British lawyer George Sale was the first man to conduct a direct English translation of the Quran. His 1733 translation contained notes and an interpretation of Muslims’ manners and laws.
During the 12th century, French abbot Peter the Venerable tried to introduce Islam to Christians in Europe through a book that ridiculed the religion. In his summary book, Peter gave an erroneous image of Islam, portraying it as a heresy.
In the 1700s, American statesman Thomas Jefferson purchased a copy of the Quran. Historical records suggest that the third President of the US bought the book as a law student while others say he studied it to better understand his Muslim enemies in North Africa.
Bassmat Tourath is a new animated series on Moroccan history and intangible heritage that tries to debunk historical misconceptions in an academic yet entertaining way.
Named Pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Glaoui was fascinated by the Western culture and lived his life, throwing extravagant parties in his Marrakech residence. He treated his European guests to lavish banquets and offered them expensive gifts.
In 1943, a British bank in Tangier spotted, for the first time, samples of counterfeits, putting an end to the mass forgery of Sterling currency. The operation was initiated by Nazi Germany to destroy the British economy during World War II.
French electrician Emile Leray is known to the rest of the world as the man who turned his car into a motorcycle to survive hunger and thirst in the Moroccan Sahara. In 1993, his car broke near Tan Tan after he was on a solo trip to the desert.
In 1200s, a royal zoo in London housed Barbary lions among other exotic wild animals. The skulls of these lions were discovered centuries later by scientists who suggested that they belong to Atlas Lions that lived between Morocco and Egypt.