TOBY

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So far TOBY has created 45 blog entries.

The Fez Festival of World Sacred Music : The Quest for the  Al-Andalous Spirit 

An important diary date for visitors to Fez is the annual Festival of World Sacred Music. It takes place this year from May 24 to June 01st. Featuring concerts, debates, and joint performances of Muslim and Christian devotional music from artists from all over the world. Morocco has for years been opening its arms to musicians from all over the world. The festival this year [...]

2024-08-28T15:22:53+00:0028 May 2024|

The Moroccan Tea Ceremony:

A Symbol of Hospitality and Friendship in Moroccan Culture In Moroccan culture, the tea ceremony holds a special place as a symbol of hospitality, friendship, and tradition. The art of preparing and serving tea is not just about the beverage itself but also about the connection it fosters between people. The tea ceremony involves a meticulous process of brewing green tea with fresh mint leaves [...]

2024-08-28T15:29:20+00:0015 April 2024|

Breaking the fast around the Ramadan table 

  During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world observe fasting from dawn till dusk. Iftar, or the breaking of the fast at sunset, holds immense significance in this spiritual period. It is a time for families and communities to come together, share blessings, and reflect on gratitude. As the sun sets over Morocco during the holy month of Ramadan, families eagerly gather [...]

2024-08-28T15:24:19+00:0012 March 2024|

Almond blossom festival in Morocco 

Tafraoute stands proudly as the largest producer of almonds in Morocco. The fact that infuses the festival with a sense of local pride and abundance. The festival has been a cherished annual event for the village, serving as a jubilant homage to the bountiful harvest and the prosperity it brings. As the harvest season unfolds, the village comes alive with a kaleidoscope of colors and [...]

2024-08-28T15:26:31+00:0020 February 2024|

Yennayer: The Amazigh New Year 

The month of The Amazigh New Year also known as « Yennayer » holds great significance in the Moroccan culture. It is a time of celebration, reflection, and renewal for the berber people. As one of the oldest cultures in North Africa, the Amazighs have a rich heritage that is deeply rooted in their language, traditions, and customs. During this month, communities come together to [...]

2024-08-28T15:34:02+00:0014 January 2024|

The Christmas Olive tree: Symbol of peace and light

Christmas Spirit The Olive Tree is a delightful alternative to the Christmas tree, signifying peace, hope and friendship. We at the Palais Amani have an annual tradition of making our own Christmas Olive Tree. In the Koran, the olive tree is “the blessed tree” and Muslims make prayer beads out of wood from olive trees for centuries. Early societies, consider trees to be sacred and [...]

2024-08-30T10:07:47+00:0018 December 2023|

The art of Mosaic – an ancestral tradition

One of the most striking features of Moroccan architecture is the Zellij, the creation of an intricate mosaic design using hand-cut, glazed tiles. Skilled artisans assemble the jigsaw-like tiles to form geometrical patterns of great complexity. Each piece in the mosaic has a different name, describing either its shape or its function: these include squares, triangles, stars, diamonds, polygons, crosses, knots, forks and candles. Colours [...]

2024-08-30T10:08:05+00:0014 November 2023|

The green march – A Day Engraved In Morocco’s History

This month sees the 48th anniversary of The Green March, a historical event engraved deep in the Moroccan soul – and a unique chapter in the country’s ongoing quest for the full recovery of its southern provinces, originally part of Morocco’s pre-colonial territory. It commemorates a mass demonstration in November 1975, coordinated by the Moroccan government and army. To force Spain to hand over the [...]

2024-08-30T10:08:48+00:006 November 2023|

News and Views from the Palais: Ba mohammed

Ba Mohammed embarks on a whole new adventure.         The Palais Amani Effect:   Summer in Fez: that dry baking heat, intense and luminous that revs up day after day and seems here to stay, permanent, unstoppable. And then one day the heat breaks, the morning starts with freshness in the air, and we know that autumn and a new high season have [...]

2024-08-30T10:09:14+00:0020 October 2023|

Morocco earthquake: pain & solidarity in the Atlas Mountains

Our hearts go out to friends, family and colleagues affected by the earthquake that centred on the High Atlas mountains and the villages of southwest Morocco. Morocco declared three days of national mourning, during which the national flag was flown at half mast.The king, Mohammed VI,  authorised the country’s armed forces to intervene and oversee aid efforts, with rescue teams deployed to provide affected areas with [...]

2024-08-30T10:11:50+00:0027 September 2023|
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