Marrakech

Marrakech glows red, like a welcoming campfire, against the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains. One of Morocco's most important cultural centres, Marrakech is a lively former capital famed for its markets and festivals. Follow its twisting arteries to its pulsing energy source - the Place Jemaa el-Fna - a huge square in the medina. Your nose will guide you to row upon row of open-air food stalls whose pungent smoke fills the air with mouth-watering aromas. Be drawn back into a medieval world of frenzied motion, where jugglers and storytellers jostle for position with snake charmers, magicians, and acrobats.

Jemaa el Fna is a square and market place in Marrakech’s medina (old city). The origin of its name remains unknown : it means Assembly of the dead in arabic, but as the word djemaa also means mosque in Arabic, it could also mean place of the vanished mosque, in reference to a destroyed Almorvide mosque.

The place remains the main square of Marrakech, used equally by locals and tourists. During the day it is predominantly occupied by orange juice stalls, youths with chained Barbary apes, water sellers in colourful costumes with traditional leather water-bags and brass cups, and snake charmers who will pose for photographs for tourists (they expect payment of around 15 Dh). As the day progresses the entertainments on offer change: the snake charmers depart, and in the afternoon and evening the square becomes more crowded, with Chleuh dancing-boys (it would be against custom for girls to provide such an entertainment), story-tellers (invariably telling their tales in Berber or Arabic, to an audience of appreciative locals), magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines. As dark descends the square fills with dozens of food-stalls, and the crowds are at their height.

The square is edged along one side by the Marrakech souk, the traditional North African markets which service both the common daily needs of the people of the city, and the tourist trade. On other sides are cafe terraces to escape from the noise and confusion down in the square, and on yet other sides are hotels and gardens. Narrow streets lead into the alleys of the medina, the old city.

The authorities are well aware of the importance of the place to the tourist trade, and a strong but discreet police presence ensures the safety of visitors for the last years.

Places to see in Marrakech: Koutoubia Minaret & Koutoubia Gardens The symbol and watchtower of the city at the desert gates is the work of Abud el Moumen. Can be seen from most points of the city and is a useful marker point if you get lost in the Medina. A must to vsit. Souks A maze of busy alleyways with stalls and shops offering everything from colourful sweet-smelling spices, traditional slippers, camel saddles, intricately designed lanterns, bright brass teapots, vivid pottery and tambourines covered with goat skins to priceless antique carpets.

Mederssa Ben Youssef
A masterpiece of Arab-Andalusian architecture which is a Koranic college. In the centre of a bright courtyard is a dazzingly beautiful washing pool in white Carrara marble. The prayer rooms, galleries and classrooms are magnificently decorated with zelliges, carved stucco and carved cedar lintels, in stark contrast to the austere bedrooms of the students.
A poor but colourful area with hidden fountains, old fondouks converted into workshops and winding stall-lined streets.

Marrakech Museum
Completely restored and converted to a museum by the Omar Benjelloun Foundation in 1997. The courtyards and main rooms have exhibitions on calligraphy, ceramics, music, jewellery and Moroccan costume, while art exhibitions by international, as well as Moroccan artists are shown in the former kitchens.

Majorelle Gardens
These superb gardens were first laid out by the French artist Jacques Majorelle when he settled in Morocco in the 1920s. After the artists death the gardens were abandoned but were re-discovered by Yves Saunt-Laurent who brought them back to the luscious gardens that you now see planted with bougainvillea, hibiscus, palm trees, yuccas, cacti, orange and olive trees, roses, bamboos, papyrus and water lilies as well as many other rare trees and shrubs.

Sa’adian Tombs
After centuries of neglect the 16th century tombs of the Sa’adian princes were discovered in 1917 by a group of World War 1 pilots during aerial reconnaissance The tombs sit in a peaceful floral gardens behind high walls.

El Bahia Palace
Far from the noise of the medina is this timeless panorama of courtyards, fountains, cedar roofs and delicate stucco work. The sumptuous palace was built at the end of the 19th century by the grand Vizier Ba Ahmed Ben Moussa for his four wives and his 24 concubines and their children.

El Badi Palace
The sumptuous palace was also know as the ‘incomparable’. It deserves it’s nickname; Europe’s best craftsmen and most luxurious materials were used for the 360 rooms. It is said that the Cararra marble used in the palace was bought for its weight in sugar. It was demolished in the 17th century when sultan Moulay Ismail decided to decorate his palaces in Meknès from this one.

If you feel you need to get out of the city then there is a wealth of adventure open to you. The High Atlas Mountains are a mere 40km from Marrakech, so after an hour’s taxi ride you can ride, trek, ski or simply soak up the purity of the air.