Marrakech Riad News
The Ramparts
Commissioned by Ali Ben Yousef back in 1126, the ramparts that surround Marrakech’s old town have become the symbol of the red city. Standing at 8-10m high they once provided protection for the inhabitants of Marrakech and, until the early 20th century, the 10 gates that give access to the Medina (Marrakech’s old town) were […]
The Khomisa Symbol (The Hand of Fatima)
The Hamsa symbol, also known as the hand of fatima, can be found all across the Arabic and North African world and you will repeatedly see the amulet throughout your stay in Morrocco. Most Moroccans believe that the Hamsa, or Khomisa as it is known locally, acts as a form of protection from evil, whilst […]
Koutoubia Gardens (Lalla Hassna Park)
The Koutoubia Mosque is the most visited monument in Marrakech. Standing at an impressive 77 meters tall, the mosque’s magnificent minaret tower dominates the city’s skyline providing a useful landmark to tourists and locals alike. However, perhaps one of the best perspectives of the minaret is from the Koutobia Gardens. As you enter the garden […]
The Royal Theatre
Inaugurated on 19th of September 2001 by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Théâtre Royal de Marrakech has worked to secure the red city’s reputation as one of the major artistic and cultural focal points of the world. Inside it’s impressive 1200-seat open-air theatre and 800-seat opera house, the theatre hosts a variety of […]
Charity motorcycle taxis
A welcome addition to the street scene in Marrakech are the bright canopies of the charity motorcycle taxis no located on the South side of the main Jema Al Fnaa square near to the horse and carriage rank. The three wheeled vehicles are ideal for negotiating the small streets of the Medina and the drivers […]
Jemaa el-Fnaa – storytellers of the square
The tradition of storytelling is a Moroccan practice which has been taking place in the central square of Marrakech for many hundreds of years. Much like snake charming, acrobatics and copper working, good storytelling is a revered art which demands natural talent as well as many years of practice. Across the corners of Morocco, storytelling or […]
Jemaa el-Fnaa – the Medina Mosque
Overshadowing the central square of Marrakech is the stunning sight of the Medina, or Argana Mosque. Hugging the North-Western reaches of the Jemaa el-Fnaa aside of Souk Jdid, the Argana Mosque has no Qur’anic school and exists solely as a space of prayer, acting as a key religious location for local Marrakshi, especially during the […]
Moroccan style – the traditional Djellaba
New fashions come and go through the red city of Marrakech, yet there is one piece of clothing with has stayed for centuries, this is the traditional Moroccan Djellaba. Worn by both men and women, you can expect to see Djellabas worn on a day to day to basis in the streets of the red […]
Eid al-Mawlid an-Nabawī – religious festival in Marrakech
There are a number of key religious celebrations that take place in Morocco, the exact dates of which constantly change in keeping with the Islamic calender which follows the lunar cycle. One such celebration is Eid al-Mawlid an-Nabawī (the festival of the birth of the prophet Mohammed) which takes place in Rabi’ al-awwal, the third month of […]
Jemaa el-Fnaa – Boxing
For many hundreds of years, the Jemaa el-Fnaa square of Marrakech has played host to a wide range of markets, a plethora of unimaginable spectacles and all forms of entertainment imaginable. Indeed, in the red city today, very little has changed. A short stroll through Marrakech’s central square could involve an encounter with anything from a Berber […]
Marrakech Medina – Moroccan scarves
If you step out of the doors of the Riad Cinnamon and stroll past the Ben Youssef mosque, you will encounter the numerous scarf stalls that line the walls in the direction of Souk Semmarine. The stalls showcase kaleidoscopic arrangements of vivid colours and patterning, the likes of which can not be found in the city market […]
Souk el Bahja – the place of lovers
In the North-Eastern reaches of the ancient central square of Marrakech between Souk Semmarine and Café de France you will discover Souk el Bahja. Meaning literally ‘up and down’ in the Moroccan Darija dialect of Arabic, Souk el Bahja gets its name from the three floors of iron stairs that allow you to traverse through the labyrinthine […]
Jemaa el-Fnaa – Ba Mahjoub the bird trainer
At the very centre of Marrakech is Jemaa el-Fnaa. For hundreds of years this central square has acted as the beating heart and mouthpiece of the red city, and is home to markets, food stalls and street performers of a huge variety. One individual you might expect to encounter in the square is Ba Mahjoub […]
Jemaa el-Fnaa – Rue Moulay Rachid
Rue Moulay Rachid or L’Prince as local Marrakshi call it, stretches from the reaches of the hotel Grand Tazi to the Café Grand Terrace. You will discover L’Prince to be a thriving area of the red city, where the huge of variety of shops, restaurants and café’s keep the district humming with activity all through the […]
Moroccan Winter soup – harira
During the chilly winters of Marrakech, where the temperature drops from 40°C Summer highs to below 8°C, there is one Moroccan delicacy that you will see on almost every dinner table, this is Harira soup. Any local Marrakshi will tell you that the best harira soup is home-made, usually consisting of flour, lentils, cermicelli, beans, […]
Festival and fantasia – Tamaslouht Musem and Tbourida
About 30 kilometres to the South of the red city of Marrakech in the direction of Lalla Takerkoust lake, a small festival takes place in memory of the saint Moulay Abdellah Ben Hussain. This festival is called the Tamaslouht Musem (festival) and Tbourida (fantasia) and it occurs on the last week of January. On the first […]
Jemaa el-Fnaa – Chasing lemonade
In the hustle and bustle of Marrakech’s central square, you can find everything from snake charmers to magicians. That’s not to say that Jemaa el-Fnaa is a space strictly for the weird and the wonderful, one public game that you will find being played day or night by tourists and locals alike is ‘chasing lemonade’. […]
Marrakech street food – moul seikok
A short stroll through the winding labyrinthine streets of the red city of Marrakech will lead you to encounter a huge variety of traditional street foods being sold. One such dish is moul seikok, a fusion of steamed semolina seeds and milk. If you are strolling through one of Marrakech’s many souks, you may hear […]
Jemaa el-Fnaa – holistic remedies of the desert
If you take a short stroll through the central square of Marrakech (known as Jemaa el-Fnaa) you will encounter all kinds of spices, herbs and medicinal products, many of which are made from the unique commodity of the Argan nut. Located in the Eastern corner of the square however, is an area dedicated to showcasing […]
The Mowahad king and his doctor – Kennaria quarter
Photo: J Schalkwijk Just East of the central square of Marrakech, standing between the Dabachi and Riad Zitun Jdid districts is the Kennaria quarter. No one is quite sure where the name of the quarter originates from, some say from the canary bird, others the canary cactus and the rest say it’s possible that the […]
The Arsat gardens of Marrakech
‘Arsat’ is a term coined by the 19th century writer and Islamic scholar Hocine El Yamani, it’s meaning is to indicate the urban spaces which were cultivated and transformed into botanical gardens by the order of the kings of the Alaouite dynasty. These gardens have held a key significance in Moroccan culture for many centuries, […]
The dagger clans of Mouassine
Like many areas of the red city of Marrakech, the Mouassine district has a history spanning hundreds of years. Previously called Houmat Abi Abidan, the name for this well-known part of the city came to be called Mouassine at some point in the 16th century after a large clan of Jewish settlers came to the area. […]
The Almoravid Dynasty and Moul Lksour
In the neighbourhood of Dar el Bacha there lies an ancient history of royalty, wealth and opulence of the former Almoravid Empire. About a thousand years ago, the area served a a residential and administrative sector for the princes and dignitaries who belonged to the dynasty. Yet the neighbourhood also holds a rich cultural significance for […]
Jemaa el-Fnaa – Fruit sellers
Where the growth of dates and the celebrated Argan nut thrive in Morocco’s arid climate, it’s only possible for tropical fruits such as coconut and pineapple to grow in the more humid parts of the country. That’s not to say that they won’t be seen in the humming central square of Marrakech, where everything from snail […]