Storytellers, artists and researchers from across Morocco and around the world came together to mark three decades of preserving oral traditions and cultural heritage.

The International Storytelling Festival in Rabat (July 13 – 20) featured performances, workshops, discussions and storytelling sessions centered on the themes of homeland and identity, highlighting the enduring role of oral narratives in connecting generations and cultures.

Organized under the patronage of King Mohammed VI by the International Academy of Intangible Cultural Heritage in partnership with Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, this year’s program paid tribute to Moroccan folklore and the legendary figure of Aïcha Kandicha, while exploring storytelling as a living art form that preserves collective memory, values and cultural identity.

The festival continues to serve as a bridge between cultures by promoting dialogue through traditional narratives and showcasing Africa’s rich intangible heritage on the international stage.

The anniversary celebration reinforces Morocco’s commitment to safeguarding cultural traditions while positioning storytelling as a tool for creativity, education and intercultural exchange.

Morocco's main oral traditions include the halqa (open-air storytelling circles), hikayat (the memorized narration of historical folk tales and parables), Amazigh (Berber) collective poetry and song, and Sufi devotional oral transmission through wandering musicians and spiritual chants.

The oral traditions of Morocco center on moral education, communal memory, heroism, wit, and the mystical or supernatural.