What you notice.
Explained.
Why riads feel cooler. Why there are cats. Why Google Maps fails. The infrastructure, architecture, and culture behind everything you observe.
- 01Why can't my taxi take me to the door?Riads are nestled in car-free zones of the medina.→
- 02What is the tourist tax?A government levy (taxe de séjour) of approximately €2.50 per person per night.→
- 03Is there a ride-hailing app?inDrive is the most widely used. Uber relaunched in late 2025.→
- 04How do I get a petit taxi to use the meter?Say compteur before the car moves.→
- 05What's the difference between petit and grand taxis?Petit taxis are city-only and metered. Grand taxis are intercity and shared.→
- 06How do trains work?ONCF runs everything. Al Boraq is Africa's only high-speed rail.→
- 07How do buses work?Two names: Supratours and CTM.→
- 08What plugs do they use?Type C and E — same as France.→
- 01What is a medina?The Arabic word for "city."→
- 02Why is my GPS wrong?High walls bounce GPS signals — errors of 10 to 30 metres.→
- 03What does "Balak!" mean?Move aside.→
- 04Why does the bathroom smell?Dry drain traps. Run the tap for ten seconds.→
- 05Why is the riad so hard to find?The door is designed to blend into the wall.→
- 06Why is it so cold inside in winter?Thermal mass works both ways.→
- 07Why can you hear everything?The courtyard is a vertical amphitheatre.→
- 08Why are the beds so hard?That's how they're meant to feel in Morocco.→
- 09Why are there cockroaches in a clean riad?Climate and infrastructure, not hygiene.→
- 10Why is it so loud at 4:30am?The call to prayer (Fajr) from minarets.→
- 11What was the 2023 earthquake?Magnitude 6.8, 8 September 2023.→
- 12Why are the walls stained or bubbling?Efflorescence — mineral salts pushed to the surface by moisture.→
- 13Why are the floors stained or uneven?Handmade tiles are porous by nature.→
- 14Why does the wifi barely work?Thick walls block the signal.→
- 15Why does the electricity flicker?Old wiring and shared circuits.→
- 16Why are there cats everywhere?They're the city's pest control.→
- 01Is it rude to refuse tea?Tea is a social contract.→
- 02What should I wear?Shoulders and knees covered.→
- 03Can I photograph people?Ask first.→
- 04Can you show affection in public?Kissing or heavy physical contact is culturally out of place and legally punishable.→
- 05Is Morocco safe for LGBTQ+ visitors?Same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Article 489 — 6 months to 3 years.→
- 06Should you remove shoes?In homes, riad living areas, and mosques — yes.→
- 07Why does time work differently here?Two systems running at once.→
- 08Why does everyone want cash?Card acceptance is patchy.→
- 09How does bargaining work?Expected in souks, not everywhere.→
- 10Why does everyone ask where I'm from?Conversational opener, not interrogation.→
- 11Why do people stare?Curiosity, not hostility.→
- 01Can I drink the tap water?Safe but mineral-heavy.→
- 02How do you eat from a shared tagine?Right hand, bread as utensil, eat from the section in front of you.→
- 03What's the difference between a local and a spa hammam?Local: 20 dirhams, communal. Spa: 400–800 dirhams, private.→
- 04Why does mint tea taste different here?It's not mint-flavoured tea.→
- 05Can you eat vegan?Easier than expected.→
- 06Can you drink alcohol?Legal, available, but not everywhere.→
- 07Why is my stomach upset?Change in diet, not food poisoning.→
- 01Why do the henna ladies grab your hand?The paste stains in seconds and can't be wiped off.→
- 02Are the monkeys in the square ethical?No.→
- 03Should I take a horse carriage?Look for the blue SPANA band on the horse's ankle.→
- 04What is the police touristique?Morocco's dedicated tourist police unit.→
- 05How do I tell a real guide from a fake one?Official guides carry a large circular brass badge.→
- 06What do I do if I get lost at night?Head toward light.→
- 07Why do the streets look sketchy?They're centuries old, not dangerous.→
- 01Can you go inside the Koutoubia mosque?No.→
- 02Why does Agadir look nothing like other Moroccan cities?An earthquake destroyed it in 1960.→
- 03Is Casablanca worth visiting?The Hassan II Mosque and the Art Deco district.→
- 04Is Rabat the capital?Yes, since 1912.→
- 05Is Taghazout still a surf village?The village and surf culture remain. The coastline south has transformed.→
Darija — Moroccan Arabic — is the language of the street, the souk, and the riad. These are the words you’ll encounter walking through any Moroccan city.
A small residential alley in the medina, or the neighborhood it defines. The basic unit of medina social life.
The historic walled city center. Narrow winding streets, souks, riads.
The monumental gates of Moroccan cities — Bab Agnaou, Bab Doukkala. Used for navigation.
The narrow streets of the medina. Used for addresses: zanqa X, derb Y.
House with interior courtyard. From the Arabic for garden.
The traditional market. Organized by trade — spice souk, leather souk, carpet souk.
The neighborhood corner store. Sells everything from bread to phone credit. Every derb has one.
Hand-cut geometric mosaic tilework. Found in riads, mosques, and fountains across Morocco.
The central open-air courtyard of a riad. The heart of traditional Moroccan domestic life.
A fortified quarter or citadel. Historically where the ruler and garrison lived.
THE Moroccan drink. Gunpowder green tea, fresh spearmint, and lots of sugar. Refusing is rude.
Both the conical clay pot and the slow-cooked dish. The most iconic Moroccan dish.
Round flatbread, the staple of every meal. Never thrown away — given to the poor or fed to animals.
The neighborhood bread oven where families send their dough to be baked. A social institution.
The universal Moroccan greeting. Used any time of day. Often followed by labas? (how are you?).
You'll hear this constantly in the medina — from motorbikes, donkeys, and carts squeezing through.
Petit taxi (within city, by meter — in theory) and grand taxi (between cities, shared).
The tower of a mosque from which the call to prayer is broadcast. A medina landmark.
Explore 10,000+ words and 1,500+ phrases at darija.io — the Darija dictionary.