Travel planning: Art and Artisans of Morocco

The first thing that ever got me hooked to Morocco/Marrakech was the blog 'My Marrakech' (now M.Montague) by Maryam Montague. Maryam's blog tantalizes by weaving rich images with stories from the faraway land.

And just as Maryam says in her book Marrakesh by Design, "Moroccan style is attainable yet exotic, practical yet mysterious". There's amazing craftsmanship and detailing in the everyday life and architecture of Morocco. 

Planning your culture trip to Morocco

Here is a travel plan for artsy, bohemian Morocco. Just hop in here with me... let's walk through cobblestone sidewalks, leather tanneries, visit artisans and vibrant markets and much more. 

Visiting Marrakesh is a no-brainer for the artistically inclined traveler, and enough has been written about the town. So I will leave it to the Rough Guides and Culturists to guide you on Marrakesh.

But for now, let's move on to two other places which are definitely not to be missed - Fez and Asilah. 

Morocco's capital of art and crafts, Fez 

The best way to explore Fez is by visiting artisan workshops with a native Fassi guide. Here are 5 things you should do in Fez.


1. Walk through the labyrinthine Medina 

Visit its teeming local markets and workshops, eat local food and wander with an artistic purpose. Visit the backyard workshops of the traditional craftsmen – zellij tile masters, weavers, tanners, coppersmiths, and potters. And not just watch them in action, but I recommend you go slow, meet them and try out some of the techniques yourself. However, if time is a constraint, you could go through Culture Vultures Fez and let them do your planning. 

2. Visit the leather tanneries in Fez 

Imagine giant watercolor pools like these!

The picture above shows the leather dyeing vats "containing natural vegetable dyes, such as poppy flower (red), indigo (blue), henna (orange), cedarwood (brown), mint (green), saffron (yellow), and pomegranate powder." These tanneries process the hides of animals, transforming them into leather products - all manually. The process has apparently remained unchanged "since medieval times, which makes these tanneries absolutely fascinating to visit." (AmusingPlanet)

3. Roam the Fez Medina to catch up with the classical artisans at work

Ceramists 

                     
Watch this video by the Exposé Artisanal project as a teaser.
                 

4. Don't miss the carpet auctions in the Middle Atlas Mountains

                                            

And visit textile weavers in the little caves and co-ops of the village Immouzer (off Fez).

5. Do a Food Tour through Fez

Of course, with this heady cocktail of arts and crafts, anyone would be hungry as hell. So do a food tour with Plan-It Fez or Fez-Food. 

That would be a perfect end to your stay in the city.  

Next stop: Asilah, a seaside town near Tangier

Asilah is a small fortified fishing village and is not to be missed by art and design lovers. Isn't the idea of "cobalt blue–painted window frames, emerald carved doors, fruit stands selling fresh orange juice, and donkey-drawn carts clattering down sun-dappled alleys" pure bliss? 

Add to it that Asilah is a village that is blessedly removed from Morocco’s busy tourist circuit. I would recommend wandering around the place on foot or on bicycles, and not following a top-10 list here :-)

I will let these pictures and captions do the talking.

Gawk at the walls of this village splattered with graffiti, 

calligraphy and other gorgeous work

Shop at these pretty hole-in-the-wall stores

Hunt for paintings and antiques in Alkamra

And swoon over calligraphy as effortless and bold as this.

Doesn't this virtual trip give you a happy-high?

Impromptu travel planning with the help of local hands would work best for those who like unplanned surprises. Alternatively, if you are based in India and looking for India-based travel planners who help with customizable travel packages, you could check out Discover Morocco by TravelTours.in. They offer some interesting plans for hassle-free travel.

TheWanderers, TUI, and EquinoFunHolidays are other organizers you could check with.

Click on the pictures to go to their rightful sources.

Disclaimer: All suggestions are based on my interviews, experience, research and tastes.