JADE IN THE MAGREB

Happy New Year to all the fans of the Jade del Cameron mysteries and to anyone else who stumbles on this blog dedicated to historical trivia from Jade’s time. The time is now 1920, and the location for Jade’s newest adventure THE SERPENT’S DAUGHTER is Morocco.

Morocco is part of the MAGHREB, a word that means the land where the sun sets (or western lands). Traditionally, it included Tunisia and Algeria. In modern times, people also toss in Libya and Mauritania. For people coming from Persia, this was the west. Any farther than Morocco, and one was in the Atlantic Ocean. So this was the end of the world for all intents and purposes.

Morocco is in Africa, yet when most people think of travels to Africa, they exclude it and think instead of Kenya, Tanzania, and the Congo. The Maghreb is a land of tradition and antiquity, and in Jade’s time, a land where cultures are clashing. The Arabs clash with the original Berbers, and everyone clashes with the French who have now taken over the “protection” of Morocco, still under the rule of the Sultan.

Since Jade and her mother are wanted for murder, next week we’ll examine the penal system of Morocco.

Next time: The Penal Pits.