Salaam and Good Day to You, Worthy Friends

Although the Equatorial Africa pavilion never materialized, the African continent did gain representation at Epcot with the 1984 addition of Morocco. From the Bab Boujouloud Gate to the Koutoubia Minaret and the winding streets of the Medina ("old city"), Morocco provides one of the most immersive experiences in all of World Showcase.

Unique among the Epcot pavilions, the Kingdom of Morocco is the only one actually presented by the government of the host country. The pavilion was sanctioned by King Hassan II, who even had some of the country's finest craftsmen sent to the United States to ensure the authenticity of the artwork presented.

Just off the main courtyard of the ville nouvelle, the "new city" at the front of the pavilion, is an exhibit gallery currently showing "Moroccan Style: The Art of Personal Adornment." The entrance to the space is intricate and lovely to behold. True to Moroccan culture, however, true beauty is held within.

Step through the doors and look back. The stained glass of the doors glows brilliantly, bathing the interior of the gallery with a magical glow.

The exhibits inside the gallery change from time to time, but the tile and carved stone work here have been around from the beginning. The piece pictured below, found on an interior column, is an example of the art of Zellige, or Moroccan mosaic. Often in Moroccan art, the maalems (craftsmen) concede perfection to Allah, working slight imperfections into their work. In the example below, follow the groupings of three tiles encircling the central ring of the design. The pattern is generally tile-tile-tile-space, but between 7 and 8 o'clock you'll see that the pattern is broken by the inclusion of an extra tile. It's subtle and not immediately noticeable, but important to the artist.

Deeper in the pavilion is another fun discovery, the Fez House. A representation of a dar, or traditional domestic structure, Fez House is an open air courtyard from which several residences radiate. Standing in the courtyard, the first thing you notice is the incredible artistry in the wood carvings and tile work on the fountain and columns. Stay for a while, and you may just hear some of the activities of the families who "live" here.

Back out toward the promenade is a fairly recent addition to the Morocco pavilion, a quick-service dining location known as the Tangierine Cafe. The restaurant takes its name from the Moroccan city of Tangier, the port from which a certain type of citrus fruit was first shipped across the Mediterranean to Europe. That fruit, a small variant of an orange, became known as a tangerine.