Why We Started a Cultural Exchange in Morocco
I first became interested in Morocco when I was at university and loved to spend time at a Moroccan restaurant. Let’s be honest, my taste buds first captivated me, but I also felt like Morocco had a rich culture, and I wanted to know more. My friend and I spent countless hours at the restaurant, partaking in the delicious foods and dialoging with the Moroccan owners. The kind and patient owners were delighted to pour mint tea for us and explain various aspects of Moroccan culture.
Fast forward years later, and my husband and I, along with a good friend have started a cultural exchange business in Casablanca. We are often asked why we want to live here and why we think this business can work here. Morocco is a great place for our cultural exchange, and a place I really love. Someone who visits the country is able to see the fingerprints of various cultures left from a rich history of over a thousand years. In present day Morocco, one can visit the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis, the Portuguese city of Essaouira, the Spanish influence in the north, French influence in language and government, and the Berber communities in the mountains and desert. We shared last week about our favorite places in Morocco, and it was extremely difficult to narrow that list down, because Morocco is so beautiful and so incredibly diverse.
Morocco is truly a crossroads of culture. Geographically, it is located in a unique location positioned between Eastern and Western cultures. Europeans commonly vacation in Morocco as it is just a short flight from the European mainland. Direct flights across the Atlantic Ocean connect North and South America to the African continent. Sub-Saharan Africans move north as they look for opportunities in North Africa and Europe. As people from various cultures meet, these interactions can lead to increased understanding as well as increased tension. Our hope is that mutual understanding and appreciation can result from these interactions.
Travelers to Morocco often enter through three main cities - Tangier (ferries from Spain), Marrakech (flights from Europe), and Casablanca (international flights from various countries). Our business is located in Casablanca (shortened to Casa by locals), which is the economic capital of the country, and a major economic hub of the African continent. Travelers do not often spend much time in Casa as they are quick to visit some of the other picture-worthy sites of the country. However, as the largest city in the country, Casablanca represents the city where people come to find employment. We love Casa because it is a big city with a mix of people and cultures, and for the ease of getting around not just the city, but also the rest of the country as well.
The geography and cultural heritage of Morocco were part of the reason why we wanted to establish a cultural exchange here. But another big part of that desire is that we want to share the best that Moroccan culture has to offer with the rest of the world. The hospitality of the Moroccan people is unparalleled in our world travels. It is not out of the question for someone that you have just met to invite you to their home for tea or a meal. We are always learning hospitality from our Moroccan neighbors, and we love to share that with others.
Are you visiting Morocco soon? Start your travels with us to learn some Moroccan Arabic phrases and cultural dos and don’t and to have the best trip available to you.
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Morocco is a very unique country for several reasons. The first is its strategic location in the northwest of the continent of Africa, just 14 kilometers south of Europe. This beautiful country is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in the North, the Atlantic Ocean in the West, Algeria to the East, and Mauritania to the South. For this reason, Morocco is a crossroads where cultures, civilizations, and ethnicities meet.