Gay marrakech
For the most part, being in Marrakech is excellent. The sun shines brightly throughout the winter. Our diet consists of mostly fresh fruit, warm bread and olive oil, and, as someone who appreciates Islamic architecture, I’m joyful to trade London’s office blocks for mezzanines and madrasas.
Marrakech itself has a cosmopolitan air. Famed for its permissive atmosphere, Tangier to the north was where gay beatniks would spend their summers and fall in affection in the 1950s. Just like any place, Morocco has its frustrations – haggling is a particular pet hate. But existence ripped off in one of the city’s souks is the least of my worries.
That’s because as an out gay gentleman, who I am – who I love, more precisely – puts me at risk of imprisonment.
Strictly speaking, our homosexual partnership is not unlawful. However, gay sex is – with article 489 of the penal code punishing ‘lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex’. The sentence? Six months to three years in prison, and a fine of 200 to 1,000 dirhams (£42 to £210).
Knowing what I do about how gay men can be treated in Morocco, I don’t feel any complacency about how the authorities would treat us were my partner and I
How Morocco became a haven for male lover Westerners in the 1950s
Although some deliberate the writers were rebelling against a soulless, suburban McCarthyite America, Hopkins says it was more straightforward. "They were after boys and drugs. That's what drew them. The Moroccans were charming, attractive, intelligent and tolerant. They had to put up with a lot from us."
So why did Morocco, an ostensibly devout Islamic country, allow homosexuality to thrive? The author Barnaby Rogerson says it is a society that is full of paradoxes.
"It is... a place where all the four other cornerstones of culture: Berber-African, Mediterranean, Arabic or Islamic, participate an absolute creed in the abundant sexuality of all men and women, who are charged with a sort of personal volcano of 'fitna', which threatens family, community and state with sexually derived chaos at any time," he says. The word fitna, he suggests, "means something like 'charm, allure, enchantment, temptation, dissent, unrest, riot, rebellion' or all of these at the same time."
But despite a certain fear of this chaos of sexuality, there is also an understanding that it is just
LGBTQ+ Travel Guide to Morocco
Interesting Cities to Visit in Morocco
MARRAKECH
At the foot of the Atlas Mountains lies Morocco’s most famous city, Marrakech, best known for its vibrant, bustling square and market called Jemaa el-Fnaa. Day and nighttime, this is where you’ll find desert musicians, snake charmers, storytellers, acrobats and more ready to entertain and gain from tourists passing by, as adequately as countless nourishment stalls and artisans selling local crafts. Escape the hustle and bustle and step inside the tranquil Menara Gardens, complete with a 19th-century palace, reflecting pool and olive groves backdropped by the Atlas Mountains on the horizon. Must-see sights also include the Koutoubia Mosque, the largest mosque in Marrakech, and the Bahia Palace, an architectural masterpiece.
FEZ
Located in the northeastern part of the country, Fez is often considered the cultural capital since it has the best maintained traditions and old-world charm. The center of it all is the Fes El Bali, the walled medina, with its narrow, pedestrian streets that dwelling artisan workshops, mosques and an 11th-century tannery still using ancient methods of tanning and dying leathe
A gay cultural tour of Morocco that culminates in magical Marrakech! Journey from Tangier to Marrakech through windswept desert landscapes, cozy kasbahs, and traditional villages on our signature gay Morocco tour. Discover the magic of Chefchaoun, a.k.a. The Blue City, unveil the history of Volubilis, and wander through labyrinthine souks and medinas. The sights, smells, and flavors of North Africa will infuse your memories for years to come!
If youre looking to extend your vacation, the September departures can easily be paired with our Spain: Madrid, Sevilla & Barcelona tour, and the May departure with our Portugal: Lisbon, Porto & the Douro Valley tour.
• Visit the Yves Saint-Laurent Museum, dedicated to the gay icon of the fashion world
• Venture into Marrakechs serene Majorelle Gardens, originally owned and tended to by the French painter Jacques Majorelle
• Search the Caves of Hercules, an impressive underg