JEMAA EL-FNAA (12)

    THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

The square at night is filled with sights, smells, sounds and intrigue.

It’s not the 21^st century.

It would be some point in the ancient history of this trading crossroads.

JEMAA EL-FNAA (11)

   THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Red, purple, orange and yellow illuminate the sunset at Jemaa el-Fnaa.

All the tourist trinkets.

All the tour guide touts.

All the pushy vendors.

Melt away from memory.

You are in photography paradise.

JEMAA EL-FNAA (10)

  THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Dusk in Jemaa el-Fnaa is inspiring.

But interesting to nefarious things are likely taking place on the square and all around its fringes.

Or at least that’s the places many short story tellers take you in Marrakech Noir.

Akashic Books published the finely-crafted volume of dark stories, translated from Arabic, French, and Dutch.

http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/marrakech-noir-morocco/

JEMAA EL-FNAA (9)

 THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Sunset is a magical time in the Red City.

JEMAA EL-FNAA (8)

 THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Grab a seat at any of the dozens of multi-terraced cafes.

Order a simple tajine or cous cous.

Watch the food vendors assemble like time lapse before your eyes.

JEMAA EL-FNAA (7)

  THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Barbary Macaques are the only primate species endemic to Morocco and Algeria.

The have been categorized as “endangered to extinction.”

It is prohibited to sell or keep them as pets.

Despite the restrictions, Barbary Macaques are used as photo props for tourists, 

JEMAA EL-FNAA (6)

  THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakech.

It was founded in 1147 and entirely rebuilt around 1158.

It cuts a gorgeous figure over the main square, especially when the sun sets behind it.

Enjoy the mosque from the outside – unless you are Muslim, you are not allowed to enter.

JEMAA EL-FNAA (5)

  THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Goat heads seem to be a popular item at the food stalls.

Locals far outnumber tourists at the stalls.

Pick a place that looks crowded with locals and try something.

The prices are so low, you will not be losing much money if you don’t clean your plate.

JEMAA EL-FNAA (4)

THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Every day of the year.

From dusk till past midnight.

Smoke fills the air.

Grills are filled with meats.

Stews and soups boil and bubble.

Food vendors fill the square.

JEMAA EL-FNAA (3)

 THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

You read about it in the guide books.

You’ve seen it in old movies.

It’s even been depicted in countless cartoons.

But when you are walking and gawking and almost stumble across cobras…it gives one a jolt.

JEMAA EL-FNAA (2)

THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Dozens of cafes have multiple terraces that overlook the main square.

Some are top restaurants favored by wealthy locals.

Many are tourist traps with decent tajines.

A few are once grand, but now faded French-themed dowagers.

JEMAA EL-FNAA (1)

THE TOWN SQUARE OF MARRAKECH

Locals and tourists jam the square from morning till late into the night.

ULU CAMI (GRAND MOSQUE)

BURSA, TURKEY

Ulu Cami is the largest mosque in Bursa and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture which used many elements from the Seljuk architecture.

Ordered by Sultan Bayezid I, the mosque was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in 1396–1399.

It is a large rectangular building, with twenty domes arranged in four rows of five that are supported by twelve columns.

Supposedly the twenty domes were built instead of the twenty separate mosques which Sultan Bayezid I had promised for winning the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396.

The mosque has two minarets.

There is also a fountain (sadirvan) inside the mosque where worshipers can perform ritual ablutions before prayer; the dome over the şadırvan is capped by a skylight which creates a soft light below, playing an important role in the illumination of the large building.

The horizontally spacious and dimly lit interior is designed to feel peaceful and contemplative.

The subdivisions of space formed by multiple domes and pillars create a sense of privacy and even intimacy. -- Wikipedia

DUMP TRUMP

SO I'M IN ISTANBUL, TRYING TO GET A BREATHER
FROM THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION...

And I'm in Eyup, looking across the magnificent Golden Horn.

Seeing great mosques and traditional architecture.

Marveling at all the cultural richness in Istanbul.

And there, jarring the historic skyline, I see it.

Trump Towers.

The guy ruins everything he touches.

Pretty damn galling to earn a hefty licensing fee from you ugly name.

In a city that is probably 90% Muslim.

Guess you can take in their dollars.

But then talk cowboy tough about banning all followers of the Islamic Faith from your Aryan Nation vision of the U.S.

What a disgrace.

What proof that money doesn't by class or grace or wisdom

Blowhard dictator. Stop barfing your KKK era vision of the past on my great nation.

WHY CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG?

A MESSAGE OF LOVE FROM ISTANBUL

It's a Moslem woman. Donald Trump and other right wing reactionary crazies have told me all I need to know. She's up to no good. She hates America, Christianity and small animals. She probably has a suicide bomb under that hijab.

This can't end well. Poor little cat. This Moslem monster will probably twist its head off and drink its blood in some kind of Godless ritual.

But wait. She seems to be gently petting the little creature. Like the millions of strays on the streets of Istanbul, this sweet purring kedi is getting affection. The locals, an overwhelming majority of whom are Moslem, are famous for being kind to animals. A recent award-winning film documented the uncommon kindness shown to stray cats in Istanbul.

So maybe Trump and the bigoted people who would ban Moslems from entering our nation of immigrants and otherwise demonize followers of one of the major religions of the world are out of their mind. Or maybe they simply cannot do math. Maybe they never learned that a tiny fraction of evil people who kill and maim in the name of Islam are just that -- a tiny fraction who are not emblematic of the peaceful overwhelming majority.

Let's face it. If a small fraction of monsters automatically tainted everyone from the much larger group, then Oklahoma City bomber terrorist (and bronze star-awarded military veteran) Timothy McVeigh's actions would mean we should ban all military vets from air travel and perhaps round them up in internment camps. But that would be insane. Just as insane as broadly defining all observant, loving, family-oriented Moslems as evil simply because a small fraction who allegedly share their core religion have misused it as an excuse for bombings.

So maybe this gentle woman, giving unconditional love to a little cat wandering the marbled and magnificent grounds of the Eyup Sultan Mosque, is more typical of Moslems. Maybe, if we worked daily to remove hate from the world, we could appreciate others. Maybe should try harder to teach our fellow Americans that someone whose religious garb is different is NOT a terrorist, evil doer or person to fear.

Sorry bigots, fanners of the flame and embracers of hate. I reject your venom. I respect all peaceful people. I thank the heavens above that I have a brain capable of recognizing statistical outliers -- so I don't brand every person of an identifiable group because of the malicious actions of a tiny few.

I see this Moslem woman for what she is: a loving fellow human being, taking time out of her busy day to give nurturing kindness to a cuddly critter. Maybe we could all try a little harder to coexist.

THOUGHTS ON ORLANDO TRAGEDY

LOVE, NOT HATE, HEALS WOUNDS

 

Orlando is an unthinkable tragedy.

 

I do not have words to express the pain I feel for the loss of life and traumatizing injuries to the LGBT community that I respect and embrace.

 

But please, let's not demonize all Muslims because of Orlando.

 

Timothy McVeigh killed 168 and injured more than 600, but we don't expel all white male military vets because one was a monster.

 

There will always be evil doers -- you can find them hiding behind every religion, race and belief system.

 

Their actions are not symbolic of the everyday person who shares their birth region or core beliefs -- that monsters so often pervert to justify their violence.

 

The people I've known who practice the Muslim faith are some of the most kind, welcoming, accommodating human beings I've ever had the pleasure of sharing time with.

 

This includes a Jordanian family in Ohio that has adopted my 79-year-old mom as their own.

 

With me being busy with work and caregiving 1200 miles away in Miami, my mom would not have a good quality of life without the unconditional neighborly love of the upstairs neighbors at my mom's apartment.

 

 They are hosting, loving, caring people who are emblematic of real Muslim and Arabic values.

 

Please let's not let our anger overtake our ability to differentiate between extremists who create hell on earth and the overwhelming majority of people who may practice a faith different than our own -- but are giving, loving, valuable human beings.

 

Diversity. America needs to appreciate it and embrace it.