Afternoon in Asilah, Morocco
Berber baskets in Asilah, Morocco
December 29th, 2020
After yesterday’s drive, today we’re in Asilah on the coast of Morocco. Behind the fortress walls, a sleepy town basks in the sunlight — it looks a little bit Greek, a little bit Spanish and entirely Moroccan with its Berber wares and pointy leather shoes. (Oh, how I wish I had brought a pair home.)
Asilah is a canvas of white, embellished with arched doorways, ironwork and swaths of color along every path through the medina. Painted walls and murals show the artistry the town is known for since the inception of Asilah’s art festival in the 1970s. The festival created an identity for the town, while also generating interest and income from tourists.
Along the fortress wall Sidi Mansour mausoleum can be seen from the jetty, its gravesites marked with decorative tiles worn and torn by the Atlantic weather. The fishing boats have returned for the day but a lone fisherman keeps at it in the surf outside the fortress wall.
With the view from here on a sunny day, it’s easy to see why Asilah has been a coveted outpost for centuries. Such an enviable seaside location would make watching for pirates a little bit more enjoyable.
More from Morocco tomorrow,
Kelly
Post of the Day: Adding a bit of light to the darkness as we get through the pandemic together. This series features travel photos from my archives, shared with you while staying close to home.
I’ve always wanted to travel to Morocco, I love their art, food, and culture. Great pictures!
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Hey there! Thank you! Agreed — so much to love about Morocco and its people. So much creativity! Happy almost New Year! 🙂
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All the handicrafts are very attractive but it is true that there are too many of them everywhere and the difficulty of getting rid of the insistent sellers makes people leave without buying anything. The mural by Ghita is astonishingly modern, I like the style.
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Funny — I almost didn’t include that mural (bad framing on my part) but there is something about it that won’t let go. A departure from the overall style of Asilah, maybe? In any case, bravo Ghita! 🙂
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The blues and golds of that mural are lovely. What a harmonius place to live 🙂 🙂
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Yes, that mural is Arabic calligraphy. So beautiful!
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OOps- missing an ‘o’ 🙂
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You still get an A+ from me. 🙂
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🙂
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So very glad you posted this. We didn’t get to this town, but now wish we could have. Happy New year!
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Cute town for sure, and probably more vibrant in the summertime and full of art. HNY to you too!
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Fabulous 😊
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Thanks! 🙂
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Hi, Kelly, lovely post! I adore all of the color! I have nominated you for the 10 Day Travel Challenge. (https://microofthemacro.com/2020/12/30/travel-challenge-day-1) If you choose not to participate, no problem at all. Just wanted to show my appreciation for your blog & your ongoing support of mine! 🌞
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Thank you so much, Lisa!! As soon as I wrap up my series on Morocco, I will accept your challenge! It will be a nice change to think about my favorite images and do a series of simple posts, with no explanation — after blogging nearly every day for more than 250 days! Thank you for thinking of me. Happy New Year and cheers to 2021!
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Cool! I look forward to seeing your picks! Warm blessings for your new year! 🌞
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Incredible series of photos capturing a place I’ve long wanted to visit. All your photos bring such a warm feeling to the place, the people and then the last photo is one where I could see myself kickin’ back and just taking in place 🙂 Wishing you well, and great happiness and health in the year ahead.
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Lots of great photos here, Kelly, but my favorite is the first. Powerful. –Curt
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Mine too!! I could have photographed that wall and those colors for the whole afternoon. So striking. I can’t believe I didn’t buy one of the baskets. Next time, for sure.
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For sure, for sure. 🙂
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As usual, I’m drawn to the walls. The photo called “Arabic calligraphy” is everything I love to see!
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Isn’t the calligraphy beautiful?! I was really struck by it too. I remember it being outside some kind of business related to writing or poetry or a similar pursuit. I zoomed all over Google maps to see if I could find the business and learn more about it, but no luck. Oh well. Still really dynamic and memorable.
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That blue and orange mural! Gorgeous!
Alison
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Yes, that mural was captivating especially amid all the white walls/buildings. Thanks!
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It’s so sunny, and the white complements the sun and those amazing colours all over those photos. It’s so beautiful!
With such rich confluence of cultures, sun, spices Morocco must have amazing food for travelers. I know of couscous and love it, is the street food good in Morocco 🙂?
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