Marrakesh

Yoga Retreat Marrakech

Riad’s—traditional Moroccan homes—are the perfect destination for yoga groups. The intimate layout, the rooftop terrace, and the relaxing dipping pool of our Riad Star offer a gorgeous backdrop to any yoga retreat. Our in-house chefs are happy to prepare fresh, nourishing food for the body and mind and our live-in staff is always on hand […]

Souk_Rabeaa_8

Tagine is the dish that most often comes in mind when traveling to Morocco, but all locals in Marrakech recommend foreigners try a Tangia. Tangia a dish that is specific to Marrakech. You can’t find it outside of the city. The Tangia itself is a clay pot that is loaded up with ingredients, taken to […]

Marrakech Donkey

As you walk the streets of Marrakech, you won’t just find humans working, but donkeys, too. Donkeys are essential to the Marrakshi work force, especially in the Old Town. The streets of the Medina are so narrow, that oftentimes workers at building sites are unable to transport their materials with anything other than a donkey-drawn […]

souk_rabeaa_2

The tagine is by far the most popular cooking item in Morocco. No matter where you are in the country, you will find one in the kitchen. The word “tagine” specifically refers to a clay pot with a cone-shaped lid that slowly cooks meats and vegetables until they are moist and oh so tender. After […]

Road_to_papillon

What’s incredible about Morocco (that perhaps people don’t realize) is that the stunning mosaics and expertly carved wall accents you find in many Riads aren’t just reserved for upper-class homes or tourist-y hotels. These incredibly detailed artworks cover the surfaces of everyday homes that people have lived in for millennia. Most homes, which look humble […]

Marrakech Cat

Cats are all over the place in Marrakech. You’ll find them relaxing in the streets, playing with one another by shop entrances, and even coming up to you for some cuddles! The whole city is their stomping ground. Cats are in cafes, restaurants, and, sometimes, we are pleasantly surprised to find a furry feline friend […]

1,1

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 […]

Noureddine Amir

Noureddine Amir is a fashion designer from Morocco. Born in Rabat he studied in a French fashion school which was briefly open in Morocco. His studio is called Villa Amir and is in Marrakech. The space is filled with wooden mannequins adorned with raffia and clay.  what sets Noureddine apart from many Moroccan fashion designers […]

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 […]

riad star-145

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 […]

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 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 […]

giphy (5)

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The palace of the Glaoui Marrakech

Josephine Baker stayed in Casablanca for medical treatment following a prolonged illness. During her time in hospital in Casablanca she was visited regularly by the Pacha of Marrakech; Thami El Glaoui. Their close relationship was well known, and it was also rumoured that she had miscarried his child, leading to her illness and spell in hospital. […]

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 […]

oldest homosapien bones found near 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

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 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 […]

Josephine Baker Danse Sauvage

Flexibility is a greatly valued quality in African dance, and was in great contrast to the style of European dancing in the 1920’s. In African culture flexibility is a sign of youth and vigour, these aspects of Josephine’s performances were deemed exotic and intoxicating by the audiences who saw her. Josephine was almost double jointed, […]

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 […]