"All aboard the Marrakech Express!" Marrakesh by mafi_moya

Marrakesh Travel Guide: 2,370 reviews and 5,323 photos

Al Koutoubia Mosque, the city's tallest building

Marrakech! The name alone fills my brain with images of the exotic and the mysterious. A stronghold of the ancient Islamic empires; an Arabian Nights concoction of late night bazaars and hectic souks; or a drug-hazed rock'n'roll stop on the sixties hippy trail - it's one of the great cities of Africa.

I know it’s a bit of a clichéd description but Marrakech really is a tale of two cities. On the one hand there’s the Ville Nouvelle, the new city with its wide tree-lined avenues, spotlessly clean streets, cosmopolitan urbanites and fashionable restaurants and ice cream parlours. Just a few blocks away it feels like you step back hundreds of years, deep into mediaeval times and the dark, labyrinthine alleyways of the Medina – the sound of blacksmiths and tanneries, the smell of carcasses hanging on hooks above the gutter, and narrow, uneven roads where horse and carts have right of way over cars.

The Red City - narrow Medina alleyways

It’s naturally to the Medina, with its exotic chaos, that most tourists are drawn, before retreating to the hotels of the more refined Ville Nouvelle. It’s one of the few traditional Islamic Medina remaining and despite all those tourists it's an eye-opening experience. Djemaa el-Fna, the Place of the Dead, is an incredible sight – as night falls, food stalls set up and the huge square is filled with smoke and smells, storytellers, jugglers, snake handlers and thousands of people.

Like most Moroccan cities Marrakech has it’s own colour scheme – in this case everything is painted red. Shades of houses range from pastel pink to fierce deep crimson and it makes an incredible sight just before sunset.

Traders on the food stalls of Djemaa el Fna

I loved the Medina’s vibrant attack on the senses, but I also enjoyed the Ville Nouvelle’s laid-back cosmopolitan charm, even if I did feel a bit out of place in the more fashionable parts! But the thing I loved most about Marrakech was the amazing old Islamic North African architecture – the mosques, the religious schools, the museums, art galleries and old palaces. Somehow these buildings link the two cities and the centuries between them – combining the history and tradition of the Medina with the space and prestige of the Ville Nouvelle. When I'm old and rich this is how I'm going to build my dream house!

Pros and Cons

Pros:Amazing architecture and history
Cons:The people - money, money, money!

Last visit to Marrakesh: Feb 2004
Intro Updated Jul 15, 2004
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Reviews (24)

The Old Medina Things to Do (17)

The Medina is like a step back hundreds of years, to narrow alleys ringing with the sounds of blacksmiths and clucking... more travel advice

Riad Omar Hotels (4)

Slightly more expensive than the Riad Maria and not quite as nice either, this riad is found right on the main street of... more travel advice

Cafe Argana Restaurants (2)

The Argana restaurant is one of the best known of the many that surround Djemaa el-Fna. It's not as high up as some of... more travel advice

Venezia ice cream parlour Restaurants (2)

There are a few good ice cream shops in Marrakech, particularly in the Ville Nouvelle. This one is directly opposite the... more travel advice

Tourist Traps (1)
The Tanneries

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Comments (10)

MM212 Oct 6, 2006 at 6:54 AM Report Abuse

Fantastic tips and amazing photos. Very useful for my upcoming trip to Marrakech. Thanks for sharing.
sunlovey Mar 28, 2006 at 9:49 AM Report Abuse

Just read your Marrakesh intro... great description, now to devour all of your tips! You make me extremely excited about my upcoming trip... :-) Thanks for sharing.
Escadora7 Dec 10, 2005 at 7:15 PM Report Abuse

Really nice tips and pictures. Marrakesh will definitely go onto our list of places to see! Best wishes, Ash & Eve
Tijavi Mar 6, 2005 at 6:59 PM Report Abuse

Your tales and pictures are so alive - felt being transported there myself. Thanks!
JLBG Nov 29, 2004 at 9:14 PM Report Abuse

Superb photos and tips. I have both recognised the Maeeakesh I love and found new places to visit. I had heard of the Majorelle Gardens but did not visit. I will next time. Thank you for sharing !
chrisvandenbroucke Nov 26, 2004 at 2:08 PM Report Abuse

Stayed in the same hotel (Afriquia) last summer but didn't associate it then with Dali.... Very interesting comments (what a work to do !!!) Will check out your other pages
eagle-eye Aug 31, 2004 at 6:34 AM Report Abuse

Fantastic photos and the tips are great, they really bring the place alive. Marrakech is on my must-see list
LotusV8 May 20, 2004 at 3:40 AM Report Abuse

Very nice pics and info! I am going to Morocco in sept! best reg. Per
Skeptic-jr Mar 25, 2004 at 12:27 PM Report Abuse

Thanks for sharing with good info and great pictures. I hope to be to Morocco in a year or two. So definitely will see here again to see if you have add something new.
Maph Mar 15, 2004 at 7:25 AM Report Abuse

wow, great pics, I have to go there...:)