One of the most diverse and fascinating countries in the world seen through the eyes of early writers and travelers
About the book
This elegant, pocket-sized volume feature the writings and observations?of travel writers and diarists who visited the cities, mountains, and villages?of Morocco through the centuries. Vivid and evocative travelers? accounts?of some of the country?s most distinctive sights and sites are enhanced?by the exquisite vintage design in small hardback format that make this an?ideal gift book as well as a perfect travel companion.
Can be?purchased through?Amazon UK
About the Author
Martin Rose was director of the British?Council in Morocco until 2014, traveled?widely, and wrote regularly about the country?in his blog Mercurius Maghrebensis. His?British Council career also took him to?Baghdad, Rome, Brussels, and Ottawa,?and he is now retired to Saffron Walden in?Essex. He is a visiting fellow at the Alwaleed?bin Talal Centre for Islamic Studies at the?University of Cambridge.
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The Empty Bled, 1920 Edith Wharton . . . . . . . . . . 4
Exhilarating Freedom, 1910 Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett . . . . 6
Moroccan Hospitality, 1898
Robert Cunninghame Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Epicurean Missionaries, 1898
Robert Cunninghame Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Fes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
First Sight of Fes, 1616 William Lithgow . . . . . . . . 12
?The Chiefest Mosque,? 1616 William Lithgow . . . . 13
Through a Sailor?s Telescope, 1942
British Naval Intelligence Handbook . . . . . . . . . 15
Fes from Above, 1889 Walter Harris . . . . . . . . . . . 17
A Ruined Cambridge, 1889 Walter Harris . . . . . . . 18
Football in Babouches, 1894 Stephen Bonsal . . . . . . 19
The Cordobans of Fez, 1910 Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett . . . 20
Morocco Bound?Cordovan Leather, 190
Budgett Meakin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The Fez and the Handkerchief, 1860 James Richardson . 22
Andalusian Roots of Fasi Culture, 1898
Robert Cunninghame Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
The Narrow, Dark Streets of Fes, 1901 Budgett Meakin . 23
Outside and Inside a Moroccan Palace, 1890
Pierre Loti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Human Beehive, 1910 Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett . . . . 26
Dangers to Christians, 1910 Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett . . . 29
The Tomb of Moulay Idris, 1901 Budgett Meakin . . . . 30
The University and ?Learned Ignorance,? 1901
Budgett Meakin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Libraries in Decay, 1889 Walter Harris . . . . . . . . . 34
The Shops of Fes, 1889 Walter Harris . . . . . . . . . . 35
Shopping for the Sharifa, 1912 Emily Keene . . . . . . . 36
The Waters of Fes, 1613 Samuel Purchas . . . . . . . . . 38
The Razing of the Badi? Palace, 1889 Walter Harris . . . 60
Reaching the Koutoubia Mosque, 1898
Robert Cunninghame Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Architecture of the Koutoubia, 1889 Walter Harris . . . 63
An African City, 1898 Robert Cunninghame Graham . . 64
Sand in the Diplomatic Uniform, 1889 Walter Harris . . 65
Questionable Personal Hygiene, 1860 James Richardson . 65
Slavery through Rose-tinted Spectacles, 1889
Walter Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Dark Comedy of a Reception by the Sultan, 1889
H.M.P. de la Martini?re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Impertinent Treatment of British Diplomats, 1894
Stephen Bonsal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
An Imperial Reception for a New Ambassador, 1889
Walter Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
The Bicycling Sultan, 1905 Gabriel Veyre . . . . . . . . 72
A Golden Camera for the Sultan, 1905 Gabriel Veyre . . 74
A Visit to the Harem, 1793 William Lempri?re . . . . . 76
Female Delicacy and Indelicacy, 1793
William Lempri?re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Rabat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Arriving from Fes by Motor-car, 1920 Edith Wharton . . 104
The Merchants of Rabat, 1920 Edith Wharton . . . . . . 106
A French Warship Arrives at Rabat, 1910
Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
The Bouregreg Estuary and Its Perils, 1906
Louis Mercier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
The Mellah, 1906 Louis Mercier . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Gunfire and Tennis at the Hasan Tower, 1906
Louis Mercier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
The Waters and Sanctuaries of Chellah, 1906
Louis Mercier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
The Gardens of Chellah, 1816 Ali Bey al-Abbassi . . . . 117
Fortifications and Female Beauties, 1793
William Lempri?re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
The Decline of Piracy, 1816 Ali Bey al-Abbassi . . . . . 120
Moriscos and the Survival of Learning, 1816
Ali Bey al-Abbassi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Lyautey Arrives at Rabat and Is Horrified, 1931
Andr? Maurois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Tangier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Arriving at Tangier by Sea, 1680 George Philips . . . . . 123
Blowing up the Harbor Mole, 1683 Samuel Pepys . . . . 126
Sailing into Tangier, 1803 Ali Bey al-Abbassi . . . . . . . 129
Close-up Squalor and Decayed Fortifications, 1816
Ali Bey al-Abbassi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Adventures of a Mischievous Dog, 1921 Walter Harris . 132
The Politics of Water, 1901 Budgett Meakin . . . . . . . 136
The Jews of Tangier, 1901 Budgett Meakin . . . . . . . . 136
The Parlous State of Tangier?s Defenses, 1889
H.M.P. de la Martini?re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Tea with the Sultan, 1816 Ali Bey al-Abbassi . . . . . . . 138
Bad News and Clockwork Toys, 1921 Walter Harris . . 140
The Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Illustration Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155