Souk des Teinturiers

In Marrakesh (Morocco) the Souk de Teinturiers, or the dyers' market, is an area where craftsmen work around vast cauldrons of dyes.  Skeins of wool or fabrics on ropes strung across the alleyway are left to dry in the sun.  The stunning colours make it one of the most delightful spectacles in the city.

You can always tell who are the craftsmen by their arms, coloured to the elbows with whatever colour they are presently using.  Of course, fewer and fewer people are earning their livings in this way because of the competition from industrial processes, though they do say that chemicals can never produce the subtle shades created by the traditional craftsmen.

This is a post for Postcard Friendship Friday hosted on Beth Niquette's blog The Best Hearts are Crunchy.

Casablanca fountain, Morocco

Postmarked Casablanca, dated 1983 as far as I can make out.

Casablanca
Fontaine lumineuse et musicale
Place des Nations-Unies
Illuminated musical fountain
United Nations' Square

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and the chief port. It is in the west of Morocco, on the Atlantic Ocean.  With a population of over 3 million, it is also the sixth largest city in all Africa. 

Casablanca was an important strategic port during World War II and hosted the Casablanca Conference in 1943, in which Churchill and Roosevelt discussed the progress of the war. Casablanca was the site of a large American air base, which was the staging area for all American aircraft for the European Theater of Operations during World War II.

Djemma el Fna

Postmarked Marrakech, dated 17 June 2008.

Jamaa El Fna (Djemaa el Fna)

The famous Marrakesh square, on UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage. "Only for expert negotiators ..." added my daughter-in-law on the card, and I've always thought she was one!

Marrakesh

Postmarked Marrakech, dated 17 June 2008.

Souvenir de Marrakech.

This shows a view of palm trees, the Djemaa el Fna which is one of the busiest squares in Africa, and at the bottom, the pavilion in the Menara Gardens with a view of the Atlas Mountains behind.

I'll give you the message on the card, written by my daughter-in-law, simply because I love the way she speaks English. Best read with a French accent!

Salam Alikum
Nor a place, nor a town, but truly a destination! Kiss and love, F & A

Koutoubia

Postmarked Marrakech, date 17 June 2008.
Koutoubia.
The first of three sent to me by my son and his French wife while they were on holiday recently. The Koutoubia Mosque is the largest in Marrakech, or Marrakesh. Its minaret has been used as the model for the Giralda mosque in Seville, Spain, which in turn has influenced the style of thousands of church towers and later buildings such as the Manhattan Municpal Building.