Moroccan Craftsmanship
I always wondered what makes Moroccan architecture and craftsmanship so special... I have traveled to several countries and every time I visit a country I try to seek what's so special about that place or what makes it so unique. I check out its history, food, architecture and outdoors landscape.
But when you visit Morocco and walk around the country's Old Medinas winding alleys in its imperial cities like Marrakech, Fes, Meknes, you'll get transported 1000 years back in history. People still practice old professions the way they did back then. As an example the blacksmith is still making door locks in brass and pure copper dishes and sells them right there in front of you, people still processing leather in a tannery the same way they did 900 years ago, the Zellige tile craft-man still paints and cuts the pieces by hand and assembles them one by one.
I think the uniqueness lays in how people rejected to apply economies of scale to their businesses, they would rather make a 100 pieces by hand over 2 weeks period than a 1000 pieces a day with a machine. I once heard an old man in the alleys of Fes Medina saying to a tourist " You guys in the west invented clocks, we on the other hand have time"
Keeping these traditions a live and giving the opportunity to the American art lovers the chance to own part of it is one of the main drivers I launched Marrakech Connection in Charlotte, NC.