Trip date: September 2023
On our first morning in Marrakesh we had booked a private walking tour of the medina with a local guide. This had worked out really well in all of the cities we had travelled through so we were excited. Jamal started by taking us by one of the local hammams; just like mosques, most neighborhoods have a hammam, or public bath. He explained that there were seperate hours for men and women, and that it was a very social place for everyone. Kinda like a coffee shop!
Then we arrived at the Madrasa Ben Youssef. The interior of the courtyard of this 14th century Islamic school is possibly one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen! The tile work is absolutely mesmerizing!
And just like the one we visited in Fes, the upstairs students' rooms were not fancy at all.
From here Jamal took us through one of the many souk's in the medina. We didn't really have time to shop as this was just a morning tour, so we tried hard to remember where we were so that we could return another day. Didn't happen! The souks are just too confusing!!
We stopped into one of the rug co-ops to see how the rugs are made. These shops are said to represent Berber women of different tribes around the country and sell their rugs to help them earn a living. Jamal assured us that we didn't have to buy anything, that this was just so that we had a better understanding of the craft. We were seated, and offered tea or water, and then a couple of men started unrolling rugs and showing us different Berber patterns and styles.
It felt very salesy though. We let them show us everything, Gail was originally considering a rug anyway, and there were a couple I thought were nice but I hadn't planned on buying anything. We politely took the little scraps of paper that the manager wrote prices on for the few we inquired about and then we were back out into the busy streets of the medina.
We walked through Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakesh's huge square. Jamal told us that at night this place is teeming with people and filled with hundreds of food and juice stands. This is also where you will find street musicians, performers, and the awful monkey handlers and snake charmers. Jamal warned that if you take a photo of them, they will come and demand money from you. And they are generally not polite about it.
During the day there are just a few vendors and a couple of animal abusers under the shade of umbrellas. At the far corner of the square sits the Koutoubia Mosque, the largest mosque in the city. The mosque was closed due to damage from the earthquake, but as we aren't Muslim we wouldn't have been able to go in even if it was open. It's a striking symbol of the city and when the ladies and I walked past it that evening I thought it was even more beautiful!
We walked back thru the Jemaa el-Fnaa and Jamal led us to a spice shop/pharmacy where we again were given a little presentation this time on herbal remedies. Even though we all left with something, I would have preferred to be seeing more of what we had on our list, like the Jewish Quarter or Mellah.
We did walk thru some of the Hayel Mella, mainly just the market, but it would have been more interesting to see the synagogues.
Wandering the area after, we found a super cute homewares shop called Chabi Chic!
Our last full day in Marrakesh was a dedicated shopping day! Caitlin had read about a small shop selling handwoven scarves, bags, etc called Fiber Trip. It took us a while to locate but it was worth the hunt and the owner was super nice helping us pick out styles.
Other posts from Morocco:
Tétouan and the Blue City of Chefchaouen, Morocco
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