Marrakesh, Morocco

I've been to Morocco 3 times in the past, on a holiday in 1967 to Tangier and 2 caving expeditions in 1976 and 1981 to the Middle Atlas mountains. So when in 2024 on a cruise we called at Casablanca, I opted to do a tour to Marrakesh. English spelling is "Marrakesh", French is "Marrakech".

I had to do a ship's tour as it is 250 km from Casablanca to Marrakesh, resulting in a 12 hour trip. It was a 3 hour drive. It was still dark when we left about 7.20 am so didn’t see much of Casablanca. Headed out on the Casablanca – Agadir toll autoroute. It was very cloudy and the sun didn’t appear for a while. Went through an agricultural plain, the soil was being prepared for planting barley and wheat when the rains come late Nov. Couscous is an important crop. The main town is Settat. We then went down a small hill into desert area. It was mostly flat. No greenery except by rivers and farms.

As we approached Marrakesh the High Atlas were visible in the background and had quite a lot of snow. Highest is 4167 m. I also saw groups of storks by the river and in a field, they have just arrived from Europe for the winter. I couldn't get a good photo as the coach went past.

A small oasis outside the city and a mosque -

In Marrakesh we drove along part of the city walls, which have hundreds of holes in them, some now used by pigeons. Then went into the 11th century medina or old town. There are 11 gates.

The Medina of Marrakesh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was inscribed in 1985 and covers the Koutoubiya Mosque, the Kasbah, the battlements, monumental doors, gardens, etc. Later architectural jewels include the Bandiâ Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Saadian Tombs, several great residences and Place Jamaâ El Fna, a veritable open-air theatre. Medina means the old walled part of a North African town. A kasbah is a fortress or more commonly a citadel or fortified quarter of a city.

In the old town we had a quick stop at the Koutoubia Mosque to take photos from the road. The minaret is 77 m high. The mosques have 3 balls on the spire, to represent Muslim, Christians and Jews. Our guide Hamid said Morocco is happy to have the 3 religions. Casablanca has the biggest population, where 99% are Muslim, 1% Christian and Jews.

Saw a water seller at the mosque. I remember them from 1967 when they were actually selling water. Now they are just for show, to get money from tourists by charging for photos. 

My photo from 1967 -

We drove a short distance then started our walking tour. First was Bahia Palace which was packed. It is Moorish and named for the Sultan’s favourite wife. Lots of rich decorations.

Inside Bahia Palace -

The Berber script -

After a short walk in the souk to go to lunch at Dar Essalam, a large ornate place. Alfred Hitchcock's film "The man who knew too much" was shot in the restaurant in 1957. Good lunch, a selection of dips with bread, then a huge piece of chicken with couscous with veg. Mint tea after which I don’t like, with a biscuit and grapes. 2 musicians whilst we ate, then a dancer with a candelabra on her head followed by a belly dancer.

We didn't have time to linger before leaving to walk through more souk to the main square, the Jamaa-el Fna Square. 

The mosque that was virtually destroyed by the Sept 2023 earthquake. 

We hurried on to Bloty which sells oils, herbs etc etc. All day Hamid had been on about argan oil, it comes from the argan tree, used for hair and skin products, and is a rare culinary oil. It supposedly restores hair. We were shown spices, cumin and argan oil.

Then had 45 min free time, so I just wandered the souks, they are narrow and crowded with constant motorcycles pushing through. Loads of tourists.

Along one area were a lot of food stalls. Having just had a huge lunch, I wasn't tempted to try anything.

A fish and chip shop with a difference!

Hamid had constantly been using the word Habibi, for my dear/ my love. I had a feeling it was a "gimmick" for tourists, especially when I saw these -

In the main square are the snake charmers, men with monkeys, and a stall with a falcon and I think tortoises. It was lovely weather after the dull start, blue sky and sun and about 23⁰ C. The square is more alive in the evening, with more entertainers and more food stalls.

Women were looking for customers to do henna tattoos, nails, braids etc. 

It was sad to see the animals being made to pose for photos and perform for tourists who will pay. 

We had seen no donkeys or camels in town. We left 3.30 pm. 

Reached Casablanca around 6.20 as it was getting dark and there was bad traffic so it took almost an hour to get through. Didn’t see much except for Sacred Heart Cathedral and then the gate made famous by the 192 film Casablanca, which was shot entirely in Hollywood.

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See my blogs on caving expeditions to the Middle Atlas, Morocco, in 1976 and 1981 .