# data[].attributes.body
the industries in Morocco effect the economy of Morocco, it decides whether it cares more about the primary, secondary or tertiary industry

# data[].attributes.body
The Arts in morocco has many forms and thats why it make them special

# data[].attributes.body
The specialties of the Architecture in Morocco is that they have many special patterns that other countries doesn't have

# data[].attributes.body
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12aiCaswc6VyFaBGycHRi70MG-3mYyidtuZWBEDzWbgI/edit

# data[].attributes.body
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11r1mytkMXH0yygtTbTpVF1kG0n11vkikmjeiuiYicFM/edit

# data[].attributes.body
https://hellopoetry.com/words/morocco/

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/morocco-atlas-lions-nickname-world-cup-2022/inmy1s4g9v6ekdydrc29px8h

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
After becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals, Morocco have certainly made a name for themselves at Qatar 2022.

The Moroccans beat the likes of Belgium, Spain and Portugal - conceding just one goal across five games - before falling short against France in the semifinal.

The country's exploits on and off the pitch have captured the world's attention as their underrated players shine on the field and their devoted fans make themselves heard within stadiums.

Morocco have been referred to as the Atlas Lions throughout their journey in Qatar, but why exactly is that? The Sporting News takes a look.
MORE: Who is Bono? Morocco's goalkeeper becomes national hero
Why are Morocco called Atlas Lions?

Morocco's team nickname is a reference to an animal that was once found in the country.

The Atlas Lion, otherwise known as the barbary lion, was native to North Africa and prowled the Atlas Mountains which are found in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

Sadly these lions are now considered extinct in the wild with the species subject to mass hunting in the early 20th century.

Thankfully, the animal lives on in captivity, with Morocco's Rabat Zoo home to 37 Atlas Lions as of early 2022 - the largest population in the world.

Morocco's men's football team are also now ensuring the Atlas Lions are heard all around the world.

A historic pride of Atlas Lions 🦁@EnMaroc | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/MU9FMIRaHo
- FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 10, 2022

Why do Morocco wear red?

Morocco's home kit at the 2022 World Cup is predominantly red and this is a nod to their country's traditional colours.

The current Moroccan national flag boasts a red background with a green star in the centre. While the flag has changed over the centuries, it has contained red since the 12th century.

Red is considered a significant colour in Morocco due to its historic and religious relevance.

Morocco World Cup history

Prior to the 2022 World Cup, Morocco had won just two games at the tournament in their history.

Their 1986 campaign was previously their best and saw them reach the Round of 16 after topping a group that contained England, Portugal and Poland. They were beaten 1-0 by eventual finalists West Germany in their first knockout game.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why are Morocco called the Atlas Lions? Behind nickname of 2022 World Cup surprise packets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals, Morocco have certainly made a name for themselves at Qatar 2022. The Moroccans beat the likes of Belgium, Spain and Portugal - conceding just one goal across five games - before falling short against France in the semifinal.

# data[].attributes.body
https://talesofayoungvoyager.wordpress.com/2020/08/25/the-marvelous-murals-of-morocco/

# data[].attributes.body
https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/uEzcq7doWKT55aVT6

# data[].attributes.body
The style combined Berber music with elements of Arab milhûn, Sufi ritual, Gnawa rhythms, Western pop and rock, reggae, rap and occasionally political lyrics.

# data[].attributes.body
performed for the purpose of spiritual and physical healing. The music, which has sub-Saharan origins, is remarkably adaptable, having been blended with jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop and drum'n'bass..

# data[].attributes.body
Gharnati uses ouds and kamenjahs with banjo mandolin and kwitra (Algerian Lute) and, like al-ala, is arranged in suites (nuba).

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/-8rY9JUGP5w

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
France 2 - 0 Morocco | Sofyan Amrabat post-match interview (English subtitles)

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/pP2u--gMxx0

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
I STAYED WITH A NOMAD FAMILY IN THE SAHARA DESERT

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?phrase=moroccan+art

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Moroccan Art Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - iStock

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Search from Moroccan Art stock photos, pictures and royalty-free images from iStock. Find high-quality stock photos that you won't find anywhere else.

# data[].attributes.headline
Traditional clothing in Morocco(photo gallery)

# data[].attributes.subject
Traditional clothing in Morocco(photo gallery)

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/dress-morocco-traditional.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
1,634 Dress Morocco Traditional Stock Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Download Dress Morocco Traditional stock photos. Free or royalty-free photos and images. Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community.

# data[].attributes.body
Culture of Arab tribes: mainly patriarchal
Culture of Amazighen/Morocco tribes: matriarchal
tribalism within the group is so strong Because they follow a rule: If you are not like us, you are not ours.

# data[].attributes.body
The Morocco tribes are different with elsewhere.
Because they shift from rural world to urban areas in order to benefit from urban facilities and drought of major green rural areas.

# data[].attributes.body
live on what they usually breed, such as camels, sheep, goats, and other kinds of animals

sell the cattle in its due time to make money and do business

Does not pay bills on electricity or water, they rely on themselves

# data[].attributes.body
With its long Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, Morocco boasts a rich array of fish dishes. Chermoula is a combination of herbs and spices used as a marinade before grilling over coals, and as a dipping sauce.

# data[].attributes.body
Christians stands less then 1 percent in Morocco

# data[].attributes.body
Couscous is originally from Morocco and is typically served with meat or vegetable stew. Traditionally, they prepare couscous on the Muslim holy day (Friday) and for special occasions, but you can find it at most restaurants and cafes.

# data[].attributes.body
The presence of Spanish influence is one of the defining traits of Moroccan architecture

# data[].attributes.body
Some very clearly Spanish influences include the white, stucco walls and red-tiled roofs that can now be found across most parts of Morocco. The blending of European and Islamic arches can be seen in the keyhole-shaped Moorish arch.

# data[].attributes.body
Islamic architecture places a large emphasis on elaborate ornamentation

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
A 19th century poster of the word "Allah" by the master calligrapher Muhammad Bin Al-Qasim al-Qundusi in his improvised Maghrebi script.

# data[].attributes.body
such as those by the 19th-century calligrapher Muhammad al-Qandusi. Muhammad Ben Ali Rabati was one of the first Moroccans to paint in a European style.

# data[].attributes.body
Festival Scene: a watercolor by Muhammad Ben Ali Rabati, one of Morocco's first painters

# data[].attributes.body
Taburida, a traditional Arab exhibition of horsemanship performed during festivals

Moroccan artists and their initiatives

# data[].attributes.body
The global art market also influences the development and visibility of contemporary art in Morocco; international exhibitions such as "Africa Remix" (2004) and "Uneven Geographies" (2010) featured contemporary artists from North Africa, including Moroccan ones. Regional events such as the Dakar Biennale (or Dak'Art – Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain), a major contemporary African art exhibition, gives greater visibility to artists from the African continent.

# data[].attributes.body
One of the traditional elements of artistic expression in Morocco is Maghrebi-Andalusian art and architecture. Carved plaster Arabesques, zellige tilework, carved wood, and other expressions of Islamic geometric patterns are typical features of this style.

# data[].attributes.body
Local art galleries such as Galerie Villa Delaporte, Atelier 21, Galerie Matisse and Galerie FJ are also platforms showing contemporary artwork and contributing to its development

# data[].attributes.body
Islamic architecture tends to be highly decorative, but also very consciously laid out. The courtyard layout is common in both ancient palaces and everyday homes. Entryways with Islamic, horseshoe arches welcome you into these spaces.

# data[].attributes.body
Caftans were worn by both men and women, especially scholars and high-ranking officials who were part of the Moroccan urban elite.
It may be made of wool, cashmere, silk, or cotton, and may be worn with a sash, usually having long sleeves and reaching to the ankles, In regions with a warm climate, it is worn as a lightweight, loose-fitting garment.

# data[].attributes.body
This traditional long loose-fitting hooded garment is worn by both men and women.
The fabric of the Djellaba changes according to the weather. During the summer Moroccans would wear light cotton made Djellaba and during the winter, they’d wear a Djellaba made of wool, to keep them warm.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/01/291711/moroccan-kaftan-oriental-fashion-show

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Stunning Moroccan Kaftans Capivate Crowds at Paris Fashion Show

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rabat - Moroccan kaftans dominated the runway at the 34th Oriental Fashion Show at the Carrousel du

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The foundation of the city of Essaouira was the work of the Moroccan 'Alawid sultan Mohammed bin Abdallah, who made an original experiment by entrusting it to several renowned architects in 1760, in particular Théodore Cornut and Ahmed al-Inglizi, who designed the city using French captives from the failed French expedition to Larache in 1765, and with the mission of building a city adapted to the needs of foreign merchants. Once built, it continued to grow and experienced a golden age and exceptional development, becoming the country's most important commercial port but also its diplomatic capital between the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century.

Medina of Essaouira was designated by the UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 2001.

The name of the city is usually spelled Essaouira in Latin script, and in Arabic script. Both spellings represent its name in Moroccan Arabic, ṣ-Ṣwiṛa. This is the diminutive (with definite article) of the noun ṣuṛ which means "wall (as round a yard, city), rampart". The pronunciation with pharyngealized /ṣ/ and /ṛ/ is a typically Moroccan development. In Classical Arabic, the noun is sūr (, with plain /s/ and /r/), diminutive suwayrah (); this is the only form cited in all dictionaries of Classical Arabic. Hence, the spelling of the name in Arabic script according to the classical pronunciation is al-Suwayrah (with not ).

In the Berber language, which is spoken by a sizeable proportion of the city's inhabitants, it is called Taṣṣort, meaning "the small fortress".

In Moroccan Arabic, a single male inhabitant is called ṣwiṛi, plural ṣwiṛiyin, a single female inhabitant is ṣwiṛiya, plural ṣwiṛiyat. In the Berber language, a single male inhabitant is u Taṣṣort, plural: ayt Taṣṣoṛt, a single female inhabitant is ult Taṣṣort, plural ist Taṣṣort.

Until the 1960s, Essaouira was generally known by its Portuguese name, Mogador. This name is probably a corruption of the older Berber name Amegdul (spelled in Arabic), which is mentioned by the 11th-century geographer al-Bakrī.

Archaeological research shows that Essaouira has been occupied since prehistoric times. The bay at Essaouira is partially sheltered by the island of Mogador, making it a peaceful harbor protected against strong marine winds.

Essaouira has long been considered one of the best anchorages of the Moroccan coast. The Carthaginian navigator Hanno visited in the 5th century BCE and established the trading post of Arambys.

Around the end of the 1st century BCE or early 1st century CE, the Berber king Juba II established a Tyrian purple factory, processing the murex and purpura shells found in the intertidal rocks at Essaouira and the Iles Purpuraires. This dye colored the purple stripe in the togas worn by the Senators of Imperial Rome.

A Roman villa was excavated on Mogador island. A Roman vase was found as well as coinage from the 3rd century CE. Most of the artifacts are now visible in the Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Museum and the Rabat Archaeological Museum.

Resting place of Sidi Mogdoul in Essaouira.

During the Middle Ages, a Muslim saint named Sidi Mogdoul was buried in Essaouira, probably giving its origin to the name "Mogador".

Portuguese establishment (1506-1510)

In 1506, the king of Portugal, D. Manuel I, ordered a fortress to be built there, named Castelo Real de Mogador. Altogether, the Portuguese are documented to have seized six Moroccan towns and built six stand-alone fortresses on the Moroccan Atlantic coast, between the river Loukos in the north and the river of Sous in the south. Four of them only had a short duration: Graciosa (1489), São João da Mamora (1515), Castelo Real of Mogador (1506-10) and Aguz (1520-25). Two became permanent urban settlements: Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (modern Agadir, founded in 1505-06), and Mazagan, founded in 1514-17. Following the 1541 Fall of Agadir, the Portuguese had to abandon most of their settlements between 1541 and 1550, although they were able to keep Ceuta, Tangier and Mazagan.

The fortress of Castelo Real of Mogador fell to the local resistance of the Regraga fraternity four years after its establishment, in 1510.

The Portuguese-built Castelo Real of Mogador was defended under Abd el-Malek II by a garrison of 100 Moroccans. It was drawn by Adriaen Matham in 1641.

During the 16th century, powers including Spain, England, the Netherlands and France tried in vain to conquer the locality. Essaouira remained a haven for the export of sugar and molasses and as an anchorage for pirates.

De Razilly expedition (1629)

France was involved in an early attempt to colonize Mogador in 1629. As Richelieu and Père Joseph were attempting to establish a colonial policy, Admiral Isaac de Razilly suggested they occupy Mogador in 1626, which he had reconnoitered in 1619. The objective was to create a base against the Sultan of Morocco and asphyxiate the harbour of Safi.[citation needed ]

He departed for Salé on 20 July 1629 with a fleet composed of the ships Licorne, Saint-Louis, Griffon, Catherine, Hambourg, Sainte-Anne, Saint-Jean. He bombarded the city of Salé, destroyed three corsair ships, and then sent the Griffon under Captain Treillebois to Mogador. The men of Razilly saw the fortress of Castelo Real in Mogador and landed 100 men with wood and supplies on Mogador island, with the agreement of Richelieu. After a few days, however, the Griffon reembarked the colonists and departed to rejoin the fleet in Salé.

After these expeditions, France signed a treaty with Abd el-Malek II in 1631, giving France preferential treatment, known as " capitulations": preferential tariffs, the establishment of a Consulate, and freedom of religion for French subjects.

Foundation of modern Essaouira (1760-1770)

The present city of Essaouira was built during the mid-eighteenth century by the Moroccan King. Mohammed III tried to reorient his kingdom toward the Atlantic for increased exchanges with European powers, choosing Mogador as his key location. One of his objectives was to establish a harbour at the closest possible point to Marrakesh. The other was to cut off trade from Agadir in the south, which had been favouring a political rival of Mohammed III, and the inhabitants of Agadir were forced to relocate to Essaouira.

For 12 years, Mohammed III directed a French engineer, Théodore Cornut, and several other Moroccan and European architects and technicians to build the fortress and city along modern lines. Originally called "Souira" ("the small fortress"), the name became "Es-Saouira" ("the beautifully designed").

Thédore Cornut designed and built the city itself, particularly the Kasbah area, corresponding to the royal quarters and the buildings for Christian merchants and diplomats. Other parts were built by other architects, including Moroccan architects especially from Fez, Marrakesh, and Rabat. The harbour entrance, with the "Porte de la Marine", was built by an English renegade by the name of Ahmed el Inglizi ("Ahmed the English") or Ahmed El Alj ("Ahmed the Renegade"). Mohammed III took numerous steps to encourage the development of Essaouira including closing off the harbour of Agadir to the south in 1767 so that southern trade could be redirected through Essaouira. European communities in the northern harbour of Rabat- Salé were ordered to move to Essaouira through an ordinance of 21 January 1765.[citation needed ]

From the time of its rebuilding by Muhammad III until the end of the nineteenth century, Essaouira served as Morocco's principal port, offering the goods of the caravan trade to the world. The route brought goods from sub-Saharan Africa to Timbuktu, then through the desert and over the Atlas mountains to Marrakesh. The road from Marrakesh to Essaouira is a straight line, explaining the king's choice of this port among the many others along the Moroccan coast.

A Jewish house in Mogador, by Darondeau (1807-1841).

Mohammed III encouraged Moroccan Jews to settle in the town and handle the trade with Europe. Jews once comprised the majority of the population, and the Jewish quarter (or mellah) contains many old synagogues. The town also has a large Jewish cemetery. The city flourished until the caravan trade died, superseded by direct European shipping trade with sub-Saharan Africa. Changes in trade, the founding of Israel, the resulting wars with Arab states, and the independence of Morocco all resulted in Sephardic Jews leaving the country. As of 2017, Essaouira had only three Jewish inhabitants. On 15 January 2020, King Mohammed VI visited Bayt Dakira, a Jewish heritage house, in Essaouira.

Essaouira in 1809.

In the 19th century, Essaouira became the first seaport of Morocco, with trade volumes about double those of Rabat. The city functioned as the harbour for Marrakesh, as it was only a few days from the inland city. Diplomatic and trade representations were established by European powers in Essouira. In the 1820s, European diplomats were concentrated in either Tangier or Essaouira.

The attack of Mogador by the French fleet in August 1844, Serkis Diranian.

Following Morocco's alliance with Algeria's Abd-El-Kader against France, Essaouira was bombarded and briefly occupied by the French Navy under the Prince de Joinville on 16 August 1844, in the Bombardment of Mogador, an important battle of the First Franco-Moroccan War.

From 1912 to 1956, Essaouira was part of the French protectorate of Morocco. Mogador was used as a base for a military expedition against Dar Anflous, when 8,000 French troops were located outside the city under the orders of Generals Franchet d'Esperey and Brulard. The Kasbah of Dar Anflous was taken on 25 January 1913. In 1930, brothers, Michel and Jean Vieuchange used Essaouira as a base before Michel set off into the Western Sahara to try to find Smara.

France had an important administrative, military and economic presence. Essaouira had a Franco-Moroccan school, still visible in Derb Dharb street. Linguistically, many Moroccans of Essaouira speak French fluently today.

In the early 1950s film director and actor Orson Welles stayed at the Hotel des Iles just south of the town walls during the filming of his 1952 classic version of " Othello" which contains several memorable scenes shot in the labyrinthine streets and alleyways of the medina. Legend has it that during Welles' sojourn in the town he met Winston Churchill, another guest at the Hotel des Iles. A bas-relief of Orson Welles is located in a small square just outside the medina walls close to the sea. Several other film directors have utilized Essaouira as a location due to the photogenic and atmospheric qualities.

The town was used in the filming of "The Game of Thrones" as the home of the Army of the Unsullied. The scene of the rows of crucified slaves were props to cover the Portuguese cannons.

Beginning in the late 1960s, Essaouira became something of a hippie hangout.

Essaouira is protected by a natural bay partially shielded from wave action by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends from the harbour south of Essaourira, at which point the Oued Ksob discharges to the ocean; south of the discharge lies the archaeological ruin, the Bordj El Berod. The Canary Current is responsible for the generally southward movement of ocean circulation and has led to enhancement of the local fishery. The village of Diabat lies about five kilometres (3.1 miles) south of Essaouira, immediately south of the Oued Ksob.

Essaouira connects to Safi to the north and to Agadir to the south via the N1 road and to Marrakech to the east via the R 207 road. There is a small airport some 7 to 8 km (4 to 5 mi) away from the town, which schedules several flights a week to Paris-Orly, London-Luton and Brussels-South (Charleroi) and daily to Casablanca.

Essaouira's climate is semi-arid ( BSk/BSh) with mild temperatures year round. The gap between highs and lows is small and summers are warm while winters are mild. Annual rainfall is usually 300 to 500 millimetres (12 to 20 in). The highest temperature ever recorded in Essaouira was 48.3 °C (118.9 °F) on 8 July 2022. The lowest temperature ever recorded was 1.1 °C (34.0 °F) on 20 January 1988. The lowest maximum temperature ever recorded was 11.8 °C (53.2 °F) on 15 February 2018. The highest minimum temperature ever recorded was 26.7 °C (80.1 °F) on 13 October 2017. The maximum amount of precipitation recorded in one day was 99.1 millimetres (3.90 in) on 8 March 2013.

Essaouira harbour docks

Faience in Essaouira.

The Medina of Essaouira (formerly " Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage listed city, an example of a late 18th-century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa by European colonists.

There are only a handful of modern purpose-built hotels within the walls of the old city. Newer international hotels have been built along the sea front, with local planning regulations restricting buildings to 4 storeys in height.[citation needed ] There are also many privately owned riads, also known as dars, that may be rented on a daily or weekly basis.

The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries.

The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi, remains rather small, although the catches ( sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal upwelling generated by the powerful trade winds and the Canaries Current. Essaouira remains one of the major fishing harbours of Morocco.

Essaouira is also renowned for its kitesurfing and windsurfing, with the powerful trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless, bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis. The township of Sidi Kaouki is located 25 km south of Essaouira and is becoming one of the best locations in Morocco for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. There are several businesses in Sidi Kaouki which offer gear rental.

Essaouira is also a center of argan oil production. It has become a tourist attraction due to the tree-climbing goats who are unique to the region, as argan trees are the only type the goats climb.

Former Franco-Moroccan school in Derb Dharb street, Essaouira.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

There is a French international school in Essaouira, Groupe scolaire Eric-Tabarly.

Essaouira presents itself as a city full of culture: several small art galleries are found all over the town. Since 1998, the Gnaoua Festival of World Music is held in Essaouira, normally in the last week of June. It brings together artists from all over the world. Although focused on gnaoua music, it includes rock, jazz and reggae. Dubbed as the "Moroccan Woodstock" it lasts four days and attracts annually around 450,000 spectators.

Jewish quarter "Mellah" of Essaouira's old medina

Bayt Dakira - "House of Memory" (Jewish museum)

Chaim Pinto Synagogue

Jewish cemeteries of Essaouira (old and new)
Gravesite of the Great Rabbi Haim Pinto (and many more rabbis)

Medina

Fortifications:

Sqala du Port

Sqala de la Kasbah

The most picturesque gates:

Port de la Marine

Bab Manjana with clocktower

Tagart beach (with sand dunes)

Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church (catholic, operational)

Sidi Mogdoul mosque

Sidi Mogdoul lighthouse

David Bensoussan & Asher Knafo, "Mariage juif à Mogador" Éditions Du Lys, www.editionsdulys.ca, Montréal, 2004 (ISBN 2-922505-15-4)

David Bensoussan, Le fils de Mogador, www.editionsdulys.ca,Éditions Du Lys, Montréal, 2002 (ISBN 978-2-922505-21-4)

David Bensoussan, Il était une fois le Maroc : témoignages du passé judéo-marocain, éd. du Lys, www.editionsdulys.ca, Montréal, 2010 (ISBN 2-922505-14-6); Deuxième édition : www.iuniverse.com, ISBN 978-1-4759-2608-8, 620p. ebook ISBN 978-1-4759-2609-5, Prix Haïm Zafrani de l'Institut universitaire Élie Wiesel, Paris 2012.

David Bensoussan, La rosace du roi Salomon, Les Éditions Du Lys,www.editionsdulys.ca, 2011, ISBN 978-2-922505-23-8.

Hamza Ben Driss Ottmani, Une cité sous les alizés, MOGADOR, Des origines à 1939, Éditions La Porte, Rabat, 1997 ISBN 9981889180

Jean-Marie Thiébaud, Consuls et vice-consuls de France à Mogador (Maroc), L'Harmattan, 2010 Harmattan.fr

Jean-Marie Thiébaud, Les Inscriptions du cimetière [chrétien] de Mogador (Essaouira, Maroc) - étude épigraphique et généalogique, L'Harmattan, 2010 Harmattan.fr

Doris Byer: Essaouira, endlich, Wien 2004, ISBN 978-3-8542-0651-4

Brigitte Tast, Hans-Juergen Tast: Still the wind cries Jimi. Hendrix in Marokko, Schellerten 2012, ISBN 978-3-88842-040-5

Brigitte Tast, Hans-Jürgen Tast: Orson Welles - Othello - Mogador. Aufenthalte in Essaouira, Kulleraugen Vis.Komm. Nr. 42, Schellerten 2013, ISBN 978-3-88842-042-9

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The foundation of the city of Essaouira was the work of the Moroccan 'Alawid sultan Mohammed bin Abdallah, who made an original experiment by entrusting it to several renowned architects in 1760, in particular Théodore Cornut and Ahmed al-Inglizi, who designed the city using French captives from the failed French expedition to Larache in 1765, and with the mission of building a city adapted to the needs of foreign merchants.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic historical fiction drama film directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. It stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Ghassan Massoud, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Edward Norton, Marton Csokas, Liam Neeson, Michael Sheen, Velibor Topić, and Alexander Siddig.

The story is set during the Crusades of the 12th century. A French village blacksmith goes to the aid of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in its defence against the Ayyubid Muslim Sultan, Saladin, who is fighting to claim back the city from the Christians; this leads to the Battle of Hattin. The screenplay is a heavily fictionalised portrayal of the life of Balian of Ibelin (c. 1143-93).

Filming took place in Ouarzazate, Morocco, where Scott had previously filmed (2000) and Black Hawk Down (2001), and in Spain, at the Loarre Castle ( Huesca), Segovia, Ávila, Palma del Río, and Seville's Casa de Pilatos and Alcázar. The film was released on May 6, 2005, by 20th Century Fox and received mixed reviews upon theatrical release. It grossed $218 million worldwide. On 23 December 2005, Scott released a director's cut, which received critical acclaim, with many reviewers calling it the definitive version of the film.

In 1184 France, Balian, a blacksmith, is haunted by his wife's recent suicide, after the death of their unborn child. A Crusader passing through the village introduces himself as Balian's father, Baron Godfrey of Ibelin, and asks him to return with him to the Holy Land, but Balian declines. After the town priest (Balian's half-brother) reveals that he ordered Balian's wife's body beheaded before burial, Balian inspects the priest thoroughly, noticing the priest had stolen his wife's necklace and kills him before fleeing the village.

Balian joins his father, hoping to gain forgiveness and redemption for himself and his wife in Jerusalem. Soldiers sent by the bishop arrive to arrest Balian, but Godfrey refuses to surrender him, and in the ensuing attack, Godfrey is struck by an arrow that breaks off in his body.

In Messina, they have a contentious encounter with Guy de Lusignan, prospective future king of Jerusalem. Godfrey knights Balian, names him the new Baron of Ibelin, and orders him to serve the King of Jerusalem and protect the helpless, then succumbs to his arrow wound and dies. During the journey to Jerusalem, Balian's ship runs aground in a storm, leaving him as the only survivor. Balian is confronted by a Muslim cavalier, who attacks in a fight for his horse. Balian is forced to slay the cavalier but spares his servant, who tells him that this mercy will gain him fame and respect among the Saracens.

Balian becomes acquainted with Jerusalem's political arena: the leper King Baldwin IV; Tiberias, the Marshal of Jerusalem; the King's sister, Princess Sibylla, who is Guy's wife and also mother to a little boy from an earlier marriage. Guy supports the anti-Muslim brutalities of the Knights Templar and intends to break the fragile truce between the King and the sultan Saladin to make war on the Muslims. Balian travels to his inherited estate at Ibelin and finds the residents struggling and the land almost barren from lack of water. He quickly gets to work, using his knowledge of engineering to irrigate the dry and dusty lands, while working right alongside the workers. The land quickly turns into lush farmland which both improves the residents' lives and earns Balian the love and respect of his people. During that time Sibylla visits him and watches him as he interacts with his tenants, and they become lovers.

In 1185 Guy and his ally, the cruel Raynald of Châtillon, attack a Saracen caravan, and Saladin advances on Raynald's castle Kerak in retaliation. At the king's request, Balian defends the villagers, despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered. Captured, Balian encounters the servant he had freed, who he learns is actually Saladin's chancellor Imad ad-Din. Imad ad-Din releases Balian in repayment of his earlier mercy. Saladin arrives with a massive army to besiege Kerak, and Baldwin meets them with his own. They negotiate a Muslim retreat, and Baldwin swears to punish Raynald, though the exertion of these events weakens him.

Baldwin asks Balian to marry Sibylla and take control of the army, but Balian refuses, much to Sybilla's & Tiberius' dismay, because it will require the execution of Guy and the Templars. Baldwin soon dies and is succeeded by his nephew, Sybilla's son, now Baldwin V. Sybilla, as regent, intends to maintain her brother's peace with Saladin. Shortly, her son, like his uncle before him, begins to develop leprosy. Devastated and driven by the common belief of eternal damnation for lepers, Sybilla makes the heartrending decision to end her son's life by pouring poison into his ear while he sleeps in her arms; she then hands the crown to her husband Guy and withdraws in private to mourn.

As King of Jerusalem, Guy releases Raynald, who gives him the war he desires by murdering Saladin's sister. Sending the severed heads of Saladin's emissaries back to him, Guy declares war on the Saracens in 1187 and attempts to assassinate Balian, who barely survives. Guy marches to war with the army, despite Balian's advice to remain near Jerusalem's water sources. The Saracens later annihilate the tired and dehydrated Crusaders in the ensuing desert battle. Saladin takes Guy captive, executes Raynald, and marches on Jerusalem. Tiberias leaves for Cyprus, believing Jerusalem lost, but Balian remains to protect the people in the city, and knights every fighting man to inspire them. After an assault that lasts three days, a frustrated Saladin parleys with Balian. When Balian reaffirms that he will destroy the city if Saladin does not accept his surrender, Saladin agrees to allow the Christians to leave safely. They ponder if it would be better if the city were destroyed, as there would be nothing left to fight over.

In the city, Balian is confronted by the humiliated Guy, and defeats him in a sword fight, though he spares Guy's life, telling him to "rise a knight" as if he never were. In the marching column of citizens, Balian finds Sibylla, who has renounced her claim as queen. After they return to France, English knights en route to Jerusalem ride through the town to enlist Balian, now the famed defender of Jerusalem. Balian tells the crusader that he is merely a blacksmith again, and they depart. Balian is joined by Sibylla, and they pass by the grave of Balian's wife as they ride toward the unknown. An epilogue notes that "nearly a thousand years later, peace in the Kingdom of Heaven still remains elusive".

Many of the characters in the film are fictionalised versions of historical figures:

The visual style of Kingdom of Heaven emphasises set design and impressive cinematography in almost every scene. It is notable for its "visually stunning cinematography and haunting music". Cinematographer John Mathieson created many large, sweeping landscapes, where the cinematography, supporting performances, and battle sequences are meticulously mounted. The cinematography and scenes of set-pieces have been described as "ballets of light and color", drawing comparisons to Akira Kurosawa. Director Ridley Scott's visual acumen was described as the main draw of Kingdom of Heaven, with the "stellar" and "stunning" cinematography and "jaw-dropping combat sequences" based on the production design of Arthur Max.

British visual effects firm Moving Picture Company completed 440 effects shots for the film. Additionally, Double Negative also contributed to complete the CGI work on the film.

The music differs in style and content from the soundtrack of Scott's earlier 2000 film and many other subsequent films depicting historical events. A combination of medieval, Middle Eastern, contemporary classical, and popular influences, the soundtrack is largely the work of British film-score composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Jerry Goldsmith's "Valhalla" theme from The 13th Warrior and " Vide Cor Meum" (originally used by Scott in and composed by Patrick Cassidy and Hans Zimmer), sung by Danielle de Niese and Bruno Lazzaretti, were used as replacements for original music by Gregson-Williams.

Upon its release it was met with a mixed reception, with many critics being divided on the film. Critics such as Roger Ebert found the film's message to be deeper than that of Scott's .

The cast was widely praised. Jack Moore described Edward Norton's performance as the leper-King Baldwin as "phenomenal", and "so far removed from anything that he has ever done that we see the true complexities of his talent". The Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud was praised for his portrayal of Saladin, described in The New York Times as "cool as a tall glass of water". Also commended were Eva Green, who plays Princess Sibylla "with a measure of cool that defies her surroundings", and Jeremy Irons.

Lead actor Bloom's performance generally elicited a lukewarm reception from American critics, with the Boston Globe stating Bloom was "not actively bad as Balian of Ibelin", but nevertheless "seems like a man holding the fort for a genuine star who never arrives". Other critics conceded that Balian was more of a "brave and principled thinker-warrior" than a strong commander, and that he used brains rather than brawn to gain advantage in battle.

Bloom had gained 20 pounds for the part, and the extended director's cut (detailed below) of Kingdom of Heaven reveals even more complex facets of Bloom's role, involving connections with unknown relatives. Despite the criticism, Bloom won two awards for his performance.

Online, general criticism has been also divided. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 39% based on reviews from 191 critics, with an average rating of 5.60/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Although it's an objective and handsomely presented take on the Crusades, Kingdom of Heaven lacks depth." Review aggregator Metacritic gives the film a 63/100 rating based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews" according to the website's weighted average system.

In the time since the film's release, scholars have offered analysis and criticisms through a lens situating Kingdom of Heaven within the context of contemporary international events and religious conflict, including: broad post-9/11 politics, neocolonialism, Orientalism, the Western perspective of the film, and the detrimental handling of differences between Christianity and Islam.

Academic criticism has focused on the supposed peaceful relationship between Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem and other cities depicted. Historians of the Crusades such as Jonathan Riley-Smith, quoted by The Daily Telegraph, described the film as "dangerous to Arab relations", calling the film " Osama bin Laden's version of history," which would "fuel the Islamic fundamentalists". Riley-Smith further commented against the historical accuracy, stating that "the fanaticism of most of the Christians in the film and their hatred of Islam is what the Islamists want to believe. At a time of inter-faith tension, nonsense like this will only reinforce existing myths", arguing that the film relied on the romanticized view of the Crusades propagated by Sir Walter Scott in his book The Talisman, published in 1825 and now discredited by academics, "which depicts the Muslims as sophisticated and civilized, and the Crusaders are all brutes and barbarians. It has nothing to do with reality". Paul Halsall defended Ridley Scott, claiming that "historians can't criticize filmmakers for having to make the decisions they have to make ... [Scott is] not writing a history textbook".

Thomas F. Madden, Director of Saint Louis University's Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, criticised the film's presentation of the Crusades:

Given events in the modern world it is lamentable that there is so large a gulf between what professional historians know about the Crusades and what the general population believes. This movie only widens that gulf. The shame of it is that dozens of distinguished historians across the globe would have been only too happy to help Scott and Monahan get it right.

Scott himself defended this depiction of the Muslim-Christian relationship in footage on the DVD version of the movie's extra features-Scott sees this portrayal as being a contemporary look at the history. He argued that peace and brutality are concepts relative to one's own experience, and since contemporary society is so far removed from the brutal times in which the movie takes place, he told the story in a way that he felt was true to the source material, yet was more accessible to a modern audience. In other words, the "peace" that existed was exaggerated to fit modern ideas of what such a peace would be. At the time, it was merely a lull in Muslim-Christian violence compared to the standards of the period. The recurring use of " Assalamu Alaikum", the traditional Arabic greeting meaning "Peace be with you", is spoken both in Arabic and English several times.

The "Director's Cut" of the film is a four-disc set, two of which are dedicated to a feature-length documentary called The Path to Redemption. This feature contains an additional featurette on historical accuracy called "Creative Accuracy: The Scholars Speak", where a number of academics support the film's contemporary relevance and historical accuracy. Among these historians is Dr. Nancy Caciola, who said that despite the various inaccuracies and fictionalised/dramatized details, she considered the film a "responsible depiction of the period."

Screenwriter William Monahan, who is a long-term enthusiast of the period, has said "If it isn't in, it doesn't mean we didn't know it ... What you use, in drama, is what plays. Shakespeare did the same."

Caciola agreed with the fictionalisation of characters on the grounds that "crafting a character who is someone the audience can identify with" is necessary in a film. She said that "I, as a professional, have spent much time with medieval people, so to speak, in the texts that I read; and quite honestly there are very few of them that if I met in the flesh I feel that I would be very fond of."

John Harlow of wrote that Christianity is portrayed in an unfavorable light and the value of Christian belief is diminished, especially in the portrayal of Patriarch Heraclius of Jerusalem.

The film was a box office disappointment in the US and Canada, earning $47.4 million against a budget of around $130 million, but did better in Europe and the rest of the world, earning $164.3 million, with the worldwide box office earnings totalling at $211,643,158. It was also a success in Arabic-speaking countries, especially Egypt. Scott insinuated that the US failure of the film was the result of poor advertising, which presented the film as an adventure with a love story rather than as an examination of religious conflict. It has also been noted that the film was altered from its original version to be shorter and follow a simpler plot line. This "less sophisticated" version is what hit theatres, although Scott and some of his crew felt it was watered down, explaining that by editing, "You've gone in there and taken little bits from everything".

Extended director's cut

Unhappy with the theatrical version of Kingdom of Heaven (which he blamed on paying too much attention to the opinions of preview audiences, and acceding to Fox's request to shorten the film by 45 minutes), Ridley Scott supervised a director's cut of the film, which was released on 23 December 2005 at the Laemmle Fairfax Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Unlike the mixed critical reception of the film's theatrical version, the Director's Cut received overwhelmingly positive reviews from film critics, including a four-star review in the British magazine and a ten out of ten from IGN DVD. magazine called the reedited film an "epic", adding, "The added 45 minutes in the director's cut are like pieces missing from a beautiful but incomplete puzzle." One reviewer suggested it is the most substantial director's cut of all time and James Berardinelli wrote that it offers a much greater insight into the story and the motivations of individual characters. "This is the one that should have gone out," reflected Scott.

The DVD of the extended director's cut was released on 23 May 2006. It comprises a four-disc box set with a runtime of 194 minutes, and is shown as a roadshow presentation with an overture and intermission in the vein of traditional Hollywood epic films. The first Blu-ray release omitted the roadshow elements, running at 189 minutes, but they were restored for the 2014 'Ultimate Edition' release.

Scott gave an interview to STV on the occasion of the extended edition's UK release, when he discussed the motives and thinking behind the new version. Asked if he was against previewing in general in 2006, Scott stated: "It depends who's in the driving seat. If you've got a lunatic doing my job, then you need to preview. But a good director should be experienced enough to judge what he thinks is the correct version to go out into the cinema."

Significant subplots were added as well as enhanced character relationships. The priest Balian kills at the beginning of the film is revealed to be his half-brother, while the lord presiding over Balian's hometown is revealed to be Godfrey's brother. Battle scenes are depicted with more violence than in the theatrical cut. More scenes with the Hospitaller offering guidance to Balian were added back in. The most significant addition was the subplot involving Sybilla's son Baldwin V, who becomes the first to inherit the throne of Jerusalem following the passing of Baldwin IV, but is shown to be afflicted with leprosy just like his uncle before him, so Sybilla peacefully poisons him to prevent him from suffering as his predecessor did. The gravedigger from Balian's hometown is given more attention: he is shown to be philosophical at the beginning of the film, and is shown to follow Balian to Jerusalem to seek salvation like Balian, who acknowledges his presence and personally knights him before the final siege. Finally, a final fight is shown between Balian and Guy, where Balian wins but spares Guy, leaving him dishonored.

Scott, possibly anticipating criticism of historical accuracy, said: "Story books are what we base our movies on, and what we base our characters on." The story of Balian of Ibelin was heavily fictionalized; the historical Balian was not a French artisan but a prominent lord in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The characters of Godfrey of Ibelin and the Hospitaller were wholly invented, while the stories of others were "tweaked"; for example, Raynald of Châtillon's responsibility for the Christian defeat is downplayed in order to make Guy "more of an autonomous villain".

The historical Sibylla was devoted to Guy, but the filmmakers wanted the character to be "stronger and wiser". Some have said that the character of Sibylla was reimagined to fit the trope of exotic Middle Eastern woman, whereas historically Sibylla and Baldwin belonged to a distinctly Western class that sought to set themselves apart from Middle Eastern culture. Moreover, while described in contemporary accounts as a young man vigorous in spite of his leprosy, King Baldwin is portrayed in the film as passive, androgynous, and bound to his chamber.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic historical fiction drama film directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. It stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Ghassan Massoud, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Edward Norton, Marton Csokas, Liam Neeson, Michael Sheen, Velibor Topić, and Alexander Siddig.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Mummy is a 1999 American action-adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers. It is a remake of the 1932 film of the same name, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. The film follows adventurer Rick O'Connell as he travels to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, with a librarian and her older brother, where they accidentally awaken Imhotep, a cursed high priest with supernatural powers.

Development of the film took years, with multiple screenplays and directors attached. In 1997, Stephen Sommers successfully pitched his version of a more adventurous and romantic take on the source material. Principal photography took place in Morocco and the United Kingdom; the crew endured dehydration, sandstorms, and snakes shooting on location in the Sahara desert. Industrial Light & Magic provided many of the visual effects, blending live-action footage and computer-generated imagery to create the titular monster. Jerry Goldsmith provided the orchestral score.

The Mummy was theatrically released on May 7, 1999. Despite mixed reviews from critics, it was a commercial success and grossed over $416.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $80 million. The film's success spawned two direct sequels, The Mummy Returns (2001) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). It also led to spinoffs such as an animated series and the prequel The Scorpion King (2002), which generated its own sequels. Attempts to reboot the property and kickstart a new media franchise led to a 2017 film.

In Thebes, Egypt, 1290 BC, high priest Imhotep has an affair with Anck-su-namun, the mistress of Pharaoh Seti I. They kill the Pharaoh after he discovers their relationship. Imhotep flees, while Anck-su-namun kills herself, believing he can resurrect her. He and his priests steal her corpse and travel to Hamunaptra, the city of the dead. The resurrection ritual is stopped by Pharaoh's bodyguards, the Medjai. Imhotep is buried alive with flesh-eating scarab beetles and locked in a sarcophagus at the feet of a statue of the Egyptian god Anubis. The Medjai are sworn to prevent Imhotep's return.

In 1923 AD, Jonathan Carnahan presents his sister Evelyn-a librarian and aspiring Egyptologist-with an intricate box and map that lead to Hamunaptra. Jonathan reveals he stole the box from an American adventurer, Rick O'Connell, who discovered the city while in the French Foreign Legion. Evelyn and Jonathan find Rick and make a deal with him to lead them to the city.

Rick guides Evelyn and her party to the city, encountering a band of American treasure hunters led by Rick's cowardly acquaintance Beni Gabor. Despite being warned to leave by Ardeth Bay, leader of the Medjai, the two expeditions continue their excavations. Evelyn searches for the Book of Amun-Ra, made of pure gold. Instead of finding it, she stumbles upon Imhotep's remains. The team of Americans, meanwhile, discover the black Book of the Dead, accompanied by canopic jars carrying Anck-su-namun's preserved organs.

At night, Evelyn reads from the Book of the Dead aloud, accidentally awakening Imhotep. The expeditions return to Cairo, and Imhotep follows them with the help of Beni, who has agreed to serve him. He regenerates his full strength by killing the members of the American expedition and brings the ten plagues back to Egypt.

Rick, Evelyn, and Jonathan meet Ardeth at a museum, who hypothesizes that Imhotep wants to resurrect Anck-su-namun by sacrificing Evelyn. She believes that if the Book of the Dead brought Imhotep back to life, the Book of Amun-Ra can kill him again and deduces the book's whereabouts in Hamunaptra. Imhotep corners the group with an army of slaves. Evelyn agrees to accompany him if he spares the rest of the group. Although Imhotep does not honor his word, Rick and the others fight their way to safety.

Imhotep, Evelyn, and Beni return to Hamunaptra, pursued by Rick, Jonathan, and Ardeth, who are able to locate the Book of Amun-Ra. Imhotep prepares to sacrifice Evelyn, but she is rescued after a battle with Imhotep's mummified priests. Evelyn reads from the Book of Amun-Ra, making Imhotep mortal, and he is fatally wounded by Rick.

Beni accidentally sets off a booby trap while looting the city of its riches, and is killed by a swarm of flesh-eating scarabs as Hamunaptra collapses into the sand. Ardeth bids Rick, Evelyn, and Jonathan goodbye, and the trio rides away on a pair of camels laden with Beni's treasure.

In the late 1980s, producers James Jacks and Sean Daniel decided to update the original 1932 film for the modern era. Universal gave them the go-ahead, but only if they kept the budget around $10 million. Jacks remembers that the studio "essentially wanted a low-budget horror franchise". In 1987, George A. Romero wrote a film treatment, and was attached to direct. Screenwriter Abbie Bernstein recalled that Universal Studios wanted an unstoppable Mummy akin to the Terminator. Bernstein's story took place in the present; scientists inadvertently bring a mummy to life, who wants to use an ancient device to destroy all life on earth. "[The Mummy] had no more social interaction than the T-Rex did in Jurassic Park," Bernstein recalled. Romero drifted away from the project and the script was abandoned.

Next, Jacks and Daniel recruited horror filmmaker/writer Clive Barker to direct. Barker's 1990 treatment and a successive 1991 screenplay by Mick Garris were dark and violent, with the story revolving around an art museum that rebuilds an entire Egyptian tomb in Beverly Hills. Jacks recalls that Barker's take was "dark, sexual and filled with mysticism", and that, "it would have been a great low-budget movie". Barker recalled the concept was too weird for the studio, and that his vision treated the Mummy as a jumping-off point for the film instead of the central character.

Alan Ormsby, unaware of the previous efforts to launch the film, was brought on next. Ormsby pitched a more straightforward update to the 1932 film, again focusing on the Mummy as a relentless Terminator-like character. Joe Dante was attached as director, increasing the budget for his idea of Daniel Day-Lewis as a brooding Mummy. This version's draft was later re-written by John Sayles. It was set in contemporary times and focused on reincarnation with elements of a love story. It came close to being made-with some elements like the flesh-eating scarabs making it to the final product-but Universal balked at the higher price tag.

George A. Romero returned to the project in 1994 with a vision of a zombie-style horror film similar to Night of the Living Dead, but which also relied heavily upon elements of tragic romance and ambivalence of identity. Romero completed a draft in October 1994, co-written with Ormsby and Sayles, that revolved around female archaeologist Helen Grover and her discovery of the tomb of Imhotep, an Egyptian general who lived in the time of Ramesses II. Unfolding in a nameless American city in modern times, events are set into motion when Imhotep inadvertently awakens as a result of his body having been exposed to rays from an MRI scan in a high-tech forensic archaeology lab.

Helen finds herself drawn into a tentative relationship with Imhotep while also experiencing clairvoyant flashbacks to a previous life in the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt as a priestess of Isis. Summoning mystical powers through incantation, Imhotep later resurrects the mummy of Karis, a loyal slave. Karis embarks on a vengeful rampage against the grave robbers of his tomb. Romero's script was considered too dark and violent by Jacks and the studio, who wanted a more accessible picture. Romero was unable to extricate himself from another contract he had in negotiation with MGM, and so his involvement with the film was severed and the development of an entirely new script was commissioned.

Mick Garris returned in 1995, developing a script that combined elements of the 1932 film and 1942's The Mummy's Tomb. This draft was a period piece awash in Egyptian art-inspired Art Deco, but the vision once again proved too expensive for the studio and was discarded for a modern setting. While the project came close to entering production, Universal was sold to Seagram. Sheinberg chose to produce The Mummy through his independent company and write a new script. Unable to find a suitable high-profile writer and director ( Wes Craven was offered the film but turned it down) the project unraveled again, and Garris left the project for the second time.

Still determined to create a new Mummy film, in 1996 Universal hired Kevin Jarre to write a new screenplay. According to Jacks, the executives were now convinced the film should be a larger-budget period piece. Stephen Sommers called Jacks and Daniel in 1997 with his vision of The Mummy "as a kind of Indiana Jones or Jason and the Argonauts with the mummy as the creature giving the hero a hard time". Sommers had seen the original film when he was eight, and wanted to recreate the things he liked about it on a bigger scale. Discussing other classic horror characters, Sommers recalled that " Frankenstein made me sad-I always felt sorry for him. Dracula was kind of cool and sexy. But The Mummy just plain scared me." He had wanted to make a Mummy film, but other writers or directors were always attached.

After the box office disappointment of Babe: Pig in the City and other films, Universal needed a hit film. At the time, Universal's management had changed in response to the box office failures, and the losses led the studio to revisit its successful franchises from the 1930s. New chair Stacey Snider distributed packets detailing the studio's holdings-including nearly 5,000 old scripts and films. Sommers received his window of opportunity and pitched his Mummy to Universal with an 18-page treatment.

Sommers did not want to remake the original film; instead of making another straight horror movie, he wanted to turn it into a romantic adventure with horror elements. Conscious of how the shambling, bandaged Mummy of the old films had become something of a punchline, he wanted a faster, meaner, and scarier monster. Sommers incorporated his own research and the services of a UCLA archaeology professor to make the ancient Egyptian language accurate. Snider recalled that Sommer's treatment was unique in that it took place in the 1920s, rather than a contemporary setting. Universal liked the treatment so much that they approved the concept and increased the budget, and Sommers spent a year working on the screenplay.

Producer James Jacks offered the role of Rick O'Connell to Tom Cruise (who was later cast in the reboot film), Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, but the actors were not interested or could not fit the role into their respective schedules. Jacks and director Stephen Sommers were impressed with the money that George of the Jungle was making at the box office and cast Brendan Fraser as a result; Sommers also commented that he felt Fraser fit the Errol Flynn swashbuckling character he had envisioned for Rick perfectly. Fraser's turn in George bolstered his perceived star power, yet he remained far cheaper than the biggest actors working. The actor understood that his character "doesn't take himself too seriously, otherwise the audience can't go on that journey with him."

Evelyn Carnahan was named in tribute to Lady Evelyn Carnarvon, the daughter of amateur Egyptologist Lord Carnarvon, both present at the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. The studio originally considered American actresses, and Rachel Weisz auditioned multiple times before getting the part. Rachel Weisz was not a big fan of horror films, but saw the movie as more of a "hokum" comic book. John Hannah was picked for the role of Jonathan Carnahan, despite the fact that Hannah felt he was not a comedic actor, with Sommers saying that, "He had no idea why we cast him."

Jacks had previously produced Hard Target with Arnold Vosloo. The South African actor liked the Mummy script, but told Sommers he wanted to play the role "absolutely straight. From Imhotep's point of view, this is a skewed version of Romeo and Juliet." He was offered the role after a single audition. Carrying some extra weight and conscious of it because of Imhotep's skimpy costume, Vosloo lost 10 to 15 pounds for the role by eschewing alcohol and sugar.

Filming began on May 4, 1998, and lasted 17 weeks. The crew could not shoot in Egypt because of unstable political conditions, so principal photography began in Marrakech, Morocco. Marrakech had the extra advantage of being a much less modern city than Cairo, making it easier to dress like the 1920s. The production set up two weeks before filming, taking down telephone wires and cables and shipping in period cars and camels. Locals served as extras for crowd scenes. After shooting in Marrakech, filming moved to the Sahara desert outside the small town of Erfoud. Production designer Allan Cameron found a dormant volcano, Gara Medouar, where the exteriors for Hamunaptra could be constructed.

A concrete ramp was built to allow access into the horseshoe-shaped formation, where the city was built from prefabricated parts shipped from England. A survey of the volcano was conducted so that an accurate model and scale models of the columns and statues could be replicated back at Shepperton Studios, where all of the scenes involving the underground passageways of the City of the Dead were shot. These sets took 16 weeks to build, and included fiberglass columns rigged with special effects for the movie's final scenes.

To avoid dehydration in the scorching heat of the Sahara, the production's medical team created a drink that the cast and crew had to consume every two hours. Sandstorms were daily inconveniences, and wildlife were a major problem, with many crew members having to be airlifted to medical care after being bitten or stung. Brendan Fraser nearly died during a scene where his character is hanged. The production had the official support of the Royal Moroccan Army, and the cast members had kidnapping insurance taken out on them.

After shooting in North Africa, production moved back to the United Kingdom before completion of shooting on August 29, 1998. Here, the dockyards at Chatham doubled for the Giza Port on the Nile River. This set was 600 feet (183 m) in length and featured "a steam train, an Ajax traction engine, three cranes, an open two-horse carriage, four horse-drawn carts, five dressing horses and grooms, nine pack donkeys and mules, as well as market stalls, Arab-clad vendors and room for 300 costumed extras".

The filmmakers reportedly spent $15 million of the budget on the special effects alone. The Mummy features hundreds of shots that required optical or digital special effects in post-production. Effects house Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) contributed more than 140 shots to the film, with additional work done by Cinesite (60 shots) and Pacific Title/Mirage (45 shots, and the film's title sequences.)

Sommers engaged ILM while still developing the script, having previously worked with ILM effects supervisor John Andrew Berton, Jr. on Deep Rising. ILM was eager for the challenge the film provided, and produced a proof of concept for The Mummy's effects in late 1997 to demonstrate the feasibility of Sommers' vision to executives.

The filmmakers sought to make something faster and scarier for the title creature, using cutting-edge techniques to create something never before seen. ILM started developing the look of the Mummy three months before filming started. "We wanted to create a photorealistic corpse that was obviously not a man in a suit, obviously not an animatronic, and obviously alive," he recalled.

Over a months-long period, the designers worked on developing four distinct stages for the Mummy. Stage one was the mummy at its most decayed, with tattered bits of clothing, skin, and sinew hanging over a skeleton. Stage two added areas of regenerated skin, with stages three and four having the Mummy almost fully regenerated with only small areas of its innards showing through. The artists developed black-and-white sketches, then moved on to color treatments before building the creature in the computer; models were also made to use as reference for the digital artists.

The initial states of the Mummy were created entirely by computer, while later stages combined live-action performance. To supplement prosthetics and makeups applied on set, LED lights and pieces of tape served as tracking points so that digital "cutouts" could be applied to Vosloo's face and body in postproduction; Vosloo remarked that walking around the set he felt like a Christmas tree.

The final creature was created with a combination of live-action acting with prosthetics and digital imagery. A digital representation of the Mummy was created in Alias, featuring simulated muscles for much of the body attached to a skeleton. The animators controlled parts of the Mummy via procedural animation; animating the underlying bones in turn controlled the stretch and movement of the overlaid muscles. Finally, layered on top of the procedural animation and motion capture was additional animation to tweak the performance; given the limitations of the technology, subtle movements like facial or hand animations had to be done by hand. Shots that featured Vosloo with overlaid computer-generated prosthetics were the most difficult for the effects team, requiring careful match-moving.

Rather than using a stunt performer, Vosloo performed the motion capture for the character himself. Scenes were blocked out and performed on set during principal photography (first with Vosloo in the scene, then without). The shots were then replicated in the motion capture studio, with Vosloo's performance recorded by eight cameras from different angles.

In addition to the Mummy, the script called for numerous effects shots to magnify the sweeping adventure of the film. Vistas like a flashback shot of the ancient city of Thebes combined location footage shot in the desert with composited actors shot on green screen, model miniatures, matte paintings, and computer-generated effects. The plagues Imhotep unleashes were accomplished using particle-based computer graphics, with ILM designers swapping out models of different qualities depending on how far from the camera the swarming "insects" were. While the film made extensive use of computer-generated imagery, many scenes, including ones where Rachel Weisz's character is covered with rats and locusts, were shot using live animals.

Another close-up shot used footage of anesthetized locusts attached to a stunt performer combined with extra computer-generated pests. Sandstorms used procedural graphics based on programs used to create tornados in , while the masses of flesh-eating scarabs used techniques developed for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. A shot of a firestorm engulfing Cairo combined real palm trees, physical models, and matte paintings with computer-generated hail, fire, and rubble. Pacific Title/Mirage also enhanced shots with digital camera shake.

The finale involves an army of mummies coming to Imhotep's defense. Many of these mummies were created by Make-Up Effects Supervisor Nick Dudman, who produced makeup, prosthetics, and animatronic effects in the film. Each suit came with variations for stunt moves or pyrotechnics. After principal photography, the suits were sent to ILM to scan and be modeled in the computer. Using parts of the Imhotep mummy to save time, ILM recreated the underlings digitally to add into the scenes, and used motion capture to animate them. The animators credited Fraser's ability to consistently re-enact his movements in multiple takes as saving time when it came to match the motion-captured digital mummies to the live-action fight scenes.

The score for The Mummy was composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith, with orchestrations provided by Alexander Courage. Goldsmith had previously scored Deep Rising for Sommers. As he reached the final few years of his career, Goldsmith was coming off a number of action and adventure films in the 1990s, from multiple Star Trek films to Air Force One. Goldsmith provided The Mummy with suitably bombastic music, with the traditional European orchestra supplemented with regional instruments such as the bouzouki.

The opening of the film contains nearly all of Goldsmith's major themes for the score, with what music critic Jeff Bond calls an "Egyptian theme" reused in different configurations throughout to establish the epic settings and sense of place for Hamunaptra; a theme for Imhotep/the Mummy that is performed in an understated manner early in the film, before repeating in more forceful, brassy renditions after the Mummy has regenerated; a love theme used for both Imhotep/Anck-su-namun and Rick/Evelyn; and a heroic theme for Rick. In addition to the extensive brass and percussion elements, the score uses sparing amounts of vocals, unusual for much of Goldsmith's work.

The soundtrack was released by Decca Records on May 4, 1999. Overall, Goldsmith's score was well received. AllMusic described it as a "grand, melodramatic score" which delivered the expected highlights. Other reviews positively noted the dark, percussive sound meshed well with the plot, as well as the raw power of the music. The limited but masterful use of the chorus was also lauded, and most critics found the final track on the CD to be the best overall. On the other hand, some critics found the score lacked cohesion, and that the constant heavy action lent itself to annoying repetition. Roderick Scott off CineMusic.net summed up the score as "representative of both Goldsmith's absolute best and his most mediocre. Thankfully [...] his favourable work on this release wins out."

Test audiences reacted poorly to the film's title, which conjured up negative impressions of an old horror film, but domestic marketing president Marc Shmuger recalled that they decided "we would redefine the myth with the film" rather than change the title. Enthusiasm for the film was low, but Universal took out a television spot for the Super Bowl (reportedly costing $1.6 million) that Sommers recalled immediately reversed the discussion of the film's prospects.

The producers were concerned that the imminent release of The Phantom Menace would sink the film's box office fortunes, resulting in them moving the release date from May 21 to 7. The Mummy was the number one film in the United States and Canada on its opening weekend, grossing $43 million in 3,210 theaters. Its weekend take was the highest non-holiday May opening, and ninth-biggest opening of all time. The film later fell to second place behind The Phantom Menace. The Mummy grossed over $155.4 million in the United States and Canada and $261 million internationally, grossing over $416.4 million worldwide.

The Mummy received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 61%, based on 101 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9 out of 10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 48 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a positive review, writing, "There is hardly a thing I can say in its favor, except that I was cheered by nearly every minute of it. I cannot argue for the script, the direction, the acting or even the mummy, but I can say that I was not bored and sometimes I was unreasonably pleased." Critics such as Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman and The New York Times' Stephen Holden concurred with the sentiment of the film as a breezy crowd-pleaser.

Less positively, Keith Phipps of wrote that the film's attempt to create a big, Indiana Jones-inspired action film felt "forced" and the result was unsatisfying. Other reviews complained of an overstuffed plot or recycled elements from better movies. Reviewers comparing the film to the 1932 original sometimes favored the original's focus on atmosphere and dread, though others welcomed the change to a more energetic Indiana Jones-type film.

The effects were generally praised, especially the title creature. Ernest Larson's review for felt that the effects were too similar to ILM's other work, and that the effects alone could not support the weight of the rest of the movie. Bob Graham of the San Francisco Chronicle and Hal Hinson from the Dallas Observer agreed that the effects never overshadowed the human aspects of the film. Gleiberman noted that the horrors of the effects were undercut by the lightheartedness of the film, while the BBC's Almar Haflidason felt that the effects were occasionally unconvincing, and the heavy reliance on cutting-edge computer-generated imagery would likely date the film heavily as time passed.

Critics generally praised the acting, with Haflidason writing that the efforts of the cast sold material that would otherwise have been cheesy. David Hunter of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that all the actors managed to hold their own amid the special effects, although he felt Vosloo was largely wasted after Imhotep regenerates and the screenplay gives him little to do. Reviews from , the British Film Institute, and The A.V. Club noted the film featured questionable casting of ethnic roles and occasionally traded in stereotypes of Arabs.

Writing to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the film's release, writer Maria Lewis noted that on paper, The Mummy should not have been a success, as yet another period adventure film coming after a decade of failed period adventure films. Its connection with audiences, if not critics, was down to its successful blend of "heart, humour, [heroics], and horror." She declared it the "pivotal blockbuster of the nineties." Emma Stefansky, writing for , noted it was "the beginning of the end" for action-adventure films, as superhero films would soon supplant it in the coming years. Rotten Tomatoes called the film " Indiana Jones for a new generation." Reviewers noted Fraser's portrayal of Rick set a new mold for action heroes that more films would follow in the years after, while also considering Evelyn a character allowed to break free from a traditional damsel in distress role.

The Mummy was released on home video in VHS and DVD formats in September 1999. The title was a tremendous success for Universal on home video, selling 7 million units on VHS and 1 million on DVD, making it the year's best-selling live-action VHS and second-best-selling DVD (behind ). The Mummy's performance helped Universal gross over $1 billion in home video sales. The film was later digitally remastered and received a Blu-ray release in 2008. It was subsequently re-released on 4K Ultra HD in 2017 as both a stand-alone title and in a trilogy pack with its sequels.

The Mummy's box office performance led to numerous sequels and spinoffs. The film sequel The Mummy Returns (2001) features most of the surviving principal characters. As a married couple, Rick and Evelyn confront Imhotep and the Scorpion King. The film also introduces the heroes' son, Alex. A second sequel, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), takes place in China with the Terracotta Emperor inspiring the villain, and Rachel Weisz replaced with Maria Bello.

The films inspired both an animated TV series titled , which lasted two seasons, and a spin-off prequel, The Scorpion King (2002). Universal announced plans in 2012 to reboot the franchise; a new film, also titled , was released in June 2017 to poor critical and box office performance.

Developer Konami Nagoya published two video game adaptations of under license from Universal Interactive Studios, in 2000: an action-adventure game for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows developed by Rebellion Developments, as well as a Game Boy Color puzzle game. There was also a 2002 video game based on the 2001 animated series, published by Ubisoft for Game Boy Advance. The film also inspired a roller coaster, Revenge of the Mummy, found in three Universal Studios Theme Parks: Hollywood, California; Orlando, Florida; and Sentosa, Singapore.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Mummy is a 1999 American action-adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers. It is a remake of the 1932 film of the same name, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Table of Contents

Gladiator, American historical epic film, released in 2000, that was directed by Ridley Scott and starred Russell Crowe. It won critical accolades, large audiences, and five Academy Awards.

Gladiator takes place in ad 180 and is loosely based on historical figures. Roman forces, led by the general Maximus (Crowe), defeat Germanic tribes, bringing temporary peace to the Roman Empire. The emperor, Marcus Aurelius (played by Richard Harris), tells Maximus that he would like Maximus to succeed him upon his death and for Maximus to return power to the Senate, restoring the Roman Republic. However, when Marcus Aurelius tells his arrogant and unstable son Commodus ( Joaquin Phoenix) about the plan, Commodus flies into a rage and kills his father. Commodus becomes emperor and orders the death of Maximus and his family. Maximus escapes and rushes to his home in Spain, only to find his wife and son already dead and his house burned down. Maximus is then taken by a slave trader to North Africa, where he is sold to the gladiator trainer Proximo (Oliver Reed). Proximo and his troupe know Maximus only as the Spaniard, and he soon becomes a top gladiator under that name. When Commodus decides to stage a gladiatorial spectacle in Rome, Proximo brings his gladiators to participate. In the first fight, intended as a battle reenactment, Maximus rallies the other gladiators and leads them to victory, to the delight of the crowd. He defeats the Roman champion in one-on-one combat and then reveals himself as Maximus. Commodus's sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielson), and the senator Gracchus ( Derek Jacobi) agree to help Maximus escape to gather his army and depose Commodus, but Commodus discovers the plot. When Maximus attempts to make his escape, Roman praetorians kill Proximo and the other gladiators assisting him and recapture Maximus. Commodus declares that he will meet Maximus in single combat in the arena, but he first stabs Maximus to weaken him. In the arena, Maximus kills Commodus and then dies himself after ordering the reinstatement of Senator Gracchus and the restoration of republican rule.

The film, perhaps the first sword-and-sandals epic since the mid-1960s, revived an interest in making films about ancient history. Crowe gained a reputation for being difficult to work with during the making of the film but won plaudits and an Oscar for his performance. The unexpected death of actor Oliver Reed during the production of the movie necessitated both digital manipulation and drastic reworking of the script.

Production notes and credits

Cast

Joaquin Phoenix (Commodus)

Richard Harris (Marcus Aurelius)

Academy Award nominations (* denotes win)

Lead actor* (Russell Crowe)

Supporting actor (Joaquin Phoenix)

Patricia Bauer

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gladiator, American historical epic film, released in 2000, that was directed by Ridley Scott and starred Russell Crowe. It won critical accolades, large audiences, and five Academy Awards. Gladiator takes place in ad 180 and is loosely based on historical figures. Roman forces, led by the general Maximus (Crowe), defeat Germanic tribes, bringing temporary peace to the Roman Empire.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ouarzazate in Morocco is around 200 kilometers south of Marrakech and is a popular stopover for round trips, but also for excursions and desert tours. The city itself is worth seeing, but the immediate area also has some great attractions to offer. Ouarzazate is best known for its film studios in which world-famous films were made, and for the Kasbah Taourirt, which is well-preserved and can be viewed from the inside. However, one of the best things to do in Ouarzazate is a visit to the clay town of Ait-Ben-Haddou, which is not far from Ouarzazate.

In this travel guide you will find everything you need to know to plan a perfect visit to Ouarzazate in Morocco and we will share our most beautiful pictures. Additionally, we will provide useful tips and information about how to find the perfect accommodation!

General information about Ouarzazate

The city of Ouarzazate, which has approximately 80,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the same named province and is located between the mountain ranges of the High Atlas at an altitude of 1,160 meters. This city was founded in 1928 as a small Berber settlement but grew, due to its fantastic location, to an important center of handicrafts and trade. Nowadays, this place is an essential traffic hub in southern Morocco and also very influential as a tourist center. Ouarzazate is also a place that every tourist should visit during their vacation in Morocco!

From Marrakech to Ouarzazate it's a distance of about 200 kilometers with a travel time of around 4 hours. Since the landscape of this route is very attractive and there are also some amazing things to see on the route, in our experience you should definitely plan more time for the trip.

Things to do in Ouarzazate

There are a few interesting attractions to discover in the city itself, with almost everything revolving around films and film productions. However, also close to Ouarzazate are real highlights to discover, such as the world-famous UNESCO World Heritage Site Ait-Ben-Haddou. Here are the best things to do when you visit Ouarzazate:

Kasbah Taourirt

The most important attraction right in the city of Ouarzazate is the impressive Kasbah Taourirt, a residential castle made of rammed earth, which was built in the early 20th century. This Kasbah is still very well-preserved and a third of it has been opened to the public for visits. Guided tours can be booked on site.

Cinema Museum

Another fascinating sight is the Cinema Museum in the center of Ouarzazate. It is located right across from the beautiful Kasbah Taourirt, so a visit to these two attractions can be easily combined. Statues, decorations, costumes, film equipment and other stuff from previous film productions are exhibited here.

Ouarzazate Film Studios

Ouarzazate is famous for its film studios, which can be visited as part of a guided tour, unless a film is being made. The Atlas Cooperation Film Studios, for example, are famous for their film productions, such as "The Pope", "Gladiator" and "The Mummy". But also the CLA Studios are worth visiting, because here some scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed.

Tip: If you want to know more about the movies and to be able to visit the most spectacular film locations, it is advisable to book a guide on site.

Ait-Ben-Haddou

The main attraction around Ouarzazate is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait-Ben-Haddou, which is located around 30 kilometers away. The beautiful mud brick city is one of the most interesting places to visit in Morocco and should not be missed on any trip. Built around 1,000 years ago, this village still enchants with a unique backdrop. It is no wonder that this location was also a set for many famous movies.

Many visit Ait-Ben-Haddou on an excursion from Marrakech. However, it is really charming to stay in this historic city, because this place is magical, especially during sunset!

We recommend the Chez Brahim, wherefrom you will enjoy magnificent city-views. But also the Paradise of Silence with pool and really delicious cuisine is recommendable!

Kasbah Amridil

A visit to the Kasbah Amridil, which is located 40 kilometers away in the beautiful oasis of Skoura, is also wonderful and worthwhile. This Kasbah is very well-preserved and had even been inhabited until 1960. There you get a great impression of the past Kasbah and Berber life.

Don't miss a visit to the upper floor, where you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the beautiful landscape and the green oases!

Gas Haven

Really cool and a must-see for horror movie fans is Gas Haven, the film set of " The Hills have Eyes ". This spooky place is on the N10 towards Anezal, around 35 kilometers from Ouarzazate.

Fint Oasis

Another popular thing to do in Ouarzazate is a visit to the nearby Fint Oasis. This oasis enchants with beautiful palm groves and a dreamlike river landscape. The red rocks and the mud structures provide a unique contrast. A beautiful attraction just 20 kilometers from Ouarzazate!

Where to stay in Ouarzazate

If you also want to stay in Ouarzazate, we can provide some great hotel tips. Here are our recommendations for beautiful riads, perfect for an unforgettable stay in the city... it's worth a look!

Riad Ouarzazate: The kasbah-style Riad Ouarzazate is located in the city center and convinces with many lovely details, clean rooms and delicious dinner!

Dar Kamar: The Dar Kamar is a very pretty hotel in the old town of Ouarzazate, with a beautiful roof terrace. Due to the location in the center, you will find good restaurants nearby.

Le Petit Riad: The Le Petit Riad is a lovingly designed accommodation which amazes with pool, beautiful rooms and delicious breakfast!

Conclusion: Ouarzazate is, as already mentioned above, a very popular stop on round trips through Morocco. If you are traveling by car, then you should definitely plan 1 or 2 nights here. And, don't miss Ait-Ben Haddou and the film studios!

Find the best Accommodation in Ouarzazate:

More about Morocco:

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. Meaning that if you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ouarzazate, Morocco | All you have to know!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ouarzazate, Morocco | All you have to know! Ouarzazate in Morocco is around 200 kilometers south of Marrakech and is a popular stopover for round trips, but also for excursions and desert tours. The city itself is worth seeing, but the immediate area also has some great attractions to offer.

# data[].attributes.body
Since the 1920s, Morocco has had a long tradition of welcoming foreign film shoots
Over the last 40 years, Morocco has become one of the world’s major film-shooting sites, whether for cinema or for television, whether for big-budget blockbusters or for small-scale productions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Brazil. The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest. The rankings were introduced in December 1992, and eight teams ( Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain) have held the top position, of which Brazil have spent the longest ranked first.

A points system is used, with points being awarded based on the results of all FIFA-recognised full international matches. The ranking system has been revamped on several occasions, generally responding to criticism that the preceding calculation method did not effectively reflect the relative strengths of the national teams. Since 16 August 2018, the current version of the ranking system has adopted the Elo rating system used in chess.

The ranking is currently sponsored by Coca-Cola; as such, The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking name is also used. Coca-Cola also sponsors its women's counterpart.

In December 1992, FIFA first published a listing in rank order of its men's member associations to provide a basis for comparison of the relative strengths of these teams. From the following August, this list was more frequently updated, to be published most months. Significant changes were implemented in January 1999 and again in July 2006, as a reaction to criticisms of the system. Historical records of the rankings, such as listed at FIFA.com, reflect the method of calculation in use at the time, as the current method has not been applied retrospectively to rankings before July 2006. Membership of FIFA has expanded from 167 to 211 since the rankings began; 211 members are currently included in the rankings. The Cook Islands were temporarily removed from the ranking in the period from September 2019 until February 2022, after not having played any matches between 4 September 2015 until 17 March 2022.

1992-1998 calculation method

The ranking formula used from December 1992 until December 1998, was devised by two Swiss lecturers from University of Zurich (Markus Lamprecht and Dr. Hanspeter Stam). The first formula was the most simple one, compared to later revisions, but it still required complex calculation. The main concept was to award points for matches played between all FIFA-affiliated national A teams, based on their results over the past eight years in FIFA-recognised matches (friendly matches, qualifying and finals matches for the World Cup, and qualifying and final matches for a Continental championship):

Results were not included from matches played by the FIFA association's: B teams, C teams, League XI teams, Women, U17, U20, U23 and futsal teams.

The calculation formula was adjusted by the following factors:

1. Points for winning, drawing or losing: Compensatory factors for the relative strength of the two teams involved are included, so that a victory of a lower-ranked team over a higher-ranked team is awarded a higher amount of winning-points compared to a victory of a higher-ranked team over a lower-ranked team. Likewise the points from a draw will be higher for the lower-ranked team compared to the higher-ranked team.

2. Points for goals scored or conceded: Goals are granted the same amount of points whether or not they were scored in ordinary time or extended time. 0 points were granted from goals scored or conceded in a penalty shoot-out. Goals scored by a higher-ranked team against a lower-ranked team was also given slightly fewer points, compared to goals scored by a lower-ranked team against a higher-ranked team. Moreover, it was decided that the first goal scored by a team would be awarded more points compared to the subsequently scored goals in the same match. The total amount of points from goals being scored or conceded, would be of such small scale, that the points awarded from the match result (winning/drawing) would always be of a higher value.

3. Bonus points for away matches: Regardless of the final match result, the away team is given 0.3 extra points for playing a match away from home. There will be no away bonus points for the teams, if the match is played on neutral grounds.

4. Multiplying factors for various competitions: The importance of the match will affect the points awarded to the teams, so that the sum of points granted through the first three rules mentioned above, will be multiplied by the following factors:

1. Friendly matches: x1.00

2. Qualifier for Continental championship: x1.10

3. Qualifier for World Cup: x1.25

4. Finals of Continental championship: x1.25

5. Finals of World Cup: x1.50

5. Regional strengths and weaknesses: Regional strength is finally also factored into the award of points. In matches between teams from different continents, the granted points are multiplied by a factor of 1.0. In matches between teams from the same continent, the granted points will be multiplied by a factor of: 1.0 for European and South American teams, 0.9 for African and North+Central American teams, 0.8 for Asian & Oceanian teams.

6. Overall resulting in this FIFA Rank calculation formula: (Sum of points from rule 1+2+3) * Rule4 Factor * Rule5 Factor, calculated for each recognized match played in the past 8 years, with the total amount of ranking points being the sum of points calculated for those matches.

In example, despite being undefeated for all matches played in 1994, the world ranking of England still dropped seven places from December 1993 to December 1994, because the team only scored points from six lower factored friendly games (as per rule 4). England did not play a single competitive match in 1994, because they had failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and neither played qualifiers for the UEFA Euro 1996 as an automatically qualified host.

The calculated results for the rankings published throughout 1992-1998, was at some point of time also rounded to the nearest integer by the official FIFA website, although other websites opted to publish the unrounded points of the ranking.

1999-2006 calculation method

In January 1999, FIFA introduced a revised system of ranking calculation, incorporating many changes in response to criticism of inappropriate rankings. For the ranking all matches, their scores and importance were all recorded, and were used in the calculation procedure. Only matches for the senior men's national team were included. Separate ranking systems were used for other representative national sides such as women's and junior teams, for example the FIFA Women's World Rankings. The women's rankings were, and still are, based on a procedure which is a simplified version of the Football Elo Ratings.

The major changes were as follows:

the point ranking was scaled up by a factor of ten

the method of calculation was changed to take into account factors including:

the number of goals scored or conceded

whether the match was played at home or away

the importance of a match or competition

regional strength

a fixed number of points were no longer necessarily awarded for a victory or a draw

match losers were able to earn points

A contemporary website, described the 1999-revision of the calculation formula to be something that "slightly modified and more finely tuned the tried and tested method of calculation", with the most impactful revisions being that from now on only the seven best matches annually are taken into account (removing the previous advantage of playing additional matches) along with an adjustment of the regional strength factors for confederations and the match importance factors for various competitions.

The new ranking system continued the practice of the previous one, to annually grant the awards:

The changes made the ranking system more complex, but helped improve its accuracy by making it more comprehensive.

2006-2018 calculation method

FIFA announced that the ranking system would be updated following the 2006 World Cup. The evaluation period was cut from eight to four years, and a simpler method of calculation was used to determine rankings. Goals scored and home or away advantage were no longer taken into account, and other aspects of the calculations, including the importance attributed to different types of match, were revised. The first set of revised rankings and the calculation methodology were announced on 12 July 2006.

This change was rooted at least in part in widespread criticism of the previous ranking system. Many football enthusiasts felt it was inaccurate, especially when compared to other ranking systems and that it was not sufficiently responsive to changes in the performance of individual teams.

In September 2017, FIFA announced they were reviewing the ranking system and would decide after the end of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification if any changes are to be made to improve the ranking. FIFA announced on 10 June 2018 that the ranking system would be updated following the 2018 World Cup finals. The calculation method to be adopted will be closely modelled after the Elo rating system and rankings of its member associations will be updated on a game-by-game basis. The weighting designated for each confederation for ranking purposes will be abolished. However, the new methodology does not account for home or away games and margin of the victory, as Elo rankings.

FIFA had intended to introduce the new ranking system in July 2018, but with no matches scheduled between the July and August ranking dates, delayed until August 2018. There was speculation from football journalists such as ESPN's Dale Johnson that this was because projections of the new rankings had seen relatively little change in positions, with Germany - who had been eliminated in the first round of the World Cup - remaining as the top ranked team. FIFA had originally planned to use existing world ranking points from June 2018 as the start value, but when the August rankings appeared, the starting points had been changed to an equal distribution of points between 1600 (Germany, as the previously top ranked team) and 868 (Anguilla, Bahamas, Eritrea, Somalia, Tonga and Turks and Caicos Islands, which had 0 points in June), according to the formula:

,

where R is the rank in June 2018. When two or more teams had equal ranks, the following team received the next immediate rank possible, e.g. if two teams had R=11, the following team had R=12, not 13. Then the rating changes according to the games played after previous release were calculated. This produced a more dramatically altered ranking table, with Germany falling to 15th and 2018 World Cup champions France moving to the top of the ranking.

2021 alteration

Starting with the April 2021 rankings, the teams' points are now rounded to two decimal points, instead of being rounded to the nearest integer.

Men's rank leaders

FIFA World Men's Ranking Leaders

When the system was introduced, Germany debuted as the top-ranked team following their extended period of dominance in which they had reached the three previous FIFA World Cup finals, winning one of them. Brazil took the lead in the run up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup after winning eight and losing only one of nine qualification matches, while on the way scoring twenty goals and conceding just four. Italy then led for a short time on the back of their own equally successful World Cup qualifying campaign, after which the top place was re-claimed by Germany.

Brazil's success in their lengthy qualifying campaign returned them to the lead for a brief period. Germany led again during the 1994 World Cup, until Brazil's victory in that competition gave them a large lead that would stand up for nearly seven years, until they were surpassed by a strong France team that captured both the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 European Football Championship.

Success at the 2002 FIFA World Cup restored Brazil to the top position, where they remained until February 2007, when Italy returned to the top for the first time since 1993 following their 2006 FIFA World Cup win in Germany. Just one month later, Argentina replaced them, reaching the top for the first time, but Italy regained its place in April. After winning the Copa América 2007 in July, Brazil returned to the top, but were replaced by Italy in September and then Argentina in October.

In July 2008, Spain took over the lead for the first time, having won UEFA Euro 2008. Brazil began a sixth stint at the top of the rankings in July 2009 after winning the 2009 Confederations Cup, and Spain regained the title in November 2009 after winning every match in qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In April 2010, Brazil returned to the top of the table. After winning the 2010 World Cup, Spain regained the top position and held it until August 2011, when the Netherlands reached the top spot for the first time, only to relinquish it the following month.

In July 2014, Germany took over the lead once again, having won the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In July 2015, Argentina reached the top spot for the first time since 2008, after reaching both the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final, as well as the 2015 Copa America Final. In November 2015, Belgium became the leader in the FIFA rankings for the first time, after topping their Euro 2016 qualifying group. Belgium led the rankings until April 2016, when Argentina returned to the top. On 6 April 2017, Brazil returned to the No. 1 spot for the first time since just before the 2010 World Cup, but Germany regained the top spot in July after winning the Confederations Cup.

In the summer of 2018, FIFA updated their rating system by adopting the Elo rating system. The first ranking list with this system, in August 2018, saw France retake the top spot for the first time after nearly 16 years, having won the 2018 FIFA World Cup. One month later, for the first time, two teams were joint leaders as Belgium reached the same ranking as France. This lasted only one month as Belgium regained sole possession of the top spot in September 2018 and kept it for nearly four years until the end of March 2022, with only Brazil and Spain ever holding it longer uninterrupted. On 31 March 2022, Brazil returned to the top of the list.

Uses of the rankings

The rankings are used by FIFA to rank the progression and current ability of the national football teams of its member nations, and claims that they create "a reliable measure for comparing national A-teams". They are used as part of the calculation, or the entire grounds to seed competitions. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament, the rankings were used to seed the groups in the competitions involving CONCACAF members (using the May rankings), CAF (with the July set of data), and UEFA, using the specially postponed November 2007 ranking positions.

The October 2009 ranking was used to determine the seeds for the 2010 FIFA World Cup final draw. The March 2011 ranking was used to seed the draw for the 2012 CAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament second qualifying round.

The rankings are also used to determine the winners of the two annual awards national teams receive on the basis of their performance in the rankings.

The (English) Football Association uses the average of the last 24 months of rankings as one of the criteria for player work permits.

Special releases

To determine the seeding of teams in certain instances like FIFA World Cup qualification, FIFA occasionally releases a list of special rankings for a particular confederation to determine the seeding of the teams. For instance, the seeding for the third round draw for AFC qualifiers was based on a special release of the FIFA World Rankings for Asian teams on 18 June 2021.

Since their introduction in 1992, the FIFA World Rankings have been the subject of much debate, particularly regarding the calculation procedure and the resulting disparity between generally perceived quality and world ranking of some teams. The perceived flaws in the FIFA system have led to the creation of a number of alternative rankings from football statisticians.

The initial system was very simple, with no weighting for the quality of opponent or importance of a match. This saw Norway reach second in October 1993 and July-August 1995, a ranking that was criticised at the time. The rankings were adapted in 1999 to include weightings based on the importance of the match and the strength of the opponent. A win over a weak opponent resulted in fewer points being awarded than a win over a much stronger one. Further adaptations in 2006 were made to reduce the number of years' results considered from 8 to 4, with greater reliance on matches from within the previous 12 months.

Still, criticisms of the rankings remained, with particular anomalies being noted including: the United States rise to fourth in 2006, to the surprise of even their own players; Israel's climb to 15th in November 2008, which surprised the Israeli press; and Belgium's rank of world number 1 in November 2015, even though Belgium had only played in one tournament final stage in the past 13 years.

Further criticisms of the 2006-2018 formula included the inability of hosts of major tournaments to retain a high place in the rankings, as the team participated in only lower-value friendly matches due to their automatic qualification for the tournament. For example, 2014 FIFA World Cup hosts Brazil fell to a record low ranking of 22nd in the world before that tournament, at which they then finished fourth. 2018 FIFA World Cup hosts Russia had the lowest ranking (70th) at the tournament, where they reached the quarter-finals before bowing out to eventual finalists Croatia on penalties.

In the 2010s, teams realised the ranking system could be 'gamed', specifically by avoiding playing non-competitive matches, particularly against weaker opponents. This was because the low weighting of friendlies meant that even victories could reduce a team's average score: in other words, a team could win a match and lose points. Before the seeding of the 2018 World Cup preliminary draw, Romania even appointed a ranking consultant, playing only one friendly in the year before the draw. Similar accusations had been made against Switzerland, who were a seeded team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup having played only three friendly matches in the previous year, and Poland before the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The use of regional strength multiplier in the ranking formula before 2018 was also accused of further reinforcing and perpetuating the bias for and against certain regions.[citation needed ]

Current calculation method

On 10 June 2018, the new ranking system was approved by the FIFA Council. It is based on the Elo rating system and after each game points will be added to or subtracted from a team's rating according to the formula:

where:

P before - the team's number of points before the game

I - the importance coefficient:

5 - friendlies played outside the International Match Calendar windows

10 - friendlies played within the International Match Calendar windows

15 - Nations League matches (group stage)

25 - Nations League matches (play-offs and finals), Confederations' final competitions qualifiers, FIFA World Cup qualifiers

35 - Confederations' final competitions matches (before quarter-finals)

40 - Confederations' final competitions matches (quarter-finals and later)

50 - FIFA World Cup matches (before quarter-finals)

60 - FIFA World Cup matches (quarter-finals, semi-finals, third place play-off and final)

W - the result of the game:

0 - loss after regular or extra time

0.5 - draw or loss in a penalty shootout

0.75 - win in a penalty shootout

1 - win after regular or extra time.

If a game ends with a winner, but still requires a penalty shoot-out (PSO) (i.e. in the second game of a two-legged tie), it is considered as a regular game and the PSO is disregarded.

We - the expected result of the game:

where dr is the difference between two teams' ratings before the game.

Negative points in knockout stages of final competitions will not affect teams' ratings.

Each year FIFA hands out two awards to its member nations, based on their performance in the rankings. They are:

Team of the Year

Team of the Year is awarded each year to the first ranked team in the December-edition of the FIFA World Ranking. Except in 2000 and 2001, where a different calculation method determined the award instead should be given to: The national team with the highest average points score in their seven best matches of the recent year having ended on 31 December.

Belgium are the most recent Team of the Year for the fifth time in the 29-year history of the rankings. Brazil hold the records for most consecutive wins (seven, between 1994 and 2000) and most wins overall (twelve). The table below shows the three best teams of each year.

Performances by countries

Best Mover of the Year

The Best Mover of the Year was awarded to the team who made the best progress up the rankings over the course of the year. In the FIFA rankings, this is not simply the team that has risen the most places, but a calculation is performed in order to account for the fact that it becomes progressively harder to earn more points the higher up the rankings a team is.

The calculation used for the years 1993-2006, defined as the era before the major FIFA World ranking calculation revision in July 2006, is the number of points the team has at the end of the year ( z) multiplied by the number of points it earned during the year ( y). The team with the highest index on this calculation received the award. The table below shows the top three best movers from each year.

In the years from 1993 until 2006, an official Best Mover Award was handed over to the coach of the winning national football team at the annual FIFA World Player Gala. In example, the coach of the Slovenia national football team ( Srečko Katanec) received this official award at the FIFA World Player 1999 Awards Gala, with the award granted a few days after the year had ended on 24 January 2000. The award has not been an official part of the annual FIFA awards gala show, currently known as The Best FIFA Football Awards, in the period from 2007 to 2022.

While an official award has not been made for national team movements since 2006, FIFA has continued each year to release a list of the 'Best Movers' in the rankings. An example of the informal on-going "Mover of the Year" award is the recognition made by FIFA to Colombia in 2012 in an official press release.

After implementation of the major FIFA World ranking calculation revision in July 2006, the calculation methodology to decide the "Mover of the Year" ranking also changed in 2007, into simply being the difference between the FIFA world ranking points by the end of the year compared to 12 months earlier. The Best Mover results for all subsequent years are based on the same calculation methodology.

Ranking schedule

Rankings are published with respect to defined FIFA international windows.

References

External links

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Brazil. The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Royal Moroccan Football Federation - Wikipedia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (Arabic: الجامعة الملكية المغربية لكرة القدم; French: Fédération royale marocaine de football, FRMF) is the governing body of football in Morocco. It was established in 1956. It became a member in the FIFA in 1960, and in the same year it also became a member i…

# data[].attributes.body
1:1976 African Cup of Nations, 2: African Nations Championships1:FIFA Arab Cup
ranked 10th in the FIFA World Rankings in April 1998 / October 2022 they're ranked as the 22nd best national team in the world

# data[].attributes.body
controlled by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation(FRMF)
Member in FIFA and  Confederation of African football

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco ( Arabic: المكتبة الوطنية للمملكة المغربية; Amazigh: ⵜⴰⵙⴷⵍⵉⵙⵜ ⵜⴰⵏⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ ⵏ ⵜⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵜⴰⵎⵔⵔⵓⴽⵉⵜ; French: Bibliothèque nationale du Royaume du Maroc, previously and Bibliothèque générale et Archives) is located in Rabat, Morocco with a branch in Tetouan. The former Bibliothèque Générale (General Library) was created in 1924. In 2003, it was renamed the "Bibliothèque nationale du Royaume du Maroc."

The first national library of Morocco was founded in 1924 by the French Protectorate in Morocco. After a dahir (royal decrée) in 1926, it became a public establishment. Tétouan native Muhammad Abu Khubza authored a library catalog for the branch in that city in 1984.

The present building in Rabat-Agdal was designed by architects Rachid Andaloussi and Abdelouahed Mountassir of Casablanca and inaugurated by King Mohammed VI on 15 October 2008. Inspired by the square minarets of traditional Moroccan architecture, the building houses a main building with an adjacent tower, topped with a glass roof and decorated with modern Arabic calligraphy. There are also a spacious courtyard and other outdoor spaces for cultural performances and events.

Mohammed Ibrahim El Kettani (1973), Recueil sélectif de textes en arabe provenant d'archives marocaines et présentant un intérêt scientifique comme source pour l'histoire africaine (in French), Unesco, OCLC 493611466 . (Includes discussion of items held in the library)

"Bibliothèque nationale du Royaume: un joyau pour abriter les trésors culturels du Maroc", Le Matin (in French), Casablanca, 24 July 2003

"Dahir no. 1-03-200 du 16 ramadan 1424 (11 novembre 2003) portant promulgation de la loi no. 67-99 relative à la Bibliothèque nationale du Royaume du Maroc" (PDF). [Bulletin officiel du Royaume du Maroc fr] (in French) (5184): 150-152. 2004. ISSN 0851-1217. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-02.

Marcel Lajeunesse, ed. (2008). "Maroc". Les Bibliothèques nationales de la francophonie (PDF) (in French) (3rd ed.). Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. pp. 75-80. OCLC 401164333.

"Morocco", World Report 2010, The Hague: International Federation of Library Associations, OCLC 225182140, Freedom of access to information. (Includes information about the national library)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco - Wikipedia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco ( Arabic: المكتبة الوطنية للمملكة المغربية; Amazigh: ⵜⴰⵙⴷⵍⵉⵙⵜ ⵜⴰⵏⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ ⵏ ⵜⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵜⴰⵎⵔⵔⵓⴽⵉⵜ; French: Bibliothèque nationale du Royaume du Maroc, previously and Bibliothèque générale et Archives) is located in Rabat, Morocco with a branch in Tetouan. The former Bibliothèque Générale (General Library) was created in 1924.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Table of Contents

What is Ibn Battuta known for?

How did Ibn Battuta impact the world?

What was Ibn Battuta's early life like?

What was Ibn Battuta's occupation?

Read a brief summary of this topic

Ibn Battuta, also spelled Ibn Baṭṭūṭah, in full Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Lawātī al-Ṭanjī ibn Baṭṭūṭah, (born February 24, 1304, Tangier, Morocco-died 1368/69 or 1377, Morocco), the greatest medieval Muslim traveler and the author of one of the most famous travel books, the ( Travels). His great work describes his extensive travels covering some 75,000 miles (120,000 km) in trips to almost all of the Muslim countries and as far as China and Sumatra (now part of Indonesia).

Early life and travels

Ibn Battuta was from a family that produced a number of Muslim judges ( qadis). He received the traditional juristic and literary education in his native town of Tangier. In 1325, at the age of 21, he started his travels by undertaking the pilgrimage ( hajj) to Mecca. At first his purpose was to fulfill that religious duty and to broaden his education by studying under famous scholars in Egypt, Syria, and the Hejaz (western Arabia). That he achieved his objectives is corroborated by long enumerations of scholars and Sufi (Islamic mystic) saints whom he met and also by a list of diplomas conferred on him (mainly in Damascus). Those studies qualified him for judicial office, whereas the claim of being a former pupil of the then-outstanding authorities in traditional Islamic sciences greatly enhanced his chances and made him thereafter a respected guest at many courts.

That renown was to follow later, however. In Egypt, where he arrived by the land route via Tunis and Tripoli, an irresistible passion for travel was born in his soul, and he decided to visit as many parts of the world as possible, setting as a rule "never to travel any road a second time." His contemporaries traveled for practical reasons (such as trade, pilgrimage, and education), but Ibn Battuta did it for its own sake, for the joy of learning about new countries and new peoples. He made a living of it, benefitting at the beginning from his scholarly status and later from his increasing fame as a traveler. He enjoyed the generosity and benevolence of numerous sultans, rulers, governors, and high dignitaries in the countries he visited, thus securing an income that enabled him to continue his wanderings.

From Cairo, Ibn Battuta set out via Upper Egypt to the Red Sea but then returned and visited Syria, there joining a caravan for Mecca. Having finished the pilgrimage in 1326, he crossed the Arabian Desert to Iraq, southern Iran, Azerbaijan, and Baghdad. There he met the last of the Mongol khans of Iran, Abū Saʿīd (ruled 1316-36), and some lesser rulers. Ibn Battuta spent the years between 1327 and 1330 in Mecca and Medina leading the quiet life of a devotee, but such a long stay did not suit his temperament.

Embarking on a boat in Jiddah, he sailed with a retinue of followers down both shores of the Red Sea to Yemen, crossed it by land, and set sail again from Aden. This time he navigated along the eastern African coast, visiting the trading city-states as far as Kilwa (Tanzania). His return journey took him to southern Arabia, Oman, Hormuz, southern Persia, and across the Persian Gulf back to Mecca in 1332.

There a new, ambitious plan matured in his mind. Hearing of the sultan of Delhi, Muḥammad ibn Tughluq (ruled 1325-51), and his fabulous generosity to Muslim scholars, he decided to try his luck at his court. Forced by lack of communications to choose a more indirect route, Ibn Battuta turned northward, again passed Egypt and Syria, and boarded ship for Asia Minor ( Anatolia) in Latakia. He crisscrossed that "land of the Turks" in many directions at a time when Anatolia was divided into numerous petty sultanates. Thus, his narrative provides a valuable source for the history of that country between the end of the Seljuq power and the rise of the house of Ottoman. Ibn Battuta was received cordially and generously by all the local rulers and heads of religious brotherhoods ( ākhī s).

Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

His journey continued across the Black Sea to the Crimean Peninsula, then to the northern Caucasus and to Saray on the lower Volga River, capital of the khan of the Golden Horde, Öz Beg (ruled 1312-41). According to his narrative, he undertook an excursion from Saray to Bulgary on the upper Volga and Kama, but there are reasons to doubt his veracity on that point. On the other hand, the narrative of his visit to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the retinue of the khan's wife, a Byzantine princess, seems to be an eyewitness record, although there are some minor chronological discrepancies. Ibn Battuta's description of the Byzantine capital is vivid and, in general, accurate. Although he shared the strong opinions of his fellow Muslims toward unbelievers, his account of the "second Rome" shows him as a rather tolerant man with a lively curiosity. Nevertheless, he always felt happier in the realm of Islam than in non-Muslim lands, whether Christian, Hindu, or pagan.

After his return from Constantinople through the Russian steppes, he continued his journey in the general direction of India. From Saray he traveled with a caravan to Central Asia, visiting the ancient towns of Bukhara, Samarkand, and Balkh, all of those still showing the scars left by the Mongol invasion. He took rather complicated routes through Khorāsān and Afghanistan, and, after crossing the Hindu Kush mountain range, he arrived at the frontiers of India on the Indus River on September 12, 1333, by his own dating. The accuracy of that date is doubtful, as it would have been impossible to cover such enormous distances (from Mecca) in the course of only one year. Because of that discrepancy, his subsequent dating until 1348 is highly uncertain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ibn Battuta | Biography, History, Travels, & Map

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ibn Battuta, also spelled Ibn Baṭṭūṭah, in full Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Lawātī al-Ṭanjī ibn Baṭṭūṭah, (born February 24, 1304, Tangier, Morocco-died 1368/69 or 1377, Morocco), the greatest medieval Muslim traveler and the author of one of the most famous travel books, the Riḥlah (Travels).

# data[].attributes.body
The University of Al Karaouine ( nurtured talents)
Library: Moroccan National Library

# data[].attributes.body
Ibn Battuta

# data[].attributes.body
poetry, essays, documents, biographies, historiography, science, nature science

# data[].attributes.body
-Tertiary Industry
above half of GDP and gives employment to 43.6% of the workforce-spearheaded by real estate and tourism

# data[].attributes.body
-Secondary Industry
Industry contributes 26.1% of the GDP and employs 23% of the workforce.-main sectors: textiles, leather goods, food processing, oil refining, and electronic assembly/New sectors:chemistry, automotive parts, computers, electronics and the aerospace industry.

# data[].attributes.body
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1StoA98hruSv0VWaJmshwVElf22V0ZaWmm3-FW_uD0vo/edit

# data[].attributes.body
-Primary Industry
employs nearly 33.2% of the workforce and contributes to 11.7% of GDP-wheat, citrus fruits, grapes, vegetables, argan, olives, livestock and wine

# data[].attributes.body
It’s a clay cooking pot with a conical lid with multiple types of dishes slow-cooked inside (beef, lamb, chicken, veggies, etc). You can get it practically anywhere, at roadside stops, cafés, and nicer restaurants.

# data[].attributes.body
Amazigh
In Morocco and the rest of North Africa
"Amazigh Cultural Movement" (ACM) to defend their rights
Morocco has not adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples nor ratified ILO Convention 169.

# data[].attributes.body
More than 99 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim, and less than 0.1 percent of the population is Shia Muslim.
The first Islamic dynasty to rule Morocco was the Idrissids, who were of the Zaydi Shia school. Article 6 of the Moroccan constitution states that Islam is the official religion of the state.