The curiosities of Morocco are many and, some of them, completely unknown to those who do not live or have not spent a few days this country located in northwest Africa, a curious continent, and separated from Europe only by the few kilometers that make up the Strait of Gibraltar , just south of the Iberian Peninsula. It is a fascinating country, with a great cultural and gastronomic richness that you should not miss when you have the chance.
We are sure that the following curious facts about Morocco will interest you and surprise you. Of course, if you know some more, do not hesitate to leave your comment so we can expand the following list and expand our knowledge of this amazing country.
50 amazing Moroccan curiosities
1. One of the curiosities of Morocco is that it is the first tourist destination in all of Africa, even ahead of Egypt. At year it receives about 10 million tourists, which makes it one of the main economic engines of the country.
2. The tea culture is so deeply rooted in the Moroccan tradition that, today, one of the curiosities of Morocco is that it is the first importer of this infusion. This is because it does not constitute a prominent producer country. In fact, most of the green tea that matters comes from China Although it is the world's largest producer, it is not the largest importer due to its own production.
3. Despite the fact that polygamy is a common practice in some Muslim countries, in the case of Morocco it only represents 0.31% of marriages that are celebrated annually. This has helped the Family Code driven in 2004 by the king Mohamed VI , which states that this practice must be allowed by the first wife to be carried out.
4. Another of the curiosities of Morocco is that it has the oldest university in Islamic countries. It's about the university Al Qarawiyyin , located in the city of Fez , which was founded in the year 859.
5. One of the aspects that can attract tourists the most is the climate of Morocco, which is Mediterranean on the coasts, continental in the mountainous areas and desert in the zones belonging to the Sahara . In this way, we find that, in coastal areas, the climate is really temperate, reaching around 12 degrees in winter and not exceeding 25 in summer. Very nice!
6. The religion practiced in Morocco is eminently Muslim. According to studies of the year 2017, it is estimated that 97.8% of the population profess Islam , 1.1% Christianity, 0.7% Judaism and the remaining 0.4% would be divided among other minority religions.
7. Another of the curiosities of Morocco is that it has several official and unofficial languages. The two officers and those that are preeminently spoken in the cities would be the Classical Arabic and the Berber . To these two should be added the unofficial languages: Moroccan Arabic, Riff, Tamazight, Tashelhit, as well as Spanish and French .
8. Although Moroccan gastronomy is characterized by fitting into the concept of "Mediterranean diet", it has managed to maintain its own and autochthonous characteristics of the area . In this way, we can find some of its most typical and delicious dishes such as couscous, tajine, roast lamb or pastry among others.
9. Another of the curiosities of Morocco is found in its flag, which despite being very simple is full of meaning. The Moroccan flag consists of a red background and, in the center, a green star is located .
The red color symbolizes the descendants of Muhammad, while the star is a symbol of health, knowledge, and life in general. Likewise, the star is green because it is the official color that symbolizes the Islamic religion.
10. Despite the fact that the most populous city in Morocco is Casablanca, the capital of the country is located in the Atlantic city of Rabat . Rabat has a population of just over a million and a half inhabitants, and its origins go back to a Roman settlement founded in the year 40 after Christ .
eleven. One of the names that Morocco has received throughout history is "al-Magrib al-Aqsa", which means "Extreme West" and served to attest that Morocco is the closest country to the West of the Arab world.
12 When they serve you food, for example bread, in Morocco, you can eat it with your hands, but remember that in this country using your left hand to feed yourself is seen as something of bad manners. Trust your right hand to the fullest!
13 Traditionally, white has been the color of mourning in Morocco. A widow used to wear white for 40 days after the death of her husband.
14. In Morocco you can ski. This is one of the most striking curiosities of Morocco. In this country is not all desert, you can even ski in places prepared for it located in the Atlas Mountains.
fifteen. In Morocco, traditionally, the liver was the organ symbol of love and not the heart.
16 Do you know the movie â ?? Casablanca? ????? Although the whole film is supposed to happen in Morocco ... and not a single fragment of its footage was recorded in this country! All the filming was done in a studio in Los Angeles.
17. Always accept tea in Morocco. S I ever offer it to you in this country, it's like hospitality and rejecting it is considered very rude.
18 Morocco's national attire is the djellaba, a piece of unisex clothing and usually hooded, very comfortable and quite wide.
19 The lion of the Atlas is the national animal of Morocco. Unfortunately, it is considered that there are no longer free copies.
twenty. When you enter a Moroccan home, look at the entrance. If you see that there are several sandals and shoes, take off yours too! It means that in that house is not well seen to enter with shoes.
21. Did you know that the Moroccan coins are the dirham? The laws of this country prevent you from obtaining more than 1000 dirhams from the bank in cash if you are in Morocco.
22. Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco, but it is not the capital of the country.
23. Another curiosity of Morocco is that only 14 kilometers separate it from Europe, through the Strait of Gibraltar.
24. The highest mountain in the country is Mount Tubqal (4167 meters) and, in fact, it is also the highest peak in North Africa.
25. The most famous sport in Morocco is football.
26. Morocco is among the 5 largest economies in Africa.
27. More than half of Moroccans live in large towns and cities.
28. Recent changes in the role of women in society have led to changes in some laws, in their favor. 2004 was the year in which the reforms affected the Constitution of the country. These reforms included, among other things: the abolition of the possibility of repudiating the wife, the right of the women to have custody of the children and the need for the first wife to approve the decision of the husband when he chooses a second partner .
29. Moroccan education is compulsory until the age of 15, although children and young people who work with their parents - for example, in the countryside - do not finish their studies. In rural areas, some girls and adolescents never get trained.
30. The illiteracy rate is 50%.
31. 20% of the tourism that arrives in Morocco comes from France and Spain.
32. Another curiosity of Morocco is that the city of Agadir was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1960. In the following decades it has been reconstructed according to the standards of anti-earthquake structures.
33. Any Moroccan person who is believed to be a descendant of Muhammad, the prophet, receives the title of Lalla, Sidi or Moulay,
34. The lowest point of Morocco is Sebkah Tah, a salt flat 55 meters below sea level.
35. The Tan-Tan Venus was found on the banks of the Draa River in 1999. It is a 6-centimeter figurine representing the body of a woman and could be one of the oldest human representations that exist. However, there is much controversy around the piece, since there are those who defend that their forms are natural and not only the result of the manipulation of a person.
36. In 1984, Nawal el Moutawakel won the inaugural 400m Olympic race, taking a gold medal and being the first Arab woman to win an important international title. Today it still has an important role in the Moroccan and international sports field.
37. As you may have suspected, green tea is considered the national drink of Morocco.
38. Another of the curiosities of Morocco, if the host of the home you visit offers you meat to eat, you must accept or it will be considered a terrible lack of education.
39. The countries that mainly trade with Morocco are Spain and France.
40. If you ever visit Morocco during the celebration of Ramadan, try not to eat or drink, even smoking, in public spaces, for solidarity and respect. It is not necessary that you fast, but avoiding these activities before those who are doing this process is considered a gesture of kindness.
41. Another of the curiosities of Morocco that highlights the sense of humor of its inhabitants, is that they call tap water "Sidi Robinet". Sidi means in Arabic "santo" and "Robinet" in French means grifo. The Moroccans mixed the term "Sidi" that was used in popular product brands and added it to the Robinet concept. So, as a joke, they call the tap water -potable in most of the country- "Sidi Robinet".
42. Morocco has a very young population, the average age of the country is 27 years.
43. In the city of Chefchaouen you will see many blue houses. The reason for the predominance of this color in the municipality is not very clear. There are several versions, one of them says that the blue homes were painted because the Jews started doing so to distinguish them from the typical green of the Muslim culture. Another, points out that this color was chosen to repel mosquitoes.
44. Chefchaouen will be the blue city, but Marrakesh is the red city because of the color of its buildings and how the evening light bathes the city.
45. The "Hamsa" or "Hand of Fatima" is a symbol used in Morocco and other Arab nations to protect from bad luck and the evil eye.
46. Another of the curiosities of Morocco that you might not have known, the motto of Morocco is: "God, Fatherland, King".
47. Morocco has 22 television channels. A type of program that are very popular are those of traditional cuisine.
48. On the clearest and clearest days it is easy to see Spain from Morocco.
49. King Mohammed VI, ruler since 1999, claims to be a descendant of Muhammad.
50. Another of the most valued products of Morocco in the whole world is its dates. They are exported to the whole world!
Other curiosities of Africa | By countries
Did you like this little trip through the most curious facts of Morocco? What would you like to explore with us more? curiosities of Africa ? Join us along the following list of surprising information from this continent, by countries. Do not miss it!
- Curiosities of Egypt
- Curiosities of Kenya
- Curiosities of Madagascar
- Curiosities of Mali
- Curiosities of Cape Verde
- Curiosities about Angola
- Curiosities of Equatorial Guinea
As you can see, Morocco is a fascinating country full of curious things to discover. In addition, it is one of the places in North Africa more open to tourists and foreign visitors , which makes it a good destination for a holiday or, simply, to know a different culture but, at the same time, close to the European one.