Morocco is a country filled with snow-capped mountains, barren deserts, maze-like medinas, and brightly colored souks. France, Spain, and Africa have all had an influence on Morocco so you’ll find a wide diversity in the people, the spoken languages, the landscape, and the architecture.

Things to Know Before Visiting Morocco

1. Many Moroccans Don’t Want you to Take Their Photo

Of course it is always polite to ask prior to snapping a photo of anyone in any country. But we’ve found throughout the course of our travels that many people are happy to have us take their photo. In fact, in countries like Egypt, Myanmar, and Turkey we had locals constantly requesting to take photos of us and with us. They loved our “exotic” blonde hair and blue eyes.;

But trekking in Morocco, we’ve found (and read) that this is rarely the case. It could be due to many factors but it seems that the most common reason is referred to as “aniconism in Islam”. Aniconism is a proscription against the creation of images of sentient beings (humans and animals). https://www.4x4marrakechexcursions.com/

Non-Muslims Aren’t Allowed in Most Mosques in Morocco

While many mosques around the world open at least a portion of their interior to non-Muslims, foreigners will find that in Morocco most are off-limits. One of the few exceptions to the rule is the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca where you can wander around the courtyard or pay to take a tour of the inside. Things to Know Before Visiting Morocco: Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco by Wandering Wheatleys Wonder what happened to the Hassan I Mosque… But for the most part you’ll only be able to peek into Morocco’s many beautiful mosques through the open door from the outside. It should also be noted that some Muslims find it disrespectful to photograph the exterior of mosques so don’t be surprised if you are requested to refrain.