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The first direct commercial flights between Israel and Morocco started this Sunday, July 25, following the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, in the context of the recognition by the United States of Moroccan sovereignty over the former Spanish Sahara, today called "Southern Provinces" by the Kingdom. Departing from Ben Gourion airport in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the first Israeli Israir aircraft landed at Marrakech Menara airport at 12.45pm, after a flight of just over 6 hours ( photo above ). This Airbus A320 was greeted by the fire brigade's water cannons, the traditional "water salute", celebrating the arrival of this inaugural flight carrying just under a hundred passengers. A second aircraft, a Boeing Dreamliner 787-9, landed at 3.30pm on the tarmac of the same airport. This time it was flying the colours of the national airline El-Al. The Israeli tourists were welcomed with dates, milk, mint tea and Moroccan cakes. Peace activist Houda Belkadi El Haloui presented them with white roses. Three Israeli airlines and RAM El-Al has announced five flights a week to Marrakech and Casablanca, starting at around 250 dollars. Israir is putting tickets on sale to Marrakech from mid-August, then three or four times a week from September, for just under 500 dollars. If Arkia is to be believed, it too will be launching flights from 4 August. These three carriers are aiming to carry 38'000 passengers to Morocco by the end of December. Although it is not yet possible to book tickets on its website, the Moroccan national carrier RAM also intends to join in the fun. It is expected to embark 12'000 passengers over the same period. From 2022, Morocco is counting on an annual target of 200'000 tourists. The Moroccan community in Israel numbers around 800'000, many of whom are nostalgic for their country of origin or that of their parents. Numerous religious sites also contribute to Morocco's appeal to the most observant Israelis of Moroccan origin. These include the Taroudant cemetery and the mausoleum of Rabbi David Ben Barroukh Cohen Azogh , some thirty kilometres east of Taroudant. Cautious optimism In view of the current figures for coronavirus contamination, a further closure of air borders is not out of the question. But both Morocco and Israel have achieved good vaccination rates, so there is reason for cautious optimism.

The interior of the Catholic church in Taroudant (photo by Le Jardin aux Etoiles, March 2023). It is a modest place of worship, but it is important in several ways. Located within centuries-old walls , the Catholic church of Taroudant is a Christian spiritual haven in Muslim lands. As our photo above shows, it is characterized by great simplicity and a small size, which nevertheless does not lack allure, especially since it combines Berber motifs, in the form of two large colorful carpets. The Catholic Church of Taroudant is located almost in the center of the Amazigh city . It is accessed via a street named 20-August Avenue ( photo ), a date that commemorates the 1955 clashes against the imposed exile of the Sultan of Morocco, Mohammed ben Youssef, the future King Mohammed V. This place of worship experienced its moment of glory when, in the 2000s, Jacques Chirac, then President of the French Republic, frequently attended services there with his wife Bernadette. The couple were then staying at the Gazelle d'Or , which they contributed to making famous and which is now unfortunately in disrepair. Behind the high ochre-colored walls, the chapel is accessed through a small Andalusian garden with a symbolic layout. The entrance door ( our photo ) is modest. It nevertheless invites you to enter the cool interior. The desire for peaceful coexistence and good understanding with Islam is expressed by an inscription in Arabic ( our photo ) which means "Love God". The Catholic community in the Taroudant region numbers a few hundred people, including the Protestants. The Sunday evening service, which takes place at 6:30 p.m., is, however, attended by only a handful of faithful. The Easter celebration takes place this Sunday at 11 a.m. The influence of the Catholic Church of Taroudant is nevertheless much wider. It is carried by a priest of the kind we love, Marc Helfer , without whose arrival the Catholic parish of Roudanie would perhaps have disappeared. In February 2023 ( our photo ), Marc, for example, was the driving force behind the tribute paid at the Tiout palm grove to Saïd, the creator of the already legendary Igueldan bivouac, who passed away too soon. The Catholic church of Taroudant displays on one of its walls a painting ( our photo ) in honor of the seven monks of the Algerian monastery of Tibhirine , massacred in 1996. The presence of Christian witnesses in the land of Islam is well understood in the Kingdom of Morocco. Commander of the Faithful, and as such protector of all religions, King Mohammed VI has unambiguously declared himself in favor of a tolerant, moderate Islam that coexists with other cultures . The Catholics of Souss Massa also have a church in Agadir, called Sainte-Anne, where Christmas carols are sung . The Reformed have their own temple, also in Agadir , which belongs to the Evangelical Church ( our photo ). This place of worship is located at the intersection of Mokhtar Soussi Street and Echouada Street , near the departure station of the cable cars which lead to the Kasbah . It is discreet, but nevertheless very present.

One of the biggest projects that Agadir is transforming from top to bottom is the Installation of an air link to access the Kasbah, which is undergoing a complete transformation. The project is great, but it's misnamed. We should not speak of "téléphérique d'Agadir" ("Agadir cable car") but of "télécabines" ("gondola lifts") to get to the multi-secular kasbah. One of these gondolas has just been displayed by the sea near one of the McDonald's restaurants ( our photo ). It is an information and awareness-raising work that can be applauded with both hands. Except that the name "Téléphérique d'Agadir" ("Agadir Cable Car") does not match the reality of the project. A "cable car" ("téléphérique"), according to the usual definition from Wikipedia, is actually "a mountain railway equipped with large-capacity cabins that serves a summit that is generally difficult to access". The cable cars of the Alps are generally designed to transport 30 to 100 people, as in the case of Moléson in western Switzerland ( our photo ). They consist of only two very large cabins that cross in the middle of the ride. On the contrary, the transport system planned in Agadir consists in putting into operation about thirty small cabins like the one facing the sea, which in this case should be called "télécabines". The term "téléphérique" used by the initiators for trips to the Kasbah and later to the Donialand amusement park and Souss Camp is probably due to the fact that the French administration also speaks "télécabines" under the generic term "télésièges", which leads to confusion. Since the facility in Agadir is being built by the Austrian-Swiss group Doppelmayr-Garaventa, the world market leader for ropeways, the French designations should not be used, but those of the manufacturer, namely the noun "télécabines".

Construction work on the Timitar museum in Agadir has just begun. This brand new cultural hub, which is part of the projects of the Urban Development Program currently transforming the capital of Souss, will be dedicated to highlighting the symbols of Amazigh, that is to say Berber, culture ( our image ), which evoke freedom, love, fertility, abundance. The word "Timitar" means "signs" in Tachelhit. The mandate for the development of this new museum center was entrusted to the company “Le Palais d'Aménagement” of Rabat, for an amount of 14.7 million dirhams (1.4 million euros). The architecture bears the signature of the offices of Zakaria El Moudden and Rajaa Agoumi. However, they have not published an image of the final project. We therefore reproduce here the one broadcast previously. We thus avoid misleading the reader, as the media and social network messages do which reproduce a project supposed to be that of the Amazigh Museum being erected north of City Hall, in front of the Wall of Remembrance, and which should not be confused with the Timitar Museum. Until now, the latter's location was vague. We were talking, in a very general way, about the heart of the tourism sector . Finally, the signs which hide the construction site of the Timitar museum ( our photo ) have just appeared near the 5 and 4 stars hotels most south of the seaside area, more precisely between the Iberostar Founty Beach hotel, located on the edge of ocean, and the less prestigious hotels named Borjs and Timoulay and located higher up. The Timitar Museum must be completed within 18 months, that is to say by the end of 2025. It is part of the context of the “7 Living Museums of the South ” project ( our image ) , of which it is supposed to be the first and announce those of Inezgane (caravans and businesses), of Taroudant , (feast and culinary arts), of Ida Ougnidif (masonry and decoration), of Aguerd Oudad (clothing), of Ameln (Tafraout) for the development of the argan tree and finally Tiznit (jewelry). “Guardian of the soul and history of the region”, insisted on by the first of the Berbers, the president of the city and head of government Aziz Akhannouch , native of Tafraout ( our photo: his residence, at interior of his hometown ), the Timitar museum will contribute to making the rich Amazigh heritage known to summer visitors from large hotels who do not always have the idea of entering the deep country, which is a mistake. We will therefore give them the chance not to “tan idiots”, as the expression goes.

Several operators offer sea excursions from the Marina of Agadir. We have just tested "The best trip" ( photo above ). Verdict: we had a great time on board ! This boat ( our photo ) can accommodate around 25 people, on three levels. It is operated jointly with a boat of the same type, named "Agadir Golden Trip". The meeting place is located opposite the Pure Passion restaurant, which we give two out of three hearts. The boat leaves its home port ( our photo ) at 9:30 a.m., of course in the sun, which is almost guaranteed in Agadir. From the outset, the staff is incredible and manages to create a communicative good mood. The welcome tea is thus offered in an... acrobatic way ( photo ) by a very strong tightrope walker! Welcome humor! The guests are delighted and the cameras are clicking... Advised by the crew, who speak both French and English, showing rare thoughtfulness, the participants indulge in the pleasure of fishing, either using trolling rods ( photo ), or using lines to which bait is attached. The boat is sailing not far from the shore, in front of the port of Agadir. So much so that the bottom is about fifteen meters away, Some remain empty-handed, others are luckier ( our photo ) or more patient. The most common catch is the sea bream with its superb metallic colours. Another star, presented here by the chief host of "Best Trip": the shy octopuses, which create interest or... excitement, as the image attached to the octopus remains, wrongly, frightening, while these animals are in reality devoid of aggression. Not to mention that they are an excellent dish in the eyes of lovers of seafood, particularly well served in the capital of Souss! Then comes the aperitif time. The bravest jump into the water by jumping from the railing, like the very sporty Swiss woman on the right in our photo , or more cautiously from the back of the boat (like the other Swiss woman, the one on the left), in an outfit worthy of fashion week, which decency forbids us to describe here and even less to show... A no-frills meal ( our photo ) concludes the walk. The grilled sea bream was very much appreciated ! Return to the starting point at 1:30 p.m., at the end of a highly recommended excursion, which combines the kindness and availability of the crew. This excursion costs 400 dh (40 euros) per person. The 2-hour sunset ride is offered at 200 dh (20 euros).

Completely destroyed during the earthquake of February 29, 1960,  the Kasbah of Agadir included a little gem : the Moorish Café, with its very neat interior architecture, endowed with a lot of charm ( above ). Opened in 1935, this remarkable café was created on the initiative of two French personalities from the time of the Protectorate : Paul Gautier and Fernand Barutel. The first manager was named Ali Chebli. Closed during the Second World War, the Moorish Café was reopened in 1947. The manager, Mr. Mezzour, has been remembered as an always elegant man, wearing a flamboyant red suit, tie and tarbouche. He is seen seated, alongside a Western lady. The Moorish Café enjoyed an ideal location, just on the edge of the walls, which it overlooked. The customers thus enjoyed a splendid view over the bay of Agadir. This information was communicated to me by participants of the Agadir group of yesteryear, on Facebook , who still have a precise memory of this magnificent café. There is obviously nothing left of it today. The rehabilitation of the Kasbah underway does not aim to rebuild identically the old small city crimped by walls. On the other hand, it aims, via a course on raised wooden decking, to offer signage with archive photos and explanations, using the design of the alleys before the earthquake. Salima Naji and her colleagues in charge of these arrangements will not be able to forget the Moorish Café. Perhaps they will remember his name to attribute it to the proposed refreshment bar, intended to welcome visitors.

The four Noor solar power plants in Ouarzazate constitute a site of considerable importance, which was the largest in the world when its construction began, and which is part of the colossal Moroccan effort in terms of solar energy, launched as early as 2009 during a ceremony presided over by king Mohammed VI . These plants produce 580 MW and thus provide green electricity to nearly two million Moroccans. In 2017, the Moroccan agency for sustainable energy, Masen (Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy), built a reception and conference building. Even more: a sensational theme park ( our image ) is under construction, on the sly, to make it "an essential tourist destination". The scenography is the work of the workshops Adeline Rispal of Paris , already in charge of the museography of the new Musée de la reconstruction of Agadir. The Rispal workshops explain the route envisaged in this video put online at the end of 2020. This will offer a "global scenography experience", to accompany the visitor in "a physical, sensitive discovery , aesthetic and intellectual" of the Solar City. The route will start east of the solar power plants ( arrow to the right of our image ). Straight towards the west, the visitor will be welcomed at the Masen Center, also called "Lighthouse building". Inaugurated in 2017, this construction bears the HQE label (High Environmental Quality), the first in Africa. The interested tourist will visit two exhibitions there. The first will introduce him to Masen , Moroccan Agency for sustainable energy, and will offer him the keys to understanding the site. A second exhibition, scientific, will reveal how the transformation of solar radiation into electricity ( our image ) works. Some aspects of the project are still subject to change. This is why the Rispal workshops use the conditional to specify that a Sun Museum could be set up. It would enlighten the visitor on the history of the star through civilizations. What is certain, however, is that the visitor will be able to gain height and enjoy a panoramic view of the solar complex from the top of the Masen Tower, which is 45 meters tall ( our picture ). A vehicle will then take him to the aisles of giant mirrors, which follow the course of the sun in an imperceptible movement. At dawn, the visitor will witness the grandiose spectacle of the sensors reversing from west to east ( left arrow on our map above ). Next step, on the way to Masen Sun Park ! This educational theme park is drawn by reproducing the borders of the Kingdom ( our Google Maps map of 2023 with the borders of the country indicated in red by us, drawn exactly on the walls that have been laid out there) . The Masen Sun Park project is not built on sand. According to the Skyscrapercity site , it was presented in 2009 already to king Mohammed VI. And the images taken by satellite since then show the evolution of the constructions. The Rispal workshops announce that "scientific, anthropological and cultural devices" will be implemented according to the geography of the Kingdom. At each intersection of meridians and parallels ( our image ), "poetic and playful observation devices could be installed". These formulations leave room for various interpretations and possibilities of concretizations. Three other aspects are already proving more concrete. In a nursery and an ethnobotanical garden ( our Google Maps image ), the visitor will discover the medicinal, aromatic and cosmetic virtues of plants. In the spirals, he will be able to listen to the song of the sun and that of the stars. An oasis ( our first photo, at the very top of this message ) will reveal the specificities of its natural and cultural ecosystem. Probably as an option, the visitor will be able to end his visit in a hot air balloon to gain height again. At nightfall, flying over the Sun Park map of Morocco, he will discover that it is dynamic ( our photo ). As we can see, the Rispal workshops project perfectly meets the expectations that we had allowed ourselves to present right here, in february 2016. The information disseminated so far in dribs and drabs by the Rispal workshops makes it possible to imagine a route with several variants, depending on the time available to the visitor and... his wallet. It remains to be seen on what date the announced theme park will open, it being understood that the detailed work of the scenography is complex to carry out if we intend to ensure the necessary impact and quality. Appointed king Mohammed VI in December 2009 to head the Masen agency, Mustapha Bakkoury launched construction work on the four Noor power plants in Ouarzazate, the last time in April 2017 ( our photo , alongside the king). Four years later, Bakkoury, who was also president of the Casablanca-Settat Region, fell from grace. The sovereign reproached him for poor management, particularly with regard to deadlines. The Midelt solar power plant , for example, is behind schedule. As the newspaper "Le Monde" analyses, not only are delays piling up, but losses are also mounting. Masen sells its electricity to the distributor ONE at a rate lower than its production cost. Another aspect is the choice of technology used. The first two solar power stations in Ouarzazate are made up of curved mirrors ( our image ), which reflect the sun's rays, enabling them to store heat during the day and supply energy in the evening, when consumption peaks. But in ten years, the price of the other technology, photovoltaic panels, has fallen by 80%, making curved mirrors economically obsolete, a cutting-edge technology that has been overtaken by market realities. Morocco intends to increase the share of renewable energies in the national electricity mix to more than 52% by 2030, also via wind power of which Masen is also in charge. The ambition is huge and requires extremely efficient management. Exit therefore Mustapha Bakkoury, under the influence of a judicial inquiry. The new boss is called Tarik Hamane. Masen's number 2 until mid-2022, he then joined Total Eren to be in charge of developing green hydrogen within the giant TotalEnergie. Here he is back. There doesn't seem to be any reason why the beautiful theme park project ( our image ) should be changed.

The North-East bypass road of Agadir will experience a new stage at the end of next June. The section which leaves Agadir Al Massira airport (South exit: airport on the map above ) and goes to the express road (National 8) which leads to the motorway towards Marrakech will in turn be open to traffic. So given the already effective commissioning , it will be possible to drive smoothly to the Al Mohammadi district, to the north, and thus avoid the traffic jams in Tikiouine , which have become a real black spot. Duration of the Airport-Al Mohammadi journey: around twenty minutes. The mayor of Agadir Aziz Akhannouch , also head of government, gave a boost to the project, so that this opening would be effective before the summer holidays. The impressive 500 m viaduct long intended to span the Oued Souss ( our photo ) will therefore have to be completed by this time. The same will apply to the Temsia hopper , work on which ( our photo ) began last February and which will help avoid traffic on the 114 Taroudant-Agadir regional road. Once these two obstacles have been overcome, users will be able to take this new route to the Al Mohammadi district ( Abaraz roundabout ), then go down towards Avenue des FAR or the harbour. The acceleration of this work is also part of the perspective of the organization of the CAN (African Football Cup of Nations) 2025, the matches of which will partly take place at the Grand Stade Adrar. The surroundings of the latter, including the new 3,000-seat Arena hall ( our image ) and the Olympic swimming pool , must have been transformed for this deadline. According to the program announced by the mayor of Agadir, the third stage and the fourth stage of this road , intended to bypass Kasbah Agadir Oufella from the north, should also be completed in this perspective, which seems ambitious given the complexity works remaining to be carried out.

The huge project for a bypass of Greater Agadir will see the opening to traffic of a first section by the end of this year with a length of just over 10 km, or a third of the length of the Airport-Anza project. This is the route that begins, at the top of our map , in Abaraz, north of the neighborhood Islane-Hay Mohammadi , connected to Avenue des FAR by a new 2.5 km road. The section open to traffic, which has the characteristics of a (free) motorway, will end, to the south, at the junction of the motorway which leads to Marrakech. The Drarga hopper , also called the tunnel, which has long complicated traffic, will allow driving towards the north, failing, for the moment, to reach Al Massira airport. The route that will be opened will therefore considerably facilitate the fluidity of traffic, which has been developing very strongly in recent years ( here in front of the souk El Had ) and will shorten travel times. To take this example, from our riad Le Jardin aux Etoiles, the duration of the journey to the entrance of the Marina should go from one hour currently to around 45 minutes and avoid traffic jams in the capital of Souss which constitute so many unpleasant surprises, in particular on the side of Tikiouine. The portion of the bypass road that will open by the end of the year will also provide access to the Grand Stade Adrar ( our image), where major projects are planned, in particular the transformation of the stadium and the construction of the olympic-pool . An access road will connect the district Al Qods at the bypass road, by the north of the sports facilities. The next step should be the completion of the 7.5 km section that will allow, from the Drarga hopper, access to the airport. The blockage of the works ( our photo ) and the delay that has accumulated are explained by the great complexity of the works: hopper (artificial tunnel) near Temsia and large bridge of some 500 m. on the oued (asif) Souss. If the first has not yet seen its first traxes, the second is in progress. It will then remain to complete the third and fourth stages, which present other immense challenges: passing behind the Kasbah and descent to Anza ( our photo), to take the direction of Taghazout . We have therefore not yet finished talking about the opening times of this impressive road, the inevitable delays that will follow one another and the credit overruns that will follow. But isn't the main thing that Agadir moves, and oh how much!

Agadir's new art museum opens its doors to the public this Friday, April 28, 2023, after being inaugurated the day before by the mayor of the city. Aziz Akhannouch , who is also the head of the Moroccan government. Since we first announced in January 2022 , this new asset has been launched Culture settles in the center of the city, in the building of the Municipal Museum of Amazigh Heritage which has been restored and transformed ( our photo). It will be one of the gates to the new al Imbiaat Park , whose covered parking has just opened on schedule. The Agadir Art Museum (AMA) joins the impressive list of institutions managed by the National Museum Foundation (FNM) . It offers a dialogue between modern art and local heritage. Visitors will thus discover a collection of around 150 paintings by Moroccan and foreign artists, the result of a large donation from the very discreet patron El Khalil Belguench, who has already donated modern paintings to the Museum of the Villa Harris in Tanger donated ( our picture ). What local heritage does the Agadir Art Museum present? It is a range of ethnographic pieces ( our picture ). Paintings, jewellery, carpets, porcelain, pottery, essentially Amazigh (Berber), overlap and complement each other in a coherent and harmonious whole. The course of the exhibition is divided into five sections ( our photos ). The first section presents the traditions that have shaped Moroccan cultural identity over the centuries, while the second presents a panorama of urban scenes between the exotic and the modern. The third section is dedicated to abstraction and memory, the fourth to the reproduction of natural landscapes and the fifth deals with the theme of the human body, which remains at the heart of contemporary expression. Promoting Amazigh heritage will not end at the new art museum. It will also be the focus of the new Amazigh Heritage Museum planned north of City Hall to "offer a new museum experience", as well as in the genes of the very modern Timitar Museum advertised by the sea ( our picture ). Agadir Art Museum, Passage Aït Souss , near the cafés La Tour de Babel and La Fontaine, open every day except Tuesday from 10am to 6pm.

In many Moroccan villages, particularly in Souss-Massa, individuals, motivated by more or less laudable intentions, have started to install speed bumps in front of their houses that damage the suspension of cars ( our photo ). Not to be confused with those installed by the authorities, which are adapted to vehicles, these rough installations are illegal. Intervene with the officials of the municipality or the caïdat concerned and you will win your case! No less than 12 illegal speed bumps had been cemented to access my riad, Le Jardin aux Etoiles. Six from the Nationale 10 Azrou-Taroudant ( our photo ) to the riad, and six from the riad towards the road that leads to Gfiffat (express roads to Taroudant)! Enough to create an obstacle course, and work for the mechanics! Armed with my good faith and my conviction that illegal procedures are not permitted in Morocco, I intervened with the caïdat of Aïn Chaïb, of which my commune of Sidi Boumoussa is a part ( our photo ). I immediately received an attentive ear from the excellent Khalid, head of the caïdat police. A little over a year ago, the boss decided to create a commission to resolve the problem. An effective decision, since each resident concerned was ordered to destroy these "lying gendarmes" that did not meet the standards. This is why the 12 illegal speed bumps have just disappeared ( our photo ). To my great satisfaction.

There is no stopping the inauguration of parks in Agadir! This November 1, 2024, it was the turn of the Jardin Taddart which now magnificently greens ( our photo ) the Charaf district , on the edge of the N1 which leads to the port of Agadir. The inauguration took place under the chairmanship of the mayor of Agadir, Aziz Akhannouch ( in the center ), also head of government, accompanied by Karim Achengli ( sunglasses ), president of the Souss Massa region. As can be seen, the signage was carried out in three languages: Arabic, Tamazight and French. This new green lung is in addition to many facilities opened in recent months in Agadir. For example, a few kilometers away, on the seaside, in Anza , there are sports facilities made available near the dinosaur footprints ( our photo ) and which arouse admiration for their quality. May they remain in good condition and avoid depredations! A risk that is unfortunately always present, due to persistent incivility. These sports facilities contribute to modernizing a formerly industrial and abandoned place like Anza. They show that the Urban Development Program that has already transformed the city does not only aim to strengthen the tourist image of Agadir, but also concerns the resident population who live in less frequented neighborhoods like that of Tilila , also equipped with a new tree-lined square ( our photo ). And we could multiply the examples of this type, which also concern sports facilities that have become innumerable.