Marrakech is one of the four former imperial cities of Morocco. Its medina is a walled medieval city dating back to the Berber Empire with hundreds of alley ways filled with souks selling their wares, including pottery, textiles, and foods. Our first stop while touring the famous city was the Koutoubia Mosque. The mosque was built in the 12th century and is still functioning as an active place of worship.
We then headed to the Bahia Palace, whose name means “brilliance.” It was built in the 19th century and has a large garden where various fruit trees grow oranges, grapefruit, pomegranate, and banana.
We later navigated the chaotic corridors of the medina admiring the various souks. We toured an argan oil shop where local women crush the kernels of the argan tree to form a thick paste that they decant to make the oil. The argan tree is endemic to Morocco and the international demand for the purifying and moisturizing oil continues to rise with the return of herbal and natural medicine.
We frequented a beautiful traditional Moroccan restaurant for dinner that provided an interesting dinner show with classic Berber music and dancing.
Although Marrakech was fascinating and beautiful in its own way, I think I had set too high of expectations for this ancient city. I follow quite a few food bloggers who hold workshops in riads around the city and felt a more mystical vibe from the photos. I found myself more partial to Fes and Chefchaouen than Marrakech. Regardless, I am so thrilled that I finally made my way to this well loved city!