Start your visit within the salmon-pink walls of the Medina of Marrakech, which contrasts with the white, jagged peaks of the nearby Atlas Mountains and serves as the inspiration for the city’s nickname, the Red City. This ancient part of Marrakech houses the famous Jemaa El Fna square that brims with food vendors selling everything from sheep’s heads to snails beneath creamy awnings. From here, allow yourself to be lured down the shadowy alleyways to souks (or markets) filled with cones of burgundy-, auburn- and citrine-hued spices exuding an aromatic haze. Stroll past the carpet sellers, with their cobalt-, jade-, and crimson-threaded merchandise, and make your way to architectural marvels like Koutoubia Mosque and the Bahia Palace. Should you desire a break from the medina’s bustling streets, retreat to a hammam (public bath) or Majorelle Garden.
Medina of Marrakesh
free #1 in Marrakech 0.3 miles to city center [SEE MAP]
Marrakech was an important political, economic and cultural center of the Muslim West, ruling North Africa and Andalusia. Sumptuous monuments dating from this period: mosque of Kotopia, kasbah, fences, huge gates, gardens, etc. Later on, the city will host other wonders, such as the palace of Pandya, the Medersa Ben-Yusuf, the cemeteries of Saadeniya, the large houses, etc. Place Al Fna, a true open-air theatre, always stuns visitors.
Jemaa El Fna
free #2 in Marrakech 0.4 miles to city center [SEE MAP] Address: Place de Marché Animée
Jemaa el-Fna is one of the main cultural spaces in Marrakech and has become one of the symbols of the city since its foundation in the 11th century. Represents a unique concentration of Moroccan popular cultural traditions, interpreted through musical, religious and artistic expressions.
Located at the entrance to the Medina, this triangular square, surrounded by restaurants, stalls and public buildings, offers daily commercial activities and various forms of entertainment. It is a meeting point for the local population and people from abroad. During the day and into the late hours of the night, a variety of services are offered such as dental care, traditional medicine, divination, preaching and henna tattoo; water, fruit and traditional food can be purchased. There are also numerous representations of storytellers, poets, snake charmers, Berber musicians (mazighen), gnaouas dancers and senthir players (hajouj). The oral expressions were continually renewed by bards (imayazen), who traveled to the Berber territories. They continue to combine word and gesture to teach, entertain and delight the public. Adapting their art to contemporary contexts, they now improvise on a contour of an old text, making their recital accessible to a wider audience.
Bahia Palace (Palais Bahia)
#3 in Marrakech 0.9 miles to city center [SEE MAP] Address: Rue Riad Zitoun El Jedid
Koutoubia Mosque (Mosquée Koutoubia)
free #4 in Marrakech 0.4 miles to city center [SEE MAP] Address: Rue Ibn Khaldoun
Majorelle Garden (Jardin Majorelle)
#5 in Marrakech 1 mile to city center [SEE MAP] Address: Rue Yves St Laurent
When it comes to beautiful green spaces in Marrakech, the Majorelle garden, located north-west of the medina, steals the show. The garden was created by the French painter Jacques Majorelle (who lived in the Red City from 1923 to 1961). After his death in 1962, the property was purchased by the Marrakesh lover and late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, and finally opened to the public after Saint Laurent’s death in 2008.
In this garden you will not find the typical desert environment of the city: thick bamboo forests, palm trees and cacti shelter streams, ponds filled with water lilies and a bright blue water fountain that coincides with the adjacent Berber Museum are somesome of the characteristics of the property. There is also an art gallery, a gift shop, a bookstore and a café.
While some recent visitors have complained about the garden’s high entrance fees (compared to other local attractions) and long queues, many have praised its quiet surroundings. To avoid long waiting times, several travellers recommended the purchase of a combined pass for the Berber Museum and the Jardin Majorelle at the museum. This ticket covers the entrance to both attractions and allows you to skip the line to enter the garden
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