Guide to Marrakech

Tetouan-  Marrakech Riad

Ahmed Belbachir Haskouri (1908–1962) was a powerful member of the royal court of Morocco during the protectorate period. He was a prominent figure in Spanish Moroccan history. He was also a great friend of Josephine Baker. Josephine often stopped to visit him in Tetouan, a small coastal town in the North of Morocco when she […]

Riad Star (90)

Frida Kahlo and Josephine Baker are both women who inspire great respect and iconic status. Individually they both flourished as artists in their fields of painting and performance. At a point in history marred by bigotry and racism they reached heights of fame. Josephine and Frida were both known to be bisexual, and when they […]

Marrakech marathon 2018 - Marrakech Riad

The 29th edition of the  Marrakech marathon will take place on the 28 th January 2018. His Majesty King Mohammed VI is the patron of this event, where more than 8000 runners from all around the world will take part in a most prestigious marathon. The stunning circuit in Marrakech is considered to be one […]

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The newly built Yves St Laurent fashion museum in Marrakech has been named by the Architectural Digest as one of the most influential buildings of 2017. The new museum displays fashion pieces created  by the iconic fashion designer who loved Marrakech. Designed by the French architecture firm headed by Olivier Marty and Karl Fournier, the […]

Guedra dancers

Guedra represents several aspects of a form of dance which is particular to Southern Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria. The primary meaning of Guedra is cooking pot, when this pot is covered with a stretched leather skin to create a drum, the drum is also known as Guedra. When the drummer plays a beat representing a […]

Ahwash dancers - Marrakech riad

Ahwash dancing is from the areas around Ouarzazatte and the High Atlas mountains. Women in colourful dress stand motionless around a group of men who are in turn sitting around a fire. The men each have “bendir’s (simple wood and skin frame drums)  A piercing cry breaks the silence, and the performance begins. The men […]

UNESCO world heritage top location

African media outlet site Afrika News has ranked the Moroccan Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou in Ouarzazate as one of the top four most distinguished UNESCO heritage sites across Africa. The famous Kasbah made it to the top of the list ahead of Victoria Falls , Kenya’s lake system, and the Namib Sand Sea. The report stated that “Morocco is one […]

Moroccan pastry chef, Said Lâouaouda, who could enter the Guinness World Records thanks to the gigantic 140-kilogram pie.

Moroccan pastry chef, Said Lâouaouda, could enter the Guinness World Records thanks to the gigantic 140-kilogram pie. The young Chef from Morocco has created a vast Panettone; a traditional Italian cake made with candied fruits and pearl sugar. The mammoth task took four days of work by four people.  The recipe required 69 kilograms of […]

Fodor’s Travel Guide is the world’s largest and professional travel guide book. Marrakech has been placed at the top of its “Travel Go List for 2018.” beating 51 other renowned world holiday destinations to top the 2018 list. “This romantic desert oasis is set to be one of 2018’s most fashionable vacations,” Fodor’s said. “Marrakech really […]

josephine-baker-gif-marrakech riad

In 1927 he lithographer Paul Colin was commissioned to create a portfolio of work representing La Revue Nègre in Paris. He created  Le Tumulte Noir, a potrtfolio of 45 coloured lithographs. The lithographs celebrated Josephine Baker and the cast of the show, showcasing the energy that the black performers generated in jazz age Paris. The […]

JOsephine Baker performs marrakech riad star

Josephine Baker strutting her stuff. The lady really could dance…………Wild moves from our favourite entertainer. This clip is from La Revue Des Revues. Paris in 1927. (Not the original sound.) Riad Star the former home of Josephine Baker in Marrakech, and now a luxurious boutique guesthouse. With suites dedicated to the star herself. Come and […]

New york times 1942 - Josephine Baker - Riad Star

There was much speculation regarding the fate of Josephine Baker, some feared and reported the worst. The New York Times ran an article on December 6 th 1942 declaring that Josephine was safe and living in Marrakech. “JOSEPHINE IS SAFE” “Negro dancer reported dead is living in Morocco. Casablanca Morocco Dec 5th Josephine Baker, the […]

OLives in the local market near to Marrakech riad

Our cookery school ethos at Marrakech Riad  is really simple, Keep it fresh and keep it healthy! For our tapenade recipe the first step is to visit the local market to buy today’s best ingredients. Then we can begin to cook a delicious meal! 1 cup/200 grams black cured olives 2 tablespoons capers (rinsed and […]

There are those of us who love to explore the world, who seek places where our senses can be filled with wonder. Places where we can delight in the richness and differences of cultures and cities. Those of us who yearn to widen our life experiences of the world. If you are this person we […]

Josephine Baker - Marrakech Riad Star

We love this new book by Mehdi de Graincourt. It’s a wonderfully researched and beautifully presented book in which Mehdi presents the Kingdom of Morocco through the eyes of those visitors through history who found a deep connection and passion for the country. Over several centuries, Morocco has attracted Western writers, painters,composers, singers and artists. […]

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The first time that Josephine heard a news report of her own death, she was lying on a chaise relaxing whilst enjoying the scent of the fragranced trees upon the rooftop gardens of Mohamed Menebhi’s palace. The very same complex of buildings are today Riad Star in Marrakech.  Josephine’s response, as reported by Ollie Stewart, […]

Immerse yourself in the rich culture of Marrakech

We all have different motivations to travel, and we all have different styles of doing so.  To take a break from daily routine, to relax, to experience something new, to learn, to challenge our understandings of other places and other cultures, to step outside our daily norms and broaden our awareness of the world and […]

Riad Star

Our cookery school ethos at Marrakech Riad  is really simple, Keep it fresh and keep it healthy! For our zaalouk recipe the first step is to visit the local market to buy today’s best ingredients. Then we can begin to cook a delicious meal! Zaalouk is a wonderful tasty treat, it is versatile and stays […]

Fantasia_by_Gabriel_Veyre

Gabriel Veyre was born in France in 1871 and was an early filmmaker and photographer. Veyre travelled to the Americas and to Japan and China where he created many films and photographs, some of these were shown in 1900 in an exposition in Paris. In 1901 Veyre travelled to Morocco where he was contracted to […]

Wine Tasting with Marrakech riad

Wine may not be our first association when we think of Morocco, yet there superb wines and beautiful vineyards. Charles de Melia a renowned wine maker from the Chateauneuf du Pape region in France makes a selection of fabulous wines at his Moroccan vineyard.  This is the most southerly vineyard in North Africa and also has […]

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Autumn 2017 has not been kind to the Marrakech community in addition to the passing of the iconic Pierre Berge we also lost Mohamed Zkhiri who has a lower profile internationally but was no less widely appreciated in the Red City. Mike and Lucie have fond memories of Mohammed’s hospitality at Dar Yacout, a golden eopoque […]

morocco world cup bid

Morocco has declared its intention to bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a formal proposal to be submitted by 16th March 2018. The 2026 tournament will be the first to be held under a new 48 team format with 16 first round groups of three teams meaning 10 to 12 stadiums will be […]

Pascha steps out by Alfred Dehodencq

Alfred Dehodencq (born 23 April 1822 – 2 January 1882) was a mid-19th-century French Orientalist painter born in Paris. He was known for his vivid oil paintings, especially of Andalusian and North African scenes. He was a student in Paris at the Beaux-Arts. Following a tour of Spain Alfred visited Morocco where he remained for 9 years, where he found […]

TED x Marrakech sponsored by Marrakech riad

Marrakech Riad are thrilled to be sponsoring  TEDxMarrakesh for the third time. This year the theme will be “Tribes & Trolls”, focusing on digitalization and how our lives are impacted by social media, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, block chain, bitcoins and psycho-graphics. Where are we standing now and even more important – where are we […]

Paris seemed small to Josephine Baker  compared to New York, however she fell in love with the city instantly and set out to conquer it. Her strategy was to consider the city as a lover and little by little seduce it. She was chic and funny, a winning combination . The rich flocked to Paris […]

Traditional Moroccan Cookies

Ghoriba Bahla cookies are traditional or beldi biscuits, usually enjoyed with mint tea. At a glance, the recipe and the process of making these delicious treats is seemingly very simple. I can assure you that it takes practice to perfect the flavour, consistency and technique! In this article, our friend is making a batch of […]

white harira soup. Marrakech street food

It’s 3am, and from the silent street we can hear the piercing sound of the harira man’s wake up alarm. He is used to such early starts. In fact, apart from on Friday’s, everyday begins this way. It is still dark, the sun wont rise for another hour yet – so the usually busy and […]