«Mohammed Temim, Ambassadeur du Maroc, a la Comédie Italienne» is the title given to a painting of Antoine Coypel in 1682. The painting is expected to be exhibited from Sunday 22nd of October to 25th of February 2018 at the Palace of Versailles allowing visitors to know more about the story of Mohammed Temim, the ambassador of Moulay Ismail sent to meet Louis XIV.
In 1627, the newly founded Republic of Salé sent two ambassadors to London to negotiate a treaty. England was planning to turn the republic into a military base for a joint action against Spain.
Sent by Alaouite Sultan Mohammed IV to the Court of Napoleon III, Driss Al Amraoui, son of a scholar, left a tale of his wonder for printing machines, new technologies and the situation of women in France.
Sent by Sultan Moulay Ismail to the court of King Carlos II of Spain, Mohamed Al Ghassani was tasked with the mission of releasing Muslim captives and retrieve Morocan manuscripts lost in the Iberian country.
Sent by Alaouite Sultan Mohammed III to the court of King Carlos III of Spain, Mohamed Ben Othman Al Meknassi had to discuss the release of another ambassador who was held hostage in Malta.
Entrusted by Sultan Moulay Ismail with the assignment of conducting a peace treaty with Britain, Moses Ben Attar was a Jewish merchant from Salé. Although he was named Naguid in 1724, he was constantly fined by the King.
Sent by sultan Mohammed ben Abdellah to the Ottoman Empire, Abdelkrim Ragoun did not return from Constantinople empty-handed. The diplomat brought a valuable gift to the sultan.
In the 1880s, British lawyer Abdullah Quilliam sailed to Tangier for a vacation. In the city he was impressed by Islam and Muslims and decided to renounce Christianity for the religion. Back to Liverpool, the man helped build one of the first mosques in the UK.
Don Joseph Diaz was Morocco’s ambassador extraordinary to Great Britain in 1707. Sent by Sultan Moulay Ismail, the diplomat enjoyed his social life in London, including reading the print media.
Meir Macnin was a cunning merchant, who was operating in Essaouira. He left Morocco for England in 1799 for commerce but returned years later to become the sultan’s diplomat.
Sent by Alaouite Sultan Moulay Abderrahmane to the court of King Louis-Philippe I of France, Abdelkader Ach’ach’s diplomatic mission to Paris affected Tetouan’s most powerful family.
Jacob Benider is a Jew of British nationality who was appointed in 1772 by Sultan Mohamed III as Morocco’s ambassador to Britain. Once in London, the diplomat suffered several indignities.
In the 1630s Morocco and England argued over piracy activities. By the end of 1638, Saadi sultan Mohamed Cheikh Es-Sghir sent diplomat Mohamed ben Askar to Charles I’s court to demand action against English corsairs. The mission was a complete failure.
Sent by Saadi sultan Ahmed Al Mansour to Queen Elizabeth I a couple of years before diplomat Abdeouahed Anoun, Caid Ahmed Ben Adel discussed the first terms of the Anglo-Moroccan Alliance. In London, the diplomat had even inspired William Shakespeare for his playwright «The Merchant of Venice».
In the 1720s, Mohammed Ben Ali Abgali was sent to England as Moulay Ismail’s ambassador to the English court. Once in London, he attended arts events and visited the country’s prestigious educational institution.
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.
In 1777, caid Tahar ben Abdelhak Fennish was sent by Mohammed ben Abdellah to negotiate a treaty with the French to free Moroccan captives. Years later he was asked by the Alaouite sultan to make the USA befriend the Kingdom.
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.
Appointed by Saadi sultan Mohammed esh-Sheikh es-Seghir, Jawdar ben Abdellah was Morocco’s first full ambassador to England. He met King Charles I in 1637 to conclude an agreement in favor of the dying dynasty.
During the holy month people refrain from eating and drinking water for 14 to 18 hours. The religious practice is somehow similar to what dietitians around the world call intermittent fasting, a dieting lifestyle that has promising results in weight loss.