Editor’s note: I believe this is Sam’s final piece from his travels in Morocco, and just in time, since the final arrangements for my own journey are being made this week. (I’ll be there in April and May of next year, and doing my own writing to supplement these amazing guides.) Make sure to click the links throughout this article to read more of Sam’s workups, and to read ALL of his adventures, click here to visit his index page.

As I wrote with Samarkand and Zanzibar, Marrakesh is one of those cities whose very name elicits fantasies of a far away, nearly mythical land. While all of Morocco is magical, it is easy to see why Marrakesh is the city that causes travelers to daydream of a journey to the North African nation. Marrakesh does have an airport that you can fly into directly, but for me, I found it more cost effective to fly into Casablanca, spend a day exploring Morocco’s largest city, and then hop a train to Marrakesh. The high speed train can get you there in just under two hours, while a regular train will take three. The train was also a great way to meet locals, including many young university students who were traveling between the two cities. At just under a million people, Marrakesh is a little bit smaller than Fez; however, it feels more accessible and navigable to tourists, though it is rather easy to get lost in the winding alley mazes of the Medina, or old town, in Marrakesh as well.

Despite this, the center of the Medina is a great place to orient yourself and it happens to be the most famous part of the city, the Djemaa El-Fna, the central square. It is at this place that all of the action takes place. Dozens of food stalls are set up, including those offering escargot made on the spot or incredibly fresh produce. Throughout the day and night, there are musicians, acrobats, fortune tellers, snake charmers, and people with monkeys, all of whom will happily overcharge you for a picture with them. I have to admit, I was pretty nervous when the cobra was right in front of me as I posed with it. There are also plenty of ladies wanting to give tourists henna tattoos and even booths catering to locals, such as a man offering to pull people’s teeth out for a small charge. In the market, you will also see individuals from the Berber ethnic group who have come down from the mountains to buy items to take back to their villages. While in Marrakesh, be sure to spend a couple hours during the day checking out the Djemma El-Fna, and maybe grabbing lunch or coffee at one of the restaurants overlooking the square; but then also be sure to have at least one dinner in the heart of the square from some of the food stalls.

Surrounding the Djemma El-Fna are numerous souks (markets). Like much of Arab culture, these are often organized by type, where you will find a henna souk, a spice souk, etc. In the spice section is also the Mellah, the former Jewish quarter. Though Marrakesh’s Jewish history is far less prominent than Fez’s, there is still an incredible sprawling Jewish cemetery that is worth visiting. There are candles lit at the various shrines in the cemetery for the Jewish “saints”, a term that is used in Morocco in reference to particularly revered rabbis. While in Marrakesh, I had the privilege of spending Shabbat at the beautiful Lazama Synagogue, a well-tiled synagogue that has been restored, but whose foundation dates back to 1492, when Jews went to Morocco fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. The sanctuary and the riad, or courtyard, are intimate and covered in blue tiles, and the local members of the Jewish community are incredibly hospitable.

A highlight of shopping in the souks is the tanneries; again, Fez’s are a bit larger and more famous, but the ones in Marrakesh are still outstanding. Go on top of a patio and overlook the many vats below as local men treat and tan animal skins. The process is incredible: dipping the skins into pigeon droppings to treat them, then drying the skins before putting them in various vats of dye. When visiting the tanneries, it is advisable you have a nose plug or a very strong stomach as the smell is horrific. However, as terrible as a visit is for your sense of smell, it will be a feast for your eyes. Afterwards, walk through the local shops and get some dyed leather crafts, but do not forget to bargain!

Adjacent to the Djemma El-Fna is the Koutoubia Mosque. While the large mosque that is there today is a modern reconstruction, the 253-foot minaret is the original one from the Almohad Empire dating back to the mid-12th century. At its base are the ruins of the original mosque. The minaret is a landmark that can be seen throughout the medina of Marrakesh and used as a navigational tool. Make sure to spend some time relaxing and strolling through the mosque’s gardens that are full of fountains, palm trees, and also various orange and citrus trees.

As one of the four imperial cities of Morocco (the others being Fez, Meknes, and today’s imperial city, Rabat), there are numerous royal sites worth visiting while in Marrakesh. A must-see in Marrakesh is the Badi Palace, dating back to the 16th century. Its walls are built similarly to – and from the same time period as – the city walls. This structure was built by the Saadian dynasty and was meant as a receiving hall and palace for foreign dignitaries. It has a large courtyard that is 135 meters by 110 meters, and contains four sunken gardens. There are five pools, including a large central one that is 90×21 meters, and throughout the bathing areas and the steps are beautiful light blue tiles. In going up the steps of the palace, not only are you treated to views of the courtyard and the city, but also to the snowcapped High Atlas Mountains surrounding the city. It is clear that the Saadian rulers wanted to make an impression on their guests, as the name “Badi” is one of the 99 names for God in Islam, meaning “The Incomparable”, making a statement that there was no palace like this one. After the fall of the Saadians, the palace fell into disrepair in the 18th century, and much of its marble and artifacts were taken to other palaces in Meknes. The palace was largely abandoned and became a sanctuary for owls and cranes, who still have large nests on the walls of the palace today.

Nearby the Badi Palace is the Kasbah Mosque, which is the other 12th century historic mosque in town. At this mosque is the necropolis known as the Saadian Tombs, where most of the Saadian sultans and other prominent royals are buried. Take some time to walk through the beautiful garden and view the traditional Islamic architecture and tombs, some of which are outdoors, and others in chambers to mark periods and familial connections. The tombs are full of blue and green tiles as well as different geometric designs and marble columns, and are considered to be among the most important places for capturing the imperial legacy of the city.

Though not from the imperial era, another palace in Marrakesh is the Bahia Palace, which is not as frequented as some of the other tourist attractions of Marrakesh. This palace was created by a nobleman at the end of the 19th century. Walking through the courtyards and rooms will give you an idea of the aristocratic class of the time. There are large and small riads, full of well landscaped fountains and trees. The courtyards are also covered in tilework. The insides of the covered courtyards and the rooms have intricate woodwork in beautiful designs and patterns, that are similar to that of the nearby Ben Youssef Madrasa. The Ben Youssef Madrasa dates back to the 16th century and was one of the largest centers of Islamic learning in North Africa. Throughout the madrasa are stunning cedar woodworks built into the architecture. In the middle of the madrasa is a riad with a pool, which as you can tell is a signature of the area’s architectural design.

There is so much to do in Marrakesh that you will need at least three days to fully explore this town. Marrakesh, Fez, and frankly much of Morocco can be overwhelming to the senses, especially with how compact all the alleyways are. Thus, I highly encourage going to the Marjorelle Garden, created in 1917 by painter Jacque Marjorelle, and purchased in the 1980s by fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. Marjorelle painted the buildings in the two acre garden a bold shade of cobalt blue, now known as Marjorelle Blue, with a bright yellow trim. The garden is a botanical garden with collections of trees, cacti, gazebos, fountains, a koi pond, and 15 species of birds. There is also a small Berber museum that you can visit for a separate fee. While some of the other attractions like the Djemma El-Fna and the Badi Palace are more of the reason one goes to Marrakesh, the Majorelle Garden was the place that I found most peaceful in chaotic Morocco and should be visited to bring some calm into your travels.

When you make a list of the places you should visit in your lifetime, be sure to add Marrakesh, a place as magical as its name that will feel as though you have stepped back in time to a place that seldom exists in our world today.

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