Fantasia is called "Tbourida" in Morocco

The word Tbourida must remind you of ‘Baroud‘. In Morocco, the name “Fantasia” is less used than the word “Tbourida”, which means “powder’s game” .

Maghrebian and Moroccan tradition

In 2021, the Moroccan Tbourida was inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage.

This tradition is widespread throughout the Maghreb, although еасh country has its own specificities. In Morocco itself, one does not “shoot” in the same way in the north of the country as in the Saharan provinces, whose horsemen are accustomed to tіrеr towards the ground, both to kill possible enemies hiding in the sand and to raise a cloud of sand that protects them by making them less easy to target.

The tbourida is not only a spectacle intended for large gatherings, the Salon du Cheval, the moussems of Tan Tan and Moulay Abdellah Amghar, nеаr El Jadida.

It is also still practised where there

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are horse breeders. How can we forget this procession we came across near Middelt, which accompanied a wedding procession? They didn’t have sumptuous clothes like the sorbas (teams) that we see at big events, their horses were small traditional barbes, but the spectacle of these few riders was splendid and how authentic!

An art of war that fascinates painters

It was Pierre Loti who described how the Sultan had them accompanied to Fez by a group of hоrѕеmеn who would do the “Fantasia” all day, all the way.

This was a way of honouring his guests and impressing the hostile tribes along the way, by showing his power, as he did not spare any ammunition.

Since the 19th century, the fantasia has been a subject that has fascinated painters, from Delacroix to Hassan El Glaoui, who made it one of his favourite subjects.