Morocco, Marrakech - description of the city, attractions

If you are planning a vacation, then pay attention to the tours in Morocco. Why there? The article tells about the interesting nature of this African country, and what sights await an inquisitive tourist.

Marrakech is the former capital of Morocco. It amazes the European citizen by its uniqueness and unique charm of the East. The magnificence of the fourth largest city of Morocco stuns the traveler literally at every turn. Marrakesh, like the country itself, is famous for its fidelity to traditions, religion, and at the same time, extraordinary cordiality and hospitality.

sights

In the center of the city is Medina or Old Town. It should be noted that the ancient buildings here are predominantly pinkish-brown in color. Since the weather is hot, Marrakesh does not practice the erection of buildings from light building materials. This is because on a sunny day, local residents and guests would be uncomfortable looking around because a bright white color blinds the eyes. The clay wall, which is fenced with Medina, also has a reddish-brown hue. In this historical quarter the traveler can enter, using one of the twenty gates. The most famous because of its beauty and inimitable color are the gate of Bab Agnu, built in the twelfth century. Once they led directly to the palace of ancient rulers. Once in the Old City, before the modern traveler, ancient buildings are located here: the Bahia palace, the Al-bin-Yusuf mosque, the Saadit tomb and the Jemaa-al-Fna square. In addition, in this crowded place there are also museums.

Jemaa el Fna

One of the business cards of Marrakech can rightly be considered a square called Djemaa el Fna, where the mosque is located. The name of the square, built in the XI century, in the translation sounds somewhat mystical and creepy, combining two concepts - a mosque and a place where death rules. During the early Middle Ages, terrible executions took place on it, so this fact is embodied in its name. Today, along the perimeter of the square, modern comfortable hotels and a lot of various restaurants are located, where the visitor will be offered exquisite dishes of oriental cuisine.

Jemaa el Fna is replete with a variety of shopping benches, in which everything is sold - from local food products to antiques. Here you can buy shoes or clothes made by local craftsmen, as well as original souvenirs. According to the traditions of the East, the sale of goods is very lively here, since along with the buyer's calls, it requires binding bargaining. Local people do not really appreciate a buyer who does not bargain. Even in a taxi, a customer can insist on his payment option. The ability to offer one's own price, to praise or criticize a product or service, is part of the local culture of communication. In addition to shopping outlets, Jemaa el Fna has many snake charmers, tattooists who offer tattooing henna, storytellers who tell local myths and tales. In the evening hours the area becomes many times more crowded than in the daytime - it literally turns into a giant entertainment center. Opens the original food points in the open air, where directly in the vats prepare delicious dishes of fresh products - vegetables, meat, fish and, of course, generously flavored with spices. Performances of acrobats, sword-swallowers, snake charmers, performers of exotic dances begin. The square turns into a huge stage or arena, where colorful performances are played out. According to unwritten local laws, the viewer can not leave without paying for viewing the spectacle.

Koutoubia

Marrakech is a city whose shrine is the Kutubiya Mosque. This is the tallest building in the city, as high-rise construction in the historic center is prohibited. Unfortunately, the mosque is closed for viewing. More precisely, it can only include people professing Islam. Since the mosque is active, tourists of other religions can enjoy only a walk around it and have plenty to admire the excellent garden located around. Despite the fact that it is one of the oldest mosques, it underwent significant architectural changes in the nineteenth century.

The walls, covered with inimitable mosaic and stucco molding, domes, crowning the building, gilded balls that can be seen from afar - the beauty of this cult building causes genuine delight and admiration of tourists. In addition to its historical significance, Kutubia Mosque is known for hosting about 20,000 believers. In the neighborhood with the Muslim shrine is a madrasah - a spiritual institution. It is also one of the oldest in the world and was founded in the fifteenth century.

Bachi's Palace

What else can you see in sultry Morocco? Marrakech is a city in which there is an unsurpassed architectural structure called the Bahia Palace. It is not such an ancient work of architecture as the Kutubiya mosque.

The palace was built in the late nineteenth century for one of the wives ruling then the great vizier. The palace perfectly combines the Arabian and Andalusian style of architecture. The building is huge. It has a patio, many rooms with unique wooden ceilings, halls with columns of expensive marble, arabesques and so on. Greatness of the palace is attached to the exquisite garden, decorated with fountains of Meknes marble.

Unfortunately, only about a third of the square is accessible to tourists. But this is enough to enjoy contemplation of one of the most magnificent creations of human hands.

El-Badi Palace

What should you definitely see when you arrive in Morocco? Marrakech continues to amaze travelers with luxury buildings. The palace of El-Badi is the oldest and most beautiful monument of the architecture of the city. Over its construction in the late sixteenth century the best architects and masters of that time worked. At the service of architects were the highest quality and expensive building materials - onyx from India, marble from Italy and others. It was the fabulous beauty of the palace that allowed it to be called "Incomparable". In addition to the usual chambers, the palace has a ramified network of underground tunnels. Unfortunately, to this day there are not preserved pools of impressive sizes, built between the pavilions. Now in their place grow orange trees.

Since the beginning of the sixteenth century and for a long time the rulers of Morocco were Saadis - a powerful dynasty that considered themselves descended from the Prophet Muhammad. The last representatives of the Saadit family were ruled only in Fez and Marrakech. In a large mausoleum, discovered in the early twentieth century, there are more than sixty burials of members so formidable in the Middle Ages of the family.

The three rooms of the mausoleum are decorated with expensive materials: marble, valuable tree species, and also decorated with gilding and mosaic.

Menara Gardens

Marrakech is a city in which there is a picturesque natural pearl. It's about the gardens of Menara. They were created in the twelfth century. Fragrant plantations occupy an area of more than one hundred hectares. In addition to orange and olive, here grow fruit trees, brought from other countries. The gardens of Menara are unique not only for their vegetation, which is kept in a well-kept, ideal state, but also by the presence of a system of underground pipes. They are supplied with water from the Atlas Mountains to an artificially created lake. In the nineteenth century, on its bank was built a pavilion, rising to the balcony of which, you can see a magnificent panorama of not only the garden, but also parts of the city.

Garden Majorelle

Another garden, which owes its appearance to an alien, is the Majorelle garden. Frenchman Jacques Majorlet arrived in Morocco in 1919. The inveterate botanist and plant collector was so delighted with the local nature that he acquired a piece of land. He wished to build a house and break an amazing garden with an incredible amount of exotic plants from all over the world. The idea was more than successful. Unfortunately, after the death of the founder of the heavenly corner, his creation not only fell into decay, but was almost destroyed.

Saved by the unsurpassed botanical garden of the famous French couturier Yves Saint Laurent. Now in the garden in the building of the studio is the Museum of Islamic Art.

Dar-Menebhi

Interesting for visiting tourists is the palace of Dar-Menebhi. The building, executed in the Moorish style , nowadays serves as a premise for the museum expositions. It houses rare antiquities and works of contemporary art. The walls and the floor inside the building are decorated with mosaic, and in the courtyard there are three small fountains. This palace is rightly proud of Morocco.

Marrakech: weather in the city

The rarest architectural structures, unique culture, amazing entertainment, stunning shopping, unique cuisine are worth it to endure the inconveniences associated with the heat. After all, the temperature in the city in the summer rarely falls below the mark of +40 degrees. Marrakech, a holiday in which it will be very sultry especially in July and August, it is better to visit in spring or autumn.

Tours

Undoubtedly, the African country of Morocco is interesting and unusual . Marrakech is an amazing city, which will surely enrich the traveler's impressions. After all, there are a lot of interesting and beautiful old sights in it. Probably, the presence of a large number of palaces and mosques has caused the tours in Morocco to be very popular.

To go on a trip, for example, in Marrakech can be different. There are tours from several days (5-7) to two weeks. Tour operators offer a variety of options. On average, the cost of the trip is about 100-110 thousand rubles. But there are offers cheaper. For example, for 58 thousand rubles (accommodation in a 2-bed room) you can go on tour for 11 days / 10 nights. In this case, tourists will live in Ryad Mogador Opera 4 *. The price includes a flight, accommodation in a hotel located in the city center, meals (breakfast or two meals) For 48 thousand rubles you can rest there, but only 7 days / 6 nights.

The cost of an unforgettable eleven-day tour with accommodation in a comfortable hotel Pullman Marrakech Palmeraie Resort & Spa 5 * will be 182 thousand rubles. This amount includes accommodation, flight, meals (all inclusive).

The article describes the most popular options, but we can say with certainty that wherever the travelers are located - they will like the rest in Morocco and will be remembered.