Towering above the medina and the new town is Marrakech's main landmark,
whose stunning 70m minaret was
finished by Sultan Yacoub el-Mansour during the late 12th century. It's
the oldest and most complete
Almohad tower and served as a model for the classic Moroccan minaret
that's still visible in the country's mosques. Legend has it that the
three golden balls on the top were made from the jewellery of one of el-Mansours
wives, donated and melted down as penance because she had broken her
fast during Ramadan by eating three grapes.
Ý 182 C1
* place Youssef ben Tachfine
º Closed to non-Muslims
Wherever you are in Marrakech you can see the minaret of Koutoubia
Mosque
7. Koubba Ba'adiyin
It might not be obvious from the outside, but this small two-storey
kiosk the only surviving Almoravid monument in town is one of the
highlights of Islamic art. The 12th-century ablution hall, with its
variety of arches and exquisite interior decoration. is the earliest
known example of the typical Moorish style that later became so popular
in Andalucia and North Africa.
Ý 182 C1
* Off place Ben Youssef
º All the time
8. Dar Menebhi (Le Musée de Marrakech)
This large, late 19th-century palace built by Menebhi, defense minister
during the reign of Moulay Abdelaziz, is a perfect example of the
Arab-Moorish style. It was a school for many years, until it was
restored in the late 1990s by the collector Omar Benjelloun and it's now
a gallery for contemporary art and a space for exhibitions from private
collections of Islamic and Moroccan art. Happy with its success, the
Omar Benjelloun Foundation is now also funding other restoration
projects in the medina.
Ý 182 C1
* place Ben Youssef
( (04) 4390911
º Daily 9:30-6
I Moderate
The Tombeaux Saadiens were there long before the Saadians arrived in
Marrakech
9. Saadian Tombs (Tombeaux Saadiens)
The Saadian kings were buried in these splendid mausolea, built during
the late 16th century by Ahmed el-Mansour. Moulay Ismail built a large
wall around them a century later and eventually they were "lost" until
the French rediscovered them by accident in 1917. The flower-filled
cemetery has several houbbas, but the first one containing the tomb of
Ahmed el-Mansour, is the most remarkable. He was buried in its
magnificent central hall, surrounded by his sons. A diffuse light
filters onto the tombs beneath a marvellous cedar ceiling supported by
12 marble columns. El-Mansour also built a mausoleum for his mother
Lalla Messaouda.
Ý 182 C1
* Bab Agnaou
º Wed-Mon 9-11:45 am, 2:30-7
(6 in winter)
I Inexpensive
10. El-Badi Palace (Palais el-Badi)
When this 16th-century palace "the Incomparable" was built by the
Saadian sultan Ahmed el-Mansour, it became the marvel of the Muslim
world. Workmen from all over the country took part in its construction;
the marble came from Italy, and the walls and ceilings were decorated
with mosaics, stucco work and gold leaf. A hundred years later, it took
Moulay Ismail 10 years to strip its splendour in order to build Meknes. Nonetheless, the pise walls, vast pools, sunken gardens and
summer pavilions that are open to visitors today remain impressive
sights. The palace is most beautiful in June, when it becomes the main
venue for the Festival National des Arts Populaires, a large folklore
and music festival.
Ý 182 C1
* Bab Berrima, near place des Ferblantiers
º Daily 9-11:45, 2:30-5:45
I Inexpensive
only the vast spaces within the walls today suggest how grand el-Badi
palace once was
11. El-Bahia Palace and Museum (Palais el-Bahia
)
This lavish royal palace, whose name means "the Brilliance", was built
in the late 19th century by the vizier Bou Ahmed, a slave who had come
up in the world. He is said to have lived here with four wives and 24
concubines.
Covering over 8ha, the richly decorated apartments are built around
flower-filled courtyards but, compared to the exquisite style of the
nearby Saadian Tombs and the el-Badi Palace, some of the
decoration may appear vulgar and over the top. The guided tour takes in
vast reception rooms with sculpted and painted ceilings, the harem and a
garden planted with orange, lemon and banana trees, jasmine and date
palms.
Ý 182 C1
* rue Bab Rhemat
º Daily 8:30-11:45, 2:30-5:45;
closed when the royal family is in residence
I Moderate plus tip for obligatory tour guide
12. Maison Tiskiwin
The beautiful town house of Maison Tiskiwin, worth a visit in its own
right, was named after a Berber dance from the High Atlas. It contains a
fine collection of Moroccan crafts, lovingly collected by the Dutch art
historian Bert Flint. He has lived in Morocco since the 1950s and his
aim is to explain the enormous variety
of shapes, materials and techniques used in the popular arts of the
country Well arranged, with each room
devoted to the carpets, jewellery, pottery or textiles of one particular
region or city, it gives an excellent overview of Morocco's traditional
crafts.
Ý 182 C1
* rue de la Bahia, off Riad Zitoun Djedid
( (04) 4443335
º Daily 9:30-12:30, 4-6:30 (knock for entry)
I Moderate
13. Dar Si Said Museum
The pleasant palace of the Dar Si Said, a smaller version of el-Bahia, was also built by the vizier Bou Ahmed, but this time for his
brother. Today it houses the superb Museum of Moroccan Arts, with a
particularly good collection of Berber jewellery, fine carpets,
intricately carved woodwork taken from the kasbahs and a beautiful
marble basin from the Ben Youssef Medersa.
Ý 182 C1
* off Riad Zitoun Djedid near Maison Tiskiwin
º Wed-Mon 9-12, 2:30-5:45
I Moderate
14. Guéliz
Guéliz is another name for the Ville Nouvelle (new town), created during
the French Protectorate. The main avenue Mohammed V connects Guéliz with
the medina and is lined with airline offices, café-terraces, restaurants
and shops. Also on this avenue is the Marché Central, the best food
market in town (open mornings only). The residential area, l'Hivernage,
which has many hotels and sumptuous villas, is perfect for a quiet
stroll.
Ý 182 C1
* Tourist office: corner of avenue Mohammed V and place Abd el-Moumen ben
Ali
( (04) 4436131
v Buses 1, 11 from Djemaa el-Fna; 14, 28 from the train station
