On the seventh day, we planned to explore Marrakesh before going back to Casablanca to catch our flight back home. So far, we had travelled to Casablanca, Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fez, and Desert Camp at Erg Chegaga. Basically, we had one day to explore each city. Definitely wasn’t enough, but quite enough to wanting more and it’s giving more reason to revisit Morocco some other time. In this blogpost, I will share places that we visited in Marrakesh in one day.
Table of Contents
Jemaa El-Fnaa
This square is probably the liveliest part of Marrakesh. When I think about Marrakesh, the first thing come to mind is Jemaa El-Fnaa. The Square of Jemaa El-Fnaa is not just a square, it’s a marketplace, a meeting point, it’s a gathering spot, and it’s the life of Marrakesh. We booked an accommodation near this place so that we can come and go easily.
This place origin can be traced back at 1062 (during Almoravid Dinasty), and for thousands years the square has functioned as a market and gathering place, where some fearsome rulers once held public decapitations to keep their subjects in line (source: Atlas Obscura). In 2001, UNESCO declared this places as “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”.
Please be aware of the pickpocket after dark, and always ask a permission to take picture of street performers or store owners. I took a picture of a tangerine stall from afar out of amusement, I thought the owner put the tangerine very nicely and in orderly. However, when the owner saw me took picture of the stall, he yelled at me, came at me and demanded to see the footage and told me to delete the picture. I knew I should have asked his permission first. However, I had never been chased for picture that I took before, especially on the market when the stall is the main focus and amusement. I apologized to the owner and deleted the picture as he requested.
Koutoubia
Just across Jemaa El-Fnaa, about 15 minute’s walk is the beautiful Koutoubia Mosque, the biggest Mosque in Marrakesh. The mosque was built in 1147, the minaret height is 77 meter. The ruins of the first Koutoubia Mosque can be seen in its northern side of the current mosque. In the 19th century, booksellers clustered around its base – hence the name, from kutubiyyin (booksellers).
Ensemble Artisanal Marrakech
This place sells local products with fix price, and showcase selected art products from Marrakesh. The price may be a bit higher than the souq/market, but you don’t have to bargain here. There’s toilet, ATM, and café in this place.
Getting lost in Old Medina
Marrakesh Old Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Quoting from UNESCO website, one of the criteria that makes the Old Medina a heritage site is because it contains an impressive number of masterpieces of architecture and art (ramparts and monumental gates, Koutoubia Mosque, Saâdians tombs, ruins of the Badiâ Palace, Bahia Palace, Ménara water feature and pavilion) each one of which could justify, alone, a recognition of Outstanding Universal Value (source: UNESCO)
