Marrakesh, imperial city of Morocco

Marrakesh is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco, the last we visited on our train trip along the country. Nicknamed the 'Ville Rouge' because of the high reddish-brown walls that enclose the ancient Medina, the city offers a perfect blend of history, culture, tradition and a unique energy that must be absolutely lived in order to understand it.

Marrakesh

But, while it is certainly the most popular among the Moroccan city, seeing much more tourists than Fez, Meknes or Rabat, it is also one of those cities that you love or hate. Marrakesh is a confusing blend of everything, it is charming and dirty, busy and lazy, cool and tiring, old and modern. Visiting Marrakesh is like getting into a blender, like spinning fast, and sometimes it can be easy to lose your compass.

On one side the city is vibrant, there is a lot to see, a lot to taste and why not, to buy. On the other hand, the continuous pressure in avoiding the requests, rejecting the offers and defending from possible scams, etc., can be extremely stressing.

This is what we loved and hated about Marrakesh.

WHAT'S TO LOVE ABOUT MARRAKESH

Moroccan Architecture and Art
Squares, fountains, wonderful floors, boldly colored mosaics, decorative Islamic motifs, finely handcrafted arches and gateways that are emblematic features of the Moroccan architecture abound in Marrakesh and especially in the Medina, the heart of the city dating back to 1070.

Photo by Alex Azabache on Unsplash

A visit to the most interesting historical and artistic landmarks of the city should start from Djemaa el Fna square, the beating heart of Marrakesh. From there it is easy to walk to the Bahia Palace, an incredible architectural work built during the 19th century with the aim of becoming the most incredible palace of all time; it consists of 150 wonderful rooms, courtyards and gardens, although only part of it is currently open to the public.

Bahia Palace, Marrakesh

Bahia Palace, Marrakesh

Bahia Palace, Marrakesh 

To the south of the Medina the Koutoubia Mosque is an obligatory stop: it is the great mosque of Marrakesh. It is not only a spiritual center but a reference point for international architecture: it is characterized by curved windows, ceramic merlons and decorative arches. The 12th century minaret is a wonderful work of art, unfortunately, like all mosques in Morocco, the visit inside is not allowed for non-Muslims.

Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakesh

Koutoubia Mosque minaret, Marrakesh

From an architectural point of view, it is also very interesting to walk through the Jewish quarter of the city and visit the Miâara Jewish cemetery. The Jewish quarter was built in 1558 and in its heyday was home to around 50,000 people. It was accessed through two entrance doors which were closed at nightfall. You will feel like visiting a city in the city where the architecture is different from the rest of Marrakesh.

South of the Mellah, and just outside the Medina, you will find the Saadian tombs built as the final resting place for rulers and members of the Saadi dynasty by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansūr around 1557 and rediscovered in 1917, after being hidden for centuries. In this incredible garden, you can see over one hundred tombs decorated with fine tiles and intricate carvings.

Saadian tombs, Marrakesh

Saadian tombs, Marrakesh

On the opposite side of the Medina, is probably the most astonishing examples of Moroccan architecture that can be visited in Marrakesh, the Madrasa of Ben Youssef, a Muslim school, specialized in religious disciplines. The Ben Youssef Madrasa is the largest in Morocco and was built to welcome students from the nearby mosque. It is made up of 130 rooms, gardens and courtyards and in the past it could host up to 900 students. Beware that, as in February 2020, it was still closed for refurbishment.

Food
In the last decade, Marrakesh has welcomed a cosmopolitan tourism, becoming a gourmet destination. The city now offers a wide range of options starting from the exceptional street food up to gastronomic and refined cuisine able to conquers any palate.

Here all dishes have a strong and decisive flavor; certainly there is no shortage of spices, and traditional preparations including the famous couscous, tajines and hariri soups are all made from the freshest Moroccan ingredients: tomatoes, onions, saffron and coriander, chickpeas, lentils, beans and aromatic herbs, lamb and chicken....always followed, at the end of the meal, by the inevitable mint tea with sugar cubes!

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Souk and handicrafts
The souks are the lively markets in the Medina of Marrakesh where you can find almost everythign: colorful carpets and fragrant spices, mirrors, iridescent lanterns, jewels and scented candles, wool and silk. Whether you are looking for crafts or food, here you will find everything.

Instruments Souk Marrakesh

Moroccan carpet

And if a trip to any Moroccan city should include a visit to the local souks, Marrakesh is no exception. Indeed the Medina of Marrakesh  is full of traditional souks where it is possible to find countless treasures. Among the most interesting, we recommend you visit the Souk Haddadine, full of blacksmith shops.

Gardens

Courtyard, Marrakesh

Walking through the narrow streets of the Medina, don't be surprised to find a lemon garden or an extravagant Moroccan courtyard.

The perfectly manicured green spaces of all sizes, decorated with exotic plants, are an essential part of Moroccan urbanism and Marrakesh it's no exception.

Among the most beautiful gardens of the city are those of Majorelle with the typical electric yellow and blue vases, a color now universally known as Blue Majorelle.

Majorelle Gardens

Majorelle Gardens

WHAT'S TO HATE ABOUT MARRAKESH

Scooters in the Medina
As I mentioned above, the Medina is always busy with vendors and buyers, both locals and travelers, and it generally feels like a safe place if it wasn't for the scooters going around the narrow and crowded ancient alleys. Most of the Medina, should actually be pedestrian and forbidden to motorized vehicles, but there are still full of people on their scooters going way too fast and behaving like they have priority over anyone, who are a danger to any pedestrian. It is not unusual to see someone get wiped out by a scooter going too fast. So walking along the medina and often in the souks can become a nightmare; be aware of it and be extremely careful!

Expensive and too touristy
We all know that Marrakesh is a cosmopolitan destination and probably the most instagrammable city of the world. It is a very cool city with its exotic feel and its artistic vibrancy.
But if you look at the other Moroccan cities, it is also probably the least authentic of them. The massive crowds have probably turned the city in a sort of a circus.
Plus many expats have decided to invest in buying and refurbishing ancient riads and restaurants, bringing up prices and changing the face of this amazing city.

Touts and scams
Anyone who has visited Northern Africa will surely know the insistence of the local vendors. It's part of the charm of their culture, and like it or not, it's part of the game.

But in Marrakesh, things have gone definitely beyond that. It is not only about the vendors calling you in their stalls. Actually, we found that normally vendors in Marrakesh can be more relaxed than in other places, the problem actually comes with random people in the streets.

Youngsters will often stop you on the road or approach you quickly if you are looking at a map to ask you if you are in need of directions, offering to take you to the place you are looking for, initially in a very gentle way to make you discover, once the destination is reached that they want to be paid for their service and pushing you in not a very gentle way to do so! This is so common, that you'll see something like that done every 200 meters. And if it's not the sharing of directions it's something else...they'll suggest you a restaurant, a riad....and they will ask you for money. And there are even more dangeruos scams going on.

Don't get me wrong, Marrakesh is not a dangerous place and most people are courteous and relaxed but despite being such a glamorous destination, remember that all that glitters is not gold and to completely enjoy your visit you should pay some extra attention!