Things That Are Normal In Morocco But Unusual In Other Parts Of The World

1. Located in North Africa, Morocco is the only African country that has access to both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.










They are a Kingdom and they love their king!







His Majesty the King Mohammed VI is the twenty-third monarch of the Alaouite dynasty, one of the six dynasties that have ruled Morocco since the second half of the 17th century.

2. The Atlas lion (also called Barbary Lion) is the national animal of Morocco






The Barbary lions lived in the Atlas Mountains of Northern Africa, from Morocco to Egypt.

They have them in their coat of arms:






And their national football team is nicknamed : Atlas Lions






3. They have the Oldest University in the world!






The University of al-Qarawiyyin is located in the imperial city of Fez. It is the oldest existing, continually operating higher educational institution in the world according to UNESCO and Guinness World Records.

This university was founded by a woman called Fatima al-Fihri in 859.

4. They have one of the most Famous Squares in the world






Destination of all magic, Jamaâ El Fna is a square and market place in Marrakesh's medina quarter (old city, that tells through its storytellers, dancers, water sellers and snake charmers, the history of Morocco yesterday and today while subjugating its visitors by its charm that starts in the morning and still only reaches its peak in the evening.)











5. Their cities are all unique with a mixture of traditional and modern touches

These are some examples :


























Chefchaoun is a city all painted in blue
















6. Numerous Hollywood movies have been shot in Morocco!

Such as : Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Mummy (1999) ,Sex and the City 2 (2010) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)…. etc

Some scenes from "Game of Thrones" Were also filmed in the southern Moroccan town of Ouarzazate and its surrounding.






7. Harmonious coexistence between all Religions






Islam is the majority and constitutionally established state religion in Morocco. But Religious tolerance is known and recognized for the harmonious coexistence between Muslims, Jews and Christians






The face to face between The Saint Martyrs Church and the Mosque Rue El Iman Ali in the city of Marrakech , and their symmetrical configuration are seen as a symbol of inter-religous tolerance.

8. Some of them live in Riads (traditional Moroccan houses)






The term comes from the Arab word “ryad “(meaning garden) , but is applied to townhouses built around an inner courtyard or garden.

True riads will have lush plants in four planting beds and a central fountain, but many variations exist.






9. They call their living rooms “salon”!






Like all Mediterranean countries, they spend a lot of time with family and friends, they also visit each other a lot. So, there is no better place than their salon to receive and enjoy time with their beloved ones.

They never ever enter a Moroccan salon with their shoes on

10. They love to go to The Hammam (Traditional public baths) at least once a week. It’s a sanitary habit that remained deeply rooted in their daily life from old generations.






11. Mint tea is their drug!






Fresh mint tea is the traditional beverage of Morocco; They consume it at any time of the day, either with breakfast, lunch, dinner. It's delicious and easy to make.

12. Cheap and Delicious food!






Moroccan cuisine is typically a mix of Amazigh, Arab, Andalusi, and Mediterranean cuisines, with slight European and sub-Saharan influences. This makes their plates various, rich, and delicious.

With only 10 MAD (1 US $), you can get a sandwich and a big cup of tea.

13. They also eat snails!






Babbouche (Snails) is a wonderful dish in Morocco, but not many tourists pluck up the courage to try it, not if the tourist are Nigerians tho lol.

14. Morocco’s Cafe Culture






They spend a lot of time in cafes, and they have a lot of them. They are a common part of Moroccans’ everyday socialization for a long time.

15. Moroccan fashion is different






The traditional Moroccan clothing for both men and women is called djellaba, a long loose outfit with long sleeves and hood.

On special occasions they also wear a red cap called “Tarbush”, and a soft yellow babouche “Balgha”.






And Women wear “kaftans” dazzled by ornaments. The difference between djellaba and kaftans is a djellaba has hood while a kaftans does not.

Women also wear a traditional dress called “Takchita” composed of two layers. Unlike the kaftan which is a one-piece dress.






In the south areas of Morocco, the fashion is a little bit different.

Men usually put on “Deraa” which is a loose clothe open on the side to keep the body ventilated, while women wear the “Mlehfa” to protect themselves from the blowing sands caused by rough winds in the desert.











16. The color of mourning in Morocco isn’t Black!

The color of mourning in Morocco is white. in their customs widows wear white for a period of time.






17. Tree-Climbing Goats!






Seeing the cloven-hoofed goats in Morocco climb trees is usual. But, they only climb one particular type of tree: the Argania spinosa, typically referred to as the Argan tree. And it is endemic to southwest Morocco.






The tree produces fairly small fruit that attracts not only goats, but also humans.






From these seeds they extract Argan oil, also known as "liquid gold," which is in addition of being delicious surpasses other healthy oils, such as olive oil and almond oil in terms of health benefits.

18. Being multilingual is the norm!

They have two official languages: Arabic and Berber.






But, others can be found including Modern Standard Arabic, Darija (Moroccan Arabic), French, Spanish, and even English. Most Moroccans are able to speak a handful of them.

19. Driving on Moroccan roads is a nightmare. There, people cross the street at any given point in the road, as crosswalks are rarely used.






And there’s a lot of honking! Sometimes, they will honk to tell you it’s safe to overtake. Or it’s not safe. Sometimes, you’ll get a honk just to tell you to start driving at a red light because it’s about to change to green. hahaha sounds very similar to what happens here in Nigeria

20. In Morocco, the symbol of love is not the heart but the liver