The FOM SOUQ
FOM Newsletter Spring 1997
Friends of Morocco is compiling a source list for things Moroccan that can, we hope, lead to the creation of a source reference for our members. We ask that our readers send us the names (and addresses) of restaurants, retailers of Moroccan goods, sources of Moroccan musical recordings, speakers from or about Morocco, exhibits of Moroccan art and artifacts, sources for cooking spices, books, tours, etc...
Though we offer this listing as a service to our members, FOM cannot vouch for service, prices, or availability of products.
The following is a sampling of the most recent arrivals:
Neiman Marcus offers several pages of Moroccan furnishings and artwork in its current home catalogue. The offerings include metal and glass lanterns (electrified), hand tooled and built wall shelves, pottery, and a table. Except for a tagine dish, manufactured for cooking in American kitchens, all of the items are hand-crafted in the traditional manner. Contact Neiman Marcus at 800.825.8000. The items are only available in the catalogue, not in stores.
Overseas Adventure Travel is offering fifteen day Moroccan trips starting at $2,990.00, via Royal Air Maroc. From New York, it includes round-trip air fare, all meals, an "expert" guide, ten nights in small hotels and inns, and three nights camping in tents in the Sahara Desert. In-country travel is by mini-bus or Land Rover. There will be opportunities for cooking and language classes, as well as hiking trips. There is a seven-day side trip offering to Tunisia. For more information, contact Overseas Adventure Travel in Cambridge MA, at 800.221.0814.
Mountain Travel+Sobek offers a Moroccan trip called The Marrakech Express. Departing nearly monthly, the trips are for the more adventurous...portions being by foot or on camel. The trips are divided into camel treks and Atlas treks. The Atlas treks include climbing the Jebel Toubkal (13,671') and hikes through the M' Valley. For more information, contact Mountain Travel +Sobek in El Cerrito, California, at 1.888.687.6235.
American Institute of Architects (AIA) offers several books relating to architecture and urban planning in Morocco and North Africa. Included in their current lists are Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakech, by Lisl and Landt Dennis. It is a verbal and photographic description (over 300 photos) capturing the skill and imagination with which Morocco' decorative arts and crafts are used in houses and furnishings. The book is $45.00 for non-members. Also available is Afrocentric Architecture: A design primer by David Hughes. Contrary to many authors writing on African arts and architecture, Hughes does not believe that the culture of Egypt and the rest of North Africa should be separated from African culture. He also believes that Eurocentric culture does not account for its treat influence on the remainder of the mother continent. Contact the AIA in Washington DC, at 202.626.7475.
The Daily Planet continues to offer Moroccan art and clothing through its catalogues. Included this year are jewelry, vests, leather goods, pottery, dolls, teapots, and burnooses. Contact The Daily Planet in St. Paul MN, at 800.324.5950.
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee is again offering credit study courses in Morocco. The summer courses include studies on society and culture, issues in contemporary history, Maghrebi literature, and Moroccan Arabic. For more information contact the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee at 414.229.5182 or 414.229.4252. Email address is overseas@csd.uwm.edu.
Afrique Magazine is a new French publication from Le Groupe Jeune Afrique. The magazine covers nearly every aspect of current contemporary African life, in terms of politics, fads, specific problems, etc. Included in the magazine is a regular North African section, including information on Morocco. To subscribe, contact Afrique Magazine at 57 bis, rue d', 75016 Paris, tel: (1) 44.30.19.60, fax: (1) 45.20.09.99.
Casablanca is a new Moroccan restaurant in Portland OR. It serves traditional cuisine in "authentic" settings. The Moroccan chef's specialties include seafood, chicken with prunes & apricots, and couscous.
Wunderley Imports has recently expanded their wholesale business to become a direct to consumer business. The company specializes in imports from Morocco and Syria, with a large number of Thuja Wood items. The catalogue includes boxes, ceramics and pottery, mirrors, tea service sets, metal work, glassware, and boneware from Marrakech. Contact Wunderley Imports (who have recently become members of FOM) at 93 Northmont Street, Greensburg PA 15601, tel: For more information
Ibrahim M. Oweiss, Professor of Economics at Washington' Georgetown University, writes in the CCAS News about the annual conference held at Asilah, on the Atlantic coast near Tangiers in 1996. This year' conference is titled Arabs and Americans: The Image of One in the Eyes of the Other.
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