marrakech souks

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Felt necklaces made and dyed in the souks of Marrakech

Make your way through the open arch portal beside the historic Mouassine fountain, and you will find yourself inside Sebbaghine, Marrakech’s vibrant Souk des teinturiers. (Dyers Souk) If you have a passion for textiles, an eye for colour, or an interest in all things artisanal; then you will certainly enjoy a look at the dyers […]

Koutoubia Mosque Marrakech

Sally Evans visited Marrakech for  Candis Women’s family & Lifestyle magazine. Her account of staying in Marrakech describes beautiful mosques, enchanting palaces and thriving souks. With a beautiful account of her experiences and a host of helpful tips the essence of this beautiful ancient city is vibrantly shared by her clear passion for the red city.   […]

Harira in Marrakech, Marrakech riad

The Lcrésé family are famous amongst the locals in Marrakech, for their positive presence in the community. In recent years, they established a successful restaurant, Atay; which is a popular hub amongst residents & tourists. They serve both traditional and continental dishes which are all prepared by their Moroccan chef, using fresh and locally sourced […]

Condor airways fly to Marrakech from Germany

Condor from November 2017 is introducing service to Marrakech, from various German airports. The airline plans to offer following flights once a week, with Airbus A320/321 aircraft. Current schedule listing shows these new routes will be served on year-round basis. Dusseldorf – Marrakech eff 10NOV17 1 weekly A320 (Day 5) DE192 DUS1400 – 1655RAK 320 […]

Iftar in Morocco

Iftar or Ftour is the shared meal eaten at sunset during Ramadan to break the fasting of the day. Muslims break their fast at the time of the call to prayer for the evening prayer. Iftar is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is taken around sunset. Feeding others […]

cactus fruit in marrakech riad

The cactus plants seen at the roadsides of Morocco bear a wonderful fruit; the prickly pear. The plants are often a natural boundary between properties, and in the late summer they become laden with fruit. Take care when opening the fruit, as the spines are fine and spiky! You will notice that the street vendors […]

Josephine Baker in 1926 .

“The grinning, wide eyed woman exploded into energy just barely contained by skin and a human form. Every part of her seemed to go in a different direction, flung from some central volcano of spirit. She made faces and flailed about. She shook her rear end, then drew it in and strutted in place. The […]

Riad Star (16)

Bananas were introduced to Morocco as a crop in the early 1940’s, production was confined to small plantings in special micro climates along the Atlantic coast, north of Agadir, The best sites for banana cultivation are low areas along the Atlantic coast that are essentially frost-free. Sites are protected from strong winds; also, windbreaks, typically living fences of […]

Morocco to Timbuktu

“Morocco to Timbuktu – An Arabian Adventure,” BBC  production. Marrakech resident Alice Morrison takes us on an epic travel adventure to discover the salt traders routes of North Africa. Starting her voyage in  Tangier, the Gateway to Europe, Alice uses ancient trading routes into sub-Saharan Africa. Winding her way towards the Sahara via Marrakech and onward […]

Josephine-with-her-rainbow-tribe

Josephine Baker was a vocal supporter of racial equality. There were many times during her life when she stood up for tolerance and against racism. Josephine was an extraordinary woman, and some of her life choices and ambitions were extraordinary too. Josephine was unable to have children of her own, so she undertook an unprecedented […]

riad-papillon-_ALK2248

From the moment you step off the plane you are immersed in the beauty and wonder of Marrakech. The heat of the desert sun greets you warmly like an old friend as you disembark from your flight. The cool slick interior of the brand new airport terminal greets you and ‘wows’ you with stunning architecture. The […]

Marrakech bike rental

Marrakech has just launched the first bike sharing system in Africa, Medina Bikes. 320 brand new bicycles are now anchored in ten key points and available 24 hours a day. The project was designed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Onudi) and supported by the Moroccan government. It was implemented by the Moroccan company […]

Ibn Fadhlan expedition to Finland

The Arabian traders of the silk routes between China and Morocco carried diverse treasures. They also carried news and tales of their encounters along their way. The Arab traders of Baghdad were very accustomed to trading with many cultures and civilisations. Early written records made by Abbasid historians tell of trade with Scandinavians. This written […]

Dyed wool in Marrakech

The age old tradition of natural dying continues to this day in the heart of the Marrakech Medina. In the vast and sprawling souks of the red city there are small courtyards, tucked away, where you can see these traditional arts. They are as much a part of daily life now as they have been […]

cafe arabe bar marrakech

Just a five minute stroll from Riad Papillon, Riad Cinnamon and Riad Star is the Cafe Arabe. Nicely situated in a sleepy neighborhood just north of the renowned souk district, Cafe Arabe offers traditional Moroccan cuisine in a modern and sophisticated environment. The atmosphere inside the cafe/ restaurant is relaxed and welcoming and an hour spent here […]

Spices

Herb shopping is a hugely important role in Moroccan day to day life and during a trip through the souk’s you simply have to get talking to someone in order to discover the fascinating culinary, spiritual and medicinal uses for the herbs you can buy in Marrakech. Here is a list of just a few […]

Poultry markets

There are 18 souk’s which employ over 40,000 locals of all backgrounds, ages and ethnicity in Marrakech alone. Although that makes for an almost uncountable number of wares to explore and choose from, no adventure in the Marrakshi  souk’s is complete without a trip to the poultry market in Marché de Volaille, just a ten minute walk away […]

Riad Star

We are grateful to our guests at our Riad hotels who have been wonderfully supportive recommending us to family and friends. With so few rooms at each Riad we have, more often than we would have liked, had to explain that we were fully booked for returning guests preferred dates.  It seems our Marrakech Riads are not […]

Halfway through the process

One thing that it is impossible to fail to notice whilst meandering round Marrakech’s old town (the medina) is that there are a fair number of people who are quite interested in getting you to spend your money in their shops/stalls. Luckily since the introduction of the Tourist police a few years ago this merely […]

Souks overhead

The Marrakech Souks are endlessly entertaining. Take a stroll through the ancient medina with our friend Paul, just minutes from your Marrakech Riad The streets of Marrakech are a scene of constant change and motion. Browse our Marrakech accommodation before making your reservation. Individual suites at Riad Cinnamon: Fez | Essaouira | Chefchaouen | Casablanca | Meknes Luxurious […]

Tassel shop in Souk Cherifa, Marrakech

There are a number of shops in the Marrakech Souks specialising in tassels. Our favourite is located in the Souk Cherifa, just five minutes from Riad Papillon and Riad Cinnamon. Our luxury Riads are the perfect base from which to explore the ancient medina. Reserve accommodation today!