Calligraphy and Mausoleum

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This past week we had two cultural programs. One was a workshop with a calligrapher who showed us several different types of arabic calligraphy. The only one that we could come close to reading was a very simple one. Some of the types of calligraphy that the artist showed us were in specific shapes, and he had several examples of the words "allahu akbar," praise to god, in calligraphy. We all chose a style of calligraphy that we wanted to try to learn, and the calligrapher wrote each of our names in the script. We tried to emulate his writing using the calligraphy markers he gave us, but it was really hard. Even my Arabic name, Najma, barely resembled the normal Arabic writing. We all tried really hard to so well, but when our professor Driss, from William & Mary, came in to check on us, we knew that none of us was destined to be a calligrapher.

On Thursday we had an outing in Meknes to the Mausoleum Moulay Ismail. We went with a professor from the center, Habib. Habib used to play soccer and is a celebrity in Meknes. So going into the city with him is always fun. People stop him to say hi, and he stops to ask people about what they are doing, so that we can hear more Darija. The Mausoleum is by the Bab Al Mansour, and it is one of the few tourist sights in the city. Moulay Ismail was the ruler of Morocco who made Meknes his capital. The grave itself is inside a mosque, and though we could go into the entryway, we could not approach the grave itself, since in Morocco it is illegal for non-Muslims to enter a mosque. The mausoleum has four clocks which were donated by Louis the 14, as a sign of friendship between the two rulers. We sat in the entryway for a while, which was very peaceful, but then several busloads of French and German tourists arrived, and the courtyard was not quite as serene. Unfortunately we had to return to the center to study for a test, which we have every Friday as we finish a chapter.

We spent the weekend in Tangiers, and I will write about that another time.

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Photos

Calligraphy Attempt
My try at writing Najma in Calligraphy. The calligrapher's example is in the top right.