Morocco: The Architecture of Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains
Beyond the Souks of Marrakech
Marrakech, the cultural capital of Morocco and one of the most beautiful cities in North Africa. It is well known as a city worth exploring for its incredible markets (souks), delicious food and stunning architecture. Historically, souks were held outside cities at locations where incoming caravans stopped and merchants displayed their goods for sale. But these moved inside the city several centuries ago. Now Marrakech houses the largest souk in Morocco. These souks are incredible places to explore: wander around the open-air square where you can watch snake-charmers at work or meander the labyrinth of interconnected alleyways that make up most of the souk. Be dazzled by the lights of the twinkling trinkets, inhale the wild variety of exotic fragrances, fall in love with the gloriously colored fabrics and the charms of the Moroccans who show you everything with a smile and a glass of mint tea.
The desert is a natural extension of the inner silence of the body.
Jean Baudrillard
But Marrakech is so much more, it is a city whose architecture will bewitch you and transport you back in time to a bygone era. Even the most well-traveled will find themselves looking with awe at the tombs, palaces, gardens, mosques and riads. It is a place one can visit without a guide but if you find the right one - the city can be brought to life, or indeed a thousand intriguing lives. Our personal favourites include the Saadian Tombs, the Alzama synagogue which is the largest of its kind in Morocco. The Dar Si Said Museum which houses one of the finest collections of objects d’art from all over the country. These are just a few, there is a myriad of other beautiful riads and palaces, many of which are private but we can arrange access to those interested.
Lastly, our favourite part of visiting Marrakech is it’s proximity to the desert and the mythical Atlas mountains. The mountains named after the Greek Titan (god) stretches around 2,500km through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. We suggest taking a driver there for the day, not only to experience the incredible landscape but also to explore the local Berber villages. Keep your eyes peeled for the hilarious and strange sight of trees full of goats as you drive the highways, not to mention the camels. We can arrange a camel trek into the desert either for a few hours or for a few days if you want to experience the magic lure of the desert more fully. There is nothing quite like the complete silence and vastness of the night sky in the desert. It is something truly extraordinary, especially in contrast to today’s ever digitally-connected society.
