The
Traditional Tissa Horse Festival Tour
The
deafening roar and rising dust
of oncoming trucks from all over the region marks the start of one of
the most
celebrated festivals in Morocco. During the year, the small
town of
Tissa is a quiet community, tucked away in the treeless hills of the Moroccan
countryside, just fifty kilometers away from Fez. But in the month of
May,
the town is transformed into a sight of medieval festivities, color and
music.
It is the annual Tissa Horse Festival and it is seen as a
calendar event
Many
visitors travel to Morocco
without realizing that a world of festivities awaits them. This
remarkable horse
festival in Tissa is celebrated in remembrance of Sidi Muhammed Ben
Lachen,
a fifteenth century patron saint. It attracts hundreds of horse
breeders and
horse owners that come to the annual Tissa Horse Festival to show off
their
beautifully groomed thoroughbreds. The
horses that are brought here are of the finest breeding and include
Arab-Berbers, Arab stallions and Barbary mares. Riders get the
opportunity to
display their horse’s capabilities in different events, to exhibit
qualities
such as grace, speed, maneuverability and endurance. Each discipline is
executed with precision riding, and most the time the crowd is either
amazed
into gaping stares or jubilant with noisy praise and encouragement.
Of
course it would not be a
competition without a prize, and to ensure that they stand a better
change of
winning, owners and breeders usually enter more than one well-trained
horse
into the events. Even though the horse festival in Tissa is one of many
of
these types of festivals in Morocco, there is an age-old pride and
tradition
attached to this event that has its foundation in the ancient
horsemanship
culture of the region. Dress code for this spectacular event is
traditional
garments, the national dress of the country. These garments are known
as
gandouras and djellabas. The riders take every part of the festival
very
seriously.
Spectators
are not too eager to remain
serious for ten days, so the Tissa Horse Festival is a Moroccan
equestrian
event that is filled with lively music, dancing, singing and
cheering.
Fast-talking auctioneers that assist breeders and buyers in trading
horses
accompany all this festival madness. It is recommended that visitors
who travel
to Morocco join in celebrating this festival that combines the
excitement and
jubilant atmosphere of celebration, with the culture and tradition that
has
always been synonymous with the region. Join us for this tour in
Morocco exploring a rooted tradtion in Moroccan culture, the horse
fantasia is a tribal horse competition and gathering at the same time
to celebrate good harvests. It is cultural and adventure tours
with good Moroccan food and music.
Sarah
Tours Best tour Operator DMC in Morocco
For
your questions, requests about Tissa Horse Festival Contact:
Sarah
Tours
800-267-0036
Tel: 703-619-0777
Fax: 703-619-9399
sarahtur@erols.com