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 had been on my bucket list for a long time. The mystique, the 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.
A relaxing way to see the city is via horse carriage. So we hopped on one of those after a customary haggling. - 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 tropic 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 one gets 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 and 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.
---Marrakech-20190924_140417.jpg)
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 allows 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 medina, one needs
to be prepared for lots of walking the narrow
alleys.
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