Question 1

Why do medina streets feel narrower than the map suggests?

Accepted Answer

They were built for shoulders, not wing mirrors. Walls lean in over centuries, upper floors reach across for shade, and without a single straight sightline, your brain quietly loses track of distance.

Question 2

Why does Marrakech feel hotter, slower, and louder than other cities?

Accepted Answer

Marrakech sits on a red clay plain at the edge of the Sahara, with no sea breeze to speak of. Dense earthen walls absorb heat all day and radiate it back at you all night. Sound bounces between them. The city's rhythm follows the sun, not the clock.

Question 3

Why does silence sound different here than at home?

Accepted Answer

Thick earthen walls absorb high frequencies while allowing low frequencies to pass through. Courtyard architecture creates acoustic wells. The absence of constant mechanical background noise—traffic, HVAC, appliances—reveals a different sonic baseline.

Question 4

Why do riads feel cooler inside than outside, even without AC?

Accepted Answer

Thick earthen walls, a central courtyard pulling hot air upward, shade geometry, a fountain adding moisture to the breeze — a riad can sit 10–15°C below street temperature without a single watt of electricity. The building is the air conditioning.

Question 5

Why do riads feel humid, especially at night?

Accepted Answer

Courtyard fountains, thick earth walls that retain moisture, and limited air exchange between enclosed rooms create higher relative humidity indoors. At night, temperature drops cause condensation on cool wall surfaces.

Question 6

Why do riad rooms only have windows facing inward?

Accepted Answer

Riad rooms have windows — but they open onto the courtyard, not the street. Islamic residential architecture treats privacy as a right: if there are no street-facing windows, no one can see in. The courtyard gives light, air, and the sound of water instead of traffic.

Question 7

Why do shopkeepers shout but then ignore you when you enter?

Accepted Answer

The shout is a greeting, not a sales pitch. Once you step inside, the dynamic changes — now it's private space. That brief moment of being ignored? It's actually courtesy. It says: look around, no pressure. The real conversation starts when you pick something up.

Question 8

Why does the city wake up late after lunch?

Accepted Answer

Midday heat makes activity dangerous and unproductive. The city follows a bimodal rhythm: morning activity, long midday rest, then a second peak from late afternoon into night. This is thermal logic, not laziness.

Question 9

Why are Moroccan houses inward-facing, not outward?

Accepted Answer

Wealth is expressed inward, toward the courtyard, not outward toward the street. A plain exterior wall protects domestic life from the public gaze. It's not a limitation — it's a deliberate value system called hchouma, roughly: what's private stays private.

Question 10

Why do so many streets end in walls or dead ends?

Accepted Answer

Dead ends are deliberate: they mark the transition from public to semi-private residential territory. The medina's layout filters strangers away from homes. What looks like poor planning is actually a sophisticated access control system.

Question 11

Why do riad bathrooms sometimes smell?

Accepted Answer

Dry water traps. That's it. Riads predate modern plumbing by centuries, and vent stacks that release sewer gas above the roof are nearly impossible to retrofit through metre-thick earth walls. Running water briefly through all the drains refills the traps and the smell vanishes.

Question 12

Why do cats outnumber dogs in these cities?

Accepted Answer

Cats are considered ritually clean in Islam and have been tolerated in Moroccan cities for centuries. They control the medina's rodent population and move freely through homes, shops, and mosques. A 2025 draft law (19.25) would criminalize feeding strays in public — controversial and still under parliamentary review.

Question 13

Why does tap water taste or smell weird sometimes?

Accepted Answer

It's safe. It just doesn't taste like home. Morocco's tap water comes from Atlas limestone aquifers — high in calcium and magnesium, mineral-heavy in a way that reads as flat or chalky to most visitors. In older buildings, decades-old pipes and rooftop storage tanks add their own character. It's not chlorine. It's geology.

Question 14

Why do meals feel later than you're used to?

Accepted Answer

Lunch lands around 1:30–3pm, dinner at 9 or 10. It follows the heat — you eat after it breaks, not when the clock says so. During Ramadan, the entire eating schedule shifts to after sunset, and the city's best energy happens between iftar and midnight.

Question 15

Why do people eat bread with everything, even sweet things?

Accepted Answer

Bread (khobz) is the primary utensil and a staple food. It tears into scoops for tagines and salads. Moroccan cuisine is designed around communal eating from shared dishes, and bread is the tool that makes this work. Wasting bread is culturally unacceptable.

Question 16

Why doesn't mint tea taste like mint tea everywhere?

Accepted Answer

Moroccan mint tea is Chinese gunpowder green tea with fresh spearmint and large amounts of sugar, brewed and poured from height to create froth. The ratio of sugar to tea varies by region and season. It's a prepared beverage with a specific technique, not mint steeped in hot water.

Question 17

Why does the ground feel warmer underfoot than the air?

Accepted Answer

Stone and clay surfaces absorb solar radiation all day and re-radiate it upward. In the medina, narrow streets trap this ground-level heat. Air temperature measured at head height can be several degrees cooler than temperature at foot level.

Question 18

Why does heat feel more exhausting here than elsewhere?

Accepted Answer

Marrakech's heat combines high temperature, low humidity (which accelerates dehydration), reflected heat from earth walls, altitude (450m), and unfamiliar UV intensity. Your body works harder because multiple heat stressors operate simultaneously.

Question 19

Why do cockroaches show up even in clean places?

Accepted Answer

Cockroaches are endemic to warm, dense cities. The medina's interconnected drainage, shared walls, and century-old construction create pathways between buildings. A cockroach in a clean riad traveled there from the infrastructure below, not from the kitchen. Their presence indicates climate and urban density, not hygiene failure.

Question 20

Why does walking 500 meters feel like 2 kilometers?

Accepted Answer

Medina streets curve, branch, and change width constantly. Without straight sightlines, your brain cannot estimate remaining distance. Every turn resets your mental map. Add heat, crowds, uneven ground, and constant stimulation, and perceived distance stretches.

Question 21

Why does Google Maps mislead you more here than at home?

Accepted Answer

Google Maps assumes grid-based, car-navigable streets. The medina has none. Covered passages, stairs, unmarked alleys, and 3D elevation changes don't appear on the map. GPS signal bounces between walls. The map shows a 2D abstraction of a 3D city that was never designed for mapping.

Question 22

Why do locals turn right where tourists go left?

Accepted Answer

Locals navigate by landmarks, sounds, smells, and social memory—not visual maps. They know which alleys connect, which dead ends have shortcuts, and which routes avoid afternoon sun. This is learned spatial knowledge that no app can replicate.

Question 23

Why do shop aisles seem emptier but more crowded?

Accepted Answer

Souks stack merchandise vertically and display goods protruding into the aisle. The functional walkway is narrower than the architectural space. Merchandise, not walls, defines the edges. You navigate product, not architecture.

Question 24

Why does it feel rude to refuse tea but you don't want any?

Accepted Answer

Tea is a hospitality protocol, not a commercial transaction. Accepting tea acknowledges the social relationship. Refusing it signals rejection of the person, not the drink. People accept, sip once, and leave all the time — the ritual matters more than the consumption.

Question 25

Why does time feel elastic here?

Accepted Answer

Morocco operates on relationship time, not clock time. Meetings start when everyone arrives. Meals happen when food is ready. Schedules serve social harmony, not efficiency. The discomfort tourists feel is the gap between industrial time and social time.

Question 26

Why does everything feel more intense at dusk?

Accepted Answer

Dusk triggers a convergence: heat breaks, the call to prayer sounds, street food fires up, people emerge from afternoon rest, and golden light transforms the red earth architecture. Five sensory shifts happen within one hour.

Question 27

Why do Moroccan cities feel layered, not organized?

Accepted Answer

Moroccan cities were built incrementally over centuries without master plans. Roman, Arab, Berber, French, and modern layers coexist. A single wall may contain 12th-century stone, 18th-century plaster, and 2020s electrical wiring. The city is a palimpsest, not a blueprint.

Question 28

Why do medina walls feel like memory?

Accepted Answer

Medina walls are made of tadelakt, pisé, and earth plaster that erode, patch, and re-erode visibly. Every repair leaves a mark. Walls display their own history—cracks, color shifts, patches—like geological strata. They age rather than decay.

Question 29

Why do neighborhoods have their own invisible rules?

Accepted Answer

Each derb (neighborhood) has unwritten social codes managed by long-term residents. Who can park where, when noise is acceptable, how strangers are received—these are negotiated communally, not legally. A medina neighborhood functions like a village within a city.

Question 30

Why do markets feel alive but not loud?

Accepted Answer

Souk acoustics absorb sound through textiles, leather, and narrow geometry. Sellers project voice directionally, not broadcast. The overall volume is dense but layered—each sound occupies its own spatial zone. It registers as alive rather than chaotic because it has spatial logic.

Question 31

Why is there white powdery stuff on the walls?

Accepted Answer

The white powder is efflorescence—mineral salts (mainly calcium carbonate and sodium sulfate) drawn to the surface by moisture migrating through earth walls. It's a symptom of the wall's breathable construction, not damage. Sealing the wall with paint makes it worse by trapping moisture inside.

Question 32

Is Marrakech safe after the 2023 earthquake?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The medina was shaken but not destroyed. Most riads sustained cosmetic damage and have been repaired. The souks never closed. The lasting devastation is in remote mountain villages, not the city.

Question 33

What should I wear in Marrakech?

Accepted Answer

Shoulders and knees covered gets you through anywhere comfortably. Loose, light fabrics make more sense than sunscreen in 42°C. Closed-toe shoes survive medina cobblestones better than sandals. Women don't need to cover their hair. The dress code is as much about heat management as culture.

Question 34

Why does the first night in a riad feel unsettling?

Accepted Answer

Jet lag, unfamiliar silence, unidentifiable sounds — cats on the roof, the call to prayer at 4am, deep courtyard shadows, and the open boundary between your room and the night sky. Your brain is scanning an unknown environment for threats. Completely normal. By the third night, it stands down.

Question 35

Why are there monkeys in Marrakech, and should I interact with them?

Accepted Answer

Barbary macaques are endangered primates native to Morocco's Atlas Mountains. The ones in Marrakech's squares were taken illegally from the wild as infants, had their teeth pulled, and are chained as photo props. Paying for a photo funds the next capture. The wild populations live in the cedar forests near Azrou and Ifrane — that's where to see them.

Question 36

Why do women grab your hand and start drawing henna on it?

Accepted Answer

Women near Jemaa el-Fna grab your hand and apply henna paste before you've said a word — once it's on your skin, you're expected to pay 200–500 dirhams. The paste goes on fast. Pulling your hand back early is the only thing that stops it. Real henna art happens in completely different settings, usually arranged through a riad.

Question 37

How does a Moroccan hammam actually work?

Accepted Answer

Three rooms, each hotter than the last. You steam, lather with black olive soap, and then someone scrubs your skin with a coarse glove until visible rolls of dead skin come off. It's startling the first time. Locals do this weekly — it's hygiene infrastructure, not a spa experience. Entry runs 15–20 dirhams.

Question 38

What's the difference between a local hammam and a spa hammam?

Accepted Answer

A local hammam costs 20 dirhams. You sit on the floor with strangers, someone scrubs you hard, and you emerge feeling like you've been reassembled. A spa hammam costs 400–800 dirhams, offers private rooms, couples treatments, softer scrubs, and English-speaking staff. The spa removes the friction. The local hammam is the friction.

Question 39

Should I take a calèche ride, and are the horses okay?

Accepted Answer

The blue SPANA band on a horse's ankle means it's been veterinary-inspected and microchipped — SPANA has run the calèche licensing scheme since 1988, with health checks three times a year and nine water troughs across the city. Not every horse wears one. The ones that do have someone looking out for them.

Question 40

Who has right of way in a medina alley?

Accepted Answer

Everyone else seems to know exactly where to go. There are no traffic signs, no lanes, no formal rules. An unwritten hierarchy runs on physics: laden donkeys first, then handcarts, then motorcycles, bicycles, and finally pedestrians. A horn beep means shift slightly — not freeze or jump. Predictability is the whole system.

Question 41

Why is it so loud in the medina at night?

Accepted Answer

Stone walls carry sound. Courtyards amplify it. And there's no buffer between a wedding next door and your pillow. Morocco's Law 11-03 does protect residents from noise nuisance — fines up to 40,000 dirhams — but enforcement works at neighbourhood speed, not hotel-complaint speed.

Question 42

Can you file a noise complaint in Morocco?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Law 11-03 (Article 47) prohibits noise nuisance — fines up to 40,000 dirhams. Penal Code Article 609 addresses nocturnal disturbances. Law 15-91 prohibits public smoking. The complaint chain: moqaddem → arrondissement → procureur du Roi. A constat d'huissier (bailiff's report) with timestamps and evidence strengthens your case. The legal framework exists and is being strengthened as Morocco modernises urban governance.

Question 43

What is the Police Touristique and how do I reach them?

Accepted Answer

The Brigade Touristique (Tourist Police) is Morocco's dedicated police unit for assisting visitors. In Marrakech: station on Place Jemaa el-Fna near the post office. Direct line: +212 524 384 601. 24-hour line: +212 524 888 680. National emergency: 19 (police), 177 (gendarmerie), 112 (mobile). Tourist Police units also operate in Fes, Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, and Agadir. File a procès-verbal for stolen items — required for insurance claims.

Question 44

Can you photograph people in Morocco?

Accepted Answer

Photography etiquette in Morocco runs on one principle: ask first. Point at your camera, raise your eyebrows — most people will nod yes or wave no. Performers in the squares expect 10–20 MAD for the privilege. Architecture, food, and market stalls are generally fine. It's the faces that carry weight.

Question 45

What is Ramadan, and how does it affect your visit?

Accepted Answer

The Islamic month of fasting from dawn to sunset, observed by most Moroccans. In 2026 it falls approximately 18 February – 19 March. Most tourist businesses in urban areas stay open. Shops may close briefly at sunset so staff can break their fast. Visitors aren't expected to fast — most are simply discreet about eating and drinking in public during daylight hours.

Question 46

What happens during Eid al-Adha in Morocco?

Accepted Answer

Eid al-Adha (Eid el-Kbir or Fête du Mouton) is Morocco's most important religious holiday. Families sacrifice a sheep to commemorate the Prophet Ibrahim's obedience to God. In 2026 it falls around 27 May; in 2027, around 17 May. Most urban businesses stay open but may close for part of the morning. The holiday lasts two to three days, with festive atmosphere for about a week.

Question 47

When are public holidays in Morocco, and do shops close on Fridays?

Accepted Answer

Morocco has 11 fixed public holidays and 4 Islamic holidays that shift annually by the lunar calendar. Friday is the weekly prayer day — banks and government offices close, souks and tourist-facing shops carry on. During Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, some businesses close for up to three days. The rhythm is different, not disrupted.

Question 48

Should you take your shoes off when entering a Moroccan home?

Accepted Answer

In homes, riad living areas, and mosques — yes. The cue is almost always visible: a row of shoes near the door, a mat, or your host already in slippers. Shops and commercial spaces don't expect it. Zellige tiles and handwoven rugs are kept meticulously clean, and shoes stay at the threshold.

Question 49

How do you eat from a shared tagine without embarrassing yourself?

Accepted Answer

Right hand, bread as your utensil, eat from the section directly in front of you. Bread tears into small scoops for pinching meat and mopping sauce. Someone may bring a basin and kettle to wash hands before the meal — hold your hands out, they pour. Mint tea follows. Reaching across the dish is the one thing that gets noticed.

Question 50

Why does Agadir look nothing like other Moroccan cities?

Accepted Answer

A catastrophic earthquake in 1960 destroyed the entire city, killing a third of the population. Agadir was rebuilt from scratch two kilometres south — wide boulevards, modern architecture, seismic safety standards. It has no ancient medina or historic riads. What it has: a 10km beach, a modern souk, 300 days of sunshine, and the gateway to Morocco's surf coast.

Question 51

What is there to do in Agadir if you're not a beach person?

Accepted Answer

Agadir works best as a base. The city itself offers Souk El Had (one of North Africa's largest markets), the restored Kasbah hilltop, and excellent port-side seafood. The real draw is what's around it: Taghazout's surf coast (20 min), Paradise Valley (1 hour), Tiznit's silver market, and Taroudant's unwalled medina. Agadir rewards people who radiate outward.

Question 52

Is Taghazout still a surf village, or has it changed?

Accepted Answer

Taghazout is still a functioning Berber fishing village with world-class surf breaks, but major resort development (Fairmont, Hilton, Riu) has transformed the coastline south toward Tamraght. The original village and its surf culture remain intact. Surf season runs September–April, with December–March offering the best swells. Board rental around 80 MAD/day; beginner lessons from €30.

Question 53

When is surf season in Taghazout?

Accepted Answer

Surf season runs September to April, peaking December through March with the biggest Atlantic swells. Water temperature: 16–18°C (wetsuit needed). Beginners can surf year-round on the beach breaks. Summer is flat but warm and cheap. Mornings are best — afternoon trade winds chop up the surface.

Question 54

Is Taghazout worth visiting if you don't surf?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Taghazout works for beach walks, café culture, yoga, and day trips (Paradise Valley, argan cooperatives, empty beaches north toward Cap Ghir). What it doesn't have: a medina, monuments, or nightlife. It's a small coastal village best suited to people who want simplicity, ocean, and slow days.

Question 55

Is Casablanca worth visiting, or should you skip it?

Accepted Answer

The Hassan II Mosque — one of only two Moroccan mosques open to non-Muslims — is reason enough. The 1930s Art Deco district is among the finest in Africa. Rick's Café exists but was built in 2004 as a tribute, not a relic. Casablanca isn't a tourist city. It's Morocco's economic engine, and it moves like one.

Question 56

Why do Moroccans have mixed feelings about Casablanca?

Accepted Answer

Casablanca is Morocco's economic engine — home to the stock exchange, major banks, and 40% of industrial output. Moroccans respect its power but find its pace exhausting and its identity more commercial than cultural. Other cities carry visible centuries of history; Casablanca's identity is modern. The relationship is like London to England — essential but complicated.

Question 57

Why is Rabat so quiet compared to Marrakech?

Accepted Answer

It's Morocco's political capital — built for governance, not commerce. You step off the train expecting the full-volume energy of a Moroccan city. Instead: wide avenues, trimmed hedges, a tram gliding past. The medina is smaller and calmer than Marrakech's, with less commercial pressure. Most tourists skip it. A day or two reveals the Morocco that governs and plans its own future.

Question 58

Is Rabat the capital of Morocco? Why not Casablanca or Marrakech?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Rabat has been Morocco's capital since 1912. The French chose it over Fes (politically volatile), Marrakech (too far south), and Casablanca (too commercial). Morocco has four imperial cities — Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, and Rabat — each was once a dynastic capital. Today, Casablanca is the economic capital, Marrakech the tourist capital, and Rabat the political and administrative capital.

Question 59

What are the must-see sights in Rabat?

Accepted Answer

Kasbah des Oudaias — a 12th-century fortress with an Andalusian garden and ocean views. Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V — an unfinished Almohad minaret beside a masterwork of traditional craftsmanship. Chellah — Roman-medieval ruins overtaken by gardens and storks. The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern Art. The medina is compact and relaxed, with none of the hard sell.

Question 60

Can you go inside the Koutoubia Mosque?

Accepted Answer

No. Non-Muslims cannot enter the Koutoubia, or virtually any mosque in Morocco. Two exceptions: the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (guided tours daily) and the Tinmel Mosque in the High Atlas (partially damaged in the 2023 earthquake). The Koutoubia gardens are open to everyone and particularly beautiful at sunset.

Question 61

Can you drink alcohol in Morocco?

Accepted Answer

Legal, available, but not everywhere. Licensed bars, restaurants, hotels, and private accommodation serve it. Public drinking is illegal. Not all riads have licences. Supermarkets in larger cities stock beer, wine, and spirits. Availability thins in medinas, rural areas, and during Ramadan. Morocco produces its own beer (Casablanca, Flag, Stork) and wine from five regions. Discretion is the local custom.

Question 62

Can you eat vegan in Morocco?

Accepted Answer

Easier than you'd think. Many traditional dishes are naturally vegan — vegetable tagine, zaalouk, bissara, couscous with seven vegetables. Marrakech has the strongest dedicated scene (Earth Café, Gaia, Le Jardin). Casablanca has Niya. Fes is trickier — a conversation with the riad in advance makes everything easier. Key phrases: *bidoun lahem, bidoun hlib, bidoun jben, bidoun beid*.

Question 63

What's the difference between a petit taxi and a grand taxi?

Accepted Answer

Petit taxis are the small, colour-coded cars for getting around within a single city — max 3 passengers, metered (in theory). Grand taxis are shared vehicles for intercity routes — up to 6 passengers, fixed fare per seat, they leave when full. Petit taxi colours change by city: ochre in Marrakech, red in Casablanca and Fes, blue in Rabat, orange in Agadir.

Question 64

Are there Ubers in Morocco?

Accepted Answer

Uber relaunched in Casablanca and Marrakech in November 2025, using licensed operators only — no private vehicles. It's pricier than petit taxis but offers fixed pricing and card payment. inDrive is far more popular (96% of ride-hailing users), with a negotiate-your-fare model and cash payment, though it operates in a legal grey zone. Both are part of the transport modernisation pressure building toward the 2030 World Cup.

Guides

The Medina

Inside the Riad

The Senses

Getting Around

Food & Drink

The Rituals

Staying Safe

The Cities