FeedPosts | Marrakech Riad

The Moroccan Madonna by Ghita Benlamih

Recently Madonna posed wearing a headdress from Morocco during her birthday celebrations. The headdress was the same one that she wore during the MTV Vma awards ceremony where she gave a tribute to soul icon Aretha Franklin. Some people called the act of wearing the piece inappropriate or cultural appropriation, yet if we look a […]

Madonna’s birthday headdress.

The queen of pop celebrated her 60th birthday in Marrakech, and chose a traditional riad as the palatial setting for the party. Madonna, has always embraced all that is bold and powerful. Conical bras and corsets were her trademark look in the 1990’s, so it is no surprise that she chose a powerful and iconic […]

If The Shoes Fit…

A credit is due to the Marrakchi (local Moroccan) people, for their ability to restore and salvage materials and items which we might usually disregard or replace. There is really no disposable attitude towards possessions. If something is acquired, it is generally worked hard for and therefore treasured. Not only plastic bottles and bags, electrical equipment […]

Josephine Baker falls ill in Morocco 1941

In June 1941 Josephine Baker was at her home in Marrakech when she was struck with crippling abdominal pain. French captain Jacques Abtey borrowed a station wagon so that Josephine could lay down for the long ( 350 mile ) journey on uneven roads to the hospital in Casablanca. The date was June 1941, and […]

Christiano Ronaldo spends New Years Eve in Marrakech

Marrakech is an ever popular destination for celebrities, and as the popularity of this fabled red city grows year on year it is becoming the choice of destination for important celebrations. This year was no exception. Ronaldo was just one of a host of celebrities who chose to see in the New Year in the […]

What our guests say about a stay at Marrakech Riad

There are so many things we could tell you about the special things we offer at our four boutique Riads in Marrakech, from the importance of caring and helpful yet discreet staff to the comfort and special touches which we offer as standard to all of our guests……….but sometimes it’s best to just let our […]

Josephine Baker in Morocco

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 […]

Josephine Baker and Frida Kahlo

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 […]

Morocco is officially the Spa capital of Africa

Morocco won the award for the best spa destination in Africa for the second consecutive year, at a ceremony recently held in Vietnam. The kingdom has won the “Africa’s Best Spa Destination 2017” Award, due to its spas, thermal centres, and modern luxury facilities, which offer a wide range of body treatments and massages. The […]

Moroccan Pastry Chef attempts world record bake.

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 […]

Josephine Baker and La Revue Nègre

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 […]

Early film footage of Josephine Baker in Paris

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 […]

Josephine Baker reported as safe in the New York Times on the 6th December 1942

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 […]

A recipe from Marrakech Riad cookery school – Olive Tapanade

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 […]

Embrace the wonders of exploring Marrakech

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 honored in new publication : Their Morocco by Mehdi Graincourt

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. […]

Josephine Baker in Marrakech

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, […]

Wine in Morocco

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 […]

Alfred Dehodencq in Morocco

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 […]

Marrakech Riad are proud to sponsor TEDx Marrakech 2017

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 […]

Candis Magazine in 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, a Moroccan staple.

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 announce new flights 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 […]

Oldest Homo sapiens bones ever – found 100km from Marrakech

Fossils recovered from an old mine on a desolate mountain in Morocco have rocked one of the most enduring foundations of the human story: that Homo sapiens arose in a cradle of humankind in East Africa 200,000 years ago. Archaeologists unearthed the bones of at least five people at Jebel Irhoud, a former barite mine […]

Claude Hopkins – Musical director for Josephine Baker

Claude Hopkins was a jazz pianist who led one of the most popular big bands to come out of Harlem. He went to Europe as musical director for the singer Josephine Baker, leading a band that included Sidney Bechet, the saxophonist and clarinetist. He led the orchestra on the opening night of the Revue Negre in Paris. […]

Iftar – a special meal for Ramadan

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 Fruits of Morocco

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 […]