A tour of Marrakesh

I had a chance to go on a great tour of Marrakesh a few days ago.  We hit all the major tourist sites, which of course I almost never do, but I should because it was an enriching and beautiful experience.  It renewed my connection with this city that I’ve called home for so long.  I’m sorry I’m not great with dates and history, if I don’t take notes then it evaporates almost instantaneously off the surface of my brain.  Not to mention the late, late hour that the blogging itch strikes me, which is not a peak time for cerebral activity.  I’m going to have to fall back on good old “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

But let me just say this, these places are beautiful in and of themselves.  And if you can find a great guide to connect you with the richness of Moroccan history, so much the better.

These first two photos are at Medrasa Ben Yousef, which was one of the first examples of governmentally institutionalized learning in 1550.   Before that, students would simply find a teacher and learn what they wanted to learn.  This Islamic college was hailed by some as a positive initiative, and decried by others who felt the government should stay out of the business of education.  I guess the home-schooling debate is not as recent as we think!  Anyway, this college fell out of use in 1960, after the French had installed their own educational system in Morocco.  Sigh.

My mother, who is an artist and has studied Islamic art, points out that this following picture contains four out of the five elements of Islamic art.  And they are (from bottom to top): complex star polygons, arabesques, repeat linear patterns and calligraphy.  Brownie points if you can name the fifth element of Islamic art, not in this picture.

The Menara basin and pavilion…used to be an swimming school…and now is a great place to catch a view like this with the Atlas mountains as a backdrop, or feed some of the colossal fish that swim in the murky waters.

The Koutoubia mosque, which I talked about before:

And here are some of the storks that live on the wall of the Bahia palace.  Stork in Arabic is “laq-laq”, and if you’ve ever heard the sound a stork makes, you’ll understand exactly where the name comes from.

PS. Voting is still ongoing over at www.moroccoblogs.com If you can spare 30 seconds, please hop over there and vote for this very blog “Life in Marrakesh” under Best Overall Blogs.  Thank you, shoukran, merci.

Moroccan clothing for kids

Caftan and jabador child

Check out this white caftan child off for children to celebrate religious festivals and celebrations of weddings and other personal occasions. Caftan child and also jabador couture worked hand in a Aalem me fabric upscale choice for you. Jabador man in three parts of 2013 high fashion and cheap
Visit our site to find special deals on Moroccan outfits discounts orders


Pretty caftan takchita children

The caftan-maroc.net site has not forgotten the little children. It presents you a Moroccan dress for girls, takchita of 2013 with pink sleeveless satin silk fabric and velvet. Moroccan clothing for parties and religious occasions such as Aid. Our caftan cheap child with a yellow sfifa luxury and a sky blue caftan with matching takchita.



Red caftan child


For small caftan-maroc.net Angels launches a new collection of Moroccan caftan for girls. Modern Moroccan caftan in two parts and haute couture. Hand embroidered caftan a professional ma'alma in Fez. Our Moroccan caftan red with or without sleeves available in several colors and fabric: Mobra, Satin silk .. Our caftan is the trend in 2013


Child pink caftan


Caftan-maroc.net offers Moroccan caftan pink for girls. Moroccan caftan wonderful year 2013. Hand embroidered caftan a sfifa of Squalli. Our children sleeveless caftan. couture designated for wedding celebrations. Moroccan caftan fabric Mobra.





Green caftan child


Découvez green Moroccan caftan for girls. Moroccan caftan made ​​for the holidays. embroiders a craftsman in Fez lbali. Available in several colors, styles, and sizes. Authentic Moroccan caftan couture. tulle caftan, trend 2013. available through our catalog of Moroccan caftan, Takchita, gandoura ..




Moroccan caftan black child


it presents a superb Moroccan caftan child black kaftan for little girls, to celebrate the festival. made of high fashion and different fabric: Mobra; Satin .. Our caftan child of 2013 is not expensive. Visit our website and discover our catalog Moroccan caftan, Takchita, Jabadour ...

Caftan and jabador child

Check out this white caftan child off for children to celebrate religious festivals and celebrations of weddings and other personal occasions. Caftan child and also jabador couture worked hand in a Aalem me fabric upscale choice for you. Jabador man in three parts of 2013 high fashion and cheap
Visit our site to find special deals on Moroccan outfits discounts orders

Kaftan: the pride of Moroccan women

Morocco World NrwsCasablanca, April 11, 2013“Many inspiring women have shown me how such a garment is created somewhere between fantasy and reality,” wrote Sonia Maria in an article of hers published on NJAL, an online fashion platform. The “garment” that Maria refers to is the Moroccan majestic dress, the Kaftan. Her description flawlessly matches the proprieties of this charming Moroccan attire. 

Between “fantasy” and “reality,” the Kaftan stands out as a composite amalgamation of subtle and luxurious fabrics, composite designs and shapes, and an artist’s personal perspective of women’s beauty and femininity.To start, the Kaftan is to be distinguished from the Djellaba. The latter is traditionally recognized for featuring a hood, whereas the former does not. The Kaftan is basically a hoodless Djellaba. For it is commonly worn during special occasions, the Kaftan tends to be more elaborate and intricate in its designs than the Djellaba.

 This however does not undermine the uniqueness of the Moroccan Djellaba, which has also gained a new air of modernity by contemporary fashion designers. Hence both the Kaftan and the Djellaba are now almost at the same scale of sophistication and modernity.Second, the Kaftan is not to be confounded with Takchita. Even some Moroccans still find it difficult to distinguish between the two. It is agreeable that both Moroccan dresses might sometimes look almost selfsame in terms of form and constituents. However, Takchita distinctively comes in a double-layered design: a dress blanketed by a Kaftan-like robe. Equally, however, both Kaftan and Takchita are worn for special occasions, though Kaftan comes comparatively more composite in its colors, designs and patterns for it is also a traditional wedding dress. 

Nevertheless, there exist simpler and less elaborate versions of Kaftan.A bridal garment par excellence, the Moroccan Kaftan is traditionally recognized for being a long-sleeved, front-buttoned robe, traditionally opened at the front.  Made up either of silk or cotton, alongside many other newly introduced fabrics, the Kaftan tends to be embroidered with braids at different parts of it. It comes also with detailed and coherent patterns and lustrous colors. This enchanting dress that fascinates all women around the world, as astounding as it may sound, is traditionally hand-made. This reverberates Morocco’s highly professional and unique artisans and designers.Looking in retrospect at Kaftan’s history, we travel back into time to the epoch of the Ottoman Empire. 

The Kaftan in that era was reflective of the person’s hierarchical rank and position in relation to the Sultan. The Kaftan worn by those women in the entourage of the sultan was unquestionably distinct from that worn by ordinary women. The higher the rank of the wearer was, evidently, the more elaborate and embellished was her Kaftan, and vice versa.When the Kaftan reached Morocco, however, it has gained a different air and signification. Worn both as a casual and formal attire, depending on the complexity of its design, the Moroccan Kaftan has been more symbolic of women’s delicate taste in traditional clothes. Brides have also worn it during their weddings to accentuate their beauty and femininity.

The Moroccan artisan and designer has been recognized by his impressive ability to match women’s descriptions and expectations with the final product. He even sometimes stupefies them by his personal perspective, stemming from his know-how and experience of what magnifies women’s beauty and femininity in Moroccan dresses.After Kaftan had reached Morocco, it encapsulated the country’s cultural richness and complexity. 

Morocco repainted the originally Ottoman attire with colors from its mosaic of identities and cultural particularities. The Moroccan Kaftan speaks different languages and is representative of a plethora of Moroccan sub-identities, which in turn form its one and monolithic identity.The love relationship between the Moroccan Kaftan and its wearer is beyond the banalities of price and occasion. The relationship starts at first sight, when the woman sees the design/tissue, and endures until her body meets the Kaftan’s fabric. 

At that very instant, the Kaftan remolds to match its wearer’s sense of femininity and beauty. It accentuates the woman’s outer beautiful traits and discloses her inner delicateness and fineness. Basically, it matches her personality and speaks her mind.As when the Moroccan   Kaftan is worn by a non-Moroccan woman, it discovers her own femininity and adds a Moroccan breath to it. I would dare to say that it unveils the â €˜Moroccan dimension’ of every non-Moroccan woman’s body. What else, then, could be more enchanting than rediscovering a new facet of what makes a woman distinctively beautiful?When it comes to modernity, and just as I exemplified in a previous article (Salma Kaftan design), the traditional Moroccan Kaftan captivatingly immixes in the chemistry of the traditional and the modern. Salma has been one example of how only Moroccan designers have this idiosyncratic ability to preserve the traditional Kaftan’s majesty while injecting a breath of modernity and occidental topicalities.

The Moroccan Kaftan continues to be an important constituent of Morocco’s cultural identity. Kaftan is the pride of every Moroccan woman. It symbolizes her simplicity and her sophistication; her femininity and beauty; her cheeriness and delicacy; and her mesmerizingly colorful and open mind.

Women around the world are now considering the Moroccan dress more of a universal attire that matches all and every distinctive criteria of beauty and high quality worldwide. The Moroccan Kaftan stands up as sempiternal dress that gains more sumptuousity with time to endure and compete even in an age of revolutionary fashion and design.

Moroccan traditional dress of kids

Traditional clothes and children

In Morocco, the opportunities that we celebrate with family abound. If adults are spoiled for choice of evening gowns, tuxedos and lavish caftans, our children always depend on us and pageantry account as that of adults.
At a time when traditions are full perdition and customs no longer have children, it is important to keep the traditional as unforgettable and dearest to the hearts of our little habit. Some have understood this and take advantage of various opportunities to offer their most beautiful cherub holding beldi. Whether a caftan, a jabadour or just a tunic or vest ... there's something for everyone, for all ages and stylists are full of creativity to provide the best for children. Siham Habti, best known for the high adult sewing, said: "It is true that beldi expensive and it pushes some mothers choose not to dress as favorite small especially as children grow quickly and that Exhibit ' not long range. That said, moms and dads can opt for lighter clothing or simply tunics with a Moroccan touch reminiscent of a little attachment to traditional dress. What remains important is that parents must love small traditional dress. "


Other designers have made the habit of the child their own domain. Ghislaine Sahli, creator Al Razal, small dresses.
Princely toilets, christening gowns, ceremonial outfits ... what do your cabbage bou'de a prince or a princess for a night.
Since a long time, the Moroccan touch invaded fashion for children.
Far from the haute couture, even ready-to-wear followed the trend. Embroidered belts, trimmings, collars with sfifa ... and other specific caftans and jellabiyas details adorn trousers and modern tunics. The traditional touch embraces the modern, to the delight of young and old

Moroccan Dress: Jellaba, Caftan or Takchita?

Moroccan Dress: Jellaba, Caftan or Takchita?   

Well, writing about Haja Hamdaouia's style made me want to write about Moroccan traditional dress… but if I really want to write about it, it will be the longest blog ever because there is a LOT to say! But that's not the case so, here is some information

 

Moroccan traditional dress is centuries old, has undergone many changes, and varies from region to region. We usually agree on the fact that Caftan is the traditional dress, but if we take into consideration the Amazigh tribes, the Eastern part of Morocco, as well as the Arab nomads and desert inhabitants, it turns out that we have many Moroccan traditional dresses. Let us just say, the most famous and most popular Moroccan dress tends to be a Jellaba, for daily use, and Caftan, for celebrations. Caftan itself is divided into two types, Caftan, which is one piece dress, and "Takcheeta", which is Caftan plus an upper layer known as "Dfeena". Caftan is for minor celebrations, and Takchita is for weddings and birth celebrations for instance

 

Moroccan traditional Takchita is known as "Malakiya", "Makhzaniya", in reference to the traditional Fassi dress worn by the princesses of the royal family. It is the classic intemporal style

 

 

However, Takchita is so loved by Moroccans of all ages and social milieus that it has naturally progressed along with the requirements of modernity. There are yearly fashion shows of Caftan with new models and inspirations. The most famous and fanciest of these shows is simply known as "Caftan", and takes place every year in Marrakesh. Famous worldwide fashion designers, such as Jean Paul Gaultier, have revisited the Caftan

 

 

 

How we make Moroccan traditional dresses

First of all, we buy fabric. There are many types of fabric, and the most popular ones tend to be silk, brocade, velvet, Kashmir, wool (mleefa), etc. Moroccan women are also very fond of Indian saris. Fabric can cost from 250 to 15000 dirhams, it really depends on what you can afford. Therefore, everybody can wear Caftans and Takchitas. For Jellabas, fabric can even be cheaper. Jellaba is the most widely worn dress in Morocco!

 

 

After buying fabric, we take it to a special dressmaker specialized in "beldi" (traditional) style. These skilled dressmakers advise us on the tailoring but also, and especially, on the "sfeefa" style and colour. Sfeefa is the traditional passmentrie ornament of Moroccan dresses

 

  

After we choose a model and a pattern, the dressmaker gives our fabric to a team of designers. They are sfeefa, embroidery, pearl settings, and tailoring specialists. Sfeefa can either be with silk or with gold threads, and of course, each type has its own experts!

 

 

Takchita, unlike Caftan and Jellaba, is composed of two layers and a belt. The belt can be made of gold threads or of silk threads, or simply in fabric with various types of ornaments. The belts are traditionally made of gold or silver, which has remained a quite common custom (yet, an expansive one, so guess how common

Jellaba

 

 

Jellaba tends to be more discrete, and has a hood. Jellaba is really for day to day apparel, and besides that it is always worn in specific occasions such as visiting people for condolences, but also on happier occasions like the 27thnight of Ramadan and the days of Aids (religious celebrations

 

 

Jellabas are for men too, but of course, in different style. Men also have their Caftan called "Qamiss", and a style of it called "Gandoura

Moroccan traditional Clothes

Moroccan traditional Clothes

Yes, this picture can give you just a simple idea about Moroccan traditional clothes. Of course, Moroccans do not wear them everyday because they are not practical at all, but they occasionally wear them when they are invited to a wedding or a birth party, and i personnally wear them while organizing Musical parties for differente occasions and in many different places such as Raid Zany where I worked as an assistant and a hostess .

Making such wonderful clothes is not very difficult, since all that you have to do to get one or some like this , is to go to the Medina buy pieces of cloth and take them to a tailor who will take your size and start working on it straight a way. it may take 1 or 2 weeks maximum to make them then all that is left to do is to wear them and feel Moroccan.

So if you have a nice place in Fez City and you would like to start organizing traditional or Sufi Musical parties,or you have some question about how to make clothes like this , please contact

Traditional dress of Morocco

Morocco is the gem of the North Africa having coastlines on both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has tremendous culture due to the inhabitation of the multi-ethnic population. While traveling to Morocco, the colors of indigenous Berber community and Jewish and Muslim populace can easily be observed. The country is a reasonably huge country and its every part has its own cultural recognition.

A Berber woman in her traditional dress ( Image: Angelas Travels )

The Moroccan society is not conservative because Morocco is a peaceful and tourist friendly country. Morocco has no particular rules and regulation about the clothing but the Moroccans have kept alive the custom to wear the traditional dress of Morocco.

A random capture of the Moroccons in their traditional dresses- Allan Old's Image

Moroccans are overall a stylish and smart nation and they prefer to dress up with fashionable and impressive clothing. Both men and women wear a same traditional attire which is called djellaba; a long, loose, hooded garment with full sleeves.

A Moroccon girl wearing traditional dress - Angelas Travels

The women of Morocco also wear Caftan or Kaftan which is without a hood unlike the djellaba. This dress is particularly decorated with the typical woman embroidery upon the dress openings and arms. Kaftan is usually worn on the festive occasions and wedding ceremonies by the Moroccan women.

The Moroccon bride in her traditional wedding dress - K. Azzouzi's Image

Another traditional cloak made with a delicate fabric and mostly in white color is known as “Haik” which is used by the Moroccan village women. In addition to that Gandora is also used by the Moroccan women which have heavy and fancy stitching and adornments.

A pretty Moroccon woman dressed up with the ceremonial dress - ReebA's photo

For all of the Moroccan women the bright colored silks and other dainty fabrics are favorites. The craftsmen and tailors apply their special skills to make the women dresses attractive and graceful. The women of high class also use a traditional belt which has golden embroidery and exquisite decorations along the edges.

A Moroccon man wearing the traditional outfit and Fez - Grete Howard's Image

 Abernousse is a traditional red cap for the Moroccan men which they normally use in special occasions. Abernousse is commonly referred to as a Fez. Both men and women use Balgha, the typical Moroccan slippers without heels and often dyed with yellow.

A Moroccon water seller in his traditional costume - Richard Sharrocks image

The traditional dress of Morocco is the true reflection of the charming and fascinated Moroccan heritage. People of every class in Morocco are very conscious about their dress codes. The traditional loose fitting outfits are commonly worn by the folk artists during their presentations while the modern Moroccan population is also much influenced with the Western style of dressing.

A Moroccon Belly Dancer in her traditional dancing costume - Thomas Grim's Image

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What Is A Moroccan Caftan ? What Is A Takchita ?

What Is A Moroccan Caftan ? What Is A Takchita ?

Moroccan Caftan or Moroccan Kaftan is a long dress that Moroccan women wear in special events such as weddings and birthdays. Moroccan Kaftans gained popularity after they have been introduced to the World by the biggest clothing lines and stylists through fashion shows.

What is the difference between a Moroccan Caftan and a Takchita ?

Oftentimes non-Moroccan designers confuse Moroccan Caftan with Takchita, therefore they don’t make a difference between a Takchita and a Caftan, they call them both Moroccan Caftan. The truth is that in Moroccan culture women and stylists make a difference between these two:

Takchita : is a two piece dress composed of two parts, a Tahtiya as the first layer (a caftan traditionally simple with no ornaments) , and Fouqia or Dfina as the second layer, a kaftan which is often open and transparent with a lot of beautiful embroidery and ornaments.

A Takchita is usually worn with a Mdamma (belt), either made of silk or made of gold or silver decorated with precious stones (diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald)

Caftan : is a one piece dress usually worn loosely without a Mdamma (Belt).

History

Moroccan Caftan finds its roots in Persian heritage introduced to North Africa by Arab conquerors. Moroccan caftan is a cultural heritage resulting of the multiple civilizations that took over in Morocco during the past centuries. Several cultures had contributed in the creation of Moroccan Culture; Berber culture, Arab culture, Andalusian culture.

Women in North Africa, especially in Morocco and Algeria, wear Moroccan kaftan both daily at home and occasionally at special events. Moroccan Caftan is the equivalent of Abaya in the Middle East.

Popularity Princess Lalla Salma wrearing a Moroccan Caftan

Before the 1990’s Moroccan Caftan was unknown to the World, but it gained popularity thanks to :

Moroccan diaspora: Moroccan emigrants and their descendants estimated to be 4.5 million living abroad. These emigrants brought Moroccan Kaftan with their culture to Western countries.

Fashion Shows:Countless Fashion Shows held across the globe introduced Moroccan Caftan and Takchita as the main theme of the night . Amongst those shows :

- Caftan 2009: Televised on Fashion TV

- Caftan 2012: Held at Palais Des Congrès Marrakech. This event has been televised on national Moroccan TV station 2M.

- Moroccan Kaftan Show : Held in London

Stylists and Designers: The first Haute Couture stylists to import Moroccan caftans and Takchitas into their catalogs were Yves Saint Laurent, Kenzo, JP Gautier and Christian Lacroix.

Moroccan Royal Family: The Royal Family is known to be very proud of Moroccan Caftan and Takchita, especially in international official events where cameras are pointed to them. Most of Moroccan people consider Princess Lalla Salma or Lalla Selma to be the greatest shining star from the royal family representing the culture of Moroccan Kaftan across the globe.

Now that Moroccan Caftan and Takchita have been introduced to the World, designers and stylists are rushing to include them into their catalogs.

The Golden Age Of Moroccan Caftan and Takchita

After Moroccan Caftan made its breakthrough in the world of fashion, numerous stars appeared wearing it in big events.

Hillary Clinton Wearing Moroccan caftanHillary Clinton with The King Of Morocco Mohammed VIHillary Clinton and Princess Lalla Meyem wearing Moroccan Caftan

While she was visiting The Kingdom Of Morocco Hillary Clinton has enjoyed her discovery of a new clothing style, the Moroccan Caftan.

 

 

 

 

 

Beyonce wearing a beautiful red Moroccan traditional caftanBeyonce wearing a beautiful red Moroccan traditional caftan

American star Jessica Simpson wearing a beautiful black Moroccan Caftan for Halloween American star Jessica Simpson wearing a beautiful black Moroccan Caftan for Halloween

American actress and Academy Award winner Susan Saradon  wears a beautiful blue traditional Moroccan CaftanSusan Sarandon wearing a beautiful Moroccan Kaftan

Men traditional clothes :Eligant Moroccan Gandora

Eligant Moroccan Gandora

the Gandora dosn’t have a hood,and normally has short sleeves.

This portrait of a Berber man from the Tafilalet region of Morocco wearing a gold embroidered gandoura and an indigo colored chech. A gandoura is the full, kaftan like garment worn over a shirt and pants. And a chech is the long strip of cloth wrapped around the head.

Eligant Moroccan Gandora

tradional clothes for south region of morocco

This kind of djellaba is used in the ceremonies like the wedding party or important events

very chic gandora

Men traditional clothes :Djellaba

Djellaba

The djellaba, a typical robe that you cannot miss from the very first few seconds after arriving in Morocco. According to the many people we have met who have professed to be experts in many areas, there are three basic types of djellaba for men and two basic everyday options for women. For both sexes, the machzania or “government” djellaba is the most common throughout the country.

Cotton flannel djellaba

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The winter moroccan djellaba

Modern urban Djellaba

Moroccan traditional dress

Moroccan traditional dress
This caftan Raising a proven dress Moroccan heritage components. It was brought to the lady lady urban and in rural areas they are at the same time as the Jewish or Muslim faith

These early texts mentioning the Moroccan dress dating from the sixteenth century. Already covered by the Parthians and Persians, this dungeon caftan was introduced in kaftans sale East Muslims in Casablanca. The Emir Abd al-Rahman II (822-852) - breakfast son along Rabat, who won the Andalucia where icelui rarely formed independent emirate in the ninth century - the culture like the artist received Zyriab, came to Baghdad.

It was discovered that refinement East Muslim Andalusian with gold stitching music, culinary and business dress. He then showed them to wear according to the seasons insured pale paintings and summer, then doubled held true dark winter.

This refinement of the caftan is located in the traditional task of the proven "maalems" loyalty (insured contractor) and Creative Evolution tends to shine in traditional form.

It is also right to exist seen a traditional Moroccan dress. Regarding more, with the emergence of young artists found in Morocco and elsewhere, this dress was finished with heels make you dream beyond the borders of Morocco.

The Moroccan caftan means clothing that resembles the chasuble, however, with the exception of the hood. The origins of the back of the caftan Turkish Empire. In this sequel was a real long-term Ottoman costume worn by the elite. Similarly other clothing, it has evolved with time.

There are excellent caftans for rent in the position to deploy almost the dress in the evening. But we found that this is often relentlessly tunic mine true aristocrat, namely accompaniments and / or law embroidery. I think boubou is the era of democratization and become the only appearance to ceremony as dissimilar.

In Morocco, women wear these special occasions such as a wedding. The caftan clothing towards the base with the bride wedding this light tone. It is even supported by a below takchita unique hand decorated clothes on this sweet face with traditional touches and do it right, with huge innings after single thick belt worn around the waist. In contrast to the tunic, caftan's weird stride mouth off back home.

These caftans of Morocco are the green, then they were introduced late in this country because it is in the company of North Africa, including the Arab conquerors

The best Moroccan kaftans are available in speech and in agriculture in Caftanes. On their profession is very well designed website can help you to organize decision in the long segment of beautiful fabrics for quality insured amount very interesting. This support from the buyer when East him probe a larger institution, taking luxury. This gay gssein reputation.

Examine yourself to the study, taking into Morocco? Visit celablogging available with Anas Lkhroub for more information on the full flow effect Boubou long address.