Today the sounds of radio, television, and chattering on cell phones blend with the hubbub of medieval medinas (walled cities) and souks (markets) in Morocco. But urban frenzy and 21st century technology are not the big picture here. The ancient heart of this desert crossroads only flirts with modernity. Mostly she sways to the slow pace of ancestral rhythms and the abiding unity of Islam, the glue that binds it all together.

Along the coast, in the high Atlas, and on the desert fringes are villages that house the soul of Morocco: the ever present mosque, mud-brick homes, a tea ceremony, solemn men gathering to talk politics and religion, women cooking couscous, and the scent of saffron and cinnamon. Here time stands still, rooted deep in the desert sands.