Four «pretenders» who claimed to be part of the Morocco royal family

Throughout the years, several people pretended to be part of the Moroccan royal family. While Bou Hmara pretended to be the eldest son of sultan Hassan I, Serge-Michel Bena, Hicham Mandari and an Israeli woman claimed to be «connected» to the late king Hassan II.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #18 : The three mysterious saints of Errachidia

The Jewish cemetery of Errachidia is home to three Jewish saints, namely Rabbi Yahia Lahlou, Rabbi Moul Tria and Rabbi Moul Sedra. Each one of them has a story to tell. 

The history of Morocco’s currency… from Hassani rial and Moroccan franc to dirhams

In 1881, Sultan Moulay El Hassan introduced the «Hassani rial» as a modern coinage for Moroccans. When French took control of Morocco «franc» replaced «rial». The latter was also replaced by «Moroccan dirham» when the Kingdom broke free from the French.

Red, white and other stars… the different flags Moroccan dynasties raised in the past

Throughout history, Moroccans raised different flags and emblems to distinguish themselves from other powers and nations. Red, however, was a favored color for several Moroccan dynasties.

Jewish Pilgrimage in Morocco #17 : Braham Moul Nesse, Azemmour’s guardian saint

Braham Moul Nesse is a Jewish saint buried in Azemmour near the city of El Jadida and whose Hiloula is celebrated during Lag Baomer, the Jewish rabbinical institution holiday generally celebrated in May.

In 1969, King Hassan II sent a message to the Moon

While stepping on the Moon for the first time, members of the Apollo 11 mission left a message of 73 leaders on the satellite. The message included a statement of King Hassan II, in which he saluted «the great brotherhood of men».

Morocco’s ancient capitals … three cities you never heard of

Aside from the list of capitals that everyone knows about, such as Rabat, Fes, Marrakech and Meknes, Morocco had several forgotten cities that served as capitals for short and brief periods. Here is a list of three of them.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #16 : Nissim Ben Nissim, the legendary saint of Ait Bayoud

Like many other Jewish saints in Morocco, Rabbi Nissim Ben Nissim is visited annually by Moroccan Jews. The Rabbi lived in Essaouira then Ait Bayoud during the nineteenth century.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #15 : Ouled Ben Zmirou, the mysterious saints of Safi

The Ben Zmirou brothers belong to a family that moved from Spain to Portugal and Morocco. They lived in Safi and gained the respect of both the Jewish and Muslim community, but their demise was mysterious.

Moroccan Goumiers, the only WWII soldiers to bring their women to the battlefield

During World War II, French authorities, which sent Moroccan soldiers to fight in Italy, decided to allow these tribesmen to bring their women to the battlefield. The policy was meant to help quell rape and pillage cause by the Goumiers.