Visiting Marrakech  -  Photoblog

In early fall of 2019 I had the opportunity to visit the ancient city of Marrakech in Morocco. A trip to Morocco has been on my bucket list for a long time. The mystique, different culture and photography opportunities I associated with that country was the big draw. The city of Marrakech has been a cultural and trading center for centuries. Today the city is one of the busiest in Africa. Marrakech comprises an old fortified city (medina) packed with vendors and their stalls (souks). This medina quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was the center of my interest. Outside of the medina the city looks like many other large and busy cities.

After a stop in Barcelona my wife and I arrived in Marrakech. We were immediately welcomed by friendly people. Everywhere we went the friendliness of the Moroccan people was striking.

A relaxing way to see the city is via horse carriage. So we hopped on one of those after a customary haggling about the price. - Below we are approaching the wall enclosing the medina.

One of Marrakech's foremost attractions is Majorelle Garden - Yves Saint Laurent's Garden. It's a magnificent oasis in the city with exotic trees and plants providing a relaxing and interesting atmosphere for strolling.


Art Deco style buildings painted in a signature intense blue color are found throughout the garden.

Another must-visit attraction is the Bahia Palace, built in the late 19th century. It was intended to be the greatest palace of its time. The palace has a plethora of intricate wood and stone carvings as well as extensive mosaic decorations.

El Badi Palace is a ruined palace from the 16th century well worth visiting. The palace has sunken orange groves and reflecting pools and it is a hangout for numerous large storks.

Narrow alleys in the souks are packed with vendors and their stalls. You can easily get lost and overwhelmed in this maze of alleys so it's a good idea to download an offline map to your phone and use the GPS to see where you are on the map. The narrow alleys are shared between pedestrians, mopeds, donkeys and carts so one needs to constantly remain alert. Alluring lantern shops are in abundance as well as clothing stores, leather goods and jewelry shops.

If you get thirsty after walking those endless alleys, a cup of freshly pressed pomegranate juice can be refreshing,  ...or maybe some nuts for energy?

Jemaa el-Fnaa in the middle of the medina is the busiest square in all of Africa. Here one can find snake charmers, monkey handlers, magicians, one-man-bands and more among the many food outlets. Things can get hectic and overwhelming here at times.



Restaurant dinners are typically started with several appetizers. The picture (left) shows appetizers for two. The main course following (right) is usually cooked in a Tagine cooking pot. All the food we had was delicious with a special Moroccan aroma.

Visiting the spice market was one of my photography goals. We had to ask for directions several times since my Arabic and French language skills are very limited. We just went for hand gestures and after many twists and turns in the alleys we found the amazing aromatic spice area.

By chance we walked into this place for lunch through a fancy doorway in the alley. Stairs took us down at least two stories underground. It turned out that this place, Dar Essalam, is a famous restaurant that had served Winston Churchill when he visited the city after the Second World War. Alfred Hitchcock was also on the guest list while filming a movie in the 1950's. The underground location is likely to avoid the heat that can be quite severe in the summer.

Conclusion.  Marrakech is an incredible destination. The city is fascinating for westerners with its different culture and food experience. For a photographer there is an abundance of photo opportunities. Staying at a hotel in the medina gives you easy access to most attractions by foot. There are several nice hotels and restaurants available there. People on the street were friendly, alleys were reasonably clean and we never felt unsafe. Since taxi cabs don't run in the old part of town one needs to be prepared for lots of walking the narrow alleys.

Sven

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