MARRAKECH, Morocco // Whenever Winston Churchill came to Marrakech he stayed at the Hotel La Mamounia, taking a room with a view of the gardens and, beyond them, the white towers of the High Atlas range that spans the eastern horizon.
"I must be with you when you see the sunset on the snows of the Atlas Mountains," Churchill told the US president Franklin Roosevelt after the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. Naturally, that meant a trip to La Mamounia.
Next month La Mamounia is reopening again after three years of extensive refurbishment, an extra dollop of glamour to match the recent ascent of Marrakech as a cultural and tourist hotspot.
While some locals worry that growth benefits too few and is threatening the city's character, La Mamounia's elegance and distinguished history set it apart from the crowd.
Churchill and Roosevelt visited the hotel two months after Morocco had fallen to American forces in Operation Torch, an Allied campaign to chase the Nazis out of North Africa. As the German Gen Erwin Rommel fled into Tunisia, the two leaders enjoyed a holiday in one of Morocco's most venerable cities.
Marrakech began life as an 11th-century trading post, where Berber tribesmen mingled with Saharan caravans.
It flourished under the medieval Almohad dynasty and has served periodically as Morocco's capital. Even the country's modern name is derived from it.
La Mamounia is named for its gardens, where the 18th-century Prince Mamoun threw lavish parties. The hotel was opened in 1922, attracting a glittering international clientele before Marrakech declined as a luxury destination after Morocco gained independence from France in 1956.
But the great city of palms and red battlements has rebounded in the past few years as Morocco has improved infrastructure and promoted it as a tourist attraction.
"The city is becoming a jet-set destination," said Denys Courtier, the hotel's executive director. "We already have reservations from all over the world."
While the global financial crisis has dented tourism in Morocco this year, Mr Courtier noted that La Mamounia was reopening as western Europe and the US start edging towards economic recovery, and benefits from special cachet.
"People who have never been to Morocco have heard of La Mamounia," he said.
That renown was suggested in May when art-deco and oriental furniture from the hotel sold at auction for US$4.2 million (Dh15.4m) The renovation has been carried out by the design star Jacques Garcia, whose opulent makeovers from Las Vegas to Beirut have earned him the Legion d'Honneur, the highest distinction in his native France.
Views of the hotel from outside are obscured by the surrounding palm trees - it is inside that counts.
In homage to Moroccan tradition, Mr Garcia has made ample use of carved cedar, intricate stencilling and tiny mosaic-like tiles called zellij.
Marrakech's new prosperity has nourished its arts and culture scene. The city now boasts galleries, a film festival and a resident community of artists, both foreign and Moroccan.
"Not only foreigners, but also middle- and upper-class Moroccans are coming, so there's a market here," said Hamid Fardjad, an Iranian filmmaker and interior designer who co-founded the École Superieure des Arts Visuels de Marrakech. He has lived in the city since 2001. "People visit other cities - in Marrakech they stay."
But Marrakech's boom may be overheating. Mr Fardjad and other artists worry that too much growth too fast is robbing the city of its charm.
"When I first came here in 2000 the city was unique and magnificent," said Nourrdine Amir, one of Morocco's leading fashion designers. "I used to be able to say that Marrakech inspired me - I can't say that anymore."
The medieval core of the city and French-built quarter are ringed today by anonymous salmon-coloured housing blocks like scabs on the landscape. Modern resort hotels have sprung up overnight to serve the influx of tourists.
Meanwhile, the tourism boom has created a chaotic service industry that can turn exploitative, with few long-term contracts and pay often below the minimum wage of around Dh10 an hour, said Abdelilah Isbah, a local representative of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights.
In the Jemaa al Fnaa, a vast square near La Mamounia in the heart of Marrakech, hundreds of diners sat poised over soup bowls at dozens of outdoor restaurants, waiting for the Ramadan sun to set. Some were Moroccan, some foreign.
"The advantage of tourism is that we meet people from other cultures," said Simo, 22, a waiter who did not give his surname. "But since tourists started coming to Marrakech everything has become more expensive, and unless you study at a private school you'll never make a decent wage."
The call of a muezzin went up and Simo hurried off as eating commenced. Back at La Mamounia, the staff, blessed with competitive salaries and long-term contracts, were busy with a dry run of dinner. Far off to the east, above the waving palms, the last light of the sun glanced from the tops of the Atlas Mountains.
jthorne@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducatly%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohmmed%20El%20Sonbaty%2C%20Joan%20Manuel%20and%20Abdelrahman%20Ayman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducation%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%242%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEnterprise%20Ireland%2C%20Egypt%20venture%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20HBAN%2C%20Falak%20Startups%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
