Often referred to as the red city because of the red color of the walls surrounding its old town, Marrakech used to be one of Morocco’s imperial cities during the time of Berber Empire. The immense dense beauty of the city even had Franklin D Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in her captivity. A major chunk of the population of Marrakech speaks the tongue of Arabic, while some still go out using the dialect of Amazigh, a language of the time of Berber rule. If you are planning for your next Marrakech tours, make sure to visit these places without any doubt.
Jemaa el-Fnaa:
You might be terrified to know that it used to hold a number of public executions around this plaza back in and around 1500 AD. The Jemaa el-Fnaa is an open marketplace where people sell a wide variety of items. It is basically called a souk. Here, instead of dancing girls, you will have a rather strange encounter with dancing boys who are called Chleuh. Girls here abide by the Moroccan law of not being allowed to show themselves off in public. In the morning, orange juice vendors, water-sellers carrying the leather water bags and brass glasses, people with chained monkeys, and snake charmers are a frequent scene. With the fall of day, Chleuh, storytellers, magicians, and peddlers selling local medicines fill up the soul. A number of food stalls set up at night to keep visitors entertained.
Majorelle garden:
This garden is a two and a half acre vast botanical garden in the township of Marrakech. Created by the French artist, Jacques Majorelle, it used to be the residence of the artist and his wife up until their divorce. Later the plot of land was bought by two fashion designers who have worked towards restoring its beauty. Today, the villa and the garden are open for public visit. The garden is on the boundary of a palm grove. Jacques Majorelle devoted about forty years of his life to grow a luxuriant garden here. The famous orientalist artist even has a color patented to his name – the Majorelle blue, which is a shade of bold cobalt blue. The garden is a complex of different museums having exhibits of Majorelle’s works, North African textiles, Islamic art, and much more of varied interests.
Saadian tombs:
A sepulcher is a small room built of stone or rock in which the corpse of a dead person is buried. The Saadian tombs are sepulchers in Marrakech. Corpses of people from the Saadian dynasty, under the reign of Sultan Ahmed al-Mansur, lie in these tomb burials. It dates back to the 1500s. The graves carry the sultan himself and members of his family as well. It is as if the Sultan wanted his family to stay together, even after death parts them. The building has three rooms, one having twelve columns. The extended family of sultan also found their rest here. Epithets of the coffins are made of cedar wood and decorated with stucco work on them.
Marrakech Museum:
This museum is located within the porch of the Dar Menebhi Palace. This place was also the former residence of Mehdi Menebhi and was later renovated into a museum. It is a classic example of Andalusian architecture. It opens at 9 am and closes at 6:30 pm in the evening. They charge an amount of 30 Dirhams per adult as an entry fee to this museum. Some say that the palace is even more gorgeous than the museum. Built according to Moorish architecture, the complex incorporates fountains in the central courtyard, chandelier-like centrally levitated ceiling hanging the piece, a Hammam and many more such wonders.
Bahia Palace:
Intricately carved pillars, multi-colored vitrage, a library – the Bahia Palace is a 2 acre palace set with its own private garden for the royal families. The name Bahia itself means excellence. The palace has a central ‘haram’, which is a place intended for women to stay. It has a large basin surrounded by many rooms for the women of the palace. It is a must see in Marrakech.
Marrakech is a delight with all the middle east artistic beauty which is hard to find anywhere.
