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From the 'standard' Arabic culture, Morocco has developed an elaborate patchwork of artistic traditions. The thread holding it all together is music; from the classical style that developed in Muslim Spain and the storytelling musical traditions of the indigenous Berbers, through to the contemporary fusion of African, French, pop and rock. Although identified more with Algeria, rai (opinion) music is a burgeoning force in Morocco. Despite its distinctly Arab-African rhythms (it owes much to Bedouin music), it's probably the most thoroughly westernised style, combining a variety of electrical instruments to create a hypnotic effect.

Morocco's Islamic streak has meant that, compared to most African nations, dance is a fairly low key affair (theoretically, Muslim women are not supposed to boogie). So while the circle dance known as ahidous is ancient and symbolic to the Berbers, there'll be no naked decapitating of chickens here anymore thanks very much.

Crafts are another staple of Morocco. Its maronquinerie (leatherware) has been a highly prized item among the cargo of traders since the 16th century. An equally rich heritage lives on in the production of carpets, pottery, jewellery, brassware and woodwork.

Painted and sculpted panels for interior decoration are commonplace, and intricate tiled ornamentation still graces the interior of various medersas and other religious buildings and wealthy homes. The mashrabiyya, screens allowing Muslim women to observe the goings-on in the street unseen, survive also. While these items aren't likely candidates for souvenirs, they do serve to show that Moroccan crafts aren't completely dependent on floods of tourists.

From the outside looking in, Morocco has inspired all sorts of artists. The French Neo-Baroque artist Eugene Delacroix devoted bucketloads of paint to Moroccan imagery after a visit in the 1830s. Market scenes, harem life and lion hunts dominated his canvases from this point onwards. And if Delacroix was considered a little over the top at the time, a century later Hollywood was positively beside itself with Morocco-mania. First there was Marlene Dietrich in Morocco, followed by the 1942 classic Casablanca. By the time Peter O'Toole was swanning around Morocco as Lawrence of Arabia, the country had become a gloriously distorted fantasy land for countless western baby boomers.

Spoken Moroccan Arabic (darija) is considerably different from the Arabic spoken in the Middle East. Various Berber dialects are widely spoken in the countryside and particularly in the mountains. Morocco tends to march to its own Islamic drum in terms of customs and way of life, but men remain firmly in charge. The strict segregation of the sexes in public life may be confusingly inconsistent to the visitor. As a rule, it's in the big cities where the most mixing, and the most fashion risks, are encountered.

Moroccan food is good and solid, without being wildly exciting. The national dish is couscous, finely ground semolina, which usually accompanies a vegetable and lamb casserole. Sweet mint tea is the Moroccan drink of choice, but this doesn't mean the place is teetotal. There's no general ban on alcohol.