Marrakesh

Guide for dating in Marrakesh helps you to meet the best girls. This dating guide gives you tips how to date Moroccan women. You will learn rules where and how to flirt with local Moroccan girls. We advise how to move from casual dating to the relationship and find the real love. We also tell the best dating sites in Marrakesh. In this article below you will find more information where to meet and date girls in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Hot foreign women of Marrakesh partying at the Nikki beach club

Girls in Marrakesh:

Looks of girls: 4 / 5

Attitude of girls: 3.5 / 5

Loyalty of girls: 3.5 / 5

Education level of girls: 3 / 5

Dating in Marrakesh:

Chance of arranging dates: 2.5 / 5

Casual dating culture: 2.5 / 5

Online dating popularity: 3 / 5

Sex in Marrakesh:

Women's sexual activity: 3.5 / 5

One-night stands: 3 / 5

More about Marrakesh:

Nightlife in general: 4 / 5

Locals' English level: 2.5 / 5

Moving around the city: 4 / 5

Budget per day: US$50 - $2000

Accommodation: US$50 - $1000

Dating

Marrakech, also known as Marrakesh, is the fourth largest city in the kingdom of Morocco situated in the south-eastern central part of the country. The city has a population of about 1.6 million people. The city was founded way back in 1062 to serve as the capital of the ancient Almoravid kingdom. This status remained until 1912 when the country came under colonial rule. When the country gained independence in 1956 from the French, the city maintained its position as one of the main cities of Morocco.

A majority of the population of Morocco comprises of the Arabic Berbers who form 99% of the population, with the remaining 1% comprising of the small local tribes and immigrants. The girls in Morocco have a light complexion as is common with Arabic girls with small bodies and are well cultured in Islamic traditions. These girls are also smart and educated as Marrakech has many institutions of higher and an open system where girls are encouraged to go to school. In 2009, Marrakech elected a female mayor, the second one in the country.

Many Arabic countries are heavily influenced by Islamic culture. However, the social and cultural system of Morocco has been also infiltrated by western influence and so you may have a relatively easier time with the girls here. You just have to be patient enough to understand these girls and their culture and you will have an easy and enjoyable time around.

Dating Culture

As highlighted before, life in Marrakech and in particular, the dating culture is a blend between the native culture and some European influence. The native culture is largely based on Islamic law. This law does not encourage casual dating but one only gets into a relationship if the end goal is marriage. While men and women may socialize, the conversation is never centered on getting into a relationship unless the two are discussing their marriage. Things have slightly changed as the presence of European foreigners in the country has seen fewer restrictions on socialization and it is now common to see men and women at social places together having a good time which may result in a casual hookup and not necessarily a serious relationship.

However social distancing is practiced as an outright display of affection whether during courtship or before is still a rare occurrence.

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Online Dating

Dating in Marrakesh can be a bit tricky due to not knowing if you have a solid connection, so your best bet is to sign up for a dating site before you venture to the night club or bar, so you can meet a few locals ahead of time. AdultFriendFinder.com lets you meet local members in Marrakesh and get to know them on a personal basis before you meet in person. Take advantage of site features like live chat and member to member webcams so you can begin flirting before arranging a face-to-face meeting.

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Women

The city of Marrakech has a population of about 1.5 million people, out of which about half are women. The women here are very beautiful and cultured and if you are able to hook up with one, your time in Marrakech will be enjoyable. Unlike many cities around the Arab world, hooking up with girls here is relatively easy due to modernization and western influence. The best chance that a tourist has in the city of Marrakech is with foreign women or the few liberal locals who do not subscribe much to Islam culture.

One type of woman that you are bound to find in Morocco is the women who are strict adherence to Islamic laws. These women wear either the niqab or the hijab. The niqab is a veil that is worn by ultra-conservative Muslim women and it covers the face leaving only the eyes exposed. On the other hand, a hijab is worn by the less conservative Muslim women and women in the western world.

Marrakech receives about 2 million tourists every year most of whom come to savor the country's attractions. This group mainly comes from Europe especially France and Spain with women being part of these arrivals. These women are more liberated than the local Moroccan women and most of them do not ascribe to the Islam faith. Local regulations limit their expressiveness in terms of mannerism and dressing. However, these women dress less conservatively, without the burkas and hijabs worn by the locals. They will be found in loose trousers and simple blouses and cover their eyes with sunglasses. As a tourist looking for a quick hookup, these are the women that are more readily available as compared to most locals.

Marrakech has many girls who are students in these institutions of tertiary learning. Many of them reside within the school and step out during the weekends and recesses. Just like the second group above, some of the students have been exposed to a mixture of cultures as the universities have both locals and foreigners in their ranks. Since many of them are still under their parents, they will be careful not to appear to be outgoing during the day as they go about their studies. This greatly changes on the weekend nights as they drop their innocent looks and venture into the vibrant nightlife of Marrakech.

While each of the above categories has its own traits, we can also look at the women in Marrakech based on their age.

Moroccan Girls (age 18 - 29)

These girls here are at the age of transition where girls leave teenage and get into adulthood. This transition results in the young girls here being the most beautiful. At this point, hormones are released into the body of these girls. The action of this hormone results in the development of secondary sexual features in women. The breasts which were hitherto flat protrude and become round and supple while the hips and buttock grow in size.

The conservative Moroccan girls wear the hijab and other loose clothes to hide the prominent features. In Morocco, it is considered immoral for you to be in tight trousers and dresses or short skirts. While a few progressive parents may allow their daughters to step out like this, which is rarely the case for the majority. The more progressive girls here put on tighter pants clothes though some opt to use a scarf to cover the bulging features.

As the girls at this age are finishing their education, it is generally accepted that the next phase is marriage and so some may end up getting married straight away. The manner of married may be either consensual between the girl and the man or it can be arranged. Though they are less common nowadays, arranged marriages are favored by wealthy families who seek to establish connections with each other.

Unlike some countries where some women prefer to move out of their family homes once they grow older, Moroccan girls rarely out of their parents' homes unless they are moving to their matrimonial home. Because of the highly patriarchal nature of Muslim families, a girl is expected to be under a male figure at all points of her life hence the move from the care of her father and brothers directly to the care of a husband. In the same way, in the unfortunate event of a divorce or the death of the husband, the girl is free to move back to her father’s home. From there, she is allowed to get married after an appropriate period of transition.

Some girls especially those coming from the lower class, many of them get to this age having been married. Many men in Morocco prefer marrying women who have not gone to higher levels of education as they deem them to be spoilt. In an attempt to ensure that their daughters are still desirable, many men pull off out of school at this point and have them assist in house chores as the till they are of age. Another reason that the men marry off their daughter is usually because of poverty. Since the dowry paid by the men before marrying a girl comes to her family, many fathers opt to marry off their daughters early when they are still young and likely to fetch more in terms of dowry.

Hot young foreign girls in Marrakesh at the Nikki Beach club

Moroccan Women (age 30 - 45)

The Moroccan women at this age fall into two groups; the first group is the ones who opt to get into family life as soon as they have finished their education and become housewives. These ones will have gotten married by this age and will spend much of their time taking care of their families only leaving the house to run related errands.

The second group of women is of those who, while some may get into the family way, will continue to further their careers. Increasingly, more and more Moroccan women are opting to carry on with their professional careers even as they balance this with their families. This was highlighted in 2009 when the city of Marrakech elected a 33-year old woman as its mayor, the second ever in the country.

Today more than 50% of Moroccan women choose to pursue their careers after completing their studies.

This means the woman that you come across this age will most likely be married with children as some of them get married earlier in life. If you get lucky and get one who is not yet married, she will be looking for a husband and is where you may come in. This can only work if you agree to act as the prospective husband as the law discourages women interacting with unrelated men unless it is one is planning to marry them.

These women are slightly more mature and so know how to conduct themselves without arousing any suspicion.

Mature foreign women in Marrakesh at the Theatro club

Moroccan Ladies (age 45+)

Just like in the category above, the women here can either be housewives or career women. The housewives tend to have more children than those women who take the professional path. This is because the housewives have more time for themselves and can manage to take care of children. The professional women will be content with two or three children as they have to deal with the vagaries of work-family balance. No matter how beautiful a girl may have been in her early years, women above 45 years tend to lose some of their spark. She will be struggling with many personal complications and those on the older side may be having health issues as well.

You may come across a divorced woman above 45 years who through sheer luck may have kept herself well and may be ready for a relationship.

Foreign Girls (tourists, expats, students, etc.)

Marrakech has an international airport; Marrakesh-Menara Airport situated 3 kilometers from the city. The airport receives numerous flights from European countries and the Middle East in addition to local flights from the country’s main airport in Casablanca. The city is also connected to the main cities in the country through a well-maintained road network. This enhanced network has seen the number of foreigners in the city grow tremendously. The number of foreign girls is mainly composed of girls from European countries and the Middle East. In the recent past, not many foreigners used to venture into this city. This has greatly changed and many Europeans especially French nationals have settled in the city.

One group of foreign girls that you will come across in Marrakech is these celebrities who have opted to invest in the city. The availability of affordable land has attracted many who put up holiday homes to visit whenever they want a quiet place away from the fast lane. These foreign ladies are mainly celebrities and may require a bit of courage to approach. These girls live exciting lives and if you can manage to bag one of them you will have a good life on the fast lane.

The second group of foreign girls you will find in Marrakech is the group of tourists who come to the city to enjoy any of the tourist attractions listed below and many others. These girls are going to be in the city for a shorter time than the investors and are easier to hook up with as most of them are also here for a good time.

The other group is the women who come to the city to look for business opportunities or employment. Morocco is one of the more developed countries in the Arab world and in Africa and this attracts many women seeking to grow in their careers. This woman may be also easy to hook up but will mostly be looking for a longer relationship rather than a one-night stand.

Sex

Although having sex with Muslim girls is generally hard, Moroccan girls are way easier than most girls in the Arab world. This is due to two main reasons. While in many Arabic countries the girls are more subdued and are only expected to be seen and not heard, Moroccan girls are more empowered with some of them attaining high levels of education and employment. This creates in them a sense of independence which makes the open to having casual relationships with not only the local men but also with tourists and other foreigners.

The second reason is that the influence of Europeans especially the French and Spanish, who are famous for their romantic lives, has opened up the Moroccan society to adjust and accept some level of western cultures.

This, however, does not mean that hooking up with a Moroccan girl and having sex with her is a simple matter of smiling and getting lucky. The art of seducing girls still applies. You have to understand the culture of the local girls before you hit on one. Additionally, each girl is wired differently and what works for one does not necessarily work for all.

Sex Culture

As mentioned above, while Morocco is 99% Arab Muslims and much of their culture and way of life influenced by Islamic laws, the Moroccans are relatively less conservative as compared to many other Arabic countries. While one-night stands and public display of emotions are still frowned upon, they are much more common than many other Arab or muslim countries. This is because of the presence of many foreigners in Marrakech and the empowerment of girls.

Casual sex is still not allowed though it is still practiced in many parts of the city albeit under the cover of darkness. The locals are always shy to be seen in compromising situations in public but once you penetrate the cover, you can have a good time with the ladies.

One-Night Stands

One-night stands are some of the easiest ways for you to engage in sex without a lot of commitment and investment. In many African countries, one-night stands are generally a new concept as many cultures are loudly against sex before marriage. This has led to a slower uptake in one-night stands and casual sexual affairs.

This is changing as more and more people are being exposed to the western way of life either through physical interactions, through studies and through films or social media. What was hitherto a taboo way of life is slowly gaining acceptance as an alternative way of life as opposed to having to wait till marriage before engaging in sex.

This is very evident in Marrakech and Morocco as a whole. Strict Islamic laws dictated that young girls got married when they were still virgins just as in any Muslim country. While this is still being adhered to, many young girls either native or foreigners are getting into one-night stands with both locals and tourists.

Arab girls can be quite hard to hook up for a one-night but remember that they are also loyal so you may want to stay away from her after your one-night or else you will find yourself inadvertently getting married.

Best Places to Meet Single Girls

With a city that is almost 1000 years old, it is expected that Marrakech has many interesting places that you can meet single girls and where you can take your girl to spend time with her. The city has a rich history from the time that it served as the administrative center for the Almoravid Kingdom to the present. Every year, the Marrakesh Street Circuit hosts the World Touring Car Championship, Auto Grand Prix, and FIA Formula Two Championship races. These are some of the most popular international events that bring many visitors to the city.

In addition to the above, Marrakech also hosts many native establishments that will offer you many options.

Bars, Pubs and Nightclubs

The coastline of Morocco is approximately 4 kilometers from the coast of Spain in Europe. This proximity to Europe has led to life in Morocco being influenced a lot by western cultures. While in the past very few foreigners stayed in the country, many immigrants have flocked into the country to work and invest.

This influx has also seen many foreign franchises and businesses setting shops in the country with some of them ending up in Marrakech. Part of the businesses that have come into the country include clubs and entertainment joints that have come to meet the need for exotic entertainment not just for the locals but also as a testimony of the many foreigners in the country. While Rabat may be the capital city of the country and other cities such as Casablanca being more prominent in many areas, Marrakech is known for its exotic and luxurious nightlife where you can get loose and have a good time while mingling with the locals and foreigners. A word of caution, before stepping into a club in this city, it is advisable to check the prices as some of the clubs are quite expensive.

Pacha Club: This joint is run by the Pacha Franchise from Spain that operates night clubs all over the world. The brand is known worldwide as one of the most luxurious in the world and the Marrakech branch lives up to this reputation. The club hosts some of the most sought-after DJs in the world and has an amazing pool with breathtaking views of the Atlas Mountains.

Theatro Club: The name of this club means theatre in Spanish as it is built where there once stood a theatre. It is also considered to be one of the coolest hangouts in town. Like Pacha Club, Theatro is also famous for hosting many international stars.

Nikki Beach Marrakech: This is another franchise with a branch in Marrakech. The name may be confusing to some as the club is nowhere near a beach. Rather, this is the franchise name. What it lacks in a beach, it makes up for in art exhibitions, fashion and theme parties. It also offers some of the best outdoor music in the city.

Discoteca Silver: The club has made its name in Marrakech as the place for international festivals and other big events. Despite being one of the newest clubs in this list, it has grown to be compared to Ibiza because of its vibrant party life.

Club Maj: This joint is part of the Les Jardins de l’Agdal Hotel, one of the best-known hotels in the city. It has one of the biggest dance floors around and hosts many popular international DJs. The club all types of music from techno to Arab and many more.

555 Famous Club: With its famous name, the club is the place to go if you want to have a good dance. This high end-club hosts many events and has a number of regular DJs. This is a club you go to only when you are ready to spend money as it is quite expensive.

La Palace: La Palace is considered to be the most luxurious and high-end entertainment joints in the city. The club starts the day as a restaurant and later on turns into a party hub that goes on until 2 am every day.

L’Auberge Espagnole: This is a casual sports bar in Marrakech that serves tapas and Spanish food. Be warned, early on there are sports playing on the TV. If sports aren’t your vibe, this place isn’t for you. Later, you can party to Latin music.

Lotus Club: This entertainment joint is a fancy cabaret that offers live entertainment and an interesting cocktail menu. The club even has its own in-house Lotus Girls who perform every day. However, just like the other clubs listed above, the place is a bit expensive.

Buddha Bar: On top of the decor that transports you to another place, the oriental atmosphere and the giant golden Buddha that oversees the party, the Buddha-Bar is a fantastic bar in Marrakech to eat and see live dance shows. Be warned -- it’s one of the pricier joints in the city.

Entrepotes: This open-air, “off the beaten track” courtyard bar and restaurant is a plant-laden venue with a lovely atmosphere. It serves high-quality Asian-style food and phenomenal cocktails. Careful -- portions are quite big.

Sky Lounge: This panoramic restaurant and terrace-bar is on the top of the Pearl Marrakech hotel but is open to guests and non-guests alike. Enjoy poolside views of Ochre City, the medina, Agdal Gardens, the imperial ramparts, and the Atlas Mountains.

Other popular clubs in Marrakech are So Lounge Bar by Sofitel, Le 68 Bar à Vin, Le Bar Churchill, Palais Jad Mahal, Kosybar, L’Epicurien, and Kechmara

As it has been mentioned and as visible, the city offers some of the best nightlife in the country. It can also be seen that the clubs in the city can be quite expensive so you may need to be ready to spend. However, there exist less costly joints in the city that still offer good entertainment.

Party at the Theatro club in Marrakesh

Shopping Malls

With a local population that is slowly opening up to European culture and way of life, Marrakech has a number of shopping malls that offer a one-stop experience to the residents of the city. Malls are favored because of convenience and sometimes they act as a status symbol for those in the middle and those coming from the lower into the middle class.

Some of the malls in Marrakech include:

Menara Mall
Almazar Centre Commercial
Carre Eden Shopping Center
Souk Cherifia
Centre Commerciale Artisanal
Markt Marrakesh
Ouarzazate
Centre Commerciale Jemaa El Fna
Soul El Bahja
Lavazza de Marrakech

Menara Mall

Outdoors

As mentioned earlier, Marrakech was founded in the 11th century. The city has undergone many changes ever since and is now the chief city of Central Morocco. These changes and seasons have led to Marrakech having a lot to offer in terms of interesting places to visit.

The Toubkal National is found on the outskirts of Marrakech. The park hosts the highest peaks of the Atlas Mountain range, the highest mountain in Northern Africa. A visit to the park offers quite breathtaking views. However, the temperatures can be unpredictable on the mountain and can go down to a negative scale during winter. This provides the perfect opportunity for mountain skiing. In summer, the train is full of beautiful streams and waterfalls as you encounter animals such as gazelles, squirrels and boars. For the mountaineering type, you can hire a guide and scale the highest peak, Mt. Toubkal standing at 4167 meters.

The whole metropolitan area (medina) of Marrakech is a UNESCO site, boasting several architectural and artistic features such as the Bahia Palace, Koutoubia Mosque and Saadian Tombs. While the medina played an important historical role in medieval urban development, today it exists as an example of the traditional Moroccan lifestyle. Visitors to Marrakech can experience life much in the same way it would have been centuries ago by just walking the streets and alleys. Another great historic monument in Marrakech is the Jemma el Fenna square. The square once served as an important trading post for the caravans crossing the Sahara Desert during the ancient trade. Today, the center hosts many musicians, snake charmers, food stalls and a small souvenir market. You can experience the scene from a rooftop nearby as you watch the sunset.

If you are the off-road type you can head out of town to the Anima Gardens where local flora and fauna are mixed with modern sculpture art and a fraction of the people to contend with. Each of the sculptures is thoughtfully woven into the natural landscape and an onsite café provides refreshments when it's time to take a break.

The Dar el Bacha was once home to the sultan of Marrakech, Thami El Glaoui. Today, it is a museum with rotating exhibits featuring topics such as the coexistence of faiths in the Mediterranean region. Or head out of town to the Tin Mal mosque near the village of Ourigane. This mosque from the 12th century is where the Almohad dynasty began its conquest of Marrakech.

The Mellah area of Marrakech was once the Jewish quarter. Visit the Mellah spice market if you want to bring home spices. You can also visit the Lazama Synagogue to learn a little bit about Morocco's long Jewish history.

Koutoubia Mosque

Universities and Colleges

The city of Marrakech is home to numerous colleges and universities. Some of the most known ones are:

Cadi Ayyad University (University of Marrakech)
École Nationale des sciences appliquées de Marrakech
École Supérieure de Commerce de Marrakech
École de Gendarmerie Royale
Marrakech School of Visual Arts
Lessane Arabi Center
American School of Marrakech
Medersa Ben Yousef
ALC Marrakech

Relationship

Marrakech’s population consists of 99% native Berbers Arabs. This significant majority means that much of the way of life if based on this larger group. This group has lived in the city and the surrounding areas since it was founded in the 11th century. It is therefore rightly expected that the minority 1% have to adhere or get a way around the traditions. It has however been mentioned that the way of life in the city just as the rest of the country has been to an extent influenced by the former colonial masters, the French and the nearest European country, Spain.

In a large way, the Muslim traditions of relationships courtships and marriage are still in effect. It is expected that a girl preserves her virginity until marriage and two people of the opposite sex whether married, dating, or even if not in any form of relationship should carry themselves with dignity and class while in public so as not to display any form of inappropriate behavior.

Holiday Romance

Due to its proximity to Europe and the developed transport infrastructure, Morocco receives a large number of tourists every year who come in for a holiday. Many of these tourists prefer life away from the coastal cities of Rabat and Casablanca and find their way into the interior ending up in places such as Marrakech. This has seen a significant rise in the number of foreigners on the streets of the city. While a few of them are here for business, many more are tourists on holiday who would not mind engaging in holiday romance.

The local girls here are always ready to welcome visitors here with their beautiful smiles. Even though you may not be able to go around kissing in public or showing each other romantic gestures, you can be assured of a great time in the hands of these girls. You only need to be willing to be patient enough to learn about the local culture before you step out so that you can fully enjoy your time in here without getting into any trouble.

Tips for Successful Relationship

Any relationship requires commitment and sacrifice form parties. The two of you will need to invest both physically and emotionally for the relationship to blossom and grow into something beautiful. These requirements can only increase when you are getting into a relationship with someone from a conservative society as the one in Morocco.

Islam is one of the strictest religions and Morocco has some of the staunchest Muslims in the world. The girl that you choose may come from one of these families and this may affect how the two of you interact. It will be important for you to be ready to accept the girl and her cultural background. You will need to be discreet at the onset as reputation is key to Muslim girls and they work hard to protect it.

Honesty is one of the most important pillars of a successful relationship. Everyone has things that they would rather keep to themselves away from anyone else. While this is common, you need to identify those things that will affect your relationship in any way and lay them in the open. This will help you avoid future conflict when the truth is revealed in some other way.

There are no two human beings in the world who have identical. Even though there may be similarities in some physical or even mental characteristics, our interactions and upbringing and how we react to them result in every one of us being unique in their own way. This fact is clear and important in a relationship. The two of you come from different places, had different upbringings and have different interests. The biggest challenge for a couple is to ensure that these two sets of identities complement each other and not conflict. With this understanding, you will be able to have reasonable expectations of each other and not use your own life to gauge your partner.

Love

Whether it is in Marrakech or anywhere else, the feeling of being in love is something that we all look forward to at a point in our lives. From birth and throughout, we are born with an innate longing to love and to be loved. At times, falling in love may be seen from a distance. However, most time you will never know how things happen but you will find yourself being attracted and later attached to someone who a while back was a complete stranger. With the many activities that Marrakech has to offer, being in love here is going to be one of the best things ever.

How to Make Sure She Is the One

While it may not be humanly possible to completely know the type of girl you are getting into a relationship with, it will be helpful to look out for some pointers to help you as you decide to settle down with someone.

The girl that you seek to marry should show compassion and support towards others and their struggles, including yours. You will have down days and you will feel upset, and your partner should be able to support you and relate to you during these times. Even though she may show this support to you out of obligation, it is important that she extends the same to those around her.

Honesty is a very important trait in a long-term relationship; if you can’t trust your partner, how can you tell them anything in confidence, or believe anything they said to you? Find someone who respects you enough to be honest with you, even when it is difficult for them.

As well as supporting your dreams and goals, the woman you marry should have her own dreams and ambitions, too. She will look to her future regularly and plan how to improve her life, rather than depending on you for a good and fulfilling life. Admiring your partner and her attitude should motivate you to be a better version of yourself. From going to the gym to volunteering at a charity, you should want to be the best version of yourself for her—and yourself.

Marriage

The Moroccan Family Code of 2004 stipulates 18 years as the minimum legal for one to get married in Morocco. However, child marriages are rife and children as young as 14 years are often married off by families to settle debts or to cash in on the dowry. There has been a sustained ongoing campaign against this practice and more families are allowing their daughter to be at least 18 years before marrying them away.

Same-sex marriages are illegal in Morocco

It is legal and acceptable for a foreign man to marry a Moroccan woman and the other way round. Depending on your country of origin, the process for getting marriage and the requirements vary.

Before getting married in Morocco, you are required to obtain a certificate from your embassy that indicates your legal capacity to get married. To obtain this certificate, you must present several documents that prove your status and identification. These documents include copies of your; criminal record, proof of residence, birth certificate, passport, proof of citizenship and passport size photos. You will also be required to show proof that neither of you is already married. Upon submission of these documents, you will be given a booklet on marriage and a questionnaire.

Your embassy will then publish bans of marriage to make sure that there is no valid objection to your marriage. The bans will be published in both countries and so this may take a long time. As this goes on, you may be interviewed together with your spouse to share more information on their marriage. Once you have been given permission to proceed, you goon on to the actual process of registering the marriage.

You will be required to go to the office of a Muslim notary (Adul). The notary, who is accredited by the Family Justice Division, will fill in an official form for the marriage authorization application. The application is then forwarded to the Family judge who ratifies the application.

In the event that the couple wishes to do a civil wedding, the marriage certificate will be signed by the spouses and the Family Judge and the two will be declared officially married. However, if they plan to have a religious wedding, they will set a date in consultation with their families and religious leader.

Wedding

In Morocco, the actual marriage takes place before the celebration. This ceremony is usually attended by only five people, the couple, two witnesses and a guardian of the bride. The group gathers before an Imam and sign contract that binds the marriage. Since the process of acquiring this certificate is a bit tedious, the signing ceremony is regarded as a mere formality and takes a very short time. Even though this is the official start of the marriage, it is the wedding party that is widely accepted as the actual start.

In the past, traditional Moroccan weddings used to last up to seven days as the bride's family and the groom's family used to have separate parties in their respective homes before the two actually met. This has changed with time and many families opt to have only one or two days of celebration. This can take place in both homes or in one central place. There are usually smaller gatherings for specific people.

The first minor gathering is for the bride and her female friends and relative. The group goes to a public bath area where she gets her hair washed and her body thoroughly scrubbed and massaged in preparation for the wedding night. The next day, this group gathers and applies a special temporary tattoo on the bride known as henna. These marks are applied to wish the bride luck in her married life. The other ladies also get the marks as a sign of solidarity with the bride as she transitions. At times, the men also gather for their own party which is relatively subdued as they share a meal and recite the Quran as they encourage the groom.

Unlike usual wedding receptions which take place during the day, a Moroccan wedding takes place in the evening. The couple rests during the day and starts preparing in the afternoon for the banquet. The guests are expected to be seated before the entrance of the couple. Once the bride arrives at the venue, she is placed in an elegant covered platform. The platform will then be carried by 4 to 6 young men with the groom walking in front of the pack.

The first part of the ceremony involves the couple being seated on a raised couch and people sitting next to them in turns to take pictures with them. The couple then retreats for a change of clothes and comes back a second time, walking into the venue to share a meal with the invited guests. The couple will then dance two or three times during the ceremony to entertain the guests. As the banquet draws to an end, the couple takes time to walk to various tables and appreciate the guest who attended the party.

Once again, the couple goes to change their outfit with the bride coming back fully covered except for the face. When they come back, two are hoisted on separate platforms for a tour around the venue. The couple changes clothes a final time and this time it is for the wedding cake. The groom will be dressed in his initial suit while the bride puts on a normal white wedding dress. They go for the last wedding dance before sharing the wedding cake and leaving for the first night together and the honeymoon thereafter.

Family Life

Family is one of the most important aspects of life in Morocco and while individuals are encouraged to pursue their personal dreams, it normally comes around to the family. Any achievement or accomplishment by an individual is usually viewed as a success for the whole family. Even though modernity has seen some people moving out of their family homes to live in smaller houses, their connections to the families remain intact. This is also the case for families whose children work out of the country. The children still maintain close links to the families and remit their support to the families in addition to frequently traveling back home to attend family events.

During normal conversation, it is normal for it to be interlaced with questions about family as it is expected that one knows how their family is faring on at all times.

Like most African societies, Morocco is mainly male-dominated with the men occupying most positions of leadership both in government and in the professional world. In the past women were relegated to staying at home and taking care of families. Initiatives put in place over the last two decades have seen more women take up careers and it is estimated that over a third of the employed workforce in the country is now made up of women while more than 40% of those graduating from the local universities are women.

On the domestic front, most families are composed of the parents living with their children maintaining a close connection to the extended families. The father is the head of the family and the children are expected to respect their parents and the elderly around them. The elderly are taken care of by their families. Nowadays, both men and women play a part in decision-making for the family. Women living in cities such as Marrakech have more freedom as compared to those in rural areas.

It is expected that everyone will get married at some point. For women, marriage and childbearing are the ultimate goals in life. While arranged marriages are still common, many young Moroccans are choosing their own partners. However, the parents still have a say on the choice of a spouse for their children.