In the heart of Rabat’s medina, Mohamed Aziz proves passion never ages with a lifetime devoted to books, learning, and quiet inspiration.
Are you ready for a wonderful story? One full of purpose, passion, and most importantly, books? Well, here’s the tale of Mohamed Aziz, Rabat’s most unique bookseller. His story reads like a novel of resilience, curiosity, and a deep, clear love of reading.
A Humble Beginning & A Lifelong Mission
At the tender age of six, Mohamed Aziz lost his parents, an early tragedy that naturally would cast a long shadow over his childhood. As time went on, things didn’t exactly get easier for Aziz. When he was a teenager, around age fifteen, he realized he couldn’t continue his schooling because the cost was too high. There were textbooks to be bought, and it just wasn’t feasible. As a result, he wasn’t able to finish high school.
Faced with this barrier, Aziz decided to take a different path. He chose to surround himself with books and with reading wherever possible, even if a formal education had eluded him. He often frames his bookstore venture not simply as a business, but as a kind of “revenge” on his childhood of poverty and exclusion, a chance for him to turn the tables by immersing himself in knowledge.
In 1963, he set out with just nine books and a rug under a tree in the medina of Rabat. From these modest roots grew what would become an iconic presence in the city. Over the years, he acquired a small shop and became what many sources call the oldest bookseller still working in Rabat’s medina.
The Daily Routine of a Reader
Picture Aziz perched calmly among piles of books, reading. Not occasionally, but for many hours every day. That’s right, as a bookseller, he spends about six to eight hours daily immersed in reading. The dream, right? He has reportedly read over 4,000 books, and some sources push the figure to 5,000, in multiple languages: Arabic, French, and even English.
His shop is not just a commercial venture. It’s a sanctuary of books. For him, reading is a lifeline: “My life revolves around reading,” he says.
And he means it. He begins his day strolling through the nearby neighborhoods of Rabat, sourcing books, often second-hand or lightly used, from other stores and vendors throughout the city.
Then he returns to his shop, arranges his new titles, and settles into his reading. He pauses only to pray, eat, smoke a cigarette, or assist a customer. On a typical day, he might make only one or two sales.
What’s remarkable is his faith, not just in religion but in literacy. While yes, he studies his red Qur’an before each prayer, he also spends hours worrying about children who are working instead of studying.
A Bookseller in a Country Uninterested in Books
Morocco has long struggled with relatively high illiteracy rates. When Aziz began his book business more than forty years ago, the environment for reading was quite thin. And yet he persisted.
His philosophy is simple: leave his books outside, accessible. His logic: “Those who don’t read won’t steal books; those who can read won’t.”
What’s more, he sells and collects textbooks at very low cost, offering young people access to knowledge when learning materials are often too expensive.
Languages and Lifelong Learning
Aziz could not afford his schoolbooks at age fifteen. But through his lifelong reading habit, he taught himself standard Arabic, French, and Spanish, languages beyond his everyday Darija, the Moroccan dialect. He even attempted to learn German, Italian, and Amazigh (Berber) later on, although literature in those languages is harder to find.
This self-taught multilingual knowledge deepened his connection with readers, travelers, and locals alike. His shelves display books in many languages, and his own reading reflects a hunger for cross-cultural and linguistic exploration.
Why His Story Matters
There’s something profoundly human in Aziz’s story. Here’s a man who, deprived of formal schooling, turned his loss into a purpose. He chose not to despair over what he lacked, but to build what he could give: books, reading, and a space for reflection.
His life reminds us that education isn’t only in classrooms. It inherits texture in street corners, bookstores, and under trees. His shop is like a calm refuge in a bustling medina; you might wander by and see him sitting quietly among stacks of books, reading.
When asked what he needs to be happy, he says simply: a couple of pillows and books. A touching and radical approach in a world of consumerism.
For travelers to Rabat, his bookstore is almost a pilgrimage: not flashy, not ultra-modern, but sincere. It’s a place where the rhythm of reading and living merge.
Stories Like Aziz
Mohamed Aziz is a protector of the written word and a remarkable figure in the world of books. His story is included in Protectors of the Written Word, alongside others who have devoted their lives to spreading the joy of reading across their communities and beyond.
The book gathers inspiring journeys from across the globe and is written as a love letter to everyone who believes in the power of books. You can order your copy here.
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Millie Ramm
Millie has been writing since she was a child, and has spent more time with her nose in books than anywhere else. She has been ghostwriting novels and editing for the past few years, and when not working she is curled up with her cats, looking for her next read.
