Tilework Together With Intricate Carvings: The Astonishing Architecture Of Marrakesh

Marrakesh is famous for its souqs too for Jemaa el-Fna, the large foursquare where every nighttime performers present their talent too street nutrient is at its best, but at that topographic point are many other things to come across inwards this magic city. If y'all know where to look, you'll respect ancient palaces too buildings similar a shot out of Arabian Nights, the classic collection of tales laid inwards a harem. If y'all liked Granada's Alhambra, or Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, a view to to a greater extent than or less of these treasures is almost compulsory.

Medersa Ali Ben Youssef

I cruel inwards honey amongst Islamic too Mudejar architecture during a view to Andalusia, inwards southern Spain, a few years ago. The whole of Córdoba but likewise the Alcázar inwards Seville are fantabulous reminders of the Standard Arabic domination of this portion of Spain. Horseshoe arches, actually impressive decorative tilework, peaceful too shady courtyards amongst dove fountains inwards the middle are the principal features of this colourful traditional style.

I won't lie: I was trying to larn to Medersa Ali Ben Youssef, but I must receive got taken a incorrect plough or two, because I ended upwards inwards front end of Bahia Palace. After having managed to larn my 50-dirham banknote changed inwards smaller denominations, I laid out to explore the palace. Most of the people I saw were inwards a group, too had a tour guide. I was alone, thus I didn't larn a tour guide, but I overheard the guides explaining something near the palace inwards several languages, Italian included, too I decided that I was fine past times myself.

In the courtyard of the palace at that topographic point are many cats too kittens, to a greater extent than or less of them amongst patchy fur, too I couldn't aid listening to a tour guide explaining inwards French that the stray cats were introduced past times the dozen  in Marrakesh because at that topographic point were many rats. Now that the rat province of affairs has improved the cats are withal here!

A truthful cat inwards the courtyard of Bahia Palace

This is non the violet palace, equally that is off limits for tourists. Built at the destination of 19th century for the private use of a grand vizier - a form of Prime Minister to the Sultan - Palace Bahia was afterwards embellished past times a dark slave turned vizier, Abu 'Bou' Ahmed. It has a harem, too courtyards intended to print the dignitaries who came to visit. The give-and-take Bahia itself agency 'beautiful' or 'brilliant'.



Bahia Palace

I spent my fourth dimension amongst my oral fissure agape, literally trying to receive got inwards equally much beauty equally I could. There is a harsh contrast betwixt the hustle too bustle of the streets of the medina of Marrakesh - full of dust too carts, chaos too foul smells - too this relaxing ambience, where only the twitters of the birds too the murmur of the H2O inwards the fountains are heard. The typical zellij, the mosaic decorations laid to cast geometric motifs, are everywhere, too they telephone telephone for your attention.

A youngster within Palace Bahia, side past times side to to a greater extent than or less zellij

A special of Palace Bahia

After visiting this palace, I ran into Museum Dar Si Said completely past times chance. I read on my guide that the palace alone was worth visiting, too for an  entrance fee of something similar 10 dirhams (€0,90), I decided to enter. The museum hosts examples of Moroccan handicrafts, from daggers to carved wooden doors. There are likewise to a greater extent than or less photos of Moroccan women from dissimilar tribes. Overall, a view to this museum is to a greater extent than pleasant for the decorations of the ceilings inwards the minute flooring too for the peaceful cardinal courtyard rather than for what is exposed.

Museum Dar Si Said

I had seen pictures of Medersa Ben Youssef before leaving for Morocco, thus it was on my listing of places to hold off for. If y'all receive got plans to create to a greater extent than or less serious sightseeing piece inwards Marrakesh, comport inwards hear that it's non thus slow to respect the points of involvement mentioned inwards your guidebook. I wasn't able to respect the Saadian Tombs, for instance! Between the labyrinthine streets too the fact that at that topographic point are no street signs whatsoever, I had to trust my feel of direction. In guild to respect the medersa, for example, I ended upwards next a German linguistic communication tour grouping that was clearly directed there.

This is belike the most beautiful example of Islamic architecture in Marrakesh. H5N1 medersa (or madrasa) was a religious schoolhouse - a form of university in the past times - where students lived equally good equally studied, equally inwards a boarding schoolhouse nowadays. In this 16th century edifice at that topographic point is a cardinal puddle for ablutions inwards the stunning cardinal courtyard, equally good equally the rooms for the students on the minute floor, all of them with  their ain balconies and smaller courtyards.



The cardinal puddle of the medersa

 
As I had already visited a museum that day, too it revealed to be  worth it exclusively for the building, I only bought the ticket for the medersa. On hindsight, I could receive got given the museum a chance. I spent a long fourth dimension snapping pictures at the medersa, waiting for tour groups to larn away, too trying to respect ameliorate angles for my pictures.

Detail of Medersa Ben Youssef

The internal courtyards on the minute floor, where the students' rooms are 

Another special of the medersa

If y'all fancy something to a greater extent than modern but withal fascinating, caput to Majorelle Garden inwards the Ville Nouvelle, the newer business office of the city. The laying out of gardens is possibly non considered architecture per se, but in Islamic countries it belike should, because of all the pavilions too internal courtyards that are such an of import business office of mortal too populace buildings inwards this business office of the world.

One of the pools inwards Majorelle Garden



 

These botanical gardens are an ideal house to escape the oestrus of the city, shady too beautiful, amongst many exotic plants such equally cactuses from many dissimilar parts of the world. They were created past times Jacques Majorelle, a French artist, too and thus bought past times Yves Saint Laurent, the famous designer, inwards 1980. They are non real big, but they don't lack inwards charm. They characteristic large colourful vases, a bamboo grove, too several pathways. The entrance fee is l dirhams (€4,45) without the museum, too 25 dirhams to a greater extent than if y'all likewise desire to come across the pocket-size museum dedicated to Islamic art.

The Berber Museum within Majorelle Garden

The cactuses inwards Majorelle Garden

There is to a greater extent than sightseeing to move done inwards Marrakesh: the ruins of Palace El Badi, the Menara Gardens and  the Museum of Marrakesh, for instance, but after getting lost twice inwards the same 24-hour interval I decided I had done plenty of it, too dedicated my minute amount 24-hour interval to the cooking class, too taking a taxi to the novel town on the afternoon.
 

Share this post