The Marrakech Medina

At Marrakech Riad we pride ourselves on offering our guests as much support and information as they require to help them to plan their perfect stay in our beautiful Medina accommodation. The ancient walled city at the heart of Marrakech is a labyrinthine adventure, filled with the daily activities of the inhabitants of this marvellous place, some moments truly seem frozen in time! Here you will find details of some of the great places within those fabled walls of this celebrated red city.

Tazoukt Wood Painting

In Marrakech, there are many traditional artisanal trades that have been practiced for centuries, passed down from generation to generation. One such craft skill is the art of Tazoukt. Tazoukt is a form of woodcraft in which wooden items – including panels, boxes, ceilings and furniture – are painted in intricate patterns. The designs are […]

Agdal Gardens, Marrakech

Situated close to the Royal Palace, to the southern edge of the Marrakech medina, the Agdal Gardens exists as a superb example of the architectural and landscaping skill. Covering an area of approximately 400 hectares, the garden comprises of orange, apricot, lemon, fig, and pomegranate trees in rectangular plots, all conjoined by olive-tree lined walkways. […]

Mandarin Orange Seller Marrakech

Across the Marrakech Medina, almost on every derb (street), there are many small stalls selling a variety of food from home cooked bread to dried fruit. Indeed, each stall specialises in a different food-type and many sell fresh fruit sourced from the local Marrakech area. It is undoubtedly true that the summer months (July to […]

Le Prince Street, Marrakech

Set off the famous Jemaa el Fna Square, Passage Prince Moulay Rachid – or Le Prince Street as it is known to the locals – is one of the most popular streets in the Marrakech Medina. The street connects the main square to the south of the Medina including the long distance taxi rank, the El […]

caligraphy

Calligraphy, known as Khatt in Arabic, is very much part of the Arab identity. On your trip to Marrakech, you will see that it is all around you: on shop signs, newspapers, books and advertising. It has become a way of communicating through art. We met up with Nour-Eddine Boukheir, a traditionally trained calligrapher, who […]

Hole in Marrakech Ramparts

Stretching for 16km around the medina, the extensive ramparts of Marrakech are impossible to miss; they may even be the your first sight of the red city. You may notice that the walls themselves are marked with numerous holes. Although many local Marrakchis will tell you conflicting stories as how the holes were formed, we […]

Miaara Jewish Cemetery, Marrakech

The tight streets of the Mellah – traditionally the Jewish neighbourhood of Marrakech – are an atmospheric corner of the red city. It is here where once can find the 17th Century Miaara Jewish Cemetery. Set east of the El Badi Palace and South of the Bahia Palace in the heart of the Mellah, tucked […]

The Minbar de la Koutoubia at El Badi Palace

Not to be confused with the small fridge found in hotel rooms, a minbar is roughly the Islamic equivalent to a pulpit, the steps an Imam ascends during midday Friday prayers. It follows the form of the stairs used by the Prophet Mohammed to address the faithful in Mecca, and still remains an essential part […]

cafe clock, marrakech culture cafe

Opened in the Spring of 2014, Café Clock is the baby of Englishman Mike Richardson. It is the sister of Mike’s well-respected Café Clock in the Medina of Fez, and the Marrakech café has already gained a cult following here in the red city. Expect reasonably priced food and drinks in relaxed surroundings. Our menu […]

The Gates of Marrakech- Bab El Debbagh, ‘The Tanners Gate’  Marrakech

Lying to the east of Marrakech, Bab El Debbagh provides entrance to one of the oldest districts of the city, the tanneries. Of all of the 19 gates that puncture the red pisé-cement ramparts of Marrakech, Bab El Debbagh is the only one to be named after a craft, demonstrating the historic importance of the […]

Moroccan furniture warehouse in Marrakech

Tucked away behind Palais Moulay Idriss, en route back to the Jemaa el-Fna square towards the end of our ‘Iron and Clay’ Medina walk, we stumbled across Art Dahnaoui, a large warehouse housing a range of hand-made furniture and traditional ornaments. Some of the smaller items that Art Dahnaoui has to offer were not dissimilar […]

satirical art on tablets in Marrakech, Morocco 1

Whilst strolling through the fashionable Kasbah district in the Marrakech Medina, we stumbled across a small shop front covered with vibrant tablets depicting satirical renditions of Moroccan life. The bright colours and intriguing content of the tablets drew us into the shop where we met by Nour-Eddine Boukheir, the shop’s owner and artist responsible for […]

Sequins marrakech

A breast cancer survivor and belly-dance teacher from Chiswick in London, Yvette Cowles is set to take her one woman show Sequins on my Balcony to   Riad Star – the Marrakech residence of Jazz superstar and banana dance originator, Josephine Baker – for a one-off charity performance on Friday 16 January 2015. A soloist with Johara Dance Company […]

Recycled glass into ornate bottles

In Moroccan society, very little goes to waste: raw scrap materials are re-used and recycled; leftover food is often donated to the poor and if something is broken it is always repaired and fixed. Perhaps these decisions are not always environmentally focused, but it is nice to see a society that would rather recycle, re-use […]

Marrakech Tanneries

The traditional process for tanning leather is undoubtedly smelly, yet this smell is a small price to pay for witnessing such a unique and interesting interesting sight.; where else would you get the chance to see the men tread and rinse skins in mysterious liquids and dyes before scraping and stretching the hides using traditional […]

red hand-sewn embroidery

In Muslim societies, as in many places around the world, hand-sewn embroidery is traditionally regarded as a luxury item reserved for the high social class. These days, regardless of your social class or income, no matter how hard you look it is often difficult to find such quality craftsmanship anywhere. In the age of mass-production […]

Kasbah cafe Marrakech

There are a lot of things to do in Marrakech, but sometimes the hot Moroccan sun can take its toll. It is in these moments that even the most hardened traveller requires a café to relax, drink a refreshing drink and maybe even grab something to eat. Situated in Kasbah district, close to the entrance […]

Moroccan rug, arab carpets seller, Marrakech

All around the world Morocco is famous for it’s carpets and many travellers land in Marrakech in search of a quality piece of authentic craftwork. But it is rare to find a carpet seller who sells quality products, at fixed prices, without the tourist-spiel. However, the El Wifak Carpet Cooperative, located in the Ensemble Artisanal […]

dar cherifa

Once you have followed the small sign off Rue Mouassine, worked your way through the alleyways and knocked on the almost anonymous door to be let in, you are greeted with a warm welcome and an amazing interior. Dar Cherifa can be found in one of the oldest Riads in Marrakech, dating back to the […]

wood workshop, marrakech

Whilst walking around Marrakech, it is impossible not to notice how many of the doors, window shutters and wooden tables are carefully adorned with exquisite carvings or intricately painted tessellated patterns. These humble items extend far beyond their functional use: the beautiful designs, that are so unique to the region, represent a certain respect for […]

khalid art gallery, marrakech

The Khalid Art Gallery is becoming somewhat of an institution in Marrakech. Located on Dar el Basha in a traditional Riad, the Art Gallery (perhaps more accurately defined as a shop) is bursting with some of the most sought after Moroccan antiques and exquisite artisanal products that Marrakech has to offer. It is easy to […]

yassine pict

Situated on the road leading to the tanneries, facing the Mokf Hospital, lies a small leather workshop owned by Yassine, a 33 year old artisan. Yassine invited us in to his small shop to show us around. He explained that he had started sewing when he was just 12 years old and since then he […]

Souks, Marrakech

Lying at the northern point of the world famous Souks, hidden down a small alleyway off the main Souk passageways, it is possible to find a row of Iron workshops inhabited by local Marrakchis. Although this spot remains uncharted on the majority of tourist maps and guides, if you download our MarrakechRiad app and follow […]

bab er robb, Marrakech Medina

Bab Er-Robb, which translates as ‘Lord’s Gate’, was used for controlling spirits; nowadays it functions as the main entrance into the Medina. Whereas Bab Er-Robb is perhaps not as visually stunning as it’s close neighbor, Bab Agnaou, it is possible to find a beautiful rose garden and comfortable shady benches less than 10 metres from […]

bab agnaou, Marrakech Medina

While it’s nearby neighbor Bab er-Robb acts as the official entrance to the city, Bab Agnaou functions as the main entrance to the Kasbah which is the site of the El Badi Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the El Mansouria (the kasbah mosque). Bab Aganou is perhaps the most unique of Marrakech’s nineteen gates and […]

Koutoubia Mosque at night

During Ramadan, every night after the sun has set and their fast has been broken, many Muslims go to the mosque for extra prayers called Salat Atarawih. When night falls in Marrakech, many local people quickly descend on the Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech’s largest and oldest mosque, in an effort to find a place to pray […]

medina wall, turrets, marrakech

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 […]