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Culture of Morocco

Red & green in Berber Marrakech (Southern Morocco)
Blue & white in Moorish Chefchaouen (Northern Morocco)

Culture of Morocco – Morocco is a country with multi-ethnic groups with a rich culture and civilization. Through Moroccan history, Morocco hosted many people coming from both East (Berbers, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Jews and Arabs), South (Africans) and North (Romans, Vandals, Moors and Jews). All those civilizations should have an impact on the social structure of the Morocco. It conceived all forms of beliefs, from paganism, Judaism, Christianity to Islam.

Each region possesses its own specificities, contributing, thus, to the making of national culture and to the civilization legacy. Morocco has set among its top priorities the protection of its legacy and the preservation of its cultural identity.

Ethnically and culturally speaking, Morocco nowadays can be considered the least Arabic among Arab countries. Most of its population are of Berber origins.

Table of contents

Facts and figures

Main article: Demographics of Morocco

The following figures are taken from the CIA factbook [1].

  • Population: 32,209,101 (July 2004 est.)
  • Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
  • Languages: Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy
  • Literacy: (definition: age 15 and over can read and write) total population: 51.7% (male: 64.1% / female: 39.4%) (2003 est.)
  • Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court

Ethnics and languages

Morocco is considered an Arab-Berber country. About 40% acknowledge a Berber identity, though many more have Berber ancestry. Berbers are identified primarily by language but also by traditional customs and culture – such as the distinctive music and dances. Berber is not yet officially recognised in Morocco, though French (the colonial language) is. Arabic remains the official language of Morocco and used in daily socio-economic and cultural activities.

Linguistically, Berbers belongs to the Afro-Asiatic group, and has many dialects. The three main dialects used in Morocco are Tachelhit, Tamazight and Tarifit. Collectively, those berber languages they are known as "shelha" in Arabic.

Tachelhit (sometimes known as "soussia" or "chelha") is spoken in south-west Morocco, in an area between Sidi Ifni in the south, Agadir in the north and Marrakech and the Draa/Sous valleys in the east. Tamazight is spoken in the Middle Atlas, between Taza, Khemisset, Azilal and Errachidia. Tarifit (or Rifia) is spoken in the Rif area of northern Morocco.

More detailed information about berber languages are found in this main article.

Although Berbers were eventually converted to Islam, their ethnic and linguistic purity has remained. More than a dozen Amazigh associations were created in the last few years. newsstands and bookstores in all the major cities are filled with new Amazigh magazines and other publications that provide outstanding articles about the Amazigh (berber) culture. The state owned TV station RTM has started brodcasting news bulletins in the 3 Berber languages since the mid 90's.

Cinema

Moroccan Cinema

Morocco knew Cinema since 1897 through the filming of "Le chevalièr Marocain" (The Moroccan knight) by Louis Lumière. Between that time and 1944, many foreign movies were shot in Morocco especially in the Ouarzazate area. The following are the key dates in Moroccan cinema:

  • 1944: Establishment of the "Moroccan Cinematographic Center" (CCM/The governing body). Studios were open in Rabat.
  • 1958: Mohammed Ousfour creates the first moroccan movie "Le fils maudit" (The damned son).
  • 1982: The first national festival of cinema is held in Rabat.
  • 1968: The first Mediterranean Film Festival is held in Tangier.

The Mediterranean Film Festival in its new version is held in Tetouan.

Movies in Morocco

Many foreign directors were seduced by the beauty and the magic of Morocco. After Louis Lumière, it was time for Orson Welles to film his "Othello". The movie won the Palme d'Or prize in Cannes Film Festival. In 1955, Alfred Hitchcock directed The Man Who Knew Too Much while David Lean did Lawrence of Arabia in 1962.

Below is an list of some legendary movies that were entirely or partially shot in Morocco:

Other movies


Surprising though it may seem, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman never went to Casablanca. Not a single scene of Casablanca movie the famous film was shot in Morocco.

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