The motives of the tale “A Thousand and One Nights” are intertwined in this mysterious, exotic and hot Moroccan city. Marrakesh, located in the south of the country, attracts everyone with its originality for hundreds of years.
What is so attractive this African city, the most famous city of Morocco?
Medina, or Old Town, is surrounded by a powerful wall that stretches for tens of kilometers. In this part of the city there are the most amazing monuments of antiquity, markets, buildings of Marrakesh.
The narrow streets of the old city of Marrakesh are not suitable for walking uninitiated tourists: it is very easy to get lost here. It is advisable to look around the sights of the old city with a guide, unless of course you are fluent in Arabic. On the outskirts of Medina, there is an old Kutubiya mosque, which is considered the oldest and largest in the whole city. Its construction ended in 1158. The 77-meter-high minaret proudly towers above the low and old buildings of the Medina, and somewhat resembles a lighthouse at sea.
Marrakesh is famous for its intricate cedar carving, and to admire this luxury, the tourist must go to the palace of Bahia. Previously, this magnificent building served as the residence of the Grand Vizier. Later, all the furniture and luxury items were taken out of the palace, but from this its halls and rooms did not look less elegant.
To feel the pace of life of the inhabitants of Marrakesh, you need to walk along the market square of Jemaa El-Fna.
In the morning and afternoon hours it is quite quiet here, but closer to the sunset the market is changing. Here you can see snake charmers, drummers and fire eaters. Open street cuisines are beginning to entice buyers with spicy oriental flavors: you have the opportunity to enjoy tajin, fried fish, sweets and the famous couscous.
It must be remembered that the Moroccan bazaars are not ordinary counters with different goods. In the Old Town is a huge tangle of shopping streets. In the market, you can buy absolutely everything: copper dishes, spices, fruits, vegetables, local brands, furniture, carpets, silver jewelry, products of traditional folk crafts.
Residents of Marrakesh prefer to bargain in the market until the seller yields to the maximum. The starting bid of the buyer should be one third of the initial cost, the highest – no more than half. This is a traditional and ancient form of communication in the East. Be sure the seller will not be offended by you! If you get lost in the old streets of Medina, contact the locals, and for a small fee they will take you to a taxi.
In Marrakech, many places where you can relax and unwind. In the garden of Majorelle you immerse yourself in the exotic of Moroccan nature. Bright flowers and palm trees side by side with fountains and walls that give away cobalt blue. The garden was designed by Yves Saint-Laurent, who added rich and vibrant Moroccan colors to the landscape.
However, local gardens not only admire, but also live in them. Riads are local houses that resemble palaces with courtyards and dozens of rooms. Most of the riads in Marrakesh are now remade into hotels where tourists can experience the delights of oriental luxury.
Visiting Marrakesh, the third largest city of Morocco, you will get such a number of impressions, as if in reality they plunged into those ancient times when countless caravans headed for the Atlas Mountains from the desert came through this “Heart of Morocco”.
