Meet the Gnawa Musicians of Khamlia Village

Traditional Moroccan Gnawa musicians wearing vibrant red embroidered robes and cowrie shell caps, playing metallic krakeb castanets during a lively cultural street performance.

About fifteen kilometers from Merzouga, down a road that most tourists never take, there is a small village called Khamlia. It does not look like much from the outside. A handful of low buildings, a few palm trees, the ever-present sand. But Khamlia is home to one of the most distinctive musical communities in all […]

The Women Behind Morocco’s Argan Oil Cooperatives

Close-up of a Moroccan woman using a traditional stone to crack roasted argan nuts by hand, extracting the kernels to make authentic argan oil, with a woven basket nearby.

The landscape shifts dramatically when you drive between Marrakech and Essaouira. Trees become thornier and more twisted. Goats often stand completely unbothered in the high branches. These animals happily eat fruit from the ancient argan trees. Their discarded pits actually start the process of making a highly sought-after oil. Argan oil represents a global industry […]