History Detected, Flag Restored

Okay, folks, I think we have solved the mystery of the American flag carpet, or at least placed it in time.  First, the link to our plea to readers for photo interpretation of this picture: Now, analysis provided by Mark Smith, architect and former Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco (and former resident of the American … Read more History Detected, Flag Restored


Tangier’s New Port: Let the Water Flow

Engineer and Commercial Director of the Moroccan government chartered company SAPT Hassan Mzerma opened Day Two of the 2011 April Seminar, with the focus on the SAPT project of the conversion of Tangier's city port.  We thank SAPT chief Abdelouafi Laftit and Mr. Mzerma, probably two of the busiest people in Morocco, for their valuable … Read more Tangier’s New Port: Let the Water Flow


Live Blogging The 2011 TALIM April Seminar

Note: Marking its 10th edition in 2011, TALIM’s April Seminars have attracted audiences from Tangier, the rest of Morocco, and beyond.  This year, with the theme of Tangier’s Ports: Circles of Impact, we piggybacked on the US Trade Mission which participated in the Med-Log (logistics, with a focus on foreign investment) Conference. – – – … Read more Live Blogging The 2011 TALIM April Seminar


Your Choice: Electricity, Food, or Shelter

A very interesting meeting took place last week in Paris between Moroccan and French industry groups.  MEDEF, the French employers association, welcomed its Moroccan counterpart CGEM for a round table under the rubric of "Reforms and Growth: Where Does Morocco Stand?" Six Moroccan ministers attented. But what was especially interesting for readers in Tangier was … Read more Your Choice: Electricity, Food, or Shelter


Blame It On the Chergui

WeatherOnline gives a great description of Tangier's crazy wind called the chergui.  Crazy, in that it blows in over the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar, laden with desert sand.  Figure that one out. Crazy, in that sometimes, like yesterday, it blew low towards the west, while up above the wind from the Atlantic Ocean … Read more Blame It On the Chergui


Legation Lions & Les Oies du Consulat

Wildlife in the medina of Tangier Actually, the French Consulate General isn't in the medina any longer (the old French Legation was in a historic building – Dar al Niyaba – that once housed the Sultan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the International Zone era).  Now it's at the center of the modern city, la … Read more Legation Lions & Les Oies du Consulat


Moroccan-American Relations: Photo Interpretation, Please

For years, it has been hanging in the courtyard of the American Legation in Tangier.  The red, white, and blue are now faded, dirty.  Poor Old Glory. The courtyard is, after all, subject to the desert dust of the chergui as the Moroccans call the East wind off the Sahara.  When it's the Atlantic wind, … Read more Moroccan-American Relations: Photo Interpretation, Please


Topic In Search of Historian: The US Civil War in Tangier, Morocco

At left: American Consul in Tangier, James De Long, circa 1861 (Click on photo to enlarge to full-size pop up). Thanks to Tangier native and Parisian pediatrician (and author) Philip Abensur, we have this photo of the Civil War era Consul James De Long. De Long, who served from September 1861 through March 1862, might … Read more Topic In Search of Historian: The US Civil War in Tangier, Morocco


International Women’s Day – All the Days After

They were handing out red roses to (some) women at Tangier's Ibn Battuta Airport on International Women's Day.  Nice gesture. Just like some organizations – websites, news media, governments, private industry – mark the day, until they get to the next de rigueur event, like Earth Day.  Points on the calendar.  Check. What happens the … Read more International Women’s Day – All the Days After


New Blog Dedicated to Morocco’s Music Recorded by Paul Bowles

We are very excited about our latest project: establishing a new blog, "The Music of Morocco by Paul Bowles."  It is still under construction, but readers can already listen to the first podcast. Readers of TALIMblog's previous posts on the Paul Bowles Centenary will know that TALIM commissioned the digital remastering of Bowles' recordings of … Read more New Blog Dedicated to Morocco’s Music Recorded by Paul Bowles