October-December 2019

Sunset over the Souks of Marrakech Morocco Photo: iStock (Below) Koutoubia Mosque tower Photo: Dawn Jorgensen
ware and glassware. Remember to brush up on your
bargaining techniques. Shop for handwoven rugs,
painted ceramics bowls, stain glass lamps, envyinducing
tiles and ‘Fatima Hands’ in every shade of
good luck.
Savour the sounds of traditional drums on the
Jemaa el-Fnaa Square and hear the muezzin’s call to
prayer at the many mosques. Watch skilled
craftsmen at work in the Souks and take a
guide to introduce to you the school, mosque,
bakery and fountains of the inner medina
communities. A journey into the city takes
you back in time as you scout its numerous
alleys, always guided by the ochre red walls
that will lead you home.
Visit ‘La Maison de la
Photographie’ House of Photography
in Jamaa Lfna, a fascinating archive
of photographs of Morocco taken by
anonymous travellers and famous
photographers between 1870 and
1960. The House of Photography
opened in 2009 and offers
charming insight into the evolution
of the ochre city, going up to the
roof is a must.
Walk the Avenue Mohammed
V, Marrakech’s high street, with
its luxury stores, hotels and
restaurants. Enjoy endless cups
of sweet mint tea and pause for
a refreshing freshly squeezed
orange juice from one of the many
vendors.
A symbol of the city is the
Moorish minaret of 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque.
Easily visible given a local ordinance that forbids any
other building in the Medina to be taller than a palm
tree, leaving the Koutoubia Mosque towering over
the city. Know that non-muslims may not enter the
mosque, however you are welcome to walk around the
exterior and enjoy the Koutoubia gardens.
Possibly one of the most visited sites in the city and
the place to fall in love with true Majorelle blue, is
the Jardin Marjorelle. A two-and-a-half-acre
artist’s landscape garden in Marrakech that
was created by the French Orientalist artist,
Jacques Majorelle over a period of forty years.
Acquired by him in 1923, it features a Cubist
villa that was designed by the French
architect, Paul Sinoir in the 1930s.
Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre
Bergé went on to buy the Jardin
Majorelle in 1980, saving it from
falling victim to a real estate project
and becoming a hotel complex.
They decided to live in the Villa
Bou Saf Saf, which they renamed
Villa Oasis, and undertook the
restoration of the garden in order
to ‘make the Jardin Majorelle
become the most beautiful garden
– by respecting the vision of
Jacques Majorelle.’
Next to it is the impressive
Musée Yves Saint Laurent
Marrakech, which houses many
of his designs, accessories,
sketches and a collection of
photos during his long and
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