Travel in Marrakech

The first feeling one has when entering this particular imperial capital is of pure enchantment. It is bewitching - falling under the spell of the place and its people. With its world-famous square, Jamaâ El Fna, the beacon city of the Almoravids was founded around 1070 with the desire of controlling traffic from the nearby Atlas Mountains. It was from this rudimentary settlement that the earliest conquests were launched. Abou Bakr, head of the Almoravids, undertook the construction of a kasbah, nicknamed the "stone castle," only yards away from the present site of the Koutoubia.
Marrakesh became the capital of a vast empire in the reign of Youssef Ben Tachfine - an empire which, under the Almohads, reached as far as the frontiers of Libya. Marrakesh reached the heights of its glory under Yacob El Mansour. It was under his reign that some of Morocco's most famous sites were constructed. Most notable is the Koutoubia Mosque, a masterpiece of Hispano-Moorish art. The Mosque is one of the largest in Africa and accommodates over 20,000 people. The city boasts many such monuments whose construction was commissioned during the reign of powerful leaders. The governor, Ahmed El Mansour Dahbi, who undertook the sixteen year construction of the Badii Palace following his victory over the Portuguese in 1578. Ahmed El Mansour (1578-1603) collected the glittering array of gold and marble ornaments displayed at the Dar Si Said museum today.
The Badii Palace has long been regarded as one of the wonders of the Muslim world. It was the sovereign Ahmed El Mansour Dahbi who undertook construction of the palace following his victory over the Portuguese in the year 986 of the hejira (1578), a victory well-known in the Western World under the name of the Battle of the Three Kings. The major construction work went on for sixteen years. Other marvels to be found in the Red City are the Dar Si Said museum, containing much quintessential Moroccan art and displaying the collected by Ahmed El Mansour (1578-1603), the Medersa Ben Youssef (a koranic school founded in 1570 by Moulay Abdallah and a true masterpiece of Merinid architecture), the Agdal gardens, which were laid out in the 12th century during the reign of Abdelmoumen, and the Menara, a magnificent man-made lake fringed with flowers.
Framed by the snowy heights of the Atlas mountains, with rose-colored ramparts and a thousand year old palm grove, Marrakesh casts a magical spell. Sumptuous and exuberant, it radiates splendor and mysticism - in the explosion of color in the wools at the dye merchants, in the rhythm of the music at Festival time, and in the idle talk of the merchants.

The main sights to see in the town are the Djemaa-el-Fna Square, the Koutoubia Mosque, the Badia Palace, the Ben Youssef Medersa, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian tombs, the Menara Pond, the Majorelle Gardens, the Dar Si Said Museum of Moroccan Arts.

There are many excursions to be made with Marrakesh as a starting-point:

1. The 'Cascades d'Ouzoud' (meaning Olive Waterfalls) are the best waterfalls you will find in Morocco located in an olive-growing area.
2. Ouarzazate can be reached by crossing the Tizn'Tichka pass: the oasis valleys of the deep south are indeed a fine experience.
3. The Ourika valley.
4. Asni and Ouirgane in the Middle Atlas.
5. Taroudant across the Tizn'Test pass.
6. Essaouira and the Atlantic coast.

The Festival of Folklore is held every year in June in the El-Bedi Palace. This is a fine show of local music, dancing, singing, costumes and jewelry.
Courtesy of the Morocco Tourism Board

Travel in Marrakech Attractions

GeoPassage tours offers multitudes of travel opportunities, Marrakech is just one of the many cities we offer day tours and individual attractions to, be sure to check out our entire catalog.