posters of the kings I keep forgetting to mention the posters of the kings. They struck me on my very first day in Morocco, and my usual reaction to them is something like fear—particularly the ones of Hassan II—though I have my favorites, and more recently they've come to seem like a comforting design element, something familiar in the decor. I'm speaking of the photos that seem obligatory in any place of business, and are occasionally seen in private homes as well. There are enough different ones that the choice of which to display can be said to reveal something about the tastes or proclivities of the owner. For example, there are photos of both Hassan II and his son Mohammed VI sipping coffee, which I've often seen on display in cafes. There is a photo of Mohammed VI on the phone that I've seen in teleboutiques, and one of his father in a banquet hall next to a table piled high with sweets, which I've seen in at least one restaurant. There is a very old black-and-white photo of Hassan II when he was just made king, a classic head-and-shoulders shot I've only seen twice. Once was in a humble country dwelling, next to a photo of the head of the family when he was a young man. The other was in a business that has presumably been around for a very long time. This is the "innocent" Hassan II from the early days of independence, before the era of civil unrest and crackdown. Display of this photo could represent a combination of old-school pride—we've been patriots for over forty years!—and unwillingness to update the photo with one of the wily tyrant of the 1980s. There are two well-known color photos of Hassan II on his throne, one from his middle years in which he wears a traditional white robe and red cap, and the other from his last phase in which he seems shrunken, yet forceful and intelligent. In this one, he wears the dark blue suit of a Western businessman, and a five-pointed Moroccan star looms in the background. If the star were inverted, it would be a satanic symbol. Already the image is oddly satanic. The king perches on the edge of a throne that seems too big for him. His face is creased by the ravages of power, and he is engulfed in shadow.
	location: Tangier, Morocco date: March 12, 2004 average rating: [not rated] your rating (0-10):