Memories of Marrakech

| Verónica

Narrow streets. Almost being run over by motorbikes. The calls to prayer.

Beautiful kaftans. Wearing a hijab. The night food market on the main square. Snake charmers.

Throngs of people. Hot mint tea. The mosaics and tile work.

The smell of the tanneries. Our rooms in the Riad. Couscous served in tajines.

Traffic jams consisting of yelling locals, confused tourists, speeding bicycles and donkey-pulled carts.

Freshly squeezed orange juice. The smells of cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Being bathed in a Hammam.

Koutoubia Mosque, the largest mosque in Marrakech, was completed in the 12th century.
Djemaa el-Fna, the main square in the medina (old city).
One of many streets and alleyways inside the old fortified city.
Spice jars from a vendor in the souk, a traditional North African market.
Nut and spice vendor on the main square.
At sunset, the Djemaa el-Fna is transformed into a giant open-air restaurant.
Lantern vendor.
Courtyard of Riad Catalina.
Breakfast at the riad.
Fighting turtles. The first turtle sees the second one and starts walking toward it. The second one gets close enough to start snapping at the first. Must have been a domestic quarrel. After a while, both walk off together in the same direction.
The Saadian Tombs date back to the mid 1500s. Members of the Saadi Dynasty are buried inside the mausoleum.
Intricate carvings adorn the columns and ceiling of the tombs.
Outside in the garden are the graves of soldiers and servants.
Inside the Museum of Marrakech housed in the Dar Menebhi Palace built at the end of the 19th century.
A fountain inside the palace.
Doorway in the main courtyard.
Workers restoring the tile work on the courtyard floor.
This door eventually leads to the Hammam inside the palace.
The Ben Youssef Madrasa was an Islamic college founded in the 14th century.
Intricate detail inside the Ben Youssef Madrasa.
Near the Museum of Marrakech is La Koubba Almoravide which dates back to the 11th century and is an example of Almoravid architecture.
Under the dome of La Koubba Almoravide.

More on Marrakech and Fes coming soon.

8 thoughts on “Memories of Marrakech”

    1. Interesting you should say that. I have tons of pictures I haven’t posted of just doorways, windows, etc. There is something mystical about peering through them. Perhaps I will post them sometime. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

      1. I agree. Doors and windows – allows people to look or go out or in and, by their design, sends a message (e.g. bars on windows vs. open windows with lace curtains) to those outside. Have you ever seen photos or drawings of the windows of women’s quarters in traditional Muslims in early 19th Cairo? Fascinating!

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