On my recent trip to Morocco, I spent two overnights in Marrakesh on either end of my visit to the country. It certainly was not the right amount of time to spend there, especially given that I loved its architecture and would have enjoyed seeing more of it. However, it was a good amount of time to sample the city. So, I thought I’d share some of the images that stuck with me so you can get a sense for the town. Of course, I witnessed beautiful sunsets in Marrakesh but I will share those separately from these!
Airport
The airport in Marrakesh has a good number of international flights. It must be very new and it is very modern indeed. I loved getting off the plane after an overnight flight from the U.S. to Amsterdam and a 3-hour layover before heading to Marrakesh.
Our riad
A typical place to stay while visiting Morocco is the “riad.” A riad is a home with a small inner courtyard or garden that offers quite a few benefits for its residents such as privacy and an outdoor space with little to no direct sunlight which helps deal with the high heat of this type of locations. Riads remind me of the centuries-old houses in places like Old San Juan, which also had inner courtyards.
Well, riads nowawadays offer a great design for small places of lodging and so it was with the one where we stayed in Marrakesh: Mon Riad.
With a small courtyard with a small pool in which one could dip one’s feet, it certainly was a nice place to get to after a long trans-Atlantic trip! I immediately dropped my bags, started meeting my future fellow trekkers (more on my trek along the Camino de Santiago soon!), enjoy a welcoming cup of hot tea (yes, that is actually the best thing in hot weather!), and taking my shoes off so I could refresh my tired legs in the small pool! The staff and accommodations (great A/C in the rooms!) were phenomenal.
I enjoyed the rooftop terrace where we had dinner one night and where I got to watch some very nice sunsets and sunrise!
Red everywhere
Most structures in central Marrakesh are red or pinkish-red. The same red is visible in the pottery typical of the area. It is a neat color especially in contrast to the beautiful blue skies, the sparse but present green of the palm trees, and the color of the desert that kisses the city.
Decorations and architectural details
The best images I take away from Marrakesh (sunsets aside) are these. I have always found Arabic architecture (if that is the right term) beautiful since the first time I saw Moorish Spain’s legacy to the current architecture of places like Granada and Cordoba. In Marrakesh, everywhere I turned there was an interesting architectural or decorative element.
As I said earlier, I wish I had had more time to explore this exotic town but hope these images begin to convey the beauty to be found in the town.
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