El Kelaa M'Gouna

This town was unremarkable except for the meal we shared in the home of an Imam. An Imam is a person who knows and reads the Koran in Islamic worship. Generally, he is a much respected member of the community and often well to do. After lunch, his wife demonstrated what she did for a living.

Her work was to provide make-up for brides on their wedding day. And she also provides traditional Moroccan wedding costumes for the bride and groom.

Do Not Adjust Your Set: These pictures were taken in Mid-April 2000 with a first generation digital camera. They are as big as they'll ever get.

In this photo, the Moroccan lady (left) has just applied the traditional wedding make-up to the woman on the right. We discovered later that the make-up is semi-permanent. It took almost a week before it all faded despite numerous attempts to wash it off.
Here a couple dressed in traditional Moroccan wedding dress. Not sure what the purpose of the dagger is, except many Moroccan marriages are still arranged. Could this be to encourage a reluctant bride?