Projects Abroad, Newsletters from Morocco

The word Jbala comes from Moroccan Arabic Jbel which means mountain. Thus Jbala means mountain people. A man or boy is called a Jebli while a woman or a girl is called a Jebliya.The traditional clothing for women includes shawls called "mendils" made from cotton or wool.

One of the most common sights in the souks of Morocco is piles and piles of olivecolored powder, the crushed leaves of the henna plant. It is used for both a hair treatment as well as a dye to make decorative designs on the skin. Henna is a plant used in Morocco and many other countries/cultures to dye the skin in intricate patterns, sometimes called temporary tattoos. In Morocco, it is quite common to see henna on women's hands

A kaftan is a man's cotton or silk cloak buttoned down the front, with full sleeves, reaching to the ankles and worn with a sash. The kaftans worn by the Ottoman sultans constitute one of the most splendid collections of Topkapı Palace in Istanbul. Some of them were so precious that they were given as rewards to important dignitaries and victorious generals during elaborate religious festivals.

Morocco's history and the story of Moroccan weaving begin with the Berbers, the indigenous people of North Africa who had inhabited Morocco for centuries before the first Arab invasion in the seventh century. Today, the major weaving groups of the Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountains are Berber tribes, many of whom still live much as they did centuries earlier.

Spices- The Moroccan Spice Cabinet – Moroccan food is marked by the medley of spices found in its dishes. Dried ginger, cumin, salt, black pepper and tumeric is a mixture found in almost every tagine and couscous. Cumin is used in almost every Moroccan dish and is considered so important that it is served on the table along with salt and pepper. Cinnamon can be found in tagines, bisteeya, and fruit salads. Paprika and Sahara chiles are used to spice up some tomatobased dishes, vegetable tagine, and charmoula.

Morocco is an ethnically diverse country with a rich culture and civilization. Through Moroccan history, This country hosted many people coming from East (Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Jews and Arabs), South (Sub-Saharan Africans) and North (Romans, Vandals, Andalusians (including Moors and Jews)). All those civilizations have had an impact on the social structure of Morocco. It conceived various forms of beliefs, from paganism, Judaism, and Christianity to Islam.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar-that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan are slightly earlier every year. In 2010 Ramadan begins at sundown on August 11th.

The capital of a modern nation, Rabat symbolizes the infinite variety of Morocco. Set in a rich, amber-colored landscape, dotted with distinctive hibiscus, it elegantly combines an ancient history with a modern culture. Rabat is as well the royal city, it's the setting for the royal palace of his majesty Mohammed VI. It's also the seat of the government, and of the ministries.