Most Moroccan blacksmiths claim roots in Black Africa. For centuries, their Their enslaved or conscripted ancestors traveled the trans-Saharan caravan routes from West Africa to the fabled fortified city of Sijilmasa in present-day Morocco., and from there to many other places in northern Africa and beyond. Today blacksmiths forge all manners of tools and architectural works -- window grilles, doors, hinges, locks, knockers, and elaborate keys -- with consummate skill.