Couscous, is it Moroccan? An animated series on Morocco's intangible heritage gives an answer

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.

Morocco inaugurates its first football museum

Thami El Glaoui, the Pasha who led an ostentatious lifestyle

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.

Forgery of Sterling currency : When Tangier unraveled Germany’s Operation Bernhard

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.

Stranded in the desert near Tan Tan, a French man turned his car into a motorcycle

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.

History : When London’s very first zoo housed Morocco’s Atlas Lions

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.

Stoke, the Indian elephant gifted by Queen Victoria to the Sultan of Morocco

In 1891, Queen Victoria decided to present Sultan Hassan I of Morocco with a precious present. She sent him an Indian elephant called Stoke, leaving Moroccans in awe.

History : When Charlie Chaplin partied at Thami El Glaoui's palace in Marrakesh

Iconic actor Charlie Chaplin visited Morocco in the 50s meeting the country’s most powerful Pasha, Thami El Glaoui. In Tangier, the comic actor has attended a slapstick performance.

In the eighteenth century, an Austrian orientalist wanted to write the history of Morocco

In the eighteenth century, Vienna-born orientalist Franz Von Dombay was sent to Morocco as part of a diplomatic mission. While living in Morocco, he intended to write the history of the Kingdom and its rulers, showing great interest in the spoken dialect.

History : The International Court of Justice once questioned the French protectorate over Morocco

In August 1953, France exiled the Sultan of Morocco Mohammed V and his family. The International Court of Justice, thanks to the United States, seriously questioned the decision.