Marrakech
With Customized Morocco tours you will visit Marrakech is one of the famous cities in the country of Morocco. so what are the top things to see and discover in the red city of Marrakech?
It is one of the things to see in Marrakech. When you arrive there, the first thing to do is to go to “The Square” as you will hear Moroccans say. Jemaâ el-Fna is truly the heart of Marrakech, the crossroads of the city where everything is concentrated. No matter where you are, you will regularly come across a Marrakchi to ask you “are you looking for the Square my friend? It’s over there”.
Right after I put my bag in my hotel, I immediately went to the Jemaâ el-Fna square to get in the mood. In the morning, it is quite deserted, then, as the day goes by, the stores and fruit juice stands open one after the other… At 1pm, the traffic becomes forbidden to leave the place to the shows. Other exhibitors who start to make Marrakech live with the sound of instruments and the colors of the Berber costumes.
The terraces of the cafes and restaurants fill up. Historically, the “Place of the Dead” was the place of court decisions (12th century). Then, making the link between the cities of the West and the lands of the Atlas and the desert. It quickly became the place of trade and entertainment of the city. Since 2008, it is even registered with the Intangible Cultural Heritage by Unesco. More info and pictures in my article on Jemaâ el-Fna square.
Jemaâ el-Fna at night
But it is at night that Jemaâ el-Fna takes all its intensity. The square is swarming like an anthill! From foreign tourists on a trip to Marrakech to Moroccan families visiting for the weekend to simple locals strolling around, everyone meets here at night. The atmosphere is completely hallucinating! And I weigh my words. We are taken in a lot of stands where everything is agitated. We talk about shows of any kind (falcon trainers, snake charmers, traditional dancers, henna tattooers, fortune tellers, water carriers, fairground games…). And all this in the din of multiple bands playing their ecstatic music next to each other. You are literally washed out when you come out of there. If you are agoraphobic, run away!
The Koutoubia and its gardens
Located right next to the Jemaâ el-Fna square, the Koutoubia Mosque is emblematic with its large minaret over 70 meters high (77 m with the spire). Built in the 12th century, it inspired the architecture of the Giralda in Seville. The access to the interior is forbidden to non-Muslims. It is therefore necessary to be satisfied with the external architecture. If the whole is rather sober, the minaret, surmounted by a lantern, has been finely sculpted with interlaced arches (sebka), merlons and bands of blue faience. Its golden stones receive the sun as the day goes by.
Also note that each of the four sides is decorated with a different motif. The copper balls of the arrow are said to symbolize the three mosques of Islam. Kaaba (Mecca), Medina and Al Quds. Legend has it that they were originally made with melted gold from the jewelry of the Caliph’s wife. Because she had eaten during the day in Ramadan.
Adjacent to the Koutoubia, one can discover the ruins of the old mosque in the north, which were uncovered during archaeological excavations. This one was destroyed and rebuilt identically (current Koutoubia). And that is because the Mihrab (prayer niche) was not perfectly oriented in the direction of Mecca. If, like me, you feel at some point the need to take a breather from the hustle and bustle of the Medina, go and sit in the gardens of the Lalla Hasna Park. Here, the nerves are relaxed by the sound of flowing water. The smell of orange blossoms perfumes the park.
-The souks of Marrakech
This is the other place to fully immerse yourself in the life of Marrakech. And it is true that in the souks, it is the brothel! (well without the girls of joy obviously, you understood me!). The fantasy of the Arabian souk is the colors, the spices perfumes… Well… almost but not quite! For my part, I had a hard time with the bikes and especially the mopeds that pass by. Honk if you don’t walk on the right and smoke you with their exhaust. Then, we are constantly accosted with more or less insistence. As a result, you end up being more and more psychologically allergic.
The word souk means “market”, and each has its own specificity in Marrakech with dedicated shopping streets. There is the souk of ironmongers, tanners, leatherworkers, fruit and vegetables, butchers, sellers of babouches and djellabas… The streets are mostly covered with metal sheets to protect passers-by from the rain and the sun (it is far from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II). One has the impression to wander in a labyrinthine underground gallery. Even after 3 days visiting Marrakech, getting lost more or less voluntarily, passing and passing again in the same places. I almost never managed to know precisely where I was and to find the way I wanted. It was as if I was teleporting in spite of myself, or as if the city was being redesigned as I went along, like a Cube. And yet I think I have a pretty good sense of direction.
What to visit in Marrakech ?
-The Medersa Ben Youssef
-The Majorelle Garden
Merzouga
At 35 km from Rissani, 50 km from Erfoud and 130 from Errachidia, along the N-13 road, is this impressive dune complex called Er Chebbi. Read more about what to do in merzouga desert in this article.
It is an area with sandy “erg” and stone “hamada” deserts. There are channels of dry rivers on which oases follow each other in which population nuclei are installed. The Erg Chebbi is the most accessible and therefore the best known of the small ergs. It is located between the massif of Taouz and the hamada (rocky desert).
It is about 20 km long and 5 km wide, and some of its pyramidal dunes exceed a hundred meters in height. The sand of its dunes has the typical orange color of Saharan sands and is composed almost exclusively of quartz grains.
It is located to the west next to the low valley of the Ziz, where the river emanating from the Atlas mountain range is swallowed by the desert sands, occasionally floods and lagoons take place. It’s one of the top things to do in Merzouga, standing out during the rainy season (between February and March), the lagoon of Daya Tamda lies 3 km to the west where birds such as the pink flamingo abound. To the east, there is the stony hamada that extends to ‘Algeria.
Next to the dunes, surrounded by palm trees, there are three villages: Hassi Labied, to the east, which is distinguished by its palm grove, 5 km to the south is Merzouga, which has grown in recent years thanks to the development of this type of tourism and agriculture, and Khemliya, 6 km, south of the previous one, which is characterized by its ancient black African population, quiet and warm people, with customs different from the rest of the country, especially their famous Gnawa folklore.
Essaouira
Essaouira is a small port town located on the Atlantic Ocean. Tour in Essaouira is a beach and sightseeing vacation. The resort has two luxurious beaches where you can sunbathe and swim in plenty. The ocean waves will please windsurfers. In the old town you can see the history of many centuries embodied in the architecture. The beautiful town attracts not only tourists but also filmmakers. In the series “Game of Thrones”, Essaouira is shown as the city of Astapor in the Slave Bay, where Daenerys buys slaves for her army.
In addition to the beaches and historical sites, the resort will delight you with the freshest seafood, which is caught right here.
Meknes
One of the three imperial Moroccan cities. The city is not popular among tourists, as it is not a beach resort. Mostly come to Meknes with a tour. If you have time and want to feel the atmosphere of the Arab East, then go here. Meknes conditionally divided into two parts: in the medina concentrated historical monuments – palaces, mausoleums, ancient buildings, and in the new part of town – cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops. Meknes also attracts tourists with a very luxurious pastime – here you can play golf in the royal gardens. Near Meknes there are also famous Roman ruins of Volubilis, which are included in the list of cultural heritage of UNESCO.
Meknes is one of the three imperial cities of Morocco. The city is not popular among tourists because it is not a beach resort. Mostly come to Meknes with a tour. If you have time and want to feel the atmosphere of the Arab East, go here. Meknes conditionally divided into two parts: in the medina concentrated historical monuments – palaces, mausoleums, ancient buildings, and in the new part of town – cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops. Meknes also attracts tourists with a very luxurious pastime – here you can play golf in the royal gardens. Near Meknes there are also famous Roman ruins of Volubilis, which are included in the list of cultural heritage of UNESCO.
