Marrakesh, a former imperial city in western Morocco, is an important financial center and home to mosques, palaces, and gardens.
Marrakesh, a former imperial city in western Morocco, is an important financial center and home to mosques, palaces, and gardens. Medina is a densely populated medieval city dating back to the Berber Empire, with mazelike alleys where flourishing bazaars sell traditional fabrics, ceramics, and jewelry. A symbol of the city and visible for miles is the 12th-century Moorish minaret of the Koutoubia mosque.
1. Koutoubia Mosque
The Kutubiyya Mosque or Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. The mosque’s name is also variably rendered as Jami’ al-Kutubiyah, Kutubiya Mosque, Kutubiyyin Mosque, and Mosque of the Booksellers. It is located in the southwest medina quarter of Marrakesh, near the famous public place of Jemaa el-Fna, and is flanked by large gardens. The mosque was founded in 1147 by the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu’min right after he conquered Marrakesh from the Almoravids.
2. Jardin Majorelle
The Majorelle Garden is a two and half acre botanical garden and artist’s landscape garden in Marrakech, Morocco. It was created by the French Orientalist artist, Jacques Majorelle over almost forty years, starting in 1923, and features a Cubist villa designed by the French architect, Paul Sinoir in the 1930s. The property was the residence of the artist and his wife from 1923 until their divorce in the 1950s. In the 1980s, the property was purchased by the fashion designers, Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé who worked to restore it.
3. Bahia Palace
The Bahia Palace is a palace and a set of gardens located in Marrakesh, Morocco. It was built in the late 19th century, intended to be the greatest palace of its time. The name means “brilliance”. As in other buildings of the period in other countries, it was intended to capture the essence of the Islamic and Moroccan style. There is a 2-acre garden with rooms opening onto courtyards.
4. Saadien’s Tombs
The Saadian Tombs are a historic royal necropolis in Marrakech, Morocco. They date to the time of the Saadian dynasty, and in particular to the reign of Ahmad al-Mansur. They are located on the south side of the Kasbah Mosque, inside the royal Kasbah district of the city. The tombs have, because of the beauty of their decoration, been a major attraction for visitors of Marrakech.
5. Menara Gardens
The Menara Gardens are botanical gardens located to the west of Marrakech, Morocco, near the Atlas Mountains. They were established in the 12th century by the Almohad Caliphate ruler Abd al-Mu’min. The name Menara derives from the pavilion with its small green pyramid-shaped roof, meaning lighthouse. Although there is no actual lighthouse in the gardens, any building that sits at a high elevation is locally known as Menara, such as the mosque Minaret Menara.