The bustling streets of Marrakech
Marrakech has enough excitement to fill several weekends. Life here, on the doorstep of Europe is so very, very different. We could have spent hours simply people watching from the rooftop venues around Djemma-el-Fna square alone. Think Covent Garden on steroids!
Day 1 – Djemma-el-fna square
This is the main square in Marrakech, and a hub for tourists and locals alike. It was buzzing with people this afternoon. It was a cacophony of sounds, a palette of smells and a feast for the eyes. A wander through the square is a must. We walked through the carts selling fruit juice and dried fruit and nuts, snake charmers, henna tatooists, donkey carts and much more. Music blared out from all around, smoke filled the air and people gathered in groups. Many traditionally dressed, but many others including woman had on western attire.
Marrakech city brilliantly does not have any high-rise buildings. We chose the roof-top bar of the Hotel Restaurant Café La France in one corner of the haphazardly shaped ‘square’ to people watch. From our vantage point we could see all the way above the roof tops to the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains. The 360° view of the old town ‘pink-grapefruit’ in colour, stretches for miles. This view is only broken by the minarets from the many mosques, ‘whose muezzin ‘call to prayer’ can be heard above the din of the square.
Moreover, at night, the square takes on a character of its own. Tonight, under the most stunning super-moon, the temperature in Marrakech is cold. Nevertheless, crowds gather from every generation, wrapped up warmly. Story tellers commune to tell their stories, impromptu bands spring up and pop-up restaurants fill the square with smoke.
Dinner in the square
A dish of tasteless boiled lamb and large unleavened bread, then Moroccan Harira bean soup and bread, and the sweetest tea is served to us at a communal table. Finally, a plate of ‘sheep brains’ is offered. They always try to upsell! They look at us incredulously, another tactic, as we refuse. “No brains, no brains”, he says? We burst out laughing at the irony. They look confused. Even so, it is a great place from which to people watch.
Between the square and the Koutoubia mosque horse drawn carriages line up to take locals and tourists around the city. This is mostly a night-time activity for the locals, but the nights in December are cold. Therefore, we give it a miss and walk on towards the mosque.
Horse carriage rides at night in Marrakech
Koutoubia mosque
The Koutoubia mosque and its stunning minaret at night is framed beautifully with lighting from below. The minaret was rebuilt in the 12th century, after the original one was found not be aligned to Mecca. This 12th century design has been used elsewhere, for example in the Giralda in Spain. Today, the Koutoubia mosque is environmentally aware and has embraced modern technology. Outside the mosque, a digital readout shows the amount of energy produced by a series of photovoltaic solar panels installed in 2016.
Marrakech Souk
The entrance to the souk leads directly from the ‘square’. There are many entrances into the souk. However, the main entrance to the souk is next to the upmarket ‘Palace restaurant’. The shade in the covered souk is welcoming. Inside, it is a blaze of colour. Beautifully coloured lanterns, leather poofs, hand painted glassware, hand-crafted metal light shades, hand-dyed materials from which all manner of clothing and curtains are paraded. It was easy to get lost here and easier to get immersed in the detail of all that was on offer.
On the way, we stop to buy some local Moroccan sweets from a well laid out stall. In reply to our basic French the stall holder replies in a perfect cockney accent in English. He sells us 6 sweets for Dh15 and adds 3 more as a gift! We now know we have paid too much!
Day 2
Tanneries of Marrakech
The walk from the Djemma-el-fna square to the leather tannery is around 30-minutes through the medina of northern Marrakech. These narrow lanes of the Arab quarter are intriguing, plastered roughly, in hues of pink and red. The narrow lanes no doubt a design feature to counter the excessive summer heat. The folks in this area are more traditionally dressed. But don’t expect a quiet stroll. Motorbikes, donkey carts and mini trucks still manage to get through these alleys.
The tour of the leather factory is brief. Our guide handed us a sprig of mint. This was to stave off the stench from the urea. Fifteen families, both Arab and Berber work in this tannery. The skins are from sheep and the process of converting these to leather takes weeks. They are washed, and treated with limestone to remove the hairs. ‘Pigeon poo,’ which gives off ammonia, is then used to make the skin soft.
The skins are first dried and the brown colour removed using a chemical process. After which it is dyed with natural pigments. Indigo for blue, henna for green, yellow saffron, red for poppy flowers, maroon made from cinnamon and poppy flowers mixed are used to dye the leather.
After the tour comes the compulsory sales pitch. The best view of the tanneries is obviously from the rooftop of the shop. It is difficult to walk away without buying something. Fortunately we end up with a ‘throw’ that we like and at an acceptable price.
Medersa Ben Youssef
This school for science and knowledge is an architectural gem. It is located in the heart of the old Medina enroute from the tanneries to the Djemma-el-fna square. The buildings date from 1564-5, during the reign of Sultan Abdullah Saadi. The hand-painted colourful geometric tiles and intricate carvings on the walls, doors and cedar wood lintels, cover the walls from floor to ceilings. Italian marble was used in the Mihrab, dining room, ablution room and for the pillars.
These two-floor buildings housed the students on the upper floors in individual rooms, much like a British boarding school. The architecture of the buildings keep the it cool. Aligned courtyards through both floors and small aligned windows allowing for the through-flow of air ensures the building remains cool.
Bahia Palace
After lunch at the charming roof-top café next to the Medersa, we walked to Palace Bahia roughly 30-minutes away. The palace closes at 4.30pm, so we didn’t get much of a chance to explore the 5-acre site. There are a series of splendid courtyards, gardens and out-buildings to wander through. If time allow, the Dar Si Said museum is located closeby.
Jewish quarter
A security guard outside the palace guided us to the Jewish quarter a 10-minute walk away. Some doorways sport the ‘star of David’ identifying a Jewish home.
It was herb auction day, although when we arrived not a lot was happening. Berber farmers come down from the high Atlas to sell their herbs every Wednesday. And of course, everything today is a lot cheaper than everywhere else. You must buy today! It was hard to disappoint, but we really did not need any herbs.
A visit to Marrakech does not disappoint. We only touched the surface of what is on offer here and will be back for more!
Nangle facts & tips
Where to stay
Riad Challa, centrally and conveniently located just 5-minutes’ walk from Djemma-el-fna
Marrakech restaurants
Le Grand Balcon du Café Glacier,on southern corner of Djemaa-el-fna and Aqua restaurant provide great views of the bustling square.
In the medina near Medresa Ben Youssef, Jad Jamal provided the best food of the weekend.
Marrakech weather
The day-time weather was perfect with bright blue skies, but nights are very cold.
