Before you notice the architecture, you notice the vibrant colours. Then the intoxicating scents, the intricate craftsmanship and the centuries-old traditions that blur the line between reality and fantasy. It's no wonder artists, designers and filmmakers have long been drawn to Morocco. We were no exception.
Customs + Rituals
Amazigh Tribes
For Amazigh tribes, hair is considered sacred and serves as a powerful form of social language. Hairstyles and adornments communicate a woman’s tribal identity, marital status, family wealth, and social standing, making them far more than decorative expressions.
Young, unmarried women traditionally wear simpler hairstyles with minimal ornamentation or distinctive single braids to indicate their status.
Following marriage, hairstyles become increasingly elaborate, often incorporating silver headbands or crowns -known as Tawnza- adorned with chains, coins, glass elements, and dangling ornaments that frame the face.
Hair is also believed to be vulnerable to spiritual forces. To offer protection, women weave silver disks, protective amulets, and Khamsa (Hand of Fatima) charms into their braids to ward off the evil eye, envy, bad luck, and djinn (or jinn).
Silver holds particular significance in Amazigh culture and is traditionally favoured over gold, which many communities regard as inauspicious. Associated with purity, honesty, and the blessings of the moon, silver is both a protective material and a marker of prestige.
The jewelry itself is rich in symbolism. Metal disks woven into the hair evoke the “sacred bread,” representing sustenance and abundance, while triangular motifs reference the Amazigh fibula, an enduring symbol of femininity, protection, and Mother Earth.
Hair ornaments also form an important part of a woman’s personal dowry. Commissioned or gifted by her family, the quantity and weight of the silver incorporated into her hairstyle reflect both familial prosperity and economic security.
Mehndi
Moroccan mehndi (or henna) is an ancient Amazigh (Berber) tradition rooted in protection, community celebration, and rites of passage. The word henna derives from the Arabic al-hinna.
In Morocco, mehndi designs are applied by a female artist known as a naqasha or hannaya. There are no formal training institutions; instead, the craft is traditionally passed down through generations of women, often within the same family.
For centuries, mehndi has been valued for its therapeutic properties and, by some, believed to possess baraka (blessedness), offering protection against malevolent spirits.
Mehndi also played an integral role in village life, marking community celebrations and religious holidays. Women and girls would gather for a mehndi party before weddings and other important occasions, applying intricate designs as both adornment and ritual. Such celebrations were thought to attract the attention of malevolent forces, and the baraka associated with mehndi was believed to repel djinn and ward off the evil eye, protecting the community from misfortune.
The most important motifs include:
Triangles: Symbolize femininity, strength, and fertility.
Diamonds and grids: Represent security, protection, and agricultural abundance.
Khmissa (Hand of Fatima): Wards off misfortune and brings good luck.
Legends of the Unseen
Morocco has always been a land where history and folklore comfortably coexist. Wander through the medinas long enough and you’ll inevitably hear stories of jinn. Jinn are supernatural beings made of smokeless fire who, according to Islamic tradition, inhabit a world that exists alongside our own. Unlike ghosts, they aren’t the spirits of the dead. They are living beings with their own societies, families and personalities. Like humans, they possess free will: some are kind and protective, others playful tricksters, and some are believed to be malevolent. They can appear in different forms, influence the physical world and, according to legend, occasionally cross paths with those who least expect it.
Whether you believe in them or not, they have inspired countless urban legends passed down through generations. Some offer explanations for the unexplainable, others serve as cautionary tales, and a few are simply deliciously unsettling. Here are some of Morocco’s most enduring legends.
Aisha Kandisha
No Moroccan legend is more famous—or more feared—than Aisha Kandisha.
Descriptions vary from region to region, but she is almost always portrayed as a breathtakingly beautiful woman who lures lonely men, particularly near rivers, wells or deserted roads at night. Only when they get close do they discover something isn’t quite right: beneath her flowing robes, her feet are those of a camel or a goat. By then, according to legend, it’s already too late. Some stories say she drives her victims to madness, while others claim they disappear forever.
Don’t pour boiling water down the drain
Before pouring boiling water into a drain, many people instinctively say Bismillah. According to tradition, a family of jinn might be living beneath the streets. Spill scalding water without warning and you could accidentally harm one of their children, inviting the wrath of its mother.
Bou3ou is watching
Every culture has its own childhood nightmare. In Morocco, it’s Bou3ou.
Parents have invoked his name for generations to persuade children to behave, warning that if they wander outside after dark or refuse to go to bed, Bou3ou will come looking for them. Whether monster, spirit or simply an effective parenting technique, no one seems entirely sure.
Don’t trust every black cat...
Late at night, a black cat, dog or even a black rooster may not be what it seems. Moroccan folklore holds that jinn are capable of taking the form of animals, making it wise to avoid provoking or harming them. Better to quietly continue on your way than risk offending something from the unseen world.
Listen to the donkey
A donkey braying at sunset isn’t just making noise, at least according to folklore. It’s said the animal is reacting to the sight of a jinn invisible to human eyes. The bray is its only way of warning us that something from the unseen world has just passed by.
Book to read: World of the Jinn by Amira El-Zein
Moroccan Palaces: The Art of Keeping the Best Part to Yourself
If European palaces were designed to impress the outside world, Moroccan palaces couldn’t care less.
From the street, many of them appear surprisingly modest. Plain walls, simple doors and almost no indication of the opulence waiting inside. It’s only once you cross the threshold that everything changes. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by carved cedar wood, intricate zellige tilework, delicate stucco, marble fountains, fragrant orange trees and courtyards bathed in sunlight.
Moroccan architecture has always been inward-facing. The central courtyard is the heart of the home, offering privacy, shade and a cool retreat from the North African heat. Water plays a starring role too. Fountains and reflecting pools decorate a space as well as cooling the air and creating the soothing soundtrack that follows you from room to room.
It’s a beautiful reminder that not everything extraordinary needs to announce itself. Sometimes the greatest luxury is hidden behind the simplest door.
There are plenty of palaces to explore, but these three are the ones that stayed with us. Each has its own personality: one is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, another is a monument to lost glory, and the third is elegance at its most understated. Together, they reveal why Moroccan architecture is as much about atmosphere as it is about beauty.
Bahia Palace
Built in the late 19th century by Grand Vizier Si Moussa and later expanded by his son Bou Ahmed, it was designed to be the greatest palace of its time. Its name, Bahia, means “brilliance” or “beauty,” and it certainly lives up to it.
With more than 150 rooms arranged around peaceful courtyards, every surface seems to have been crafted by hand. Painted cedar ceilings, colourful zellige mosaics, carved plaster and tranquil gardens create a space that feels surprisingly intimate despite its size.
El Badi Palace
Built in the 16th century by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur to celebrate his victory over Portugal, it was once one of the most magnificent palaces in the Islamic world. Contemporary accounts describe walls decorated with gold, marble imported from Italy and priceless materials brought from across Africa and Europe.
However, very little of that splendour remains. A later sultan stripped the palace of its treasures to decorate his new capital in Meknes, leaving behind vast courtyards, towering walls and reflective pools. Ironically, its emptiness is what makes it so striking today. Walking through its ruins, it’s impossible not to imagine just how spectacular it must have been.
Dar El Bacha
One of Marrakech’s most elegant residences is Dar El Bacha, built in the early 20th century for Thami El Glaoui, the powerful Pasha of Marrakech.
Compared to the grandeur of Bahia or El Badi, Dar El Bacha feels more refined than monumental. It isn’t about overwhelming scale or royal spectacle. It’s about refined taste. It feels almost like the home of someone with impeccable style rather than a ruler trying to impress the world. It creates a sense of harmony and calm, where craftsmanship quietly takes centre stage.
To be continued…