Answer: Anfa
Anfa (the name means 'hill' in Berber) was a Berber settlement as early as the 10th century BC. The Phoenicians, and later the Romans, used it as a port. The Portuguese destroyed it in 1468 and built a new city on its ruins which they named "Casabranca," Portuguese for "White House." Later, they abandoned it and Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah rebuilt it with the help of the Spaniards, placing its center in the spot where the old Anfa was. Its name became Casablanca which remained unchanged through French occupation and subsequent independence in 1956. The locals call it just Casa.
From Quiz: The a la Menthe a Casablanca
Answer: Tuaregs
The Tuaregs (Touaregs) are a group of Berbers noted for dying their skin blue with indigo. They wear all blue tunics/robes, which is why they are known as "blue men". They are infamous for being amazing salesmen, dealing mainly in carpets and with minerals that they find in the desert. Also in nearby Algeria, Niger and Mali, the Tuaregs cause problems with their banditry and armed rebellions.
From Quiz: Mahgreb Mania
Answer: Mediterranean
On the west is the Atlantic. The Straits of Gibraltar are the link between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Spain is only nine miles north of Morocco.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: Africa
Morocco is a country that lies in the northwestern corner of Africa.
From Quiz: Know more about Morocco
Answer: Atlas
The Atlas Mountains run from southwest Morocco, where the highest range northeastwards to Tunisia. The highest point is over 13,000 feet. North of the Atlas Mountains there is a fertile coastal plain.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: Arabic and Berber
Nearly all Moroccans are Arab or Berber. Berber joined Arabic as an official language in 2011.
From Quiz: Know more about Morocco
Answer: Lisbon
Lisbon's 1755 earthquake was one of the deadliest earthquakes, claiming, in Lisbon alone, between 10,000 and 100,000 victims. Its epicenter was in the Atlantic ocean, between Lisbon and Rabat, Morocco, and its magnitude was 8.5 to 9.0 on the Richter scale. Tsunamis as tall as 20 metres high devastated the Atlantic shores of Northern Africa and travelled as far as Martinique and Barbados. The tsunami destroyed the largest part of Casablanca, which, abandoned by the Portuguese, laid in ruins until Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah started the reconstruction in the late 1700s.
From Quiz: The a la Menthe a Casablanca
Answer: France and Spain
Spain conquered the territory known as Western Sahara, along with the Rif Mountains in the north and the area around Tangiers. France ruled over the rest. Tangier was an international zone, and was ruled by a group of European ambassadors.
From Quiz: Mahgreb Mania
Answer: red
The background of the flag is red and there is the outline of a green, five-pointed star in the centre.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: Moroccans
Almost all Moroccans are Muslims!
From Quiz: Know more about Morocco
Answer: Hassan II Mosque
The desire of Moroccan king Hassan II to provide Casablanca with an outstanding monument is what initiated the construction of the mosque in 1986. Situated on the edge of the water, on an elevated platform and outlooking the Atlantic ocean, Hassan II Mosque is one of the most lavish and grand mosques in the world. It stands at 210m tall and part of its floor is made of glass, so a worshipper can kneel and pray over the water, a privilege only the royal family can enjoy. A laser beam shines from the top of the minaret towards Mecca and the sliding roof opens to the sky on special occasions. All the materials came from different areas of Morocco except for the glass chandeliers which came from the island of Murano in Venice. It can accommodate up to 105,000 worshippers in its inside and courtyard grounds. Its estimated cost was $800 million.
From Quiz: The a la Menthe a Casablanca
Answer: Rabat
Rabat is not the largest city in Morocco, that distinction goes to Casablanca which has a population of over two million. Rabat has a population of just over half a million.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: 1956
France and Spain controlled Morocco from the early 1900's until Morocco won independence in 1956.
From Quiz: Know more about Morocco
Answer: Gunpowder tea
Gunpowder tea is a Chinese green tea which comes in small pellets. Originally, the individual tea leaves were rolled by hand but today they are rolled by machines. Smaller and more tightly rolled pellets are an indication of higher quality tea. It is believed that the use of gunpowder tea was first introduced to Northern Africa by the British in the 18th century.
Moroccan tea is prepared in a very traditional way. The tea leaves are allowed to steep for at least fifteen minutes and then the strained liquid is boiled with the sugar. The mint leaves are added towards the end. The tea is very strong, sweet and aromatic and the way it is poured from up high, produces foam in the glass.
From Quiz: The a la Menthe a Casablanca
Answer: Hubert Lyautey
Marshal Lyautey was known as the "soldier administrator" because he was a soldier in the French army, and a well liked leader in Morocco. His biggest claim to fame was his efforts to prevent Moroccan culture from being over influenced by the French, and not allowing foreigners to purchase any land or buildings of historical importance.
Maurice Richard was a hockey player.
Henri-Philippe Petain was a French World War 1 general, and the leader of Vichy France.
Charles Laplace was a mathematician.
From Quiz: Mahgreb Mania
Answer: Agadir
The 1960 earthquake killed 15,000 people and leveled the city. The new Agadir is located about two miles from the old city.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: Dirham
1 Moroccan Dirham = 100 centimes.
From Quiz: Know more about Morocco
Answer: Plastic surgery clinics
Casablanca has a long standing tradition in plastic surgery. This tradition started in the 1950s with French gynecologist Georges Burou, a pioneer in sex reassignment surgery for transwomen. At a time when these types of operations were illegal in Europe, Georges Burou performed them in Casablanca, rather successfully, and his method laid the foundation for the perfection of the procedure in later years. Many skilled plastic surgeons followed in Dr Burou's footsteps, catering mainly to the growing need for rhinoplasties, tummy tucks and breast implants. For one third of the cost of a plastic surgery in a European country, a whole family can enjoy a vacation in the sun while a parent gets a tummy tuck or a nose job. The demand is so great that business is spreading to neighboring Algeria.
From Quiz: The a la Menthe a Casablanca
Answer: Tangier
The American Legation can still be viewed today and is filled with numerous examples of Moroccan artwork from the pre-Spanish conquest period. The main point of the treaty was to prevent piracy of American ships heading to France.
From Quiz: Mahgreb Mania
Answer: Kasbah
The Kasbah, or Casbah was built in the seventeenth century. It is an area of winding narrow streets. The former sultans' palace is now a museum.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: 1915
Morocco's flag features a 5-pointed green star against a red background.
From Quiz: Know more about Morocco
Answer: Mausoleum
The shrine is the mausoleum of Sidi Abder Rahman El Thaelebi, a marabout (Maghrebi Holy man), who was an enlightened spiritual leader and the founder of Algiers. The Shrine is located in the sea and can be accessed during low tide. While non-Muslims are not permitted inside the shrine, one can admire it from the outside during a stroll on the sandy beach.
The Corniche, the seaside neighborhood where the shrine is located, was once a very upscale neighborhood, with shops, restaurants and clubs. It is a bit rundown nowdays and the hubbub of the city has moved further North to Boulevard de l' Ocean Atlantique.
From Quiz: The a la Menthe a Casablanca
Answer: Marrakesh
The area around Marrakesh is all red clay. So initially every building was made of red clay. The Moroccan government wanted to keep this tradition alive by making all new buildings be red.
Casablanca also has a law making people paint their houses white.
From Quiz: Mahgreb Mania
Answer: Er Rif
Er Rif is part of the Barbary coast, which is the coast that runs from the Atlantic to Egypt. The name comes from the Berbers who inhabited this area.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: mint tea
The national dish of Morocco is "couscous". It is just steamed wheat served with vegetables, fish or meat, and a souplike sauce!
From Quiz: Know more about Morocco
Answer: Casablanca
The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is the world's third largest Mosque. It also has the tallest minaret in the world, which shoots a laser beam towards Mecca. It was built in 1992, by funds extorted from citizens both at home and abroad. However it is pretty impressive and even has a retractable roof.
From Quiz: Mahgreb Mania
Answer: Sahara
The Sahara extends from the eastern foothills of the Atlas Mountains to Egypt. At one time it was a fertile area with many lakes, now it is extremely arid, although there are fertile areas known as oases.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: Jean Reno
Jean Reno was born in Casablanca in 1948 as Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez to Andalusian-Spanish parents who moved to North Africa to escape Franco's dictatorship and seek work. He moved to Paris when he was 17 years old as Juan Moreno but as he started working in the movie industry, he adopted the French version of his name Jean and shortened his last name to Reno. He joined the French Army for a short time in order to become a French citizen. Nowdays, he divides his time between Paris and Los Angeles.
From Quiz: The a la Menthe a Casablanca
Answer: Fez
The Medersa Bou Inania is a theological college built in 1350, and is among the world's oldest colleges. In fact people still enroll in it for degrees in Islamic studies and various herbal medicines. However it was not the first college to offer degrees.
From Quiz: Mahgreb Mania
Answer: Hassan II
On his death Hassan II was succeeded by his son Mohamed VI. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: Athens, Greece
The distance between Casablanca and Athens is 2,856 km, between Casablanca and Istanbul 3,310 km, between Casablanca and Jeddah 4,760 km and between Casablanca and Saint Petersburg 4,014 km. I would have thought Jeddah would be a lot closer to Casablanca than Saint Petersburg! Casablanca is also twinned with Chicago, Tokyo and Montreal, among others.
From Quiz: The a la Menthe a Casablanca
Answer: Dirham
The Dirham is the official currency of Morocco. In 2004 about one Dirham was equal to ten US cents. A good meal was about 40 Dirham. Well I hope you enjoyed my quiz. Please send me feedback.
From Quiz: Mahgreb Mania
Answer: Marrakesh
Marrakesh can also be spelled Marrakech. This city is an important transportation center.
From Quiz: 9 for 10 - Morocco
Answer: 31,167,783
This population has given Morocco an overall population density of 69 persons per square kilometre.
From Quiz: Know more about Morocco