Location, Location, Location 

This is part two of my five-part series on Morocco. I have provided links (in purple) whenever possible; several places do not have websites, but they often have Wikipedia pages. Please make sure to read the notes at the end of the post as you consider traveling to this beautiful country.

Marrakech is the first Moroccan city I visited 32 years ago. My impression then was of utter chaos, unfamiliar sounds, otherworldly aromas, and endless crowds. My impression today is much the same; some things have changed but, for the most part, Marrakech is always Marrakech. The city offers some stunning sites for refuge from the chaos, though; Mark loved the high energy, but those oases are the spaces that makes one fall in love with the city.

Marrakech was founded in 1070 as the capital of the Almoravid Empire, though the site had been inhabited by the Berbers’ ancestors since Neolithic times. It is the fourth largest city in Morocco, and is know as the “red city” because of the color of its walls and buildings. It is one of the four imperial cities and its medina (old city) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Riad Chergui

Most anywhere you go on this planet, the neighborhood you stay in can make the biggest difference in your overall experience. Riad Chergui is perfectly located just off Rue Sidi Abelaziz where it meets Rue Dar el Bacha (a taxi or driver can get you very close). A short walk from the riad takes you to any of the major sites in Marrakech: Dar el Bacha, the Jardin Secret, the Djemaa el-Fna, Dar Si Said, the Badia Palace, the mellah (old Jewish Quarter), the souks, the Koutoubia Mosque, the Jardin Majorelle, and the famous Hotel La Mamounia.

Riad Chergui is a mix of traditional and modern style; our room was in the modern section, overlooking the swimming pool. As is tradition in Morocco, we were served mint tea and pastries upon our arrival (helpful to keep us all occupied while passport information was collected). A lovely breakfast is included in the price of the room and was served poolside (or in the salon). Dinners can be arranged with Emma, the owner, in advance; they have a nice list of Moroccan wines. Emma, short for Emmanuelle, is a wonderful host and can assist with guides, tours, and transfers. Our room — that beautiful room above the pool — is number 9 “Arghoul,” should you want to request it. Windows in all the rooms open onto this or the historic courtyard, affording the guests quiet and fresh air for sleeping. (All the rooms can be prepared with a large bed or two single beds, and all are air conditioned.)

Guides

I mention in my notes that guides are a good idea. Not only do you get wonderful information about the city, you also get insider information on the best restaurants, pastry shops, craftspeople, and great stories. It is important that you choose a licensed guide for the most accurate information. Please be clear with your guide: if you don’t want to shop, let them know in advance and they will respect your wishes. If you do want to shop, make sure you are ready to bargain and purchase. Check with your guide to ensure the shop you are visiting is one that allows bargaining; some do not. The general rule of thumb for haggling is to start with half the given price, and go back-and-forth, until you reach a happy medium. By the way, guides will take you to places they know well and, yes, sometimes they get a small kickback for bringing in your business. Please don’t begrudge them this — they are paid very little, and every little bit helps when supporting themselves and their families. Please don’t forget to tip them! Above is Anwa, our guide in Marrakech — he was delightful and, as you can see, wonderfully expressive. 

Koutoubia (Kutubiyya) Mosque

The Koutoubia Mosque is the largest in Marrakesh, and probably the most well-known. The mosque we see today is the second mosque erected in 1158, 11 years after an earlier one. (The ruins of the first survive to the east of the current mosque.) The minaret was completed in 1195. It is a classic example of Almohad architecture, and was built simultaneously with the Giralda minaret (now the cathedral bell tower) in Seville. Minarets with square footprints are characteristic of Southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia; in Tunisia there is a shift to round-footprint minarets. The square shape gives a strong sense of region.   

Bahia Palace

This stunning, yet rambling, palace was built in the mid-19th century by the grand vizier to the Sultan, Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Rahman, added to over the years, with the last additions made just before the turn of the twentieth century by his son Si Ba Ahmed ibn Musa, grand vizier to Sultan Moulay Abdeaziz. The palace complex covers almost five acres. The Bahia Palace is said to be named after his favorite wife; el bahia means “the brilliant.”

The building is a fascinating labyrinth of riad courtyards and living/entertaining spaces that takes the visitor from one beautiful space to another, each with its own unique design and decoration. The largest courtyard, paved in Carrara marble, is bordered by a highly-decorated wooden fretwork gallery. That court gives access to the rooms for the vizier’s wives and concubines. While it may be the most Instagrammed space in the palace, it was perhaps the least interesting to us (photo below, bottom left).

The other sections of the palace were adorned with zellij (the intricate tile work for which Morocco is known), and hand-carved plaster that included poetry, scripture, and complex designs. Many rooms were decorated with extraordinary painted cedar wood ceilings. One detail I found fascinating was the ornately carved door hinge sockets — an unexpected elaboration of something so utilitarian.

Dar Si Said Museum

Another beautiful palace in Marrakech, the Dar Si Said (Museum) was built in the late 19th century by Si Sa’id ibn Musa, brother to Si Ba Ahmed mentioned above. The two palaces are very close to one another. Smaller and much less ornate than the Bahia Palace, it is still a tour-de-force of décor and elegance.

After Morocco became a French protectorate in 1914, the palace became the seat to the French government. Eventually, it was converted to a museum of indigenous Moroccan arts and crafts around 1930, which is what it was when I visited in 1991. Most recently, in 2018 after significant restoration, it reopened as the National Museum of Weaving and Carpets. One of the nicest aspects is the central riad garden, where the quietude is almost startling. The garden’s pavilion features a beautiful painted ceiling, a nice place to rest one’s weary feet and listen to the birds. 

Medersa Ben Youssef

Aside from the increased crowds I experienced during this visit to Marrakech, one of the biggest changes was the restoration of the16th-century Medersa Ben Youssef (also madrasa), named after the adjoining mosque. Madrasas are educational institutions, part of a system of educational institutions that covered a range of topics from the Koran to geometry, algebra, science, history, and law. Morocco has a reasonable claim to some of the oldest continually-operated universities in the world.  As you can see in the above “before and after” photos, the restoration made a significant difference. Every corner of the main courtyard of the madrasa and the student dormitory rooms on the first and second floor have been meticulously restored to their original beauty. In addition, the prayer hall, featuring its exquisite mihrab (niche) has been opened to the public for the first time.

This madrasa was the largest in all Morocco, with 130 dormitory rooms that housed up to 800 students at a time. The tile work, plaster, and cedar wood carving are truly beautiful. Even with the hoards of tourists (which I artfully avoided in my photos), there was such a sense of awed peace and beauty.

Le Jardin Majorelle

Coming from Tucson, Arizona, and having seen many photos of Le Jardin Majorelle, I must admit that a garden filled with New World cacti and succulents did not make the top of our list. We can satisfy our (considerable) interest in those simply by looking out our windows at home. But the friends with whom we were traveling all wanted to go, so we happily went along. In the end we spent considerably more time in the garden than our friends! We only had time for either the garden or the museum so we all chose the garden.

The garden is magical. We spent more than an hour wandering the beautiful property. It was created in the 1930s to go with the home designed and built for the orientalist painter Jacques Majorelle. Eventually, he realized the upkeep of the 2 1/2-acre garden was too costly and, in 1947, he opened it to the public. Soon thereafter, following divorce, he sold the property and it was neglected. In 1980, Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, — both designers — purchase the property and lovingly restored it to its original beauty (and then some!). After Saint Laurent’s death, it was once again opened to the public.

One thing I got wrong: I assumed that Saint Laurent and Bergé selected the iconic blue for the garden’s buildings and details. But it was actually Majorelle who chose the color; he used this cobalt blue in his paintings. Just prior to his death, he patented it as Bleu Majorelle.

Le Jardin Secret

Among places for quiet refuge, Le Jardin Secret is one of the best. It consists of two gardens; the first is a garden of plants from worldwide sources that will grow successfully in Morocco. The second is a reconstruction of historic North African Islamic gardens based on site-specific archaeological finds. The latter includes paths, irrigation channels, fountains, and a central pavilion among citrus, palms, olive, cypress and pomegranate trees. Both gardens include plentiful seating for relaxing, reading, and ruminating. There is a very nice café with a view on the second floor of the gallery at one end of the Islamic garden. The garden was created when two mid-19th century riads were connected to form one property. It opened recently to the public for the first time, and is a perfect place for plant nerds and passionate gardeners. 

Slat al-Azama Synagogue (also, Lazama Synagogue)

In the middle of the historic mellah (old Jewish quarter) of Marrakech, is the Slat al-Azama Synagogue. While Roman-era Christianity faded with the advent of Islam, Judaism survived, flourished, and persisted into the twentieth century. As you head toward the synagogue you will encounter many spice markets — more on that below. In addition to the prayer hall, there is a beautiful, tiled courtyard with a fountain, surrounded by galleries with exhibitions on the history of Judaism in Morocco. My favorite was a show of historic photos of Berber Jews in the High Atlas Mountains. 

The Market, the Souks and the Djemaa el-Fna

Part of the magic of Marrakesh, and also a significant area of the high-energy city, is a walk through the markets and souks. Donkey carts, porters, hastening shoppers, and motorcycles come at you in every direction; the latter is a fairly recent evolution and is now part of the city’s ethos. In the photo above, note that the man on his bike is looking at his cell phone as he careens toward me.

Our guide, Anwa, told us something I’d never heard before: while the word souk means market, it is specifically a place where the artisans make and sell their items. All other places are simply markets within the medina. Still, any market seems to be referred to casually as a souk; take your pick. There are many souks within the city, each specializing in its own craft: leather, brass, carpets, specific food items, and so on. Prices are, for the most part, negotiable; if not, you should see a sign saying “prix affiché” (fixed prices). 

One place we visited and found fixed prices was a spice store where our guide took us. He told me, “If you know what you want for spices, any spice market in the mellah (where the spice markets are most numerous) will be fine. But if you don’t know your spices, I will take you to a place that can explain them to you.” Among many Moroccan spice blends, the only one I really knew of ras el hanout (the “owner’s – or head of house – blend” of spices), so I chose the latter option. He took us to Herboristerie Lamlih. If you look at reviews online, almost every person says they were scammed. I totally get that; I felt it too. However, he did go through and explain each blend to us, and I watched him grind the ras el hanout. But the quantities of this and other blends he bagged for me were a bit excessive, and no prices were discussed until it was too late. I paid what I thought was an exorbitant price, until I got home and divided them into jars for gifts. In the end, I would have paid much more at any American source for the amount I got. So, in the end I was okay with it. But be warned; don’t let them give you more than you want! Also, do some research on the spice blends of Morocco and go in well-educated, unlike me. Markipedia notes that our suitcases smelled fabulous, and even the American customs agent was impressed. 

We walked through the Place Djemaa el-Fna (je-MAH el fuh-NAH), maybe the most famous market square in all of Africa, perhaps because it appears in so many movies; think of an early scene in Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew too Much. This place, for me, had changed as well. While we saw one storyteller and one water seller and one snake charmer this time, years ago the square was filled with them and with people, too. Apparently, it is still the same at night but, as you can see in the photo, daytime is a bit lackluster – perhaps we were just there the wrong day at the wrong time? Perhaps grocery stores have supplanted the former masses of produce booths. One of our crew was quite happy with freshly squeezed juice she got. Be sure to choose a place that has single-use cups to avoid having a reusable cup merely rinsed. 

Our Meals (of course!)

We dined lightly at our riad inn our first evening in Marrakech, as we had just consumed a feast at the winery near Essaouira. We had one lovely lunch out at Restaurant El Bahia, next to the Bahia Palace gate. We feared it would be touristy (visually, it was) but we all enjoyed excellent meals — my tagine was outstanding! — with fresh fruit for dessert. On our second night, after a very long day of touring, we wanted something really, really near our riad. We opted for a restaurant in the hotel Dar Marjana — it was all of a two-minute walk. We had made reservations but Emma, our host, informed us that there are two restaurants at that hotel: one, on the main floor, was a bit fancier and included a performance of local musicians. It had a set menu and was a bit pricey. The other restaurant, which is what we chose, was on the rooftop. Emma had her assistant walk us there to ensure we were taken to the rooftop. It was a delightful, mostly candlelit, space with excellent service and a simple menu that included some traditional Moroccan dishes (as well as a burger for the homesick – not us!). Here you see me on the rooftop, and Mark’s photo of the courtyard dining area. Our final meal in Marrakech was incredibly special; we dined at Restaurant Al Fassia, which means “in the style of Fès.” It is entirely owned and operated by women, something still quite unique in Morocco. It is located in the modern section of the city called Gueliz, which is an transliteration of the French “église.” (The proprietors have a second restaurant further out of Marrakech, and their original is in Fès.) We all enjoyed the traditional salads prior to our main courses. I had a tagine of chicken with caramelized oranges, and Mark had lamb with prunes. 

I hope you have enjoyed this brief sketch of Marrakech — next up, Fès.

The tour for the six of us (all friends) was set up and administered by Medina Travel — Mr. Kamal Oujaâ — kamalmedinatravel@gmail.com.

Our driver, Brahim (above left with our friend Towny), selected for us by Kamal, was one with whom our companion Lisa had worked before. He is a responsible and caring driver, extremely knowledgeable (he has a degree in English literature), has a great sense of humor, and infinite patience. As we approached each riad, he called ahead to make sure a porter would meet us to cart in our luggage. All the guides Kamal appointed for us were outstanding, punctual, and each brought his own personal and professional viewpoint to their cities. We had wonderful accommodations; some of the nicest places Mark and I have ever stayed. If you want more information about Medina Travel or our tour, please let me know by sending me an email. (All opinions above are my own; I was not asked or paid to write this.)

Things to note (this will repeated with each post):

• Many Moroccans do not speak English. French is the official third language of Morocco (after Arabic and Berber), is widely spoken, and a wonderful way to communicate.
• Do your best to learn a few words in Moroccan Arabic. It’s not difficult, and it makes a big difference to locals. A few that I learned: shukran (thank you); baraka Allah ufik (a very special thank you if someone has gone over and above for you); salaam (a shortening of Salaam aleikum – a greeting); labas (an informal greeting you might use with children that you meet on the street). I found myself holding my right hand over my heart when I thanked people, which is what they did for us.
• Remember that taking pictures of people (musicians, vendors in the souk, etc.) without their permission is frowned upon. If you want to take someone’s photograph, you must ask them. Don’t be surprised if they say no, or yes and request a tip in return. Sneaking a photo of someone can become unpleasant if you are discovered. If you purchase something from an artisan or market vendor, in most cases they are happy to have their photo taken.
• Unlike parts of Europe, tipping is a convention in Morocco. Generally, for a meal at a nice restaurant, 10% is a reasonable tip.
• There are a good number of banks with ATMs in the medina.
• While the water in Morocco has improved significantly, for those whose systems are not accustomed to it, it’s still best to use bottled water even when brushing your teeth.
• If you go on your own, I highly recommend asking your riad or hotel for a guide to take you around, especially on your first day in any city.