Marrakech City
MARRAKECH CITY
Many tourists in Marrakech head straight for the souk and its busy shops. Take a trip to the southern part of the Medina, though, and you'll find a different city, a place of elegance, of art, of courtyards and gardens.
By Andrea Kirby and Jacques Combeau
Djemaa el Fna is not for the timid. It's thronged with people – touts, storytellers, vendors of all kinds. And there are snake charmers everywhere. If you're not careful, they'll want to make your acquaintance – and introduce you to their not-very-cuddly pets. (You're in no danger, though – the snakes are lethargic, and most have their teeth drawn or their mouths sewn shut). Back in the Middle Ages, this vast square in Marrakech used to be where public executions were held – now it's the scene for a vast market and entertainments. And though at first it can look intimidating, you'll soon be drawn into its bustle, and fall under its spell.
'It's human architecture,
organic, breathing, moving'
By night, food stalls set up in the centre of the square under the glare of electric lights. But around the perimeter, storytellers gather in the gloom; some with a paraffin lamp, a little pinprick of light in the enveloping darkness, others with no light at all. Circles of people gather round, breaking up and reforming as the stories end and new ones begin. It's human architecture, organic, breathing, moving.
Djemaa el Fna is a different place by day. Without its night-time magic it's a huge, sprawling square, that used to be a bus station and might as well be a big car park. Go there at seven in the morning and you'll see nothing. But as the day passes and the evening starts, the traders of the square begin to gather.
There are hustlers, slapstick actors, monkey trainers, snake charmers. There are amulet writers, tarot readers, herbalists, barbers and even dentists, with gruesome piles of extracted teeth advertising their expertise. There are water carriers and traders selling mint tea or freshly squeezed orange juice. Herbalists clatter their spoons together; every trader has a sales patter to shout out. The snake charmers' noisy ghaitas and the drums of the gnawa trance-dancers compete with electrified ouds and tinny pop cassettes on ghetto blasters.
Djemaa el Fna is a good landmark – like the fine tower of the Koutoubia mosque to the west - and it's a good starting point for explorations among the palaces to the south, or in the souks to the north.
Most tourists head north, for the souk. But instead, start your exploration of Marrakech by heading south, to see palaces, museums, and gardens. Start off by visiting Dar Si Said with its museum of Moroccan arts and crafts, including silver jewellery from the High Atlas, to get your eye in before you go shopping. There's also fine pottery, leatherwork, old doors, fine woodwork, and beautiful carpets – whatever you're intending to buy, you'll see a fine selection here.
Apart from the exhibits, Dar Si Said is a fine example of a nineteenth century town house – litle brother to the Palais de la Bahia nearby. And the builder of Dar Si Said was the little brother of the vizier, Bou Ahmed, who built the grander palace in 1894. Though the craftsmanship of the palace isn't as delicate as the best (earlier) work in Marrakesh, the rambling courtyards are quiet and cool; the sound of fountains echoes through the secluded arcades.
Further south is a much older palace, Palais el Badi – built in the late sixteenth century by the great king Al Mansour, whose conquests extended all the way to Mali, south of the Sahara. Its high red mud-brick walls are still impressive, though eroded by wind and rain; but all its fine tiles and woodwork were stripped out ages ago. When the huge pool in its courtyard reflects a leaden sky, it can feel desolate, the only sound the clacking of storks who make their nests on its skyline.
If you're tired of the bustle of the Djemaa el Fna or the souk. Come here, or head further south to the Agdal gardens, for a taste of quiet. (I was about to say solitude, but you won't get that in Marrakesh. Ever).
The khettera water channels bring snowmelt from the High Atlas to irrigate the gardens and fill its pools. You can wander for hours here among fruit trees and olives. Typical of an Islamic garden – and very different from the French-designed Majorelle Garden near the new town – the Jardin Agdal is created with precise geometry, its rectangular beds divided by straight pathways. Orange trees march in precise formation; come in winter and you'll see the pomegranate trees heavy with fruit. In Islamic culture, the garden is a symbol of Paradise – and wandering here, you'll understand why.
FACT FILE
Opening times
Dar Si Said
Open 9-12 and 4-7 in summer (afternoons are 230-6 in winter), closed Friday morning and all day Tuesday. Admission fee.
Palais de la Bahia
Open 830-1 and 4-7 in summer, 830-1145 and 230-6 in winter. Admission fee.
Palais el Badi
830-12, 230-6, admission fee.
Agdal Gardens
Friday evening: Sunday, noon till dusk
Also worth seeing:
The Saadian tombs – the elegant mausoleums of sixteenth century kings, buried for centuries and rediscovered in 1917.
8-12 and 230-6: closed Friday mornings.
Mellah
To the east of Dar Si Said, the former Jewish quarter with its tall houses and narrow streets has a flavour all its own.