Breaking The Fast

Casablanca, Morocco

August 1-2, 2012

Morocco was the first Islamic country I've ever been to. Morocco has a king who is the ultimate Islamic and political ruler of the country. The king can veto or create any law he likes and nearly has complete political power. His picture was plastered on most street corners and outnumbered the abundance of McDonald's signs.

            I took a tour through Semester At Sea and our first destination was the Hassan II Mosque. On the way to the mosque we passed the "poor neighborhood" of Casablanca. This neighborhood was not the slums of Morocco, but one step up from that. The shanties were composed of cardboard-layered walls and scraps of tin that served as a roof. The neighborhood had been walled-in in a poor attempt to mask the unpleasant scene. We were warned not to go near it and then the subject was quickly changed. Less than a mile away was a gorgeous mosque that was built in 1993 and cost over $700 million. The king's massive palace was also within a mile of the neighborhood. The king has a palace in every city in Morocco and although he lives in Ramat, he has a golf course and horse race track at his Casablanca palace. There are wealth divides and heart breaking extremes in every country, but it is not usually this visible and easy to compare. It brought back memories from driving over the Mexican border with my church. We left lush, green America and suddenly were in a dry land with cardboard homes plastered to hillsides. This was a hard first impression that I receive and while appreciating the country's beauty I held it in my heart.

            Our first official stop was at the Hassan II Mosque- the most beautiful mosque I've ever seen. Unlike the Blue Mosque, the Hassan II Mosque does not use tiles for decorations. The material for the mosque was mostly from Morocco, with the exception of Venetian glass. The mosque was built partially over the Atlantic Ocean and has a massive ceiling that opens, allowing fresh air and sunlight to flood the interior. When Hassan II commissioned the mosque he intended for the Muslims to contemplate Allah's sky and water- two reoccurring important themes in the Qur'an. The floor, columns and exterior arches are made of marble and had geometric designs. The interior arches are made of stucco that consists of marble dust and egg whites, allowing the beautiful and intricate carvings that cover all the walls. Cedar wood was used for the female prayer balcony. Similar to the stucco, the cedar is elaborately carved and painted with stunning shades of green, gold and red. The mosque was breathtaking and as I appreciated the immense beauty I could hear was the soft flapping of the birds' wings as they soared through the open ceiling. The mosque was so gorgeous that I revisited it the next morning. The rest of the sites on the tour had similar architecture and carvings. I've appreciated the architecture in every city, but seeing the recent beauty that they created was very exciting.

            When I wasn't touring sites I was in the Medina (Old City). We walked through the Medina and into an outdoor maze of booths. Morocco has beautiful craftsmanship with wood and etched metal. It was similar to the Grand Bazaar, you could bargain for prices and you also could find similar products at a dozen shops. I fell in love with the inlaid cedar wood jewelry boxes and hand etched metal plates. My favorite shop was outside of the Medina and we were able to watch the boxes and plates being made. Many shops were closed until late afternoon due to Ramadan. One man told us that during Ramadan many Muslims become nocturnal and sleep once they start their fast at sunrise, they then start their day around 3pm. In the evening all of the shops, except for the Jewish shops, would close down for the breaking of the fast at sunset. Casablanca became a ghost town, yet proof of locals' existence was found in the delicious curry scents drifting through the air and the sound of silverware clinking against plates. We went to Rick's Café (from the movie Casablanca) and as we entered the host warned us that our dinner would be delayed for 15 minutes as they broke their fast. It was special being able to see the breaking of the fast and the excitement that spread of their faces as the food was being brought out.

            Casablanca was interesting, but we quickly learned that the real excitement was in Marrakech, three hours away. I'll write about that soon!