Perbedaannya.comDo you also dream away at the thought of a hot relaxing hammam, fragrant tagines and Arabic sounds? Do you sometimes feel like leaving all the hustle and bustle behind and just enter a different world without sacrificing comfort? Well, then take your suitcase and leave for Marrakech. Enjoy the many sights and the fun in and around Jemaa el Fna. But the mosque or the gardens of Yves Saint Laurent are also worth a visit!
What does Marrakech have that no other city can offer?
Charming city
When you have read a thousand and one nights, Marrakech could serve as a perfect backdrop. It is a place full of Arabic nostalgia. In the medina, the old and central part of the city, you can stroll through the various alleys , where a different world opens up behind every door. The surprising riads reveal their beauty, so peeking inside is the message. A riad is a traditional Moroccan house with a central courtyard in which you often find a fountain or some orange or lime trees. The walls often consist of plaster and tiles. Many riads have now been renovated and converted into hotels or restaurants. It is wonderful to stay in a riad because it has more charm than a hotel.
Stroll and stroll through the souks
In the alleys, riads are not the only discovery. This way you can also see different craftsmen at work. While you can find shops more in the souks , you can see craftsmen at work in the alleys, especially near the souks. The souks themselves that you walk into when you walk across Jemaa el Fna square are a wonderful place to be immersed in scents, colors and curiosities. The souks are a kind of sales place where each aisle often offers the same product. In the beginning you have the regular clothes stalls with all kinds of djellabas, which are traditional loose-fitting robes with long sleeves and a kind of hood, and kaftans, a typical dress that is mainly worn during Moroccan celebrations. These workshops are then followed by the music and ceramics souks where you may be tempted to buy a tagine, a typical cooking pot, not to mention the colorful beautiful light objects. And it just keeps going, so you can spend a whole afternoon strolling around there.
Musee de Marrakech
If you walk all the way through the souks, you will find a surprisingly beautiful museum, the Musée de Marrakech . You must have seen this and/or at least made an attempt to capture the immense chandelier in the middle of the museum. Each room shows a different aspect of Moroccan and Islamic culture and in a side panel you can occasionally find modern art.
Koutoubia mosque
Of course you should also visit the Koutoubia mosque . You can only view this from the outside because of course you can only enter the mosque if you are Muslim. The 69-meter high minaret is one of the most beautiful in the world and therefore a true example of Eastern architecture. However, luxury is reserved for the inside. Moroccans like to impress their guests in this way and therefore attach less importance to the outside of a building. You can also notice this when you visit the El-Badi Palace. This palace has 150 rooms and only part is open to the public. The other rooms are still used to receive high-ranking guests.P Diddy once had the honor of enjoying all the decorations that can be found from floor to ceiling.
Enjoying Jemaa el Fna
Of course you can’t go without experiencing the Jemaa el Fna experience. The Jemaa el Fna square is a delight. In the morning you can drink delicious freshly squeezed fruit juice and during the day you will find ladies who want to give you a henna tattoo or you can see snake charmers at work. In the evening you will find cozy food stalls where you can watch the chefs at work and simply sit at the tables. After your meal you can enjoy the many storytellers or other forms of entertainment. Charm everywhere
Green, greener, greenest…
Menara Gardens
If you have had enough of culture, you can still enjoy the many gardens, parks and squares in Marrakech. For example, there are the Majorelle Gardens , owned by Yves Saint Laurent, where you can find numerous rare plants against a backdrop of cobalt blue walls. Or do the Menara gardens appeal more to you? An immense plain with countless olive trees. Approximately in the middle of the gardens you will find a gigantic pond. Rumors have it that there was once a sultan who took his guests to this pond to drown them.
Cyberpark
Not far from the Koutoubia mosque you will also find a modern park called Cyberpark . The name is quite appropriate as there are quite a few places where you can find a computer kiosk where you could surf the internet for free. However, the computers don’t always work, so you just have to enjoy the variety in plants. Because of the computers you can find plenty of young people there, so perhaps this is an opportunity to socialize?
Don’t feel like hassle?
And if you are tired from all that strolling, you can still relax with a fantastic hammam experience. There are numerous hamams, but again, look for an authentic hamam in the alleys. A hammam is a kind of steam bath where you can also wash yourself. There are separate opening hours for men and women and a visit to the hammam is a social event in Morocco. This way you get to hear the latest gossip, although it is of course a pity that you may not understand it. A hammam can be followed by a wonderful massage so you can return to your country of origin completely relaxed!