Marrakech Trip Overview
We are not the only one but we do the best:
Our team are native Moroccans and highly qualified as well, the most of them has been involved in the tourism domain for several years and take their profession to the heart and that is what makes us stand above all the other.
Our Experienced team are highly professional dealing with all people around the world.
Additional Info
* Duration: 3 to 4 hours
* Starts: Marrakech, Morocco
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Marrakech, Marrakech-Safi, Morocco
We are not the only one but we do the best:
Our team are native Moroccans and highly qualified as well, the most of them has been involved in the tourism domain for several years and take their profession to the heart and that is what makes us stand above all the other.
Our Experienced team are highly professional dealing with all people around the world.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Koutoubia Mosque, Rue el Ksour, Derb Sabai, 13, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
The Koutoubia Mosque was built during the 12 th century by the Almohad
dynasty. Today, at 70 meters high, the minaret remains the highest structure
and the Koutoubia Mosque the largest mosque in Marrakech. Local laws
restrict any new building projects from exceeding the height of the minaret,
providing a focal point for all to enjoy.
While the original mosque was built during the Almoravid dynasty’s reign, the
Almohad dynasty is said to have levelled the mosque when they came to
rule, as the building failed to properly face Mecca. They began reconstruction
of the mosque as it stands currently. During the rebuild, the Koutoubia
minaret acted as a model to the Hassan II Mosque in Rabat and also the Le
Giralda in Seville, Spain, as the Almohad empire expanded its empire north
into Andalusia. Hence, the structure is a fine example of Moorish
architecture with its keystone arches and decorative stonework.
Like all buildings in Marrakech, the structure is rose coloured. The name
koutoubia originates from the Arabic word for bookseller; back in the day up
to 100 booksellers would trade at the entrance to the mosque and in the
surrounding gardens. While the booksellers are no longer present, men still
sell small trinkets and even nuts and popcorn at dusk when locals gather
here to whittle away the hours under the shade of the orange trees.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Bab Agnaou, Rue Oqba Ben Nafaa, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
Bab Agnaou, also found in the Kasbah, is one of the nineteen gates of
Marrakech. It was built in the 12th century in the time of the Almohad
dynasty.
The name Agnaou, like Gnaoua, in Berber refers to black people (cf.
Akal-n-iguina wen – land of the black). The gate was called Bab al Kohl (also
referring to black people) or Bab al Qasr (palace gate) in some historical
sources. Albeit.. if you ask a local Guide he will totally contradict this
definition and out forward “The gate of the one legged black sheep”.
The function of the gate must have been representation, first of all. However
if you walk through Bab Agnaou and look-up it was obviously the first line of
defence into the Kasbah. The surrounding walls would have been an ideal
platform for Archers and moulton oil etc. Also the Gate does not stand true
to the Kasbah mosque, it is dog-legged. My assumption is that historically the
gates to the right of Bab Agnaou did not exist and the only access to the
Kasbah was through Bab Agnaou. Thus the Kasbah would have been quite
impenetrable in its day. This “false entrance” technique can also be found at
Alhambra in Spain.
The corner-pieces are decorated with floral decorations extending around a
shell. This ornamentation is framed by three panels and on these panels is
an inscription from the Quran in Maghribi, foliated Kufic letters, which were
also used in Al-Andalus. Bab Agnaou was renovated and its opening reduced
in size, during sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah. Forerunners of this
horseshoe-shaped gate with its corner-pieces, framed by inscriptions from
the Quran can be found in the Mezquita in Cordoba. It shows many
similarities to the contemporary (much simpler) Bab Er-Rouah in Rabat.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Mellah, Marrakech Morocco
Morocco’s rich history includes a long period of Arab and Jewish
communities accepting their differences and living and working together to
bring success to their respective businesses. The Mellah in Marrakech refers
to the area where the Jewish community resided. In cities all over Morocco,
Mellahs flourished and became small cities within cities.
At its peak in the 1500s, the Mellah in Marrakech included bakers, jewelers,
tailors, sugar traders, artisans, craft people, outdoor markets, fountains and
synagogues.
Nowadays most of the Jewish presence is gone – there are only around 250
Jews remaining in Marrakech – but you can still see the shop fronts and large
bazaars.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Palacio da Bahia, 5 Rue Riad Zitoun el Jdid, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
The Bahia Palace, meaning brilliance in Arabic, is perhaps one of the
best-preserved historical sites and certainly most interesting in Marrakech .
Built between 1866 and 1867 by Si Moussa, this sprawling palace is set over
two acres in the middle of the Marrakech medina and features 150 rooms,
including a harem section located just off the sun-filled Court of Honour.
Having housed the Resident General during the French Protectorate era,
today the Bahia Palace is a must-see historical museum open to the public
daily and has previously hosted events such as the Marrakech Biennale.
Originally built for the personal use of Si Moussa, Grand Vizier of the Sultan,
a former slave who climbed the ranks, the house was soon after occupied by
his son Bou Ahmed. He slyly rose to power in 1894 when he managed to gain
complete control over the state until his death in 1900. It was during Bou
Ahmed’s reign that the brilliance of the palace was really enhanced with the
addition lush gardens, the small riad surrounding private gardens (of which
visitors today pass through immediately upon entering the palace area) and
each of the rooms decorated in truly elegant Moroccan style – carved stucco
and cedarwood to decorate each of the rooms.
The palace houses council rooms with impressive zellig fireplaces, flooring
and painted cedar work, a large riad surrounded by citrus trees, and the
Court of Honour that was built during Si Moussa’s power. The palace was
also the residence of Bou Ahmed, his four wives and several concubines.
Though the harem, as it is often known, is off-limits to visitors, you can visit
the traditional style gardens that are filled with orange trees and splashing
fountains with living quarters and apartments, most notably that of his wife
Lalla Zinab. Beautifully zellig-tiled fireplaces and floors and colourful
stained-glass windows create colourful patterns in the afternoon sun, and
beautifully painted and carved cedarwood are just some of the interesting
features in his wife’s apartment.
Following Bou Ahmed’s death in 1900, it is said that the palace was
ransacked and all valuables were removed. With the arrival of the French in
the early 1900s, the residents were forced to move out to make way for the
Resident General. In her book, In Morocco, Edith Wharton describes her stay
her during the Protectorate years, a Marrakech must-read for those looking
for more about the Bahia Palace.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Jemaa el-Fnaa, 38 Jemaa el-Fna, Rue El Ksour, Marrakech Morocco
During the day it is predominantly occupied by orange juice stalls, water sellers with traditional leather water-bags and brass cups, youths with chained Barbary apes and snake charmers despite the protected status of these species under Moroccan law.[10][11]
As the day progresses, the entertainment on offer changes: the snake charmers depart, and late in the day the square becomes more crowded, with Chleuh dancing-boys (it would be against custom for girls to provide such entertainment), story-tellers (telling their tales in Berber or Arabic, to an audience of locals), magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines. As darkness falls, the square fills with dozens of food-stalls as the number of people on the square peaks.
Steam rising from food stalls
The square is edged along one side by the Marrakesh souk, a traditional North African market catering both for the common daily needs of the locals, and for the tourist trade. On other sides are hotels and gardens and cafe terraces, and narrow streets lead into the alleys of the medina quarter.
Once a bus station, the place was closed to vehicle traffic in the early 2000s. The authorities are well aware of its importance to the tourist trade, and a strong but discreet police presence ensures the safety of visitors.
Duration: 15 minutes
