Michael Toler There have been Shahs in Morocco. Of Iran, and of Afghanistan. We speak of the latter. Tahir Shah (official site) In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams (Bantam, 2008) Tangier holds a special place in my heart. It was there that my grandfather lived, then died, knocked down outside his villa on the steep … Read more A Shah’s Triumphant Return To Tangier
Brief but moving ceremony on the steps of the French Consulate General in Tangier, with newly-arrived Consul General Pierre Thénard presiding. A reading of President Nicolas Sarkozy's Armistice Day message. A vin d'honneur. Very much like in every town and village in France, the monument aux morts has lots and lots of names of the … Read more 11-11-11 In Tangier: Morts Pour la France
… they saw Africa. Notes from a trip across the Strait. Well, of course they saw Africa: every primary school geography student knows that the Strait of Gibraltar (or, as they say north of the water, el Estrecho de Gibraltar) separates the continents of Europe and Africa. But Spain's Africanistas were not academic "Africanists" – … Read more What the Africanistas Saw Across El Estrecho de Gibraltar
Geography lesson (image from Kidsmaps.com) The Maghrib (or Maghreb) is the accepted term for North Africa. The Maghrib was the birthplace of the Arab Spring (Tunisia). Its latest blossoming of freedom was in Libya. The Maghrib is where AIMS Maghribi Grantees come from. Or came from. Click on the above link, and this is what … Read more Maghribi Scholars Need Not Apply
The Knife Sharpener of Tangier This being the eve of the Aïd, the culmination of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca, knives are being sharpened all over the Muslim world, in preparation for the sacrifice of millions of sheep. BBC has a nice explanation of the feast. We wish our Muslim friends عيـــد مبــــارك سعيــــــد … Read more Sheep Tales
L'Escadrille Chérifienne Recently Moroccan satellite TV audiences tuned in to ARTE, the Franco-German cultural channel, to see Daniel Cling's excellent new documentary, Abdelkrim et la Guerre du Rif. For many, it was the first time footage on this war from Morocco's colonial past was seen on TV. The war was important in many ways – … Read more Lafayette, We Are Here In Morocco’s Rif
Most of our readers either "bookmark" or mark as a "favorite" TALIM Director's Blog (http://www.talimblog.org). That still works like a charm, and thanks to the wonders of Google and other search engines, people continue to serendipitously stumble across our site. Now, thanks to TALIM Board member and tech whiz Dr. Michael Toler, readers can also … Read more Newsletter: A New Way To Read TALIM Director’s Blog
Just an ordinary Friday afternoon, an hour or so before closing. What is this – a takeover? More than a dozen French people, with sketch pads and watercolors, descend on our courtyard. It's Franck Hommage (seated on chair, far right) and his friends. This artist from eastern France (he works largely in Nancy) was enticed … Read more Impromptu Art School: Legation Courtyard
Don't worry if you can't make out the cartoon captions. They're in Spanish anyway. Last night the Tangier Instituto Cervantes opened "Casablanca," an exhibit of sometimes whimsical pop art inspired by the film. The point of this post is not creative cartoonists, but the parallels between the Casablanca depicted in the film (celebrating its … Read more When Tangier Was Casablanca: Rick’s Café & Dean’s Bar
All the Morocco guide books mention it: Tetouan's Ecole des Arts et Métiers (EAO in the Spanish that is still very prevalent in Tetuán: Escuela de artes y oficios). Weekenders should abstain: you can only visit the Artisanal School Monday through Thursday. But it's worth rearranging your itinerary. Tetouan is the first (established 1919 under … Read more Tetouan: Morocco’s Mecca For Historic Preservation
