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Sex And the City 2, currently filming in Marrakech
Marrakech is always a fun town for people watching, even more so at the moment! Hollywood is in Marrakech and the heart of the Medina is buzzing with activity for the filming of Sex And the City 2. A few hundred yards from Riad Papillon burly security guards left us in no doubt that amateur […]
Welcome visitor, a Papillon at Riad Papillon
A butterfly is a rare sight in the urban setting of the old town of Marrakech. So imagine our delight at the arrival of this welcome guest at Riad Papillon. It was cunningly photographed by our eagle eyed guardian Abdelatif as it inspected the newly opened Riad. As the Moroccans say ‘Baraka’, what a wonderful omen!
Languages
A Red City, a Rainbow of dialects Moroccans are by and large excellent linguists and natural communicators – what they lack in expertise they make up for with enthusiasm. Across Marrakech, and particularly in the souks, the visitor is best advised to put aside inhibitions and join in! Classical and Moroccan Arabic Arabic is the […]
Marrakech Gardens
The Arabic word Riad means garden and some of the most beautiful gardens in Marrakech are to be found in the medina providing shade in traditional houses. There are also a number of public gardens which are well worth a visit. Majorelle Gardens Established in the 1920’s by French painter Jacques Majorelle and made famous […]
Koutoubia Marrakech
The Koutoubia mosque was built in the 12th century under the Caliph Yaqub al-Mansur to be the crowning glory of his North African based empire, it is indeed today still the largest mosque to be found in Marrakech today. The structure stands 69 metres tall towering over the surrounding city, which considering its placement in […]
Riad, Ryad, Riyad
So good, they named them three times! Written in Arabic as رياض and variously by Europeans as riad, ryad or riyad. A riad is a traditional home built around an internal garden. Literally riad means garden, not house! This courtyard design with no external windows is very practical keeping the home cool and secure. It […]
Marrakech, Marrakesh
So good they named it twice! Written in Arabic as مراكش foreigners use the French ‘Marrakech’ and English ‘Marrakesh’ interchangeably. Marrakech sits at a strategic location on the trade route between sub Saharan Africa and the sea route to Europe. The early name was Marra Kouch, land of the Kouchmen a tribe that originated in […]
Atlas
The Atlas Mountains provide a stunning backdrop to Marrakech. One of the great pleasures of the Red City is to relax on the roof terrace on a clear day enjoying views of the snow covered mountain tops. The mountains themselves are easily accessible for a day trip or excursion. A favourite route is the Ourika valley […]
Golf
Our Marrakech Riad Hotels in the Medina are the perfect base for a Golfing holiday. There are three outstanding 18 hole within 30 minutes of your Ryad in Marrakech. We can help reserve tee times. The Royal The Royal was constructed by the famed and feared Pasha who resided at the Pasha Palace at the […]
Haggling in the Souks in Marrakech
Shopping in Marrakech is an experience like no other: The billowing silk scarves and hand woven shawls, shiny brass lamps in shimmering gold and silver metals, fragrant mint and exotic spices such as cinnamon and cumin, handmade Berber rugs with geometric designs and silky smooth tadelakt bowls in intense sky blues, ox blood reds and […]