Magical Morocco
It is a bit odd to write about a trip that took place exactly three months before the entire world came to a standstill. But here I am, doing just that.
How can one describe the beauty of one of the most diverse terrains in the world? A country renowned for its mystery, character, and high allure; a divergent yet precise blend of the towering snowcapped Atlas Mountains, the infinite stretch of the Sahara Desert, the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean merging with the warm sparkle of the Mediterranean. A country defined by its rich culture, a blend of Arab, Berber, European and African influences. A landscaper dream: a portrait and a street photographer haven, let’s not forget the architectural aspect.
Welcome to diversity; welcome to Magical Morocco
Unlike the rest of my trips that are purely Landscape photography focused, this trip was a workshop dedicated to portrait and street photography. In my opinion, two very tough genres especially in a conservative country like Morocco, however I decided to take the challenge. I will not delve into the details of the workshop, as much as I enjoyed every minute of it; I prefer to showcase the beauty of the areas we travelled across for ten days.
Our trip started in Marrakech “the Hidden City “or “the Red City “often visually associated with a skyline of red clay minarets and arches, but once you discover the city within the city you will find beautiful spots through side doors, beautiful courtyards around every corner, secret gardens of awe-inspiring beauty, rich colors, and captivating patterns that go far beyond the towers of red clay. Traditional Markets are one of Morocco’s main highlights and Marrakech our starting point, is home to the renowned Jamaa El Fna, An open-air courtyard and one of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Morocco. A place where you will find every plausible good for sale. An open-air square that is calm throughout the day and comes to life as the sun sets. Snake charmer’s, street acrobats, fortune tellers, story tellers telling their tales to a crowd of locals, henna painters and throngs of tourists. The vibe is almost overpowering, an assault on the senses if you will, so introduce yourself to it gradually from the side cafes before you jump into the thick of things.
We split into groups of twos and walked in the twisting intertwining streets of the medina that lead to different areas encompassing the square. The streets are lined with shops selling products ranging from herbs, spices and teas to carpets and local Berber jewelry, beautiful caftans and jallabas, leather goods of all sorts locally made. Everything is beautiful, everything is intricate, and almost everything is reasonably priced. This is not to say you shouldn’t haggle, that it seems is part of the overall experience of buying anything, I guess .Top tip, to avoid getting lost or disoriented it would be advisable to drop a pin on your mobile from your starting point.
Walking through labyrinth streets of the medina, it is impossible not to take note of the beautiful architecture, dusky pink walls that surround the old city, elaborate geometric designs, colorful mosaic and a multitude of Arabesque screen mashrabiyas adorning doors and private courtyards. Some using a traditional style whilst others use an artisanal contemporary interpretation of traditional Moorish designs. All this stands as a strong testimonial to Morocco’s rich history.
Our time was consumed with getting our street shots (and shopping as well) but that did not deter us from visiting Le Jardin Majorelle. One of the main attractions and landmarks one must visit. The former residence of Yves Saint Laurent this gorgeous mansion houses a sensational botanical collection and is also a museum housing the collection of more than 600 pieces of colorful costumes and angular jewellery collected by Pierre Berge and Saint Laurent dedicated to the Berber culture, and I have to say that part was mind blowing. Of course, one can immediately notice the effect of the Moroccan culture in the choice of colors of the complex.
From Marrakesh our trip took us to Ourike valley and to see local farmers’ market, where farmers proudly showcase their local organic produce in booths or sometimes just from the trunk of the cars or top of their motorbikes The fresh veggies and fruits were very aromatic .Luckily we found time to enjoy a bit of the Atlas Mountains air as well and of course ,more street photography.
The Moroccan rose is very renowned and a visit Ait Sedrate Sahl Agharbiya is inevitable. We visited one of the many local rose factories there where tons of pure rose petals are converted daily into different beauty products like rose oils, rose lotion soaps and edible dried rose leaves just to name a few. The aroma was intoxicating. Photography aside we each walked out with our rose purchases.
Our journey continued towards Telouete Ouarzazate a beautiful Kasbah.( a fortified part of the medina built in agreement of the surroundings ) this specific one was built along the former route of the caravans from the Sahara over the Atlas mountains towards Marrakech . There are no words to describe the splendor of the place in terms of architecture and design. And for the landscapers in the group, it was almost heaven on earth. The plan was set as the backdrop to start our portrait sessions with our local Amazigh. We were torn between rushing towards our portrait session and trying to finish in time to get a photo or two of the gorgeous landscape surrounding the kasbah. Truly, I cannot find enough words to describe the beauty of the interior, we were lucky to have seen its latest restoration. Simply out, extraordinary. Our next stop in the Atlas was Kisr Ait Ben Haddou, the location where the Hollywood sensation Game of Thrones was filmed. Unfortunately arriving late to the location due to an unforeseen traffic jam we lost our sunset slot and had to be happy just to watch and continue towards our next stop Kasbah Ait Ben Morro ,another beautiful kasbah and more portrait sessions.
A trip to Morocco would be incomplete without a trip to the Merzouga dunes in the Great Sahara Desert. The aim was to visit an Amazigh Family and get to know them personally, to see how they survive the hardships of living in such a hostile environment. When comparing the Gobi to the Sahara I have come to realize every desert has its own vibe, Its own character, and its own appeal. The dunes, the texture and density of the sand is unique to each desert. The Sahara was just that.. We were a bit unlucky with the weather as it clouded up on our only night there and we missed the opportunity to photography the Milky Way over the gorgeous dunes. I always look upon these shortcomings as a reason to go back. Our time with the Amazigh family was beautiful but again short-lived as we had to head out to Altaous our last stop in the Sahara to meet with some traditional musicians from the Alkhamila Gnaoua troupe .Khamila is a small village located at the the edge of Erg Chebbi near the Algerian Border .Their music is ritualistic and beautiful and falls into place with the exoticness of its surroundings . Another unique experience but we had to work hard on our last submission for the workshop .
We left the Sahara and drove all the way back to Aoufous where we spent the night before catching our flight back to Casablanca and then heading home
Morocco is a vast country and trying to explore it all in one trip is almost impossible. I cannot wait to find the time to redo the parts I loved and discover more of this amazing country.
Camera gear Fujifilm Xh1 ,GFX50s
Lens xf16-55mm xf55-200mm gf32mm-64mm
Tripod for long exposure
Sensor cleaning kits
Lots of sunscreen for the desert. Loose cool clothing/sweater windbreaker as evening tend to be chilly.
Photography and workshop leader :Sebastian Suki Belaustegui
@photsooky
Said (local guide) +212673650487.
