The Instagram Account Revelling In The Beauty Of Morocco’s Past

Instagram account @moroccovintage_ is a photo library devoted to representing unique historical narratives from the North African nation of Morocco. A country with a rich culture and civilisation, through Morocco’s history, it has hosted many diverse peoples, and all of those civilisations have naturally helped shape the country’s social structures and cultural landscape. Exploring the region’s Berber, Arabian and European influences, image archive @moroccovintage_ oscillates between scenes from day-to-day life documented by photojournalists, detailed views of traditional jewellery, artworks and architecture, and clips from television programmes, alongside personal snaps gathered from the internet and beyond. Beautifully curated, the page provides copious sources of visual inspiration, while offering compelling insights into a fascinating culture.

Capturing a tender moment in the Hammam of the Andalous quarter, a historic bathhouse in the old city of Fes, Morocco, the above image is by Moroccan-born French photographer, Bruno Barbey. Hammams in traditional Moroccan urban centres have long played an important social and spiritual role. They allowed for the local population to perform ablutions as well as maintain general health and cleanliness. The hammam was also involved in other sanitation rituals and traditions, for example, newlyweds came to the hammam for washing and prayer and have a space reserved for them where they light candles; women who have recently given birth come to receive a special massage. Hammams were also important spaces for women as, for a long time, they were one of the few public institutions that provided them with a female-only space outside the home.

Following long social and cultural traditions, Berber silversmiths in Morocco, Algeria and neighbouring countries created intricate jewellery with distinct regional variations. Handing their jewellery on from generation to generation, as a visual marker of the Berber ethnic identity, women maintained a cultural tradition that lasted centuries. Traditional Berber jewellery was usually made of silver and includes elaborate triangular plates and pins, originally used as clasps for garments, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and similar items. Depending on the region as well as the type of jewellery, enamelling, corals, beads of amber and coloured glass or semi-precious stones were applied. According to art historians, the art of enamelling using the cloisonné technique was introduced by Sephardi Jewish goldsmiths, who in turn had inherited this skill from their forefathers in Moorish Al-Andalus.

Café culture in Morocco is steeped in local tradition and history too. Customarily serving Arabica and Maghrebi mint tea, Morocco’s historic cafés are cultural institutions that play a vital social and economic role. Tangier is considered to be Morocco’s most intellectual city and during the “international zone period,” from the 1920s until the 1960s, it was often romanticised in literature. William Burroughs wrote his seminal work, Naked Lunch, from the El Muniria Hotel. He noted, “Tangier is one of the few places left in the world where, so long as you don’t proceed to robbery, violence, or some form of crude, antisocial behaviour, you can do exactly what you want.” Foreign émigrés like composer Paul Bowles and American entrepreneur Malcolm Forbes took up residence in the Moroccan enclave. Two of the most popular spots in the city were Café Hafa and Gran Cafe de Paris, among others.



Feature image via @moroccovintage_