The first feeling one has when
entering this particular imperial capital is of pure enchantment. We are
bewitched-falling under the spell of the place and its people, folk artists to
their very souls who have only one aim in view to make a stay in their city as
entrancing an experience as possible. With its world-famous square, Jamaâ El
Fna, the beacon city of the Almoravids was founded in about 1070 with a view to
controlling traffic from the nearby Atlas. It was from this rudimentary
settlement that the earliest conquests were launched. Abu Bakr, head of the
Almoravids, undertook the construction of a kasbah, nicknamed the "stone castle"
only yards away from the present site of the Koutoubia.
Marrakech became the capital of
a vast empire in the reign of Youssef Ben Tachfine-an empire which, under the
Almohades, reached as for as the frontiers of Libya.
The first Almohades sovereign,
Abdelmoumen began the construction of the Koutoubia mosque, which his grandson
Yacoub El Mansour adorned with a superb minaret, still standing today. His son
Youssef had reservoirs dug and a spreading administrative district constructed
-Marrakech reached the height of its glory. Built in the same epoch as Seville's
"la Giralda" and Rabat's "Tour Hassan", the Koutoubia, dating from the 11th
century, is a truck masterpiece of Hispanic- Moorish art. Its minaret rises to
almost 70 meters
.
The Badii Palace bas long been
regarded as a wonder of the Muslim world. It was the sovereign Ahmed El Mansour
Dahbi who undertook construction of the palace following his victory over the
Portuguese in the year 986 of the hejira (1578), a victory well-known in the
Western World under the name of the Battle of the Three Kings. The major
construction work went on for sixteen years. Other marvels to be found in the
Red City are the Dar Si Said museum, containing much quintessential Moroccan art
and displaying the glittering array of gold and marble ornaments collected by
Ahmed El Mansour (1578-1603), greatest of Saadian rulers, the Medersas Ben
Youssef, a coranic school founded in 1570 by Moulay Abdellah and a truc
masterpiece of Merinids architecture, the Agdal gardens, laid out in the 12th
century during the reign of Abdelmoumen and the Menara, a magnificent artificial
lake fringed with flowers ...
Framed by the snowy heights of
the Atlas, with rose-colored ramparts and a thousand year old palm grove,
Marrakech casts a magic spell. Sumptuous and exuberant, it radiates splendor and
mysticism ; at the dye merchants, in the explosion of multicolored wools ; at
Festival time, in the rhythm of the music, in the emotion of the dancers ; in
the idle talk of the merchants and in the skill of the jugglers. Enchantment,
you feel in the shade of the blue gardens and in the overwhelming perfection of
the Koutoubia.
National Folklore Festival in July : Dancers,
singers and musicians from all over Morocco perform in the great
courtyard of the El Badi palace ruins.
Nearby Excursions:
½ day historical tour : Koutoubia mosque (12th cent.),
El Mansour mosque, the Saadians tombs (16th cent.) , the ruins of el
Badia palace (16th cent.) with its storks on the towers, the Mellah
Jewish quarter, the Bahia palace (19th) , Dar Si Said palace (19th
cent.) transformed into a museum, Tiskiwin private museum dedicated to
popular arts & crafts, Riad Tamsna dedicated to arts, handicrafts and
literature ( restaurant serving lunch and tea room), Dar Bellarj
Foundation for culture (expositions, conferences).
½ day or 1 day excursion to Ourika valley : 65
km/41 mi far. Beautiful valley in the Atlas mountain, with nice view
points and small pisé villages inhabited by Berber tribes. Lower down,
the Ourika rivers meanders through orchards, fields and gardens. Souk on
Friday at Jemaa d'Rhmat, on Monday at Tnine l'Ourika. Possibility to
have lunch in an auberge facing the snow capped mountain and overlooking
the river.
1 day to Oukaïmeden : 80 km/50 mi far, winter
sports resort 3.273 M/8,700 feet high. Possibility to ski in winter
(equipment for rent). Nice bronze age rock carvings. Trekking in the
region.
½ day tour of the Souks : a labyrinthine market
place organised by trade in separate but interlinked streets and
courtyards. Souk Smarine for pottery and spices, cloth, Rahba Kédima for
spices and jewellery, 'La Criée berbère' where auction of goods are
organised, souk el Kebir, souk Attarin, souk Cherratin for leather, wood
and metal crafts, babouches souk , dyers souk, souk Hadddine for
blacksmiths. North of the souks, you can visit the Almoravides koubba
(12th cent.), the Ben Youssef medersa (16th century coranic school), the
Marrakesh museum in the Mnehbi palace.
½ day tour of the palm grove : 20 km/13 mi (2
hours) circuit, 100.000 palm trees. Can be done with vehicle or with a
horse drawn carriage, preferably at sunset time to enjoy the beautiful
colours.
1 day to Asni/Ouirgane : 60 km/37 mi far. Asni is
situated at the foot of the Toubkal, the highest mountain in North
Africa 4.167 M/13,650 feet in the centre of the Cirque de Tamaraout.
Then the road crosses a low pass and descends to the green valley of
Ouirgane. Souk in Tahanaoute on Tuesdays.
1 day to Essaouira : port 170 km/106 mi far.
Visit the medina, the ramparts, the Skala, the marquetry craftsmen
carving thuja wood inlaid with ivory, mother-of-pearl, citron or ebony;
the fishermen's port, the silver jewellers, the Mellah Jewish quarter.
Dromedary rides on the beach.
Ourika
Valley Half Day
Located at the foot of the famous ski station of Oukaimden, the
luxuriant Valley of Ourika rises gently up to the preliminary hills of
the High Atlas where small typical villages have nested. It is a pure
and magnificent place where silence is only " disturbed " by birds
singing, water streams and wagtails. Ourika is famous for its pottery,
minerals and crystals.
Asni Ouirgane Half Day
Located at the foot of Toubkal, the highest mountain of Morocco and
North Africa (more than 4500 meters), the small village of Tahanaout
gathers two times a week (Tuesday and Saturday) the region's farmers for
the big souk. After the visit of the Ghaghia Wadi Gorges, arrival in
Asni ; the realm of amethyst and the Green Valley of Ouirgane, known as
the " Happy Valley ".
Essaouira Whole Day
Essaouira, or Old Mogador, is a city that reminds us of the times when
Spain, Portugal and England fought to maintain control over its coasts.
It is a typically Portuguese harbor with beautiful samples of the
Moorish and Portuguese arts. Essaouira is known for its artists who work
on thuja, its silver market, the art gallery, the harbor, the islands …
It was also in Essaouira where Orson Welles shot his film Othello.
Ouarzazate
Whole day
Travel through the countryside and breath fresh air, " the place where
you can hear no noise ". Through the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2260m), one of
the most culminating peaks in North Africa, discover a remarkable region
disclosing magnificence, beauty of its rich sights and landscapes. Once
in Ouarzazate, visit the Kasbahs of Taourirt and Tifoultout, old
residences of Glaoui (Former Pacha of Marrakesh).
Zagora 2 days
Through the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2260m), visit the Kasbah of Ait
Benhaddou. Lunch in Ouarzazate and continuation on to Zagora via the
"Drâa Valley ". Alongside Kasbahs, the road crosses a desert region.
Arrival in Zagora, the gate to desert, visit, dinner and lodging at a
4-stars hotel. On the second day, visit a Berber village and return to
Marrakesh.
Moroccan dinner
In one of the most enchanting sites, taste Moroccan dishes while
watching a beautiful show featuring, to name but a few, the oriental
belly dancer, the local folkshow and an atmosphere of the 1001 nights in
a genuine Moroccan palace located at the heart of the old Medina.
Fantasia Dinner
& Show
the fantasia is a warrior ceremony opposing various groups of horse
riders, Each group quivers under light, and the riders point their long
rifles to the sky, shout out simultaneously and leave behind them a
cloud of dust, before spouting their " black baroud of honor ". During
dinner, made up chiefly of harira, méchoui and couscous, you will have
the opportunity to appreciate the Berber folkshow, the performance of
jugglers, the flying carpet, the belly dance and, last but not least,
the fantasia show.
MARRAKECH
Dar Si Said Museum
Majorelle Museum
Bert Flint Museum
Menara Monument
Morocco Vacations
Travel with Morocco
Specialist
Morocco travel and Tours
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