Oujda
Oujda: discovering another Morocco
With its lively souks and Arab-Muslim treasures, Oujda offers an authentic slice of Moroccan life. The mountains of the Eastern Rif and the nearby beaches of the Mediterranean add a measure of nature and relaxation to a trip steeped in culture.
What you need to know about Oujda
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Flight time2h05
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Dialing code+212
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Spoken LanguageArabic
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CurrencyMoroccan dirham
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Time difference0h
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Travel FormalitiesPassport
Destination Oujda
Morocco is known for its rich, thousand-year-old cities, such as Marrakech and Fez, and for its Atlantic beaches, hosting gems that are popular with tourists, such as Agadir and Essaouira. By contrast, the Mediterranean coast has long been overlooked. Now, from Tangier in the west to Oudja at the kingdom's easternmost tip, travellers are rediscovering the tranquil shores and unspoilt landscapes that have attracted the greatest civilisations for thousands of years.
Discover Oujda
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Explore Oujda
Oujda is first and foremost a large city of over 500,000 inhabitants, blending Berber, Andalusian and Ottoman influences; a vibrant metropolis whose geographical location at the crossroads of cultures (the Algerian border is just 5 kilometres away) ensures its economic prosperity. As is often the case in Morocco, the medina is the gateway to the city for tourists, even if there are still very few visitors. Which adds to its charm!
The medina is entered through a number of monumental gates, like so many ‘locks’ cut into the walls. The most famous is Bab Sidi Abdelaouahab, a rich testimony to Arab-Muslim architecture, a gateway that leads to the city's most beautiful monuments: the Great Mosque and its minaret, the madrasa with its tranquil atmosphere, and the Moorish baths; not forgetting a number of synagogues...
The gardens planted with olive trees that once surrounded the medina and formed a defence system have partly disappeared, making way for the modern dwellings of the new city. Fortunately, there are still a few green havens, to cool off after a day’s visits and enjoy the peace and quiet after the souks. Head off to Lalla Aïcha park, created in 1935, a gigantic oasis of 25 hectares. More "down to earth", Lalla Meryem Park is home to a small museum of traditional weapons.
Fancy ending your trip with a few lazy days on the Mediterranean coast? Head for Saidia, about 60 kilometres from Oujda. Along a beautiful sandy beach 14 km long, the Moroccan authorities have recently built a new seaside resort. From the chic hotels and the many apartments by the sea, to the yachts in the marina, time seems suspended...
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Best places to visit in Oujda
- The Souk of Oujda
- The Oujda Medina
- The House Dar Sebti
- The Lalla Aicha Park
- Bab Sidi Abdelwahad
- Al Kabir Mosque
- Oasis of Sidi Yahya
- The forest of Sidi Maafa
- The Zegzel Valley
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Unusual things to do in Oujda
Make a hammam: a traditional Hammam in the city of Oujda is a unique experience to immerse yourself in Moroccan culture. Even if many hammam have been destroyed, there are still some very interesting, as Hammam El-Bali or Sidi Yahya.
Marchica Lagoong (in the area): The Nador Lagoon in a unique natural site! Its flora and fauna make this lagoon an exceptional and unknown site around Oujda.
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Oujda gastronomy
Moroccan breakfast
- Zammita: fresh crushed barley to which a pinch of salt is added and tied with water or an egg, all simmered over low heat.
Salads
- Al khoubiz: dish made with chard and garlic
- Slata bel brania: salad of aubergine pieces cooked in water and simmered in oil with tomatoes, garlic and spices.
- Slata bel felfel: salad with grilled peppers and tomatoes.
- Slata bel foul: salad with whole beans cooked in water
- Zroudiya mhamssa: mashed carrots and returned to olive oil with spices.
Traditional dishes
- Berkoukech: large grains of couscous, cooked in a sauce with tomato and spices.
- Bissara: Mashed beans or split peas.
- Brania: dish with meat, chickpeas and fried eggplant.
- El kercha: Offal of mutton (pieces of tripe, liver, lung, garlic, onion, spices, with beans or chickpeas.
- Malfouf or qotbane: Skewers of mutton or meat liver
- El marqa: dish in sauce with seasonal vegetables,
- Mhammer: dish made from meat, raisins and almonds
- Seffa: Couscous end of cinnamon and sprinkled with fine sugar.
- Sekouk: semolina of couscous served in bowls to which fresh curd is added.
- Taam: Cousous of Oujda
Typical moroccan desserts
- Chamia: cake made from almond paste and date paste.
- Ghribiya: cake made from flour, sprinkled with cinnamon.
- Griwach: dough strips of flour intertwined and braided, fried in oil, dipped in honey or syrup; they are served mainly during Ramadan.
- Kâak: biscuits in the shape of bracelets.
- Karane: preparation made from chickpea flour and eggs
- Makrout: cake made from semolina, dates and honey.
- Msayess: bracelets in almond paste.
A unique experience in Oujda, the Dar Sebti House
This little-known “mini-palace” is well worth a visit! The house was donated to the city by a Fès merchant, Abdellatif Senti, in the late '40s. Today, it's an authentic and colorful place to visit in Oujda!
Must-see events in Oujda
- MarchInternational Festival of science
- MayRamadan nights
- JuneMaghreb Film Festival
Music Festival - JulyInternational Raï Festival
- AugustKarana Festival (Jazz)
Useful links for your trip to Oujda
To go further
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Travel formalities and documents
Everything you need to know and do before taking your flight.
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Travel assistance
All the information you need to travel: rights, advice, information on underage travellers and pet travel
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Luggage
Preparing your hand luggage or hold luggage in important step before your trip. That's why it's essential to know how to prepare your luggage properly.