Marrakech: Sightseeing and Monuments
- The Jemaa-el-Fna square
- Souqs
- The Koutoubia mosque minaret
- Medersa Ben Youssef
- Museum of Marrakech
- Le Palais El-Badi
- Le Palais de la Bahia
The Jemaa-el-Fna square
The Jemaa-el-Fna square is the real centre of the city, the heart of Marrakech. All roads lead to this pedestrian zone: The medina souqs are in the immediate vicinity, all the monuments and attractions can be reached quickly by foot from here, excellent food is available right on the square itself, and taxis and carriages are near.
During the day, you will see mostly orange juice vendors and snake charmers. You should try the excellent orange juice which sells for only 3 Dh per glass (that's less than 30 cents)! If you want to take a photo of the cobras and their charmers, beware: they often charge 50 Dh per picture, and can be easily offended if you propose anything less then their price.
However, the square comes to life once the evening approaches. From about 6pm onwards, the food stalls are mounted, everywhere you look, there are people watching the dancers and musicians, listening to storytellers (speaking in local langauge only, of course), inquiring about their health at various fortune tellers, looking at the merchants who sell herbs, bones, lizards and whatnot. A spectacular sight! No wonder the square was placed on the UNESCO's list of masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity in 2001.
To have a full experience of Jemaa-el-Fna, you should have dinner at one of the many food stalls. The food is prepared right in front of you and and tastes excellent: there are tajines, kouskous and brochettes available on almost every single stall, fried fish too, together with a myriad of salads, cooked and fired vegetables, pastillas and harcha can be found on a stall or two. You can also sit on any of the many available restaurant terraces bordering the square and enjoy the view, be it in the evening or during the day.
Souqs
The souqs in Marrakech's medina are simply amazing. Your senses will be overwhelmed by all the colors, smells and sounds that you'll encounter. The souqs are in constant flux, there are always thousands of tourists and Moroccans alike moving around, until the evening, when the shops start to close, around 8.30pm.
There isn't a thing that you can't find in the souqs. Basically, all you need is a clear idea of what you want, and you'll find it sooner or later. There are hundreds of different models of carpets, babouches (Moroccan slippers), bed covers, wooden objects, lamps, bags, leather goods, wooden furniture, jewelry and souvernirs to choose from!
The shops have quite high prices, with Marrakech being the Morocco's primary destination for tourists. But the upside of this is that you can bargain a lot and bring the price down quite a bit. If you love bargaining and haggling, you are going to have a field day in the Marrakech souqs.
The Koutoubia mosque minaret
The minaret of the Koutoubia mosque is the most recognizable landmark in Marrakech. It derives its name from the book sellers and librarians who had their stalls placed here during the 12th century. The minaret (like the mosque, too) can't be visited, but you can take a walk in the park that is bordering it on two sides. The minaret looks impressive when it gets illuminated at night. At 69 m of height, it is visible from the entire city.
Medersa Ben Youssef
The Ben Youssef medersa (religious school) looks so beautiful that you could stare at the stucco decorations and mosaics for hours. Everything conveys the calm mood here: the colors, the spatial arrangement of small students' rooms, the way the light comes in the courtyard with its pool... Which is understandable, since this was a place of learning, prayer and contemplation.
Opening hours: 9am-1pm and 2pm-6pm, every day.
Entrance fee: 30 Dh.
Note: If you are also going to visit the Museum of Marrakech (see below) and the Koubba of the Almoravides, you can buy a unique ticket for all three monuments for 50 Dh.
Museum of Marrakech
The Museum of Marrakech hosts a number of traditional berber costumes, jewelry and so on.
e spatial arrangement of small students' rooms, the way the light comes in the courtyard with its pool... Which is understandable, since this was a place of learning, prayer and contemplation.
Opening hours: 9am-1pm and 2pm-6pm, every day.
Entrance fee: 30 Dh.
Note: If you are also going to visit the medersa Ben Youssef (see above) and the Koubba of the Almoravides, you can buy a unique ticket for all three monuments for 50 Dh.
Le Palais El-Badi
The El-Badi Palace looks epic and monumental. Although stripped of all decorations (the sultan Moulay Ismail took all the materials from it to erect his palace in Meknes), this edifice still leaves the visitors in awe.
When you enter the palace, go to the left and find the access to the terrace — you can enjoy a beautiful view of Marrakech from there.
The Marrakech film festival is held here.
Opening hours: 8.30am-11.45am and 2.30pm-5.45pm, every day, except during big religious festivities.
Entrance fee: 10 Dh.
Le Palais de la Bahia
The El-Bahia Palace is a magnificent edifice giving you the exact impression how must it have been living a rich and lavish life as a sultan.
The palace has several courtyards and gardens, the access to which sometimes leads through small doorways and winding corridors. All the rooms and halls have beautifully decorated cedar ceilings, made in best Moroccan craftsmanship tradition.
If you take an official guide, you will be able to hear all the details of sultan's life here.
Opening hours: 8.45am-11.45am and 2.45pm-5.45pm, every day, except Friday from 8.45am-11.30am and 3pm-5.45pm.
Entrance fee: 10 Dh.