First Taste of Marrakech

My first few days in Marrakech were a blur of jet-lag, apartment hunting, and adjusting to a new environment. Despite the busyness, we were able to enjoy a morning of touring around Marrakech and seeing some of the popular sites!

We started out at the Jardin Majorelle which was created by French artist Jacques Majorelle and architect Paul Sinoir. In the 1980s, the property was bought by Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé who worked to maintain the garden and villa as a museum, open to the public today. We actually visited the museum at the perfect time, since it was early morning and the garden was practically empty.

I think that if I had the ability to create my dream garden, it would pretty much look like Jardin Majorelle. The stunning cobalt blues, contrasting bright yellows, and cacti collections created such a peaceful, colorful oasis in the middle of the otherwise consistent reds and browns of Marrakech. Every plant, pot, window, pond, fountain, and building was so bold, making it impossible to miss. One of my favorite things in the world is places or art that were created/curated so intentionally. And Jardin Majorelle is a perfect example of that. I could spend forever in this garden and it’s beauty reminds me so much Gardner museum in Boston and my grandparent’s garden back at home.

Next, we drove over to Koutoubia Mosque, the largest mosque in Marrakech. It was built in 1147 and is a beautiful and important landmark that is impossible to miss in Marrakech. The minaret (tower) is 77 meters tall, and is actually wide enough for someone to ride a horse up to the top to announce daily prayers! In Morocco, non-Muslims are not allowed to enter mosques, so we observed this historical monument from the outside.

We then headed over to Bahia Palace! It was built in the 1800s for a Grand Vizier of the Sultan, and has over 150 rooms. The corridors, riads, courtyards, and private gardens were stunning to walk through, and it was a beautiful display of Moroccan royalty, architecture, and elegance. Seeing the insanely intricate tile work and stucco carvings in every single room, ceiling, and floor was unbelievable, since the entire palace was built in just ten years! One of the residents, Bou Ahmed had four wives and 24 concubines, each with their own sections of the palace, however most of those spaces were empty, leaving any furniture or decorations to the imagination. During the French Protectorate, any residents were forced to leave, and parts of the palace were physically altered (typical colonialism), but the magnificent artwork and style of the palace still shines through today. The private gardens were my favorite, and I can only imagine how relaxing and peaceful they were compared to the hustle and bustle of the Medina right outside the doors of the palace.

We capped off our morning by taking our first stroll through the infamous Marrakech medina. This is an enclosed section of the city filled with cobblestone streets and souks (marketplace) containing artisan crafts, leather, spices, jewelry, carpets, textiles, and just about every kind of good you can imagine. Marrakech’s medina is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so I was super excited to see what it was about. I can understand why people stress that you enter the medina with a trusted tour guide because the amount of unfamiliar, winding streets would definitely be overwhelming to try and navigate alone. Luckily we were able to just follow in the footsteps of our guide, who showed us through a few of the souks and Berber pharmacy. The amount of goods and souvenirs you can find here are truly endless. I’m hoping to explore more of the medina, cautiously, as I’m not really looking to get lost in such an overstimulating environment.

In the center of the medina is Jemaa el-Fnaa, a large plaza with henna artists, snake charmers, performers, and fortune tellers. While we didn’t experience Jemaa el-Fnaa in the evening, it apparently transforms into a busy food market. This is definitely on my list to explore at some point soon.

It amazes me that we did all of this in just one morning! It’s clear that Marrakech has so many incredible places to explore with so much history and culture. While it felt like we just dipped our toes into the excitement of this city, I feel so grateful to be here and have so much time to do everything. I cannot wait to take time, go at my own pace, and really get to sit and learn about these places and historical landmarks!

Lastly, a special thank you to my Dad for helping me move and adjust to such a new environment across the world! I’m so glad that we got to experience this day together and none of what I am able to do here would be possible without him or the support from my family. ❤