Aside from my time in China, Morocco is probably the most ‘foreign’ culture I’ve experienced, as it’s our first time in a Muslim country.
It’s obviously still strictly segregated by traditional gender. It’s very patriarchal and the privilege of men is evident everywhere. But it’s the women that fascinate me the most. Here in Tangier, a cosmopolitan city, hijabs (covering the hair) are still very common, as are chadors (covering of the head and cloaked to the feet). It’s not uncommon to see a niqab (only eyes are exposed), though I have not seen any burqas. But the variety is amazing if you just sit and watch people walk down the street. In many cases you can see a change in process, and many younger and younger women are dressing as they please in whatever they feel comfortable wearing.
We can’t hide that we’re foreigners so we don’t try. Walking down the street we routinely have people wave and exclaim ‘welcome to Morocco!’ If I’m alone it’s not uncommon for a single woman dressed somewhat conservatively to offer me a greeting (even my pitiful French will get me a smile and a nice exchange). Parents will often encourage their children to say hello to us. The two girls in the top picture marched right up to Trip in the souk (market) to introduce themselves and make friends. As different as we all are, there’s still something to share.
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