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In a 2009 statement, a Moroccan supervision asserted which homosexuality will not be tolerated as well as will be repressed, which equates to there might be an enlarge in coercion as well as travelers should be quite wakeful of their vicinity when in public. Laws as well as attitudes such as this have been usual in countries which have been essentially Muslim as well as do not indispensably prove which Morocco should be avoided when partaking in happy travel.

However it does meant which counsel as well as option have been suggested whilst upon eighth month this regressive nation as well as which travelers might wish to cruise upon eighth month Morocco as partial of orderly gay transport tours or operative with a happy holidays group which is associating about a safest locations as well as lodgings for Morocco vacations.

Morocco is a popular tourist destination in northwestern Africa and provides wonderful gay holidays. This is a land of rich history, deeply entrenched culture, legend and myth. Well-known as a setting for books, play and movies, this desert nation offers visitors the opportunity to explore ancient ruins, traipse across the desert on a camel, stay in a hotel made of sand and bargain with insistent rug and spice traders in old-world open air marketplaces. In many cities and towns traditional homes have been converted into guest lodgings, called riads, which often provide for a more welcoming environment for folks on a gay vacation and allow visitors to experience Moroccan life and culture up close. Morocco is a conservative Muslim country and has no scene to speak of; however other reasons to include this exotic land in your gay travel ideas are abundant, including beautiful beaches, exceptional architecture, expansive desert landscapes and the chance to meander through souks (markets) that twist and turn through narrow village streets.

With splendid Muslim mosques, Roman ruins, street performers and snake charmers, a vacation to Morocco is a once in a lifetime experience full of sights, smells, colors and sounds. Travel to Morocco would simply not be complete without standing in awe of the distinct art deco architecture in Casablanca, climbing atop an ancient white wall in Tangier to take in the expansive ocean views and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, visiting the Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech and exploring the diverse corridors of the Fes medina.

Morocco was once a popular gay vacation destination for jet set from Europe, including famous writers, composers and socialites; however, although Morocco was once known as a welcoming spot for exotic gay vacations, homosexuality was criminalized in Morocco in 1962. While the law is rarely enforced, travelers on a vacation in Morocco should be aware that same-sex conduct is illegal and is punishable by fines and six months to three years of imprisonment.

The government released a statement in early 2009 stating that homosexuality would not be tolerated and that increased efforts to repress same-sex conduct would be established. This may mean increased enforcement of this 1962 law. This is not uncommon in primarily Muslim countries and does not mean that Morocco should be avoided when planning travel.

However it does mean that caution and discretion are advised while visiting this conservative country and that travelers may want to consider visiting Morocco as part of organized gay holiday tours or working with a gay holidays agency that is knowledgeable about the safest locations and lodgings for Morocco vacations.

Morocco is a land of legends and myths, steeped in rich history and culture, where travelers can stay in a hotel made of sand, trek across the desert on camels and bargain with spice and rug traders in old-world marketplaces. In many places homes have been converted into hotels, called riads, that are sometimes more welcoming for visitors on gay holidays and offer visitors the opportunity to experience the life and culture of Morocco more closely. There is no definable scene in Morocco, which is a conservative Muslim country; however there are many reasons to include Morocco in your gay travel planning, including pristine beaches, ancient ruins, enticing souks (markets) that wind through narrow streets offering a variety of wares, vast desert landscapes and amazing architecture.

With exquisite Muslim mosques, ancient Roman ruins, snake charmers and street performers, a Morocco vacation is an exceptional opportunity to indulge in this unique country sights, colors, sounds and smells. No Morocco travel experience would be complete without exploring the Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech, winding through the many quarters of the Fes medina, gazing at Casablancas amazing art deco architecture and standing on an ancient wall in Tangier to view the expansive ocean and breathtaking sunsets.

American and European socialites, writers and composers involved in the jet set scene once flocked to Morocco as a preferred gay vacation destination; however, while Morocco was once known as a liberal playground welcoming gay men and lesbians from around the world for vacations, a push by recent Muslim leadership to move the country back towards the strict moral code of Islam has caused this welcoming atmosphere to change. Although the law is not commonly enforced, homosexuality was deemed a criminal offence in 1962 and remains so today. Same-sex conduct is punishable by fines and between six months to three years in prison.

Morocco is a country steeped in myths and legend and offers gay travel opportunities to experience a rich history and culture that continues to strongly influence daily life. Morocco offers visitors the chance to cross the desert atop a camel, sleep in a hotel made of sand and haggle with aggressive spice and rug traders in marketplaces that look and feel like they are from another time in history. In many towns and cities former homes have been transformed into guest lodgings, called riads, that often offer a more welcoming atmosphere for travelers on a gay vacation and provide the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture and daily life of Morocco. While there is no visible scene in this conservative Muslim country, there are still abundant reasons for Morocco to be part of your gay travel plans, including ancient ruins and architecture, exceptional beaches, desert landscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see and open air souks (markets) that wind through village streets offering exotic wares.

Any travel experience in Morocco must include exploring the distinct quarters of the Fes medina, taking in the art deco architecture of Casablanca, breathing in the ocean air while watching a spectacular sunrise or sunset in Tangier, and visiting the Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech. With breathtaking Muslim mosques, snake charmers, street performers, ancient Roman ruins and so much more, a vacation to Morocco gives travelers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the colors, sounds, sights and smells of this unique country.

Jet set European and American composers, writers and socialites once flocked to Morocco in droves, making it a well-known, popular gay vacation destination; however, while Morocco was once a welcoming playground for gay vacations, a push by Muslim leaders to return to the stricter moral code of Islam has negatively influenced this once liberal vacation spot. While rarely enforced, same-sex conduct was criminalized in 1962 and travelers on a vacation to Morocco should keep in mind that it is a criminal offence punishable by up to three years in prison and fines.

In a 2009 statement, the Moroccan government asserted that homosexuality will not be tolerated and will be repressed, which means there may be an increase in enforcement and travelers should be particularly aware of their surroundings when in public. Laws and attitudes such as this are common in countries that are primarily Muslim and do not necessarily indicate that Morocco should be avoided when partaking in gay travel.

It simply means that discretion and awareness are advised while taking gay vacations in Morocco. Travelers may want to consider visiting Morocco in an organized travel tour group or planning your vacation to Morocco through a gay travel tours agency that has particular knowledge regarding the most welcoming lodgings and locations for vacations.

Morocco is a country steeped in myths and legend and offers travelers the opportunity to experience a rich history and culture that continues to strongly influence daily life. Morocco offers visitors the chance to cross the desert atop a camel, sleep in a hotel made of sand and haggle with aggressive spice and rug traders in marketplaces that look and feel like they are from another time in history. In many towns and cities former homes have been transformed into guest lodgings, called riads, that often offer a more welcoming atmosphere for travelers on a gay vacation and provide the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture and daily life of Morocco. While there is no visible scene in this conservative Muslim country, there are still abundant reasons for Morocco to be part of your gay travel plans, including ancient ruins and architecture, exceptional beaches, desert landscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see and open air souks (markets) that wind through village streets offering exotic wares.

With exquisite Muslim mosques, ancient Roman ruins, snake charmers and street performers, a Morocco vacation is an exceptional opportunity to indulge in this unique country’s sights, colors, sounds and smells. No Morocco travel experience would be complete without exploring the Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech, winding through the many quarters of the Fes medina, gazing at Casablanca’s amazing art deco architecture and standing on an ancient wall in Tangier to view the expansive ocean and breathtaking sunsets.

Jet set European and American composers, writers and socialites once flocked to Morocco in droves, making it a well-known, popular vacation destination; however, while Morocco was once a welcoming playground for gay vacations, a push by Muslim leaders to return to the stricter moral code of Islam has negatively influenced this once liberal vacation spot. While rarely enforced, same-sex conduct was criminalized in 1962 and travelers on a vacation to Morocco should keep in mind that it is a criminal offence punishable by up to three years in prison and fines.

The government recently released a statement noting that increased efforts to repress homosexuality would be put in place and that homosexuality will not be tolerated; which may lead to stricter enforcement of this law. This type of intolerance and laws against same-sex conduct are not uncommon in African nations or conservative Muslim countries and does not mean that Morocco must be avoided during your gay travel.

It simply means that discretion and awareness are advised while taking a vacation in Morocco. Travelers may want to consider visiting Morocco in an organized travel tour group or planning your vacation to Morocco through a travel agency that has particular knowledge regarding the most welcoming lodgings and locations for vacations.

Egypt

Ahlan-Egypt
8, el-Gorfa el-Togareya Street, Mansheya
Alexandria, Egypt
Tel: +20 3 4830138; mobile +20 18 5166579
email: info@ahlan-egypt.com

Schools in Luxor and Alexandria

Arabic Language Institute (ALI)
The American University in Cairo

Full contact details here.

Summer and full-year intensives. Modern Standard and Egyptian colloquial at all levels.

Arabic Language School
Situated in downtown Cairo

Full contact details here.

Intensive short courses in Modern Standard and Egyptian colloquial Arabic.

Delta University
Demiatta International Road Delta Academy
Al-Mansoura, Egypt

email: klacey@binghamton.edu; tgomaa@binghamton.edu

Fajr Center for Arabic Language
Branches in Nasr City, Dokki and Ma’adi districts of Cairo.

email: info@fajr.com
Full contact details here.

Classical Arabic – various courses

Hedayet Institute
24 Road 107, Hadayek El Maadi
Cairo, Egypt

Tel: +202 5272190; +202 3583915
info@hedayetinstitute.com

Serves students visiting from abroad and the larger expatriate community in Egypt.

International Language Institute
PO Box 13 Embaba
4 Mahmoud Azmi Street
Madinet El Sahafeyeen
Cairo 12411, Egypt

Tel: +202 346 3087
email: ili@arabicegypt.com
Working hours: (Sunday to Thursday 9.00 am till 4.00 pm (GMT +2 hours)

Summer and full-year courses. Modern Standard and Egyptian colloquial.

IQRA Institute
Cairo
Tel: +201 011 68111
cairo@iqrainstitute.com

Languages Abroad
School in Mohandiseen district of Cairo

Contact via website

Jordan

CIEE Arabic Language Programme
Amman, Jordan

Contact via website

For students who already have a solid foundation in Modern Standard Arabic and seek to attain proficiency in the language.

CIEE Intensive summer Arabic programme
Amman, Jordan

Contact via website

For students who have a strong interest in developing a solid foundation in Modern Standard Arabic and seek to begin or accelerate their language proficiency

IQRA Institute
Amman

Contact via website

Languages Abroad
School in Amman

Contact via website

SIT Study Abroad (World Learning)
Amman, Jordan

Contact via website

Summer intensive field-based Arabic language immersion programme

University of Jordan Language Centre
University of Jordan
Amman 11942-Jordan

Tel: +962 6 5355000 ext. 23701, 23707
email: lancen@ju.edu.jo

A six-level intensive programme in Modern Standard for speakers of other languages: beginners (two levels), pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper-intermediate, and advanced.

Kuwait

Arabic Language Unit (Kuwait University)
PO Box 2575
Kuwait City 13026
Al Asimah
Tel: +965 481 0325

Year-long programme in Modern Standard. Number of places is limited.

AWARE Centre
PO Box 1613, Safat
Kuwait 13017

Tel: +965 533 5280
email : info@aware.com.kw

Lebanon

Center for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies
American University of Beirut
PO Box 11-0236 / CAMES
Riad El-Solh / Beirut 1107 2020
Lebanon
Tel: +961 1 350 000 Ext. 3845
email: cames@aub.edu.lb

Summer programme at six levels.

IQRA Institute
Beirut
Tallat Alkhayat, Beirut, Lebanon.
2044-6805 Beirut
PO Box: 113/5086
Tel: +961 368 4376
email: beirut@iqrainstitute.com

Saifi Institute
Chawkatly (Valli &Valli) Building, 3rd floor
Saifi – Charles Helou Ave.
Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: +961 1 560738; mobile: +961 70 832099
email: kifak@saifiarabic.com

Specialises in teaching Lebanese Arabic dialect and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) to non-native speakers working, studying, visiting Beirut

Morocco

Al Akhawayn University
Arabic and North African Studies Program (ARANAS)
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane
PO Box 104 Hassan II Avenue
Ifrane 53000, Morocco

Tel: +212 535 86 20 12
email: arabic@aui.ma

AmeriSpan
School in Fez

Contact via website

The Arabic Language Institute in Fez
B.P. 2136
Fez 30000
Morocco

Tel: +212 35 62 48 50
email: info@alif-fes.com

Three and six-week courses in all levels of Modern Standard Arabic and colloquial Moroccan Arabic throughout the year.

The Arabic School of Morocco
6, Rue Arabie Saoudite, Avenue Hassan II
Temara Centre – 12000
Morocco

Tel : + 212 19 37 90 38
email : info@arabicschoolmorocco.com

Dar Loughat
Place Moulay Mehdi 8, Rue M’hammed Benaboud
Tétouan, 93000, Morocco

Tel: +212 66 66 8 77 88
email: info@cclc-morocco.org

Courses in Modern Standard Arabic (written and spoken) plus Morccan colloquial

EasyGo Languages
School in Fez

Contact via website

Intensive Arabic Studies Programme (Tangier)
King Fahd Advanced School of Translation
Abdelmalek Essadi University

Modern Standard (at intermediate level), with elementary and intermediate Moroccan colloquial.

Languages Abroad
Schools in Fez and Rabat

Contact via website

Languages in Action
Schools in Fez and Tetouan

Contact via website

Oasis Language School
Bd My Rachid, 75
Ouarzazate 45 000
Morocco

Tel: +212 224 885155

Qalam wa Lawh
3 Ave. Ahmed Balafrej
Souissi, Rabat
Morocco

Tel: + 212 537 75 57 90
email: arabic@qalamcenter.com

Three levels of Modern Standard Arabic and colloquial Moroccan Arabic.

Sprachcaffe
Rabat – Souissi district

Contact via website

Subul Assalam Centre for the Arabic Language
Meknes way, Lotissement Al Hadika, Lot no.Q4/008
Fez, Morocco.

Tel: +212 5 35 63 18 62
email: info@sacalfez.com

Syria

Arabesk Studies in Damascus

Contact via website

Arabic Teaching Institute for Foreigners Damascus
Villat Sharqiyah, al-Mazza
Damascus, Syria
PO Box 9340

Tel: +963 11 613 2646; 613 3151
email: arabicinstitute@mail.sy

Beginning and intermediate classes in Modern Standard.

French Institute
Institut Francais d’Etudes Arabes Damas (IFEAD)
PO Box 344, Damascus, Syria

Contact via website

Modern Standard and Syrian colloquial. Intensive summer courses.

IQRA Institute
Palestine St.
Damascus, Syria

Tel: +963 9 366 6239
email: damas@iqrainstitute.com

IRAMES Group
Muhajerin 63, Afeef,
Sheik Muhiddin Bin Arabi
PO Box 36320
Damascus, Syria

Tel: +963 11 33 25 056; +963 11 334 14 25; mobile 093 520 480
email: maxos@hmaxos.com;hmaxos@yahoo.com; hmaxos@gmail.com; hmaxos@hotmail.com

Arabic language and cultural studies – cultural immersion programme. Spoken and written Arabic.

To Learn Arabic
Maher Alenezi
PO Box 31811
Damascus, Syria

Tel: +963 9 4444 0884
email: info@tolearnarabic.com

Tunisia

Bourguiba Institute of Modern Languages
47 Avenue de la Liberté
1002 Tunis

Tel: +216 71 832 418; +216 71 832 923
email: iblv@iblv.rnu.tn

Intensive summer courses and non-intensive courses the rest of the year. See review.

Learn Arabic in Tunisia
(Languages In Action)
School based in Sousse

Contact via website

Yemen

Badr Language Institute
PO Box 58049
Tarim, Hadramaut, Yemen
Tel: +967 5 418 370

Classical Arabic in a traditional Islamic environment

British Yemeni Arabic Institute
PO Box 16204
24 Hadda Street, Sana’a, Yemen
Phone/fax: 967 1 417 527
email: allardyce@y.net.ye

Center for Arabic Language and Eastern Studies (CALES)
Mahmood Basha Street
PO Box 15201
Sana’a, Yemen

Tel/fax: (967) 1-222275
email: cales@ust.edu or info@calesyemen.com

Languages Abroad
School in central Sana’a

Contact via website

Modern American Language Institute (MALI)
PO Box 11727
Sana’a, Yemen

Tel:: +967 1 441 036 (Saturdays to Wednesdays, 6 am. to 3:30 pm GMT)
email: admin@arabicinyemen.com

Saba Institute
Saila, next to the Mahdi mosque
PO Box 5481
Sana’a, Yemen
Tel: +967 1 273 200; mobile: +967 733 068714
email: contact@saba-institute.com

Sana’a Institute for the Arabic Language

PO Box 5734
Sana’a, Yemen

Tel: +967 1 284 330
email: info@sialyemen.com

Standard Arabic, Yemeni colloquial, specialist courses (e.g. medical, political Arabic), Arabic for Muslims, summer courses, calligraphy.

Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies

PO Box 3671
Sana’a, Republic of Yemen

Tel: +967 1 270 200
email: PAL@ycmes.org

All levels of Modern Standard and Yemeni colloquial.

Yemen Institute for Arabic Language
PO Box 26023,
60 Street,
Sana’a, Yemen

Tel: +967-1-403204
Mobile:+967 777 499 474
YIAL Facebook group
email: info@yialarabic.com; yialarabic@gmail.com

Nine levels ranging from beginner to advanced. Written work from textbooks make up 50% of the programme, while lectures, other materials, and periodic activities account for the rest.

Moroccan Model Abdelmoumen El Maghraouy was born in 1982, in Tangier, Morocco in North Africa, best known as the winner of the Manhunt International 2008, he also took second place at International Best Male Model World.

Hunk model Moumen has modelled underwear for Jolidon and Pull-in and other big fashion names. He has also taken part as an action extra in many films to include Kingdom of Heaven, Pirates of the Caribbean and Body of Lies, and worked alongside Leonardo Di Caprio, Angelina Jolie, Oliver Stone and Orlando Bloom.

Moroccan Model Abdelmoumen El Maghraouy | Hunks Encyclopedia | Men’s Styles, News and Gossips.

Morocco is something of an enigma for gay tourists. Its reputation precedes it. It was, after all, the long favoured haunt of such diverse queers as Kenneth Williams and William Burroughs. Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell spent many reputedly scurrilous moments in Tangiers during the sixties with Orton dubbing it the ‘Costa Del Sodomy,’ while, more recently, the leader of Italy’s gay literati Aldo Busi took a tour of the country that he later chronicled in his picaresque books Sodomies In Elevenpoint and Uses And Abuses. But it was the American writer and composer Paul Bowles who became the country’s best-known chronicler (at least of Western origin) when he went to Tangier on the advice of Gertrude Stein and Alice B, Toklas in 1931. His travelling companion was fellow composer Aaron Copeland, and whereas Copeland grew sick of out-of-tune pianos and the constant pounding of Arabic Drums, Bowles fell under the country’s spell returning at the first available opportunity, once he’d received a commission for his novel The Sheltering Sky.

Despite this debauched past and Morocco’s apparent blindness to wanton decadence homosexuality is criminalised under section 489 of the penal code. The guidebooks aren’t much help; most describe the ambiguities of the culture and imply that same-sex sexual encounters are ‘commonplace’ with locals jumping on you at every available moment – wanted or not. What is clear is that in a country where over half the population live below the poverty line, sex for sale (in all its manifestations) is going to happen, but when a local jumps on you he is as likely to want to sell you a carpet or a large ceramic pot, and the aggressive selling of a rug carries a far less punitive threat than prostitution. Single men on their own are the most likely targets for the sex trade, but go in a group and you may just leave oblivious to this ‘commonplace’ activity.

Nervous tourists have noted that Morocco is a flood with hawkers, beggars and predators and on my first visit to Marrakech ten years ago I saw nothing to disprove this. It’s dependency on tourism has given rise to a band of tourist police patrolling the main tourist traps with orders to clamp down on any market trader trying to flex his muscle and mint-tea a bit too assertively.

There is a more relaxed attitude around the old walls of the Medina in Marrakech than in the past, and this despite some unfortunate post 911 tensions.

Having evaded colonisation far longer than the rest of Africa and the Middle East, Morocco succumbed to a mix of French and Spanish rule in 1912, but it didn’t come without resistance. The effective sale of the country by the ruling Sultan to the French led to a revolution in Fez and the brief capture of Marrakech by a tribal warlord called El Hiba who vowed to restore the country to a pure Islamic State. He had a lot of support and it took a deal with an even more ferocious warlord from the Atlas Mountains for the French to restore order. Thami El Glaoui’s rule brought both corruption and cruelty for locals, but his love of everything European led to an influx of the international jet set keen to attend his lavish parties. One feature of his iron-grip was his control of some 27,000 prostitutes in Marrakech and the brothels became internationally infamous attracting the sexually free-spirited long after independence and the tyrant’s death in 1956.

Then came the hippies as liberal attitudes and the ready availability of kif (hashish), gave Morocco a reputation for romance and exoticism. Bowles was an early victim of a post-Independence clampdown on decadence when he became embroiled in a scandal involving a local youth and had to flee to Portugal. Today, while the consumption of kif is readily acknowledged amongst locals, some 500 plus Europeans languish in Moroccan gaols on cannabis-related charges. Be warned!

Ever keen to distance itself from the excesses of the past Morocco has announced an ambitious plan to increase tourism dramatically from around 4.5 million visitors a year to ten million by the end of the decade. This will include the building of six purpose-built beach resorts, the first of which lies nine miles north of Agadir. But if the majority of visitors come to Morocco to lounge on the beaches of Agadir, if you crave a more authentic taste then you should head for Marrakech.

Known as The Red City due to the raw earthy colour of much of its architecture, in the right light Marrakech is actually bright pink; a big fat pink plum of an oasis in fact, set in the middle of the desert surrounded by the snow-capped Atlas mountains and dominated by the majestic Ben Youssef Mosque. It has taken over from Tangiers as Morocco’s modern tourist Mecca, beloved by fashion editors and designers (Yves Saint Laurent has a magnificent garden here, well worth a visit) and the latest hip destination for the ‘lifestyle set’. It can give Marrakech a schizophrenic air.

Out on the dusty streets of the souk and in the main market square of Djemaa el-Fna you feel trapped in a kind of medieval time warp; a bustle of heat and noise and frantic trading grabs your senses while all around are acrobats and snake-charmers and story-tellers in vivid coloured robes vying for space amongst the aromatic smog of a hundred food stalls and spice sellers. The sun hammers down as hawkers squat on their haunches casting hungry eyes at your wallet and donkeys push by with as much alacrity as motorbikes.

Yet behind many of the burnt, ochre facades lie blissfully tranquil riads, Morocco’s latest cultural attraction, awash in cooling mosaic tiles, fountains and frilly palm fronds. Many of these houses have been turned into hotels offering a more authentic stay than the business hotels outside the walls of the Medina, and in the absence of any gay scene they are often more relaxed towards gay tourists than the chains.

Not that the big hotels will roll their eyes at same-sex couples and many hotel workers will even give you a wink as the tourist industry proves a relative safe haven for local gays. If you don’t stay at a riad you can still escape the mayhem of the Medina by visiting one of the many restaurants trapped down any of its dusty alleys. There are those who swear blind, until their blood turns to clotted cream that the French have a monopoly on fine cuisine but I don’t believe they have ever tasted a proper Moroccan tajine. This slow-cooked stew is the national dish, primarily made of lamb or chicken and vegetables, though given its unique character by the addition of preserved lemon, olives, almonds and prunes. It may sound like a hot-pot disaster, but when done right it is several notches up the scale from delicious.

Outside of Marrakech, lovers of extreme (and camp) spectaculars should head to Chez Ali. This has been going for over 25 years and offers dining in a 27 acre plot on the road to Casablanca. Crammed between each course you are treated – if that’s the right word – to a smorgasbord of traditional dancing, singing and drum-beating entertainment. And that is just a prelude to the main event when an utterly unbelievable flying carpet tests your ability to suspend disbelief and dashing horsemen charge you into submission. As tourist traps go it’s a full furlong ahead of Trooping the Colour but whether it is worth the trip depends on your taste for kitsch spectacle.

If Morocco’s Vision 2010 tourism programme is primarily aimed at visitors with money to spend on riads and rugs than hash brownies and a romp in the sand there is still magic to Morocco that defies marketing ploys and despite its limitations as a ‘gay resort,’ I was enchanted by the incessant drumming, the relentless chatter of trade and the melancholy call to morning prayer. It’s a world away from the obvious pleasures of the Canary Islands (though exactly the same flying time) and as an introduction to North Africa and Arabic culture it is without peer.
British Airways flies to Marrakech from Heathrow.

Morocco is an ancient civilization steeped in history and hormones, a gold mine for the archeologist and psychologist. If you go looking for a western-style gay scene in Morocco you won`t find it as in law homosexuality is illegal and you risk arrest, deportation or imprisonment if found guilty of “lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex.” Neverthless you can’t legislate against human nature, and if you`re not looking, man-man sex situations will most likely simply unfold. Tangier was perhaps the world’s first gay resort and Casablanca is infamous as a city where just about anything is for sale. Paradoxical and elusive, bisexuality in Morocco is a common part of male life, but it’s veiled, ambiguous in meaning and not used as part of one`s identity.

ALI AND THE HOTEL
Still, most gay Moroccans never have an ongoing gay relationship. Mostly, they are married with kids and find only an occasional assignation for their secret needs. There are exceptions to this, of course, as we found out, since one such man was standing nearby–our hotel owner, Ali, a quietly charming man of about 50. His current ownership of the hotel was the result of a relationship with his late partner who passed away a couple of years ago. They had been lovers for thirty years even though Ali was married for twenty of those thirty years and the father of two children.

Ali was a self-acknowledged gay man who took his roles as husband/father/lover seriously even though he and his partner never lived full time under the same roof. Originally from Scotland, the partner bought the hotel many years ago and when he met Ali they became business partners. This conveniently masked the more intimate aspects of their affairs. It was a love story in which Lawrance felt privileged to have been closely involved as a friend and confidante.

Ali told us that he cared very much for his family, but when my friend Lawrance asked if he loved his wife, Ali looked away for a second before he replied: ” I love her as I am suppose to. (Pause) As long as I do my duty to her, financially and sexually, I am free to have my life outside the home. She does not ask questions.” I could see from this bifurcated answer that even after all these years, this middle-aged gay Moroccan had not fully reconciled his inner nature with the social demands on him. I appreciated, however, the sincerity and devotion he had divided, as fairly as he could, among his significant others.

INTO THE DESERT
But Morocco is not all about hormones and ambiguous romance. There is much history and beauty to this northwest corner of Africa. A week later we arrived at the Auberge Merzouga in the Sahara Desert. There are rooms as well as tents for rent. We opted for one of the black wool Berber tents only fifty yards from dunes. From a short distance, the hostel looked like a medieval fort with small turrets and foot-thick walls of white plaster. The tent was £2.40 and dinner was £3.50 – tagine lamb and vegetable stew and harine soup – delicious and savoury. You could also opt for the Auberge Derkaoua which offers both tents and rooms with shower and wc plus a swimming pool and you can book in advance through the Riadomaroc agency which offers other traditional accommodation too. Click the link below for more information.
At sunset, the sand hills turned from soft taupe through a color chart of amber, sienna and gold accompanied by long deep shadows. As the last rays of direct light lingered on the land, a row of camel riders came walking across one of the dunes as if on cue to fill my camera lens. The night passed under a billion crystal stars spread out across the sky like scattered fairy dust. There are not more stars here, just less human produce to murk up the sky. We were the only guests that night. Absolute silence and darkness prevailed on the edge of the great timeless desert. In places like this, it`s best to go out, look up at infinity, say nothing and think less for a while.
At 5 AM, from the earthen village of Merzouga half a mile away the muezzin called out in the blackness his chant “Allaho-akbar…” to those who might come to the mosque and pray for the first of five times daily. The chant was too sweet to call an interruption. Mostly, only the roosters responded to the muezzin`s cry at that hour.

Then the most startling of all the wonders in this place. In the crystalline blackness a gigantic bright glowing orb appeared with a million-mile vapor trail. It didn`t seem to move and the enormous tail did not diminish. I thought perhaps it was a dying star in its last gasp of supernova burn. There was no possible means of finding out what it was; no TV, no radio, certainly nothing published in English, not even other tourists to ask. It was not until days later that I found out this stunning astronomical prize was the “heavenly show of the decade”: the Hale-Bapp comet.

In the morning, the urge to climb the dunes was too seductive and we submitted. The powdery surface was difficult to walk on so I settled for a lesser mound that presented me with an impressive photogenic view of the rising light and falling shadows.

I sat for a while on this warm soft mustard hill running my hands in the sand and lifting up a handful to watch the fine grains running through my fingers. I imagined this is what infinity must feel like as I watch the earth slip away from my grasp back into the countless other grains surrounding me. Footprints left today are gone in an hour. The desert is a good place to contemplate immortality and the passing of time. Thoughts or beliefs make not one grain of difference among the sand mountains that have drifted here for a million years. It`s not sad or joyous, just quiet and endless.

For two wondrous weeks, we had found in Morocco a land of history, sublime night skies, moderate Muslim life and a few hormones.
PAUL BOWLES
No gay man should visit Morocco without some knowledge of the expat writer and composer Paul Bowles who lived most of his life in Morocco. This quintessential outsider died in 1999 at the age of 88. He was one of the central figures in what was called the `pre-lost Generation` who befriended such icons of 20th century art as Aaron Copeland, Christopher Isherwood, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Orson Welles, and Tennessee Williams among others including such iconoclastic figures as Alan Ginsberg. His most famous work was the novel `Sheltering Sky`, which was eventually made into a movie.

A bisexual man, he married the lesbian writer Jane Auer in 1938. Through countless affairs on both sides, they continued their marriage and remained emotionally loyal to one another. In a final interview he stated about his life: “I regret nothing.” In tribute to his life, a full-page obituary appeared in the New York Times of November 19, 1999. The reporter wrote: “In his strange, exotic life, Mr. Bowles apparently did exactly what he wanted to do, writing fiction and music and continually searching for that magic place where he would find his twined goals of wisdom and ecstasy.”

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