Let me introduce you to... Morocco

The culture and arts mag for kids!

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This adventure to

Morocco belongs to

Hiya kids!

This issue is going to tell you all about Morocco’s culture while teaching you how to draw. At the back you will find a drawing sheet that you can do your activities on.

What is culture? Culture is a word for people’s ‘way of life’. Every culture from different countries is different to each other.

This issue will start by telling you about animals that live in Morocco then architecture, pattern and ending with foods in Morocco.

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Let ’s Play!

1. Go to the back of the magazine 2. You will find the paper you need to start drawing 3. Open up the folded paper 4. On the drawing paper you will see dotted lines that represent where you should draw each activity to create your masterpiece 5. Look for a shape in the corner of each box that represents the shape on the corner of the activity page 6. Don’t be afraid to draw outside of the box and cover them with colour! Let’s play!

Let me introduce you to Morocco!

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Moroccan lanterns are very unique and beautiful as every single one is handcrafted using traditional techniques.

The official name is The Kingdom of Morocco and it is located in the northwest corner of Africa and is bordered by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. The Arabic name translates to ‘The Western Kingdom’. Morocco is also about the same size as California in America.

A large part of Morocco is full of huge mountains with Rabat being Morocco’s capital city. It can get very warm during the summer which means it is mild during the winter which is great for camels and anyone who hates the cold.

This magazine is going to introduce you to the Moroccan culture, starting with animals.

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Animals in Morocco!

Hi, I’m Mr. stork.

We love living in Morocco for the humid weather. We are big birds so our home is big too. The nest we have built (made out of twigs) is big enough for the both of us, we don’t like living in trees like other birds; we like to live on top of buildings and even chimney pots. Our home can last for a few years.

Hi, I’m Mr. Camel.

I’m a very valuable animal in Morocco as I can go up to 4 days without water which makes me a great traveller and carrier through the desert. I’m also known as ‘ships of the desert’. My hump is not actually full of water like others think; it’s full of fatty deposits that help with water storage. My thick coat reflects sunlight which helps me from overheating. I’m a herbivore which means I only eat greens, because I’m a desert animal, I can eat thorny cactus which is very dangerous for other animals to eat.

As I’m an important and valuable animal to the Moroccan people, I’m also often used as money to trade for other objects. I’m usually worth around £500!

The people of Morocco don’t mind us living with them as we are quiet animals and we are viewed as good luck but occasionally when we do speak, it can sound like a loud machine-gun. This gave us the name “laqlaq” in Arabic.

Our diet can include frogs and large insects, but also young birds, lizards and rodents. We also pair for life and we can live for up to 30 years!

Morocco can be a very dry place. The rainfall is not enough for the people or animals of Morocco.

Larger mammals like lions and elephants used to live in Morocco too, but due to the water shortage, they migrated to other places. Today there are a lot of other animals too, like sheep, goats, Barbary monkeys, and wild boars.

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You might even want to draw it in a different colour or shape.

Don’t feel restricted! Draw it however you like!

Draw one of the animals on your play sheet in the box provided with .

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Let ’s Animal!

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Moroccan !

Architecture

How to know when modern buildings are inspired by Morocco: • Large, intimidating U-shaped archways and beautiful domes • Enchanting courtyards • Ornaments that decorate the exterior of the building • The use of Islamic calligraphy as decoration • Use of geometrical patterns • Use of bright colour schemes

Others often see Morocco as a place of mystery and beauty; this is because of the breath-taking architecture. Architecture in Morocco is a blend of Black African and Islamic design styles, with the Islamic styles dominating in this combination. This style is appreciated around the word by many and can still be seen in the modern buildings constructed today.

This is the El-Mansouria Mosque, located in Marrakech. Marrakech is a popular city that people visit in Morocco. A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims. There are many Mosques around the city, Marrakech, but this one is the most popular. Unfortunately there’s no access for non-Muslims, but you can admire the impressive architecture from the outside.

Let’s put your animal into a home! There are 2 activities on this page.

Let’s start by drawing a window on top of your animal; here are some Moroccan windows to give you some inspiration. Draw it in the box with .

Your window now needs to be on a building!

It’s building time, below are some roofs that you can try out. Go back to the previous page for inspiration!

Draw it in the box with .

Let ’s Draw!

ws o d n Wi Roofs

Try draw in house bu g your own t replacin g th roof with one of th e ese!

Moroccan patterns are bright, bold and very unique.

Large parts of Morocco’s architecture are covered in Zellige, which are sets of tiles that are set in place with plaster and it consists of geometrical mosaics.

Altogether as a pattern, it seems very complicated but the pattern is just a repeat of the same pattern or changed slightly then repeated. Based around the shapes, circles and stars as the middles.

This skill of pattern making is still considered as art and great craftsmanship and can take years to master in Morocco. As well as using pattern to decorate buildings, it is also used to decorate around windows, fountains and doorways.

Morocco is also known throughout the world for its carpets. It can take many months to complete one as it is handcrafted. The patterns on carpets are very much inspired by Moroccan patterns too, except most are not based around circles but diamond shapes.

Moroccan Pattern!

You can cut these shapes out to help you pattern!

Remember to get your mummy to help you use the scissors.

Let ’s Pattern!

A lot of Moroccan patterns are based around circles. Use these circle shapes as a guide.

Let’s decorate your buildings with pattern. Draw it in the box with .

If you go back to the architecture page, you can see the patterns can be a box on the building or even around the doorway. ilding?

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u ate your b r o c e d u o y

Moroccan Food!

Moroccan cuisine is not as loved as other foods such as Chinese, but it is just as colourful and yummy. The Moroccan national dish, Tagine, is a stew that is loved by many in Morocco and around the world. A tagine is a unique type of ceramic or clay cookware; the bottom is a wide, circular shallow dish for both cooking and serving, while the top of the tagine is distinctively shaped into a rounded dome. This distinctive shape for the lid allows condensed steam to run back down into the base, keeping the food moist and tender. This dish is slow-cooked inside this cooking vessel. This rich stew consists of meat, chicken or fish and often includes vegetables or fruit.

If you want to know what Moroccan food taste like, why not give this recipe a go.

Give this to your mummy or daddy to help you cook this.

Spicy Moroccan Chicken Tagine Some ingredients you will need:

2kg chicken pieces (drumsticks and thighs) 2 tsp cayenne pepper 5 tsp ground black pepper 4 Tbsp paprika 4 Tbsp ground ginger 3 Tbsp turmeric 5 Tbsp ground cinnamon 6 Tbsp olive oil 6 Tbsp argan oil (or sunflower oil) 6 large onions, finely diced 9 cloves garlic, minced 500ml tomato juice 3x400g tinned chopped tomatoes 300g dried apricots, halved 150g raisins or sultanas 2 preserved lemons (chopped) 200 g blanched flaked almonds 2 tsp strands saffron, soaked in cold water 1 litre chicken stock 3 Tbsp clear honey

1. Place the cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to combine.

2. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix.

Cover with cling film and leave overnight in the fridge.

3. Preheat the oven to 150C. 4. Heat 3 Tbsp each of the olive oil and argan oil in a large casserole/ Tagine dish that can be used on the stovetop or in the oven.

5. Add the onions and the remaining spice mix and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the garlic for the final 3 minutes.

6. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy griddle pan and when it is really hot, place the chicken pieces skin side down in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes (use a splatter screen - it’s going to sizzle and spit!).

7. Turn over and cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and place in the casserole/Tagine dish.

8. Pour 250ml tomato juice into the griddle pan and stir well, scraping up all the bits on the bottom, then pour the contents of the pan into the casserole dish.

9. Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, preserved lemon, raisins, flaked almonds, saffron, stock and honey to the casserole/ Tagine dish. 10. Bring to the boil, cover with a tightly fitting lid and cook in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

You can have this dish with couscous or potatoes.

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Mint Tea is the drink of Morocco; this tea is drunk at various times of the day and after meals. It is a bit different to the mint tea we drink at home, this tea is flavored with mint and sweetened with plenty of sugar.

Morocco produces all the food it needs to feed its people. Its many homegrown fruits and vegetables include oranges, melons, tomatoes sweet and hot peppers, and potatoes. Five more native products that are especially important in Moroccan cooking are lemons, olives, figs, dates, and almonds. Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the country is rich in fish and seafood. Beef is not plentiful, so meals are usually built around lamb or poultry.

Pattern that Tagine!

Now you know how to pattern, let’s pattern this tagine!

Below are some shapes to get you started.

Pattern it however you like!

See Ya kids!

A little recap: Camels and storks are some of the animals that live in Morocco.

Architecture in Morocco is a blend of Black African and Islamic design styles.

A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims.

Moroccan patterns are bright, bold and very unique.

Tagine is the Moroccan national dish.

re u t l u c T he ts r a d n a r o f g a m kids!

A magazine with activities inside that will encourage kids to draw in the style of the country’s culture while learning about it.

This issue is all about Morocco.

Morocco’s animals Moroccan architecture Moroccan patterns Moroccan food