Morocco's Phoenix

As I conclude my admissions process to Al Akhawayn University, I couldn't help but take today and share a brief account of my future university's rather unusual founding.  As much as it's name, "The Two Brothers," may remind us to help our fellow brother, we may also want to remember our optimism and look for the best in all situations...especially the worst.

On 19 December 1989, an Iranian oil tanker named Khark 5 (en route from Kharg Island, Iran, to refineries in Rotterdam, Netherlands) was caught in a storm and suffered an explosion about 120 nautical miles off the coast of Safi, Morocco. Over 12 days, four tanks leaked at about 200 tons per hour; before a Dutch salvage company finished patching a 60' x 90' hole some twelve days later, over 70,000 tons of crude oil had gushed into the Atlantic off the Moroccan coast.

A Moroccan Government Response Task Force consisting of members from the Moroccan Royal Navy, Interior Ministry, Ministry of Fisheries, and the Civil Defense Force responded to the incident, but it was poorly prepared to face an accidental oil spill and requested assistance from international experts.  On January 4, 1990, an Atlantic Strike Team (AST) representative was sent to the scene.  Additionally, the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) provided cleanup equipment and an on-scene advisor.

Oil slick dispersal, cleaning and recovery operations required the mobilization of considerable human and material resources. Fourteen aircraft and seven boats sprayed detergents on the slick.  Additionally, daily flights over the slick were carried out to observe its movement toward the Moroccan and Spanish coasts (the Canary Islands).

Meanwhile, while the west sent experts and technical assistance, the Middle East - led by Saudi Arabia's King Fahd, sent money in an act of swift generosity and solidarity.  The Saudi check measured $50 million and was only limited to saving Morocco's coastline from oil pollution.

Back along the coast, treatment of the slicks was carried out using dispersants but was soon stopped as it proved ineffective due to the oil not forming a sufficiently dense and continuous slick.  Fortunately, the spill's significance was primarily mitigated by two other factors.  The first, composition, reduced the amount of time that some of the oil remained a threat.

In total, the cargo carried by Khark 5 consisted of 225,000 tons of crude oil.  Aromatic petroleum products made up a third of this cargo. This large proportion of aromatics favored the evaporation of the oil into the atmosphere and its dispersion in the water mass in the form of micelles, thus avoiding heavy ecological impact.

The second was the very weather that caused the accident in the first place.  Despite all tidal and atmospheric indications that the spill would wash ashore, weather patterns shifted abruptly and instead pushed the spillage further into the ocean.  No arrivals of oil on the Moroccan coast were reported, nor were any beachings of dead animals.

After so long, it became evident to Morocco's King Hassan II that he would no longer require Saudi Arabia's money to help assuage the effects of the spill.  However, he could still use it elsewhere.  After a short council with the Saudi ruler, Morocco's King was allowed to use it for the accomplishment of a dream he had long cherished and, in 1995, an American-style university named Al Akhawayn ("The Two Brothers") opened its doors to its inaugural class.

Sources:
* The Cedre website, Khark 5 oil spill
* Incident News: NOAA's National Ocean Service
* Al Akhawayn University Official Website

The Middle Atlas: Volubulis, Fes and Ifrane (Part 5 of 6)

The short trip to Fes was our second - and least time consuming - drive.  Much needed after our five-day southern affair, the smooth, fast highway from Rabat to Fes was as much a welcome change of pace as it was a change of sites.  Roman ruins, tanneries, authentic arms museums and my future university dominated the visit and speckle the following slideshow...

The highway rolled into the Middle Atlas' foothills, our third chain in as many days.

Farming Equipment was replaced by less-intrusive fair along the roads.

Moulay Idriss, overlooking the nearby Roman Ruins.

Volubulis: Roman Ruins NW of Fes

(Click here for more on Volubulis and Moulay Idriss)

The path up to Volubilis.

Part of the Basilica.

The remaining path up to the Tangier Gate.

Not to outshine the asparagus-like cactus, these flowers covered the grounds.

The public square and market area.

The city's old main arch. 

In the House of Hercules, a mural catalogues his 12 Feets of Strength.

One of the more preserved statues, also in the House of Hercules!

The Four Seasons Mosaic.

Fes: Morocco's Cultural and Religious Center

(Click here and here and here for more on Fes)

One of Fes' Many Fountains.

Part of the Old Medina and Cemetery.

The Medrasa Bou Inania, with its Minaret.

The Water Clock, out of commission since the 1500's.

The Small Tanneries.

If you can't take the smell, have some wintergreen "nana."

Most of the leather of the day was from goats.

The Wood-Workers' Alley was a new site; settled next to the big mosque, these pieces are produced for rental during weddings.

Inside the Oldest University in the World, the 9th Century Qorayine Mosque is now the Country's second-largest place of worship behind the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.

Megan with some 15th century knight-less armor.

Dad providing "scale" upon mother's request at the Arms Museum.

Part of the refurbished display in the Moroccan section of the Arms Museum.

A saddle that any of us wished was mounted atop our camels a few days prior.

Relaxing atop the Borj Nord and Arms Museum, taking in the view of Fes' Old Medina.

Next to the Museum, the Merined Tombs host their own wildlife...

...More Baby Sheep.

Ifrane: The Country's Most Modern University Sits an Hour South of Fes

Ifrane's infamous Red, pitched Roofs.

Mom and Megan in front of Ifrane's Lion.

Ifrane in the Distance...

One trip left to Tangier and the north, and it concludes tomorrow!

A Tomb with a View (Part 4 of 4)

A Tomb with a View

The last leg of this past week's journey was to my favorite Imperial city, Fes, and my future home of Ifrane.  In previous accounts of my trips to Fes (click here and here), I already covered most of what we did in our two short days in the old city.  Further - and unlike Marrakesh - I didn't come away with many more profound thoughts (though I did come away with some profound blisters from new shoes). However, two new sites added to my already gleaming perception of the city: The Merinid Tombs and The Borj Nord Kasbah and Weapons Museum.

More Goats than Tombs

The Fortress

A trip to Fes needs to include a trip up the northwestern foothills and the two aforementioned sites.  Why?  The view.  After a handful of visits now, I've seen a couple panoramic views of the old city from riad terraces; they were pretty nice.  To be honest, they were pretty close to the views from the hills I'm currently trying to promote.  But, there's a little something more to the northwest view.

If you start your trip from the old medina to the tombs, two things happen.  First, your travel contrasts.  You begin in crowded alleys, dodging the "baraka" chants of donkey pushers while making futile attempts at orienting your frustratingly small - and incomplete...and inaccurate - map to the plastered maze that you're trying to exit.  Finding that nearest exit door to the outside world is a worthy goal and pretty easy to communicate to the locals as you wind and snake your way towards it.  Once you make it to the other side of your door, the open road to the tombs greets you with suddenly fresher air, modest views of the urban forest you just exited and agricultural, mountain plains to the north.

A Walk Up to the Clouds

Second, you work up a sweat.  Regardless of where you start, your destination is uphill and an honest walk is required to claim your prize.  Someone once told me that nothing's worth it unless you work for it.  This holds true for the view from the tombs.  Most people can walk up the stairs of their resorts for a view without breaking a sweat.  Minutes later, they lose some appreciation for it (guilty!).  Having to make a 20-minute walk uphill prolongs the appreciation...and the experience.

To the Tombs!  The Merinid Tombs were built in the 16th century and are now nothing more than a couple of ruined structures (all that walking for this?!).  Unlike the Saadian Tombs in Marrakesh, time, weather and most likely plunderers have taken their toll on the site.  No marked graves remain, and no other tourists bumped our elbows during the trip.  We enjoyed our view of the oldest part of the city's defense alone.

The Tour Guide Taking a Break

After a short walk to the Barj Nord Kasbah, we enjoyed what I consider the best museum I've seen in Morocco, the Museum of Arms.  Built in 1582 by the Saadian's, the fortress once defended and controlled the entire city.  Today, more than 1,000 pieces of weaponry are chronologically exhibited in 16 rooms.  Recently renovated after its 1963 grand opening, the museum boasts informative display markers that are written in both Arabic and French (unlike most other museums, which are predominantly in French only).

"Benadiq" (Rifles) 

Come Back with your Shield...or on it! 

 Learning...Again

Ow, my feet!

After a prolonged break atop the fortress' roof, we collected our things and got a cab to Ifrane some 45 minutes down the road.  The city was crisply cool during our arrival despite a large sun floating overhead.  Shortly after we exited our chariot, we met with a colleague for lunch and then toured the tiny Swiss stand-in, passing by my future university and the town's out-of-place villas.

 The University

The Duck Pond

 Someone hamming it up in front of Ifrane's Lion...

Ok...someone else hamming it up.

Though I've skipped some points and excluded some of the photos rolling along the slide shows, that concludes our ten good days.  Thank you, Azeezatie, for the pix, and I hope you enjoyed catching up with us!

Twice as Nice, Marrakesh (Part 2 of 4)

"Look at it this way, Rangers.  If you recycle a phase, you get to know it twice as well."  

-Motivation from one of my Ranger Instructors, Benning Phase, January 2003

In that spirit, today's blog may feel like a "been-there-done-that" passage, as I've already written about Marrakesh following a weekend trip there in January.  In that selection, I was left with a couple impressions.  First, the city's contrasts struck me.  There was the vibrating, rambunctious evening noise and then the dead calm of 8:00 AM.  There were hustling, dirty alleys but behind any of their doors, a luxurious French restaurant or lavishly adorned riad.  Second, the city's vibe stood out (and remains unique) to Marrakesh.  Something about the atmosphere of its souqs and the Jemaa el-Fna separate it from Rabat, Casa, Tangier and Fes.  Street commerce buzzes here.  But, I digress (click here for more, if you missed it).

I took away a little something different this trip.  Undoubtedly the result of expanding the realm of exploration, my new perception of Marrakesh is that the city has a more deep and layered history than I previously realized or gave it credit.  Weaved into the old city's scooter-filled and crowded alleyways are several historical remnants that offer a glimpse into the prominence the city played in Moroccan history over the centuries.  I saw a couple of these examples before, but was a little ignorant of them.  The first site visited was a familiar one, the Koubba Ba'Adiyn.

I stopped by this thing in January and didn't know what I was staring at.  Having read a little beforehand this time, I understood on its surface that it was the only example of Almoravid architecture remaining in Marrakesh from the 12th century.  Built by Ali ben Youssef in 1106 AD, it was originally part of a very ornate mosque that no longer exists.

The Koubba

Next was another familiar site, the Marrakesh Museum.  Built in the late 1800's by Sultan Moulay Mehdi Hassan, the museum housed a contemporary art museum (the same one from January) as well as a hodge-podge of displays dating between the 9th and 19th centuries.  Though not as impressive as the museum's inner courtyard, exhibits from the Alaouite and Idrissid dynasties - who ruled from Marrakesh - shed light on their cultures.

The Museum Courtyard

 The Entrance to the Courtyard

Part of the Contemporary Art Exhibit

After a fairly brisk walk through the museum, we visited the Ben Youssef Medrasa, a Qoranic school that at its peak housed and taught 900 students.  Founded by the Merinid Sultan Abou el-Hassan around 1350 AD, the school was named after the Almorivid mosque from which it was attached.  Magnificent example of symmetric architecture similar to the Bou Inania Medrasa in Fes (that we visited a few days later).

  Inner Courtyard

Door to the Courtyard from above

 All the Walls, Covered with Mosaics

The Front Courtyard Wall

The following evening was spent in the Jamaa el-Fna and the Moroccan medieval times, but when we restarted our cultural tour the next morning, it was at another familiar site, the Koutobia Mosque.  This mosque was established in 1147 AD by the Almohad sultan Abd el-Moumen after victories that vanquished the Almoravids from Marrakesh and the surrounding provinces.  The minaret was the original from which the Hassan Tower in Rabat and the Giralda in Seville were later modeled.  The mosque is so named because of the booksellers (Koutobiyin) that based themselves around it until recently.

Ah!  Snake! 

Raven Henna Stamped in the Jemaa

The Minaret

From there, it was to another dynasty's place of remembrance, the Saadian Tombs.  Originally the site of a necropolis during the Almohad period from 1150 - 1250 AD and continuing during the Merinid period from 1330 - 1350, the Saadian's used the site as grave for their royalty, their families and servants from the 16th to 18th centuries.

 Outer Courtyard

 Tomb after Tomb covered with Ornamental Tile

 Inner Royal Tomb

Buried in Luxury

Next was Bahia Palace, a tribute to "the Favorite" of Sultan Si Moussa, that was completed in the late 19th century. Grand in design and scope, this empty palace reminded us to "go big or go home."  Also, our guide reminded us what "harem" actually means...

 Raven, Learning on Vacation...again

The Ceiling of the Teaching Room

After a quick walk through a Jewish Mellah that once accommodated 16,000 inhabitants, we visited the Si Said Museum.  Built in the late 19th century, this palace was a first for me in that it's building didn't overshadow its contents.  Housing Berber jewelry, pottery from Amizmiz and Taroudannt, Glaoui carpets and Saddian woodwork, the museum appeared more historically relevant / significant than the "Museum of Marrakesh."

 Jewelry from the Middle Atlas

 "I know everything." "No, I know everything!"

A Plain First Level Gave Way to a Very Ornamented Second

To round out the cultural experience, we finished the tour with a stop at the Koutobia and Mamounia gardens, two rose-filled reprieves from the busy streets.

 Statue in the Mamounia Hotel, Churchill's Favorite Marrakesh Hotel back in a day

Raven and Roses

Though the prevalent feeling that runs through my head when I think of Marrakesh is tight, smoke-filled lanes and crowded, scooter-filled alleys better suited for white-nosed tourists and sneaky pick-pockets, I'll remember it's nice to see some things twice...just as long as they're not Benning phase.