers finally have a substantive resource for information on a country most known in the United States for the Humphrey Bogart classic Casablanca , images of the souks (markets), hashish, and Berber rugs. The strong introduction surveys the people, land, government, economy, educational system, and history. Most weight is given to modern history, with French colonial rule ending in 1956 and a succession of monarchs since then. The discussion of religion and worldview illuminates the Islamic base and Jewish communities but is also notable for the discussion of Berber beliefs in spirits. In the Literature and Media chapter, the oral culture of the Berbers and the new preference for Western-style education and use of French and even English are highlights. The Moroccans are renowned as skilled artisans, and their products are enumerated in the Art and Architecture/Housing chapter, along with the intriguing descriptions of casbahs and old quarters in the major cities. Moroccans are hospitable and family oriented, which is reflected in descriptions of their cuisine and social customs. Moroccan women seem to be somewhat freer than others in Muslim countries but the chapter on Gender Roles, Marriage, and Family shows that much progress is still needed. Ceremonies and celebrations are important cultural markers that bring communities together, and a wealth of religious, national, and family rites of passage, with accompanying music and dance, round out the cultural coverage.
General readers finally have a substantive resource for information on a country most known in the United States for the Humphrey Bogart classic Casablanca , images of the souks (markets), hashish, and Berber rugs. The strong introduction surveys the people, land, government, economy, educational system, and history. Most weight is given to modern history, with French colonial rule ending in 1956 and a succession of monarchs since then. The discussion of religion and worldview illuminates the Islamic base and Jewish communities but is also notable for the discussion of Berber beliefs in spirits. In the Literature and Media chapter, the oral culture of the Berbers and the new preference for Western-style education and use of French and even English are highlights. The Moroccans are renowned as skilled artisans, and their products are enumerated in the Art and Architecture/Housing chapter, along with the intriguing descriptions of casbahs and old quarters in the major cities. Moroccans are hospitable and family oriented, which is reflected in descriptions of their cuisine and social customs. Moroccan women seem to be somewhat freer than others in Muslim countries but the chapter on Gender Roles, Marriage, and Family shows that much progress is still needed. Ceremonies and celebrations are important cultural markers that bring communities together, and a wealth of religious, national, and family rites of passage, with accompanying music and dance, round out the cultural coverage.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2000
3 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 24, 2017
I'm Moroccan, so I've been swimming in the Moroccan culture since I was born, and I'm well aware of the aspects this book touches upon, for that matter it was a bit difficult for me to finish it, because I literally know everything it talks about. Yet, I think it is a great source of information for those who do not know anything about Morocco as a country and it's culture, because it provides so many insights into Moroccan cultural fabric with all its constituents, such as architecture, traditional clothes, music, lifestyle, value system, dialects spoken in the country, landcapes and tourist attractions and so many other goodies, that's why I rated it 4 out of 5. But, this book covers only the superficial and basic knowledge about Morocco, I'd not recommend it for readers who are well-versed in Moroccan culture.
Morocco is a beautiful country, its rich cultural fabric, its multifaceted heritage and its contact with Western culture assign to it a quaint and beautiful touch. Morocco is a land where the Arab and Amazigh(Berber) culture coalesce to form a unique culture rich in diverse artistic qualities and abounds in peculiar customs and traditions. It is a land where the Western meets with the Eastern. This mixture is manifest in buildings, clothing and art. Also, there is the Southern Sahara which contains its own people with their own lifestyle.
This book is a very quick read, it consists of 8 readable chapters:
The first chapter serves as an introduction into Moroccan history, political system, educational system, economy, the role of the monarchy, and the major components of its culture including ethnic differences and linguistic variations.
The second chapter of this book will shed light on the religions that coexist in Morocco and give some insights into the dominant role the Islamic religion plays in shaping the minds of Moroccans and in framing their worldview. This chapter also discusses Moroccan's attitude towards other religions and how Islam is considered a personal religion, as well as how Moroccans can be both Islamic and secular at the same time.
The third chapter talks about Moroccan literature and media, it gives some info about the major TV channels and discusses how the state has great influence on them for political and cultural reasons, and in another section it talks about famous Moroccan literary figures. Plus, it talks about how Moroccan literature has undergone so many changes due to the Western impact, because a large portion of it is written exclusively in French or English.
Moving on to the fourth chapter, in it Mr Raphael describes Moroccan traditional art forms, art, architecture and housing. tile mosaics or ceramic tiles, ceramics, tiles and wood are an integral part in traditional buildings, whereas modern buildings are Western-like. He also describes the advent of contemporary art forms that were precipitated by French colonialism. This book contains many pictures of the different forms of buildings that dot the Moroccan country and intricate descriptions of castles and palaces that date back to the Islamic dynasties that occupied Morocco in the past.
The fifth chapter is the most beautiful one, because everyone loves what it talks about, that is food. This chapter talks about the most famous traditional dishes, like Tagine, couscous, pastilla and so many other mouth-watering dishes. This chapter highlights the eating habits of Moroccans and the differences between ethnic groups in terms of traditional recipees. It also discusses some of the changes that Moroccan food has undergone due to modernism and Western impact. Moreover, another sections of this chapter provide pictures and descriptions about traditional outfits, such as Kaftan, Djellaba, Turban, Burnoose and The Jewish Great Dress. It also explains how European impact have pushed many Moroccans, especially the youth, to abandon tradional clothes altogether and fall back on Western Jeans and other Western articles of clothing, which has considerably changed their identity.
The sixth chapter describes gender roles in Morocco and focuses on the status of women in accordance with their age, because married women are usually treated with more respect and are thought highly of. This chapter throws light on Moroccan's view of the institution of marriage and their attitude towards divorce, as well as it talks about the procedures and ceremonies associated to marriage in Morocco and the traditional clothes and music that most Moroccan incorporate in their marriage ceremonies.
The seventh chapter describes the salient ceremonies that take place in Morocco according to their annual dates, it describes religious, cultural and national festivals and ceremonies. This chapter encapsulates some of the most enlightening and eye-opening information about the major ceremonies that Moroccans celebrate and which distinguish the Moroccan culture, for the that they accentuate the identity of Moroccan people. This chapter also touches upon some famous sporting and musical events that the state of Morocco hosts each year, and which attract tourists from every corner of the globe.
Lastly, the eight chapter is reserved for Moroccan music and dance. Music is an integral part of the Moroccan culture and identity, it is the means through which Moroccans express their rich culture and heritage. Every ethnic group has a unique form of music that is a characteristic of them, hence, Moroccan culture is very multifaceted and diverse. Each form of music and dance is a marker of the identity of a specific ethnic group. Jews have the Andalusian music, Berbers have their traditional music and Arabs as well, not to mention that even guilds of craftsmen or artisan have their own forms of music called 'lgharnati' and 'Deqqa'. In Morocco there are varieties of music, there is music for storytelling, religious and spiritual music, musical games and music for entertainment and recreation. This chapter explains also how ''Western music is gradually making entrance via foreign radio stations, [TV and the internet]''.
It is a beautiful book by all standards, and what makes it enjoyable is its shortness and matter-of-fact language. Myriads of aspects of Moroccans culture are discussed in few papers, so much knowledge crammed into few words. This will enrich your knowledge if you're a newbie into Moroccan culture, but if you look for details you need something much more comprehensive than this book, because it provides only the basics, but still amazing basics.
Enjoy...
Morocco is a beautiful country, its rich cultural fabric, its multifaceted heritage and its contact with Western culture assign to it a quaint and beautiful touch. Morocco is a land where the Arab and Amazigh(Berber) culture coalesce to form a unique culture rich in diverse artistic qualities and abounds in peculiar customs and traditions. It is a land where the Western meets with the Eastern. This mixture is manifest in buildings, clothing and art. Also, there is the Southern Sahara which contains its own people with their own lifestyle.
This book is a very quick read, it consists of 8 readable chapters:
The first chapter serves as an introduction into Moroccan history, political system, educational system, economy, the role of the monarchy, and the major components of its culture including ethnic differences and linguistic variations.
The second chapter of this book will shed light on the religions that coexist in Morocco and give some insights into the dominant role the Islamic religion plays in shaping the minds of Moroccans and in framing their worldview. This chapter also discusses Moroccan's attitude towards other religions and how Islam is considered a personal religion, as well as how Moroccans can be both Islamic and secular at the same time.
The third chapter talks about Moroccan literature and media, it gives some info about the major TV channels and discusses how the state has great influence on them for political and cultural reasons, and in another section it talks about famous Moroccan literary figures. Plus, it talks about how Moroccan literature has undergone so many changes due to the Western impact, because a large portion of it is written exclusively in French or English.
Moving on to the fourth chapter, in it Mr Raphael describes Moroccan traditional art forms, art, architecture and housing. tile mosaics or ceramic tiles, ceramics, tiles and wood are an integral part in traditional buildings, whereas modern buildings are Western-like. He also describes the advent of contemporary art forms that were precipitated by French colonialism. This book contains many pictures of the different forms of buildings that dot the Moroccan country and intricate descriptions of castles and palaces that date back to the Islamic dynasties that occupied Morocco in the past.
The fifth chapter is the most beautiful one, because everyone loves what it talks about, that is food. This chapter talks about the most famous traditional dishes, like Tagine, couscous, pastilla and so many other mouth-watering dishes. This chapter highlights the eating habits of Moroccans and the differences between ethnic groups in terms of traditional recipees. It also discusses some of the changes that Moroccan food has undergone due to modernism and Western impact. Moreover, another sections of this chapter provide pictures and descriptions about traditional outfits, such as Kaftan, Djellaba, Turban, Burnoose and The Jewish Great Dress. It also explains how European impact have pushed many Moroccans, especially the youth, to abandon tradional clothes altogether and fall back on Western Jeans and other Western articles of clothing, which has considerably changed their identity.
The sixth chapter describes gender roles in Morocco and focuses on the status of women in accordance with their age, because married women are usually treated with more respect and are thought highly of. This chapter throws light on Moroccan's view of the institution of marriage and their attitude towards divorce, as well as it talks about the procedures and ceremonies associated to marriage in Morocco and the traditional clothes and music that most Moroccan incorporate in their marriage ceremonies.
The seventh chapter describes the salient ceremonies that take place in Morocco according to their annual dates, it describes religious, cultural and national festivals and ceremonies. This chapter encapsulates some of the most enlightening and eye-opening information about the major ceremonies that Moroccans celebrate and which distinguish the Moroccan culture, for the that they accentuate the identity of Moroccan people. This chapter also touches upon some famous sporting and musical events that the state of Morocco hosts each year, and which attract tourists from every corner of the globe.
Lastly, the eight chapter is reserved for Moroccan music and dance. Music is an integral part of the Moroccan culture and identity, it is the means through which Moroccans express their rich culture and heritage. Every ethnic group has a unique form of music that is a characteristic of them, hence, Moroccan culture is very multifaceted and diverse. Each form of music and dance is a marker of the identity of a specific ethnic group. Jews have the Andalusian music, Berbers have their traditional music and Arabs as well, not to mention that even guilds of craftsmen or artisan have their own forms of music called 'lgharnati' and 'Deqqa'. In Morocco there are varieties of music, there is music for storytelling, religious and spiritual music, musical games and music for entertainment and recreation. This chapter explains also how ''Western music is gradually making entrance via foreign radio stations, [TV and the internet]''.
It is a beautiful book by all standards, and what makes it enjoyable is its shortness and matter-of-fact language. Myriads of aspects of Moroccans culture are discussed in few papers, so much knowledge crammed into few words. This will enrich your knowledge if you're a newbie into Moroccan culture, but if you look for details you need something much more comprehensive than this book, because it provides only the basics, but still amazing basics.
Enjoy...
July 17, 2020
Jedno z tych miejsc, które na prywatnej mapie świata oznaczam hasłem - hic sunt dracones - Maroko.
Dobra książka na początek, przekrojowe spojrzenie na historię, religię, społeczeństwo, kulturę i zwyczaje. Momentami czułem się przytłoczony ilością informacji, brakowało mi gawędziarskiej swady, ale nabrał apetytu na Maghreb w ogóle, a Maroko w szczególe.
Dobra książka na początek, przekrojowe spojrzenie na historię, religię, społeczeństwo, kulturę i zwyczaje. Momentami czułem się przytłoczony ilością informacji, brakowało mi gawędziarskiej swady, ale nabrał apetytu na Maghreb w ogóle, a Maroko w szczególe.
August 16, 2018
a quick and agile read; the historical introduction proved very interesting. but occasionally the book turned SO. UNCONSCIOUSLY. RACIST. AND. SEXIST. OHMYGOD.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews