Leigh Travel Club

MARRAKECH

FLYING TIME -  3-4hrs from U.K.       Same time zone as U.K. so no jet lag

WHEN TO GO - Peak times are March - May or September - November

June - August can be far too hot with temperatures around 38C upwards

and December- February can be between 4Cand 18C and can be grey, wet and

dark. The month of Ramadan can put restrictions on your visit to Marrakech.

CURRENCY   - Dirham (dh)             LANGUAGE  -  Arabic and French

MARRAKECH is called the pink city because of the colour of the local earth

used in its construction.  It is a city of labyrinthine alleyways, museums, mosques,

markets and city gardens that are still supplied with 11th-century underground

irrigation canals.  It is Berber rather than an Arab city.

 

MARRAKECH  HIGHLIGHTS

The Medina  This is two square miles.

Jemaa el fna   - This is a vast plaza at the heart of the medina (the old walled city)

as old as Marrakech it self. It is the site of parades and executions in the past.

 

The Night Market  -  By night, Jemma El Fna comes alive and transforms into a

circus, theatre and restaurant, with musicians and entertainers.

 

Koutoubia Mosque  This is Marrakechs' landmark monument which boasts a

tower that dominates the skyline for miles around. It is one of the largest mosques

in the Western Muslim world. Like all mosques in Marrakech, non-Islamic visitors

are not allowed in.  The Minaret is 203 feet high.

 

The Souks  North of central Jemaa El Fna are the narrow streets where you will

find a dizzying array of souks and bazaars.  Different areas specialize in their own

specific wares, selling anything from carpets, slippers and lanterns to ingredients for

magic spells.

 

City Walls and Gates   - Marrakechs' medina, or old city, is wrapped around by

several miles of reddish-pink, dried mud walls, punctuated by nearly 20 gates.

 

Saadian Tombs   - These are the royal tombs of one of Moroccos' ruling dynasties.

They were shrouded from the world until the1920s.

 

Medersa Ben Youssef  This is arguably the citys finest building. It is an ancient

religious school boasting exquisite decorative details. 

 

Palais Bahia  -  Large house, adapted as a palace in the late 19^th century.

Admire the wall mosaics, the beech ceilings and the marble floors.

 

Badii Palace -    The ruins of this once fabled palace provide a picturesque setting

for nesting storks.

 

Mamounia Hotel  - This hotel has been providing hospitality to the rich and

famous for almost a century. (Re-opening in 2009)                                                                                                                  

                                                                                

Saadian Tombs  -  Dating from 1557, there are 66 royal tombs housed here.

The tombs have three main burial chambers that are ranged around a small garden.

 

Travel around the city by caleche (horse-drawn carriage) or tour bus.

 

 

Outside the medina:-

 

Marjorelle Gardens  - (Yves St. Laurents Gardens)  Created in the 1920s

by the French artist Jaques Majorelle, who came to Marrakech to recuperate,

gifted this beautiful garden to the city. Yves Saint-Laurant restored it as an urban

oasis in the 1980s and then opened it to the public.

 

Menara Gardens  Laid out in the 12^th century, these gardens with their orchard,

pool and pavilion epitomize a typical Islamic garden.

 

Hiverage and Gueliz  These are to the left of the medina, just outside the walls

and house many hotels.

 

Chez Ali Fantazia  Known as the best show in Morocco, where you will be wined

and dined under the canvas of a Caid tent and whilst tribal musicians and strolling

players entertain you with Berber music, folk dancing and belly dancing. Later

outdoors, musket-yielding Moroccan horsemen charge at you, discharging their rifles

in deafening unison and a flying carpet crosses a nigh-sky illuminated by stars and

fireworks.

 

Atlas Mountains  These are 30km south of Marrakech and the highest mountain

range in North Africa. The snow capped and ragged mountains are visible on the

horizons beyond Marrakech.

 

 

Essaouira  Just under 3 hours from Marrakech, this laidback 18^th century town is

quickly becoming Moroccos most sought after beach destination. It is also a popular

day trip.

 

Agadir  Once a traditional town, Agadir was completely rebuilt as a result of a

devastating earthquake in the 1960s, now a modern resort with water sports and

horse and camel riding.

 

Taroudant  This pink walled town has the Atlas Mountains as a backdrop and is

known as mini Marrakech. It is 1.5hrs from Agadir and 3hrs from Marrakech.

 

Tizi n Test  Tizi means mountain pass.  This road crosses the High Atlas and was

built by the French in the 1930s.  It is accessible from Marrakech on road S501.

 

Ait Benhaddou  This is a UNESCO site with a series of fortified towers dating back

to the11th century.  It was the film location for Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator.

 

Tizi n Tichna Pass Road  2hrs. From Ait Benhaddou, and built by the French in the

1920s, at 2260 mtrs. This is the highest vehicular pass.