The Guinness World Records is filled with numerous individual and group records that have been set in Morocco. These achievements span across cultural, sports, artistic, and heritage fields. Here are some of these records. DR ‹ › Morocco's remarkable entries in the Guinness World Records span a diverse array of categories, from art and heritage to sports and extraordinary human feats. Whether it's traditional music festivals, international sports events, marathon storytelling sessions, or ancient jewelry, Morocco's presence is firmly etched in this global compendium of records. The Smallest Festival, the Longest Storytelling Session, and the Largest Feet Among these records is the unique achievement by the «Master Musicians of Joujouka», who host the world's smallest annual festival. The group was officially recognized on November 15, 2022. Their festival, held every June in the village of Joujouka at the foot of the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco, is an intimate three-day gathering that has been taking place since 2008, with attendance capped at just 50 guests. Attendees are treated to a mesmerizing journey with the «masters», who perform their distinctive Sufi trance music, traditionally used to treat «mental disorders». This ancient musical tradition has been a cornerstone of their secluded community for over a millennium. Guests are welcomed into the musicians' homes, where they are provided with meals and drinks throughout the festival, with tickets also covering round-trip transport from the Ksar El-Kebir train station. The Master Musicians of Joujouka have showcased their talents on renowned international stages, including the Glastonbury Festival (2011, 2023) and the Pompidou Center in Paris (2016)... Another notable record is for the longest continuous storytelling session, which lasted an impressive 80 hours, 32 minutes, and 58 seconds. This feat was accomplished by the Marrakech International Storytelling Festival, held from January 21 to 24, 2025. The event unfolded in the historic Jemaa el-Fnaa square, at the heart of Marrakech's old city, as part of the festival's mission to celebrate and promote storytelling both locally and internationally. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the festival fosters collaboration between Moroccan storytellers and artists and their global peers. In another fascinating record, Guinness World Records recognizes Brahim Takioullah from Morocco for having the largest feet in the world. His left foot measures 38.1 centimeters (shoe size 58), while his right foot is approximately 37.5 centimeters. Takioullah's extraordinary height also ranks him as the second tallest living man, following Turkey's Sultan Kösen. 68 Nationalities in One Match and the Oldest Jewelry The Guinness World Records, first published in 1955, also features a record set on Moroccan soil by the International Federation of Association Football. An exhibition match on November 5, 2025, featured players from 68 different countries, showcasing football's global appeal and its power to unite people. Players hailed from diverse nations, including Zimbabwe, Botswana, Senegal, Rwanda, and Tanzania from Africa; the Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal from Europe; the United States, Canada, Panama, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil from the Americas; as well as India, New Zealand, Turkey, Barbados, and Lebanon. The match lasted two hours and 48 minutes, culminating in the white team's 17-14 victory over the blue team. This achievement surpassed the previous record of 53 nationalities in a match held in Lyon, France, on June 30, 2019. In a different category, the record book confirms the discovery of the oldest known decorative jewelry in Morocco. Found between 2014 and 2018 in the Bizmoune Cave near Essaouira, this collection includes 33 beads crafted from perforated shells, dating back at least 142,000 years to the early Middle Stone Age. The shells, from a marine mollusk called Tritia gibbosula, are small sea snails with multicolored pearly shells. During the cave's habitation, the coastline was about 50 kilometers away, suggesting these shells were deliberately brought to the site. Researchers believe the shell beads were strung together and worn as jewelry or clothing adornments. Prior to this discovery, the oldest evidence of symbolic human expression, such as using jewelry to denote group or family identity, was dated 10,000 to 20,000 years more recent.
