Marrakech Home and Garden

Today was a very full day. We started out by going to Jardin Majorelle. Yves Saint Laurent owned much property in Marrakech and when he died he left his house and gardens to the city. He is buried there in the garden. The gardens are bamboo and cactus with paths leading to his marker. It is a very fitting tribute to this famous designer.

We then took a walk thru the Jewish Quarter. It is called El Malah. We found the Synagogue and there was a worship service going on. It is quite amazing to see Jewish praying in this Muslim country. Our guide continually reminded us that the Islamic culture in North Africa is very different from the Islamic culture in the Mid-East. Morocco is very friendly with the United States. When the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 many fled to Morocco where they lived in harmony with the Muslims. It was only after Israel was founded that many Jews left Morocco for Israel. There is still a Jewish community that lives in Morocco.

We don’t feel however like we are in Africa. Northern Africa is racially mixed and of Arabic stock and one feels like you are in the mid-east not sub-Saharan Africa. Many of the women are veiled, many are not. Alcohol is served everywhere and yet you hear the call to prayer 5 times a day from the many Mosques. Many of the men dress in long Kaftans with hoods. As you walk down the alleyways and narrow streets the smells are wonderful – both from the cooking and the many spice shops. There are very few dogs (this being a Muslim country) and countless cats.

The Pashas that ruled Morocco built enormous palaces in which they lived in until Moroccan independence in the 1960’s. Those Pashas that supported the French against the King soon lost their Palaces. Many of the palaces are now museums or put to other uses. The characteristic of them is the use of tiles on the floors and walls with intricately carved wooden ceilings.

We went to a wonderful restaurant for lunch that was in a converted palace and had our first couscous of the trip. It was delicious. Lots of vegetables served with slowly braised meet. Yum.

After lunch we visited a Dutch Scholar who has collected Saharan Art for decades. He is quite old and fragile. He gave us a lecture about how the desert has affected the people. At the end he took no questions for he is quite deaf and very frail. He is leaving his home and collection to be a museum.

Finally we did some shopping. First we went to a Pharmacy but we considered it a cross between QVC and a Mexican Herbalist. Bottom line, the have a herb for everything that ails you. The salesman that told of the herbs reminded me of a 3 card Monty guy in Times Square. This definitely wasn’t Cedars-Sinai Medicine. It was fun to see and hear him be undeterred in his salesmanship as we joked and laughed thru his presentation. He was unphased and actually sold a lot to the group. Cathy and I were very restrained.

We then went to purchase some Moroccan wear and then on to our final stop of the busy day. We visited the home of an Art Dealer. It was like stepping into a coffee table book of Moroccan Style. The owner of the home, Khalid El Gharib is a very rich art dealer from an old Muslim family. His best friend is Jewish (this being Morocco this is not unusual). Together they have created an amazing collection of Moroccan Muslim and Jewish Art that is world class. He also has a gallery, which we will visit tomorrow. The home however is amazing and he is very gracious host. Every lamp, table, painting, bed, etc, is exquisitely displayed and I am sure for sale. The costs must be astronomical. He presented each of us with a beautiful book about the collection.

Everyone loved the painting of the “Blue Woman”. It is at the top of his stairs and is quite breathtaking. One of the 3 indigenous peoples of Morocco (from the South) are called the “Blue People” for color of their clothing. The picture was a highlight of the day.

We then returned to our hotel for wine and of all things an Indian dinner in Morocco. I would advise Couscous in Morocco.

It is way to early to make any judgments about Morocco. I know I like being in a Westernized Muslim Country. It is both exotic and enlightening. In America when you see women in veils it looks unusual and slightly threatening, here it is the norm. In western movies and TV so often Muslims are portrayed as violent, scary or terrorists, here they are warm.

Marrakech is a tourist Mecca (pardon the pun) and I hope we get more off the beaten path. Of course I want air-conditioning, internet and great food. Even though I knew that Morocco was a French Protectorate I had no realization that French is spoken so readily here. Most of the tourists are French; there are very few Americans. Interestingly our Art Dealer, Khalid, said he hasn’t visited America since Sept. 11^th. He feels he wouldn’t be welcome there. Actually, he is the sort of person who should be welcomed to the States.