Souqs and other Marrakesh, Morocco Things to Do Tips

One of the highlights of a visit to Marrakech is exploring the souqs (covered markets). The main market area is located in the Medina, north of Djemaa el-Fna. It consists of a maze of narrow alleyways and small squares all lined with colourful stalls and shops selling a wide variety of locally produced products.

The souqs are busy and noisy, with a constant flow of people and motorbikes. Some traders will try to coax you in to inspect their goods and may even offer you some mint tea to help seal the deal. Make sure you bring your haggling skills with you - every purchase must be negotiated and it can take some time to finally agree on a price.

Within the souqs, there are alleyways specialising in a particular type of product. Souq Sebbaghine, for example, is the dyers' market, and you will see colourful clothes being dyed and dried here.

If you are after leather goods, then head for Souq Semmarine or Souq el-Kebir, or to see leather goods being made head to Souq Serrajine.

You may well also come across Souq Attarine where you can shop for brassware, or Souq Hadadine, the blacksmiths market, where you may be lucky to see the artisans at work.

My favourite souq was probably Souq Smata, which is the slipper souq - there is shop after shop of colourful slippers! I also liked the High Tech Souq where the small shops were crammed with electrical goods - televisions were stacked from floor to ceiling.

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Directions: In the Medina

The giant square, Djemaa el-Fna, really is the heart of Marrakech. It is a crazy place, filled day and night with so much activity you don't know where to look. Make sure you take the time to visit the square and experience day to day life in Marrakech. These days, Djemaa el-Fna is a UNESCO world heritage site, but back in the old days it used to be the place of public executions, earning the name 'Dead Men's Square'.

During the day you can enjoy a glass of tangy, freshly squeezed orange juice while you watch the snake charmers making their cobras dance. Or perhaps you would prefer to buy some fresh dates or nuts to snack on whilst you have your hands decorated by the henna artists.

You may stand for a while and watch the colourfully dressed water-sellers at work, or ponder over why there is a monkey on a chain dressed in children's clothes. Just watch out for the cars and motorbikes that cut across the square towards the southern end.

Make sure you have a mint tea at one of the cafes surrounding the square that has an upstairs terrace - this gives you a great place to take some photos of the square from above.

At night the square changes into a giant food market, with the smoke rising up from the food stalls creating a mysterious haze across the square. You should have dinner at one of the food stalls at least once during your stay. Or if you are not game, perhaps just a glass of spicy ginseng tea from one of the carts.

After dinner, walk around the square for a while, dodge the beggars, and check out some of the small bands, who are surrounded by locals enjoying the music. Or perhaps listen in to one of the story-tellers, trying to get a gist for his tale spoken in Arabic or Berber. You may also see magicians or even medicine men - so if something ails you, you may well have come to the right place!

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Directions: The heart of the Medina
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djemaa_el_Fna

A highly recommended place to visit in Marrakech are the Saadian tombs, located just near the Kasbah Mosque in the Kasbah district.

The tombs date back to the time of the Sultan Ahmad I al-Mansur, who died in 1603. Amazingly, the tombs were only re-discovered in 1917, and have since been restored.

The complex is home to tombs of about 60 members of the Saadi Dynasty. Most of the tombs have been arranged in two separate mausoleums which overlook a garden. The most famous room is the one with twelve marble columns, as this is where Ahmad I al-Mansur and his family have been laid to rest.

Outside the building is a pretty garden, and the graves of soldiers and servants can been seen here beneath the orange trees.

Opening Hours:
8am-12pm & 2.30pm-6pm

Admission Price:
10 dirham

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Address: Rue de la Kasbah, Kasbah - Marrakech Medina
Directions: In the Kasbah district of the Medina, just next to the Kasbah Mosque
Website: http://www.marrakeshguide.com/files/saadiantombs.htm

Founded in the 14th century, the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa used to be home to a Quranic school, and was once the largest centre for Quranic learning in North Africa. The school was renovated in the 19th century and eventually closed to students in 1962.

Take a walk through the school and amaze over the intricacy of the design - the lattice screen balconies, the carved cupolas, and that stunning courtyard! The peaceful central courtyard has as a tile-lined pond in the middle, and arcaded cloisters at the sides which are covered with colourful tiles.

Upstairs you can see the dorm rooms where the students used to live. They would spend their days here studying religious and legal texts. There were approx. 130 dorm rooms, and at some stages around the 16th century they housed up to 900 students - hard to imagine when you see the size of the rooms!

It is well worth a visit - even if you only have 20 minutes to spare. The Ali Ben Youssef Medersa is located next door to the Ali Ben Youssef Mosque and right near the Musee de Marrakech, at the northern end of the souqs.

Open from 9am-6pm daily, closed on religious holidays. Entrance was 20 dirham when we visited in Jan 2007.

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Phone: +212 (0) 44 39 09 11
Address: Place Ben Youssef, Medina, Marrakech
Directions: In the Medina

Located a little way north of Djemaa el-Fna is Place Rabha Kdima, which is known as the 'old square' and used to be the home of a slave market. These days, the centre of the square is filled with ladies selling handmade baskets and hats, but it is the shops that line the square, and those just off it that are of most interest.

Here you will discover the medicine sellers and healers shops, which are crammed full of all manner of items guaranteed to cure your cold, cast out demons or improve your sex life. Or come here to pick up ingredients for that spell you are creating. You name it, they will probably have it.

The traders are happy to show you all the unusual items and explain their magic powers to you - be it dried snake, lizard skin, or even spices that can be combined with other mystical items to cure all. You can also see some small animals here (I assume they are for sale), such as squirrels, turtles, lizards and owls.

Ladies might like to try out some of the traditional cosmetics also for sale, like the Ghassoul Clay which can be used for face masks and body scrubs, or the small clay-like pot that when wet creates lip-gloss. For the men, how can you go past the traditional Berber toothbrush - a small plant with tiny branches that you break off and use as a toothpick!

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Directions: In the Medina, just north of Djemaa el-Fna

The Jardin Majorelle are some lovely and unusual gardens located in the Gueliz area (new town) of Marrakech. The gardens were originally created by Jacques Majorelle, a French painter who moved to Marrakech in 1919 with an interest in plants.

The gardens were opened to the public in 1947. Some years after Jacques Majorelle death, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge purchased the gardens and restored them to their former glory.

In the gardens you can see plants from 5 continents. The main categories of plants are cacti (or cactuses if you prefer), palms, bamboo and aquatic plants.

The gardens are also home to the Islamic Arts Museum, where you can see displays of textiles, ceramics, weapons and jewellery, along with carpets and other treasures.

There is a stunning blue building (which contains the museum) and it makes a fabulous subject for some photos.

My favourite part of the gardens was the large cactus garden - I am a cactus fan from way back!

Opening Hours
From October to May: 8am-5pm
From June to September: 8am-6pm

Admission costs
To the gardens: 30 dirham
To the museum: additional 15 dirham

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Phone: +212 (0) 24 30 18 52
Address: Avenue Yacoub el Mansour, Gueliz. Marrakech
Directions: Located in the New Town. We caught a taxi from the Medina. You could walk there - it is about 10-15 minutes from Bab Doukkala.
Website: http://www.jardinmajorelle.com/
Other Contact: jardin.majorelle@menara.ma

We really enjoyed our time in the Mellah district, which is the old Jewish quarter. There are plenty of narrow laneways to explore and there was a distinct lack of tourists around when we visited which is always nice.

There is an excellent spice market in the area where we spent ages chatting to one of the traders. Alison purchased a few spices and he threw in some free pumice stone and a Berber toothbrush for us both.

In the Mellah you can visit a small synagogue. The local children will point it out to you - it is hard to find as it is hidden behind a plain door on a narrow street. I have written more information in a dedicated tip about the synagogue.

Also in this part of town you can visit the remnants of La Palais Badii, a magnificent palace that was built by Sultan Ahmed el-Mansour in 1578. The palace was subsequently torn apart by a later sultan who used the materials to decorate his own palace. Unfortunately the palace was closed when we tried to visit.

Another place in the Mellah that we didn't get the chance to visit, but really wanted to, was the Palais Bahia. This 19th century palace was built as a harem's residence by Si Ahmed ben Musa. Its rooms vary in size depending on the importance of each wife or mistress. It has lovely courtyards and gardens.

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Directions: South eastern part of the Medina

If you head south of Djemaa el-Fna you will come to the Kasbah district of the Medina. Located close to the old city walls and the impressive Bab Agnaou, the Kasbah is home to dozens of storks who nests on its rooftops and minarets.

Here you will see the Kasbah Mosque and Minaret, which date back to the 12th century. The tall minaret, like the Koutoubia minaret, is topped with 3 gold balls that were rumoured to originally have been made from pure gold. The upper part of the attractive minaret is decorated with green and white tiles. The mosque is closed to non-muslims.

Just next door to the mosque, set back from the street, are the Saadian Tombs. These are well worth a visit, and I have written a separate tip on them.

We took a really interesting walk through the narrow back lanes of the Kasbah and eventually found ourselves in the Mellah district.

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Directions: The Kasbah is a district in the south western corner of the Medina

The tallest structure in Marrakech is the Koutoubia Minaret. Dating back to the 12th century, it is a fine example of Moorish architecture, and a symbol of the city. At around 70 metres high, it makes an excellent marker for tourists to help them orientate themselves. On top of the minaret are three golden balls made from copper - rumour has it that the original balls were made from gold.

The Koutoubia mosque was first built in 1147, but was then demolished and re-built soon after because it was not correctly aligned with Mecca. You can see some remains of the original mosque in the surrounding Koutoubia Gardens. The gardens make a nice place for a stroll and enable you to have a closer look at the minaret.

Five times a day the 'call to prayer' rings out across the city from the top of the minaret, with speakers facing every direction to ensure that all muslims know when they should be praying.

Non Muslims cannot visit the interior of the mosque or minaret, so the closest you will get is a visit to the gardens. But you can see the minaret from all over Marrakech so an up-close visit isn't mandatory.

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Directions: In the Medina, close to Djemaa el-Fna, you can't miss it
Website: http://www.marrakech-cityguide.com/en/sightseeing/monuments/koutoubia.shtml

A visit to the tanners district is quite an experience....though not really a pleasant one. The tanneries are located in a poorer part of town - I guess this is the last part of town you would want to live in as the whole area smells really bad, and also feels a little unsafe.

Getting to the tanneries was an adventure in itself. We decided to walk there, navigate our way from the Musee de Marrakech - about 15 minutes walk. Along the way we were bombarded with men and boys asking if we were going to the tanneries, as they wanted to guide as there. We didn't acknowledge them, though we were pleased that they kept pointing out the direction so we knew we were headed the right way.

As we got closer, we started to feel a bit wary as the area didn't feel safe, but we kept going as we really wanted to have a look. One of the men that wanted to show us the way continued to walk in front of us, even though we told him we didn't want a guide.

We arrived in the tanners district and a man, standing at the entrance to one of the tanneries, beckoned us over to have a look. We hesitated as the smell (probably from rotten animal flesh) was revolting and we both immediately felt nauseous. He ran across the road and came back with two big handfuls of mint which if held up to your nose helped a little to block out the stench.

So, we had a look in the tannery for just a couple of minutes. There are dozens of large pits dug into the ground. Some pits are filled like baths, with lime and pigeon dung (bizarre, I know!), others are used to trample on the animal skins. The workers remove the hair, then oil and treat the hides and leave them in the sun to dry.

After a quick look the tannery man wanted us to follow him to see some of the finished product (no doubt his friends shop!). We gave him some dirham and scurried off, much to his disgust - not sure if he was unhappy with the amount of money or the fact that we didn't want to go to the shop with him, probably both. Anyway, we didn't stick around to find out.

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Directions: In the North East of the Medina
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanning