Morocco trivia: 46 questions and answers

Rabat. Rabat is the capital, home to the Royal Palace and the parliament. Casablanca is the largest city, and Marrakesh and Fes were royal capitals in the past.

True. True. At its narrowest point the Strait of Gibraltar is about 14 km wide, and ferries cross it in well under two hours.

The Idrisids. The Idrisids, named after Idris I, founded their state in 788 and made Fes their capital. The Almohads came in the 1100s, and the Alaouites, who still reign, took Fes in 1666.

Portugal. King Sebastian of Portugal led the invasion and died in the battle, along with two Moroccan rulers. Two years later Portugal came under the Spanish crown for 60 years.

France. France took control of most of Morocco under the Treaty of Fes, and later in 1912 Spain received a zone in the north. The French moved the capital to Rabat.

Tamazight. Tamazight, the Amazigh (Berber) language, became official in 2011. French is widely used but not official, and Darija, Moroccan Arabic, is the everyday spoken language without official status.

True. True. Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah's declaration of December 1777 is seen as the first recognition of the new nation. A formal treaty of friendship followed in 1786 and is still in force.

False. False. Morocco regained its independence in 1956 from France, which recognised it on 2 March, and Spain gave up its northern zone the following month.

The clay pot it is cooked in. A tagine is the clay pot it is cooked in, a shallow dish with a tall cone-shaped lid, and also the stew cooked inside it.

Friday. Friday is the holy day in Islam, and families traditionally gather for a big shared dish of couscous after the midday prayers.

True. True. Harira, a thick soup of tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas, is served at sunset during Ramadan with dates and sweets such as chebakia.

Icing sugar and cinnamon. Pastilla is dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon, which makes it both savoury and sweet. Inside there is also a layer of almonds with cinnamon and sugar.

Green gunpowder tea. It is made with green gunpowder tea, which British traders brought to Morocco in the 1700s and 1800s.

In the hot ashes of a hammam furnace. Tanjia is cooked for many hours in the hot ashes of a hammam furnace, the fire that heats the public bathhouse, or in the embers of a hearth.

False. False. Amlou is a sweet spread of toasted almonds, argan oil and honey from the Souss region, eaten at breakfast or with tea.

Casablanca. Casablanca, with about 3.2 million people in the city itself, is the largest city and the centre of business. Rabat is the capital but much smaller.

Marrakesh. Marrakesh is the Red City, after the orange-red earth of its walls and buildings. Chefchaouen is known for blue, Tétouan is 'the White Dove', and Casablanca means 'white house'.

True. True. Casablanca is Spanish for 'white house', a translation of the city's Arabic name, Dar al-Bayda.

The Atlantic Ocean. The mosque stands partly on land and partly over the Atlantic Ocean. Casablanca is on the Atlantic coast, not the Mediterranean.

Gladiator. Ait Benhaddou appears in Gladiator, as well as in Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones. Casablanca, despite its name, was filmed in Hollywood.

A Berber and Roman city. Volubilis is a Berber and Roman city with mosaic floors still in place. Morocco was never part of the Ottoman Empire.

False. False. Work on the mosque began in 1191 but stopped when the caliph Yaqub al-Mansur died in 1199, leaving the minaret unfinished at 44 m.

Yves Saint Laurent. Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé bought the garden created by the painter Jacques Majorelle and restored it.

The High Atlas. Toubkal, 4,167 m, rises in the High Atlas about 63 km south of Marrakesh.

Tangier. The American Legation in Tangier was a gift from the sultan in 1821. Today it is a museum.

False. False. The film was made in Hollywood, and none of it was shot in Morocco.

Marrakesh. For centuries Morocco was known abroad as the Kingdom of Marrakesh, and in Persian and Urdu the country is still called Marrakesh.

The semi-finals. Morocco reached the semi-finals in Qatar in 2022, the first African and the first Arab team to do so. Other African teams had reached the quarter-finals before.

The Barbary macaque. The Barbary macaque lives in the Atlas and Rif mountains of Morocco and in Algeria, and a small group also lives on the Rock of Gibraltar.

Spain and Portugal. Spain and Portugal are Morocco's co-hosts, and three opening matches will be played in South America to mark the World Cup's 100th anniversary.

True. True. They include the medinas of Fes, Marrakesh, Tétouan and Essaouira, the historic cities of Meknes and Rabat, Ait Benhaddou, El Jadida and the ruins of Volubilis.

Tifinagh. Tamazight is written in Tifinagh; Morocco officially adopted a modern form of it in 2003. You will see it on many public buildings and road signs.

Thank you. Shukran means thank you. Hello is salam, goodbye is bslama and please is afak.

True. True. Azul means hello in Tamazight. In Moroccan Arabic you would say salam.

A house built around an inner garden. A riad is a house built around an inner garden or courtyard. Today many riads in the old medinas are guesthouses.

Bshhal hada?. Bshhal hada? means 'How much is this?'. Fin bit lma? asks for the toilet, ma fhemtsh means 'I don't understand' and mashi mushkil means 'no problem'.

Wa alaykum as-salam. The reply is wa alaykum as-salam, 'and upon you be peace'. Bslama means goodbye, inshallah 'God willing' and safi 'that's enough'.

True. True. Labas? means 'How are you?', literally 'no harm?', and the answer can be the same word: labas, I'm fine.

False. False. Atay messous means tea without sugar. Mint tea is usually served very sweet, so this is useful if you prefer it plain.

Bnin bezzaf!. Bnin bezzaf! means 'very delicious!'. Ghali bezzaf means 'too expensive', awnouni! means 'help!' and mtsharfin means 'nice to meet you'.

Eating, drinking and smoking. Eating, drinking and smoking in public in the daytime may cause offence while most Moroccans are fasting. Visitors are not expected to fast themselves.

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca offers guided tours for non-Muslims. Most other mosques in Morocco, including the Koutoubia and the Qarawiyyin, are open to Muslims only.

False. False. Drinking in the street or anywhere other than a licensed hotel, bar or restaurant is illegal and can lead to arrest.

True. True. Ask the price, offer less and meet somewhere in between, with patience and good humour.

Ask their permission. Always ask their permission first, especially with women and children. Some people will say no, and that should be respected.

True. True. The dirham is not freely convertible, so change money or use a cash machine on arrival, and keep small notes for taxis, tips and markets.