Marrakech is the most famous city in Morocco. Although it is not on the coast, thousands of tourists visit it every year. And that’s not surprising!
Marrakech offers its visitors a variety of entertainment for all tastes. Here, you can stay in riads, palaces located behind simple doors in the medina, or spend nights in a luxury hotel with a huge green space. You can eat in expensive restaurants offering French cuisine, and at the same time buy ordinary Moroccan food directly from street vendors. This is the magic city!
If you are travelling alone, here are the sights of Marrakech and the places you should not miss :
The medina:
Medina Sauk is Marrakech’s main market, located in the central part of the city on the Djemma El Fna square. This colourful market consists of many shopping centres and shops. Here you can find all kinds of authentic Moroccan products at low prices: carpets, furniture, jewellery, clothes, leather goods, spices, oriental sweets and much more.
Bahia Palace:
Built at the end of the 19th century, the Bahia Palace is the most popular tourist attraction in Marrakech. The interior of the palace surprises with traditional Arabic luxury. Here you can see: colourful mosaics, carved wooden ceilings and doors, hand-made paintings, interior art objects and paintings.
Koutoubia Mosque:
The main sacred relic and symbol of the city of Marrakech – the Koutoubia mosque is one of the highest mosques in Africa, thanks to its minaret which is about 80 meters high. The construction of the mosque began during the reign of the Almohad dynasty in the 12th century and took more than 30 years. The impressive territory of the Koutoubia mosque is surrounded by a magnificent garden and park.
Ben Youssef Madrasah :
Ben Youssef Madrasah is the most famous and prestigious medieval school for the study of the Koran in Morocco. The school was founded in the 14th century during the reign of the Almoravid dynasty. The medersa territory includes a mosque, a training complex and cells, where the students lived. The building has been preserved in its original form. At present, the museum is operating in the premises of the complex.
Jema El Fna Square :
Jema El Fna square is the most important and colorful square in Marrakech, it is here that you can get to know the mysterious soul of this city. Life is constantly bubbling on the square, various cafes, retail stores and souvenir shops work there. The holiday atmosphere reigns here at every stop, especially in the evenings, when crowds of people gather in the square, street artists perform and the national dishes prepared here in the square seduce with their aromas.
Majorelle Garden :
The Mojorelle Garden once belonged to a French artist, Jacques Majorelle, who lived in Marrokes at the beginning of the 20th century. The artist managed to collect the rarest and most precious plants from the garden. The beautiful garden with its lush flora, fountains and comfortable gazebos, as well as the unusual blue house where the artist lived, are a wonderful example of the art of landscape gardening.
The garden was later purchased by the famous French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. Currently, a museum is open in Majorelle’s former studio, which displays some of his works on nature and Marrokes’ landscapes.
Saadite Tomb :
The 16th century tomb of the Saadite family is one of the most visited attractions in Marrakech. The best masters of their time worked on the design of this luxurious complex. After the end of the Saadite dynasty, the tomb lost its former luster and was abandoned.
The opening of the tomb, as a memorial complex, took place at the beginning of the 20th century, after restoration work.
You now have a short list of the most famous tourist sites in Marrakech. This guide will help you plan your trip in case you don’t use an agency. But if you are organizing a trip to Marrakech with the help of an agency, a professional guide will show you all these places and especially help you negotiate your souvenir purchases.