Marrakesh is only a 3-hour flight from the UK. It offers a culture steeped in history. The city is a melting pot of colour. It provides nonstop theatre that attracts artists, thinkers, creators, and dreamers. This blog provides inspiration of things to do in Marrakesh based on art and architecture.
When you first arrive, you’ll be drawn to the cultural heart of Marrakesh at Jemaa el Fnaa Square. Here, you will find the souk – a labyrinth of stalls full of treasures. The area has a rich history. It dates back to the 11th century. Originally, it was a trading post for caravans crossing the Sahara Desert. It’s always been a lively place. In the 19th Century, the square was used as an animal park and for horse racing on festive occasions. It was also used by the army as a place of assemble and for the execution of rebels. UNESCO, proclaimed it as a cultural space, on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2001.
You will find all your senses heightened when you first arrive. It has an energy that makes you feel alive and full of wonder. The sound of the pungi flute and the beating of the drums are there to mesmerize you as much as charming the snakes. At night, the square comes alive with storytellers, poets, Berber musicians and Gnaoua dancers.
The Medina that hosts the souk is home to many attractions, including palaces, tombs, and secret gardens. As you wander through the Medina, the smell of mint, lavender, and spices catch your attention competing with the unusual goods on show. Motorbikes, donkeys, and carts thrust through the crowds in the alleys with daring precision while stray cats watch the madness bathing in the sun.
One striking element for me is the colour of the Medina. All the buildings and riads are a salmon pink-clay colour. They reflect a red hue in the afternoon when the sun shines. It reminds me of the Farrow & Ball, Sulking Pink paint. This is a relaxed colour. It brings warmth when the light shines.
In Marrakesh, beauty often lies behind intricate gates and high walls. This contrasts with the UK, where houses are proudly on display. The modesty of Morocco is one of the attractions for me. A shabby alley with crumbling pink-clay walls often leads to a riad, where, once inside, you find a beautiful oasis.
Merdersa Ben Youssef
The Saadians made Marrakesh their capital in the sixteenth century. They left some exceptional places. These places are still admired by travellers today. The Ben Youssef Merdersa is one of those places.
Sultan Abdullah Al-Ghaleb Assaadi originally constructed the building between 1564 and 1565. For centuries, the Ben Youssef Merdersa was a hub for young male students studying Islam, philosophy, medicine, and mathematics.
Today, it’s an attraction that attracts many visitors for its traditional Zellige tilework adorning the walls, floors, ceilings, and columns and its carved cedar wood doors and ceilings.
Le Jardin Secret
While strolling around the souk, you will find Le Jardin Secret. This place is a wonderful respite from the hustle of the market. The complex dates back to the Saadian Dynasty, more than four hundred years ago. However, it was rebuilt in the mid-nineteenth century. It was home to some of Morocco and Marrakesh’s most important political figures.
Today, it is an attraction where you can discover its gardens and buildings. These are outstanding examples of Islamic art and architecture. The tower provides an amazing view over the Medina.
In the Exotic Garden, you’ll find plants from Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. These plants were designed by British landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith. The Islamic Gardens is a classic Islamic four-part garden design with water channels dividing the space into quadrants. It’s planted with classic choices found in Moroccan gardens like olives, pomegranates, and oranges.
If you visit, my tip is to avoid the weekend as it’s not so secret! The weekend gets very busy with tourists.
El Badi
EL Badi Palace was built in 1578 for Sultan Ahmad al-Mansour, the ruler of the Saadian Dynasty. It was built as a symbol of the Sultan’s power and wealth. Ahmad al-Mansour wanted to make it an ‘enchantment for the eyes.’ The building contained onyx of every colour, and black and white marble. The column capitals were covered in molten gold or leaves of gold. The ground was paved with marble and interlacing patterns of flowers. The ceilings and walls were encrusted with gold and were adorned with sculptures and inscriptions made from the most beautiful stucco work.
The palace contained four wings, with a courtyard in the middle that housed a swimming pool. The palace was also home to the Sultan’s harem, which included over 500 women.
Ahmad al-Mansour’s successors, including his sons acquired some of the precious materials, in particular, the marble, for the construction of new mosques in Marrakesh such as Sidi Bel-Abbes, spreading the Saadian Dynasty.
EL Badi Palace in Marrakesh is a stunning example of Moroccan architecture and culture. Visiting the ruins, you can only dream of what the palace was once like. Yet, you will be struck by the size of the building. It towers into the Arabian sky. You will also notice the remnants of the tiling that once paved the floor.
Anima Gardens
If you fancy a change from the madness of the city, a couple of parks are available for you to visit. These include Majorelle Gardens and Anima Gardens. I chose Anima because it is a botanical garden with the Atlas Mountains as a backdrop and is full of art.
The garden was created by the famous Austrian artist André Heller. It has more than 10,000 square meters of winding paths with sculptures at every turn by Pablo Picasso, Keith Haring, Alexander Calder, Auguste Rodin, and other colourful works of art in the woodland.
The gardens are a botanical retreat. You can easily spend a couple of hours here. Wander through the grounds. Relax by the pond, in a hammock, or on one of the many benches positioned by the works of art. There are as many types of plants as there are sculptures. You’ll find yourself surrounded by aloe, bamboo, palm trees, ferns, cacti, and rosemary hedges. Once you finish in the park, a café provides refreshments. It also offers a rooftop area to relax and view the Atlas Mountains.
Monde des Arts de la Par Une
I stumbled across this museum walking to El Badi. The Museum is relatively new and houses over 3,000 pieces of antique jewellery. It includes clothes and textiles from over fifty countries. These range from Africa to the Far East, assembled over decades of travel and passionate research.
The building itself is architectural art. It has three floors with a wonderful rooftop café that was one of the cleanest I have ever eaten in. Giant daisies and other plants surround the tables. They attract butterflies and honeybees. Large terracotta pots house many plants. It resembles a garden oasis, which was an unexpected surprise.
Riad Yimma
When strolling around the art at Riad Izza, I noticed some artworks by Hassan Hajjaj – a local artist with a gallery in the souk. So, I decided to visit him.
Riad Yimma is not the easiest to find. You’ll probably need a friendly local to guide you down the unassuming, quiet peach alleyways. Yet, once you enter through the front door, you are instantly hit by a modern gallery’s vibrancy of clashing colours.
Hassan Hajjaj’s art is Moroccan street style that focuses on the margins of cultural identity. Whether African, Arab, or European, cultural identity is constantly shifting. Hassan styles his models to create friction with Western perceptions of the Islamic world. Models are often dressed in traditional fabrics branded with international labels like Nike and Louis Vitton.
The riad has a gallery, gift shop, and tearoom downstairs, and two more floors showcase his work. The rooftop is a wonderful, quiet sanctuary with brightly coloured stripy seating on upside-down Coca-Cola crates. When I visited, there was no one else there, and it provided a relaxing suntrap with a camomile and orange tea and Moroccan sweet treats.
Other places to visit
Marrakesh is officially the hub of contemporary art in North Africa. So, if you have longer to explore, there are many other places of interest worth visiting such as the Yves Saint Lauren Museum, Museum of African Contemporary Art, Maison de la Photographie, Bahia Palace, and the Saadian Tombs.
Whatever you choose to do, there is no doubt that the creative energy of Marrakesh will inspire you and draw you back to visit again.
For places to stay, read the most beautiful riads in Marrakesh blog.
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