By: Nissrine Bedda / Arab America Contributing Writer Riads can date back to the 11th century in Morocco. The exclusive real estate was home to Morocco’s wealthiest families, including merchants and traders. Not only architecturally diverse, but riads have brought great notoriety to Morocco. In the 21st century, the city of Marrakech has become one … Continued
By: Arab America Contributing Writer / Mehdi El Merini The Maghreb region, consisting of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Mauritania, offers a rich tapestry of landscapes, cultures, and historical sites that beckon travelers from around the globe. Each country, with its unique charm and attractions, provides an unforgettable experience for those willing to explore its depths. … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer For a week, Albufeira’s gleaming Moorish-style white houses with their minaret-like chimneys set in the hillside cascading down to the clear waters of the Atlantic had us captivated. Like the thousands of tourists who visit the resort every year, we were entrapped in the town’s Moorish charm. In the … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer Lord Byron, the 19th century Poet Laureate of England, in his verse, portrayed Sintra as ‘the glorious Eden where he longed to spend his last days’, and the English poet Robert Southey described it as ‘the most blessed spot in all the inhabitable globe’. Their praise and those of … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer The first time that I walked the streets of Cordoba, once Moorish Spain’s world-renowned capital, I could not believe my eyes.The city’s Arab era had not been forgotten. Statues had been erected to many of her Moorish sons such as Ibn Rushd, al-Ghafiqi, Maimonides, the Caliph al-Hakim II, Ibn … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer “Do not speak to me about the court of Baghdad and its glittering magnificence; do not praise the splendour of Persia and China – for there is no land on earth more magnificent or richer than Al-Andalus.” So rhapsodized a 10th century Arab poet living in medieval Arab Spain … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer “It’s like a fairytale town. Look at these fantastic buildings! I can’t believe my eyes!” My travelling companion was expressing both our thoughts as we gazed down from a high point on Albufeira’s gleaming Moorish-style white houses with their minaret-like chimneys. They appeared to be jewels set in the … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer Hamid al-Badawi was relaxed in the Moorish atmosphere of the richly decorated Alhambra room in Agadir’s deluxe Sahara Hotel. The musicians had just begun to tune their instruments when the waiter, distinguished-looking in his Moroccan costume, served him a platter of couscous, diffusing a tempting aroma. No sooner had … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer As far as the eye could see, orange and lemon groves stretched in all directions. The perfume diffusing from their blossoms seemed to lull us into a dream-like world of pleasure as we made our way from Valencia to Gandia – Spain’s hidden Mediterranean resort. We were still intoxicated … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer “Besides Valencia, the beauties of all cities vanish from my eyes, The more I reflect, the more her matchless charms make me sigh. For her dress, God has given it green meadows and flowers swaying high, And for a skirt, the enticing sea and a clear river under a … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer I was exhausted as I laboured up the last few steps of La Giralda – Seville’s most outstanding monument. A steeple of Spain’s most massive cathedral, that is the third largest in the world, it has been for centuries a mecca, drawing countless travellers. For over 770 years, along … Continued
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer “Spare him a penny woman, For I cannot call to mind, A sadder fate for a human, Than to be in Granada blind.” So wrote the Mexican poet Icaza – these lines now inscribed on the walls of Alhambra, Granada’s renowned citadel. Making my way inland from the coast … Continued
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