A. Medina of Marrakesh B. Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou C. Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador) |
Medina of Marrakesh Added to the list in 1985 - visited by Maarten, Annick and Febe in 2014
Marrakesh has a long history as an important political, economical and
cultural centre in the Western Muslim world.
This vibrant, historic city is a typical example
of a large medieval, Islamic capital; it
combines the business of daily life, crafts and
trade (e.g.
the souks and Djemaa el Fna square) with the
calmness of its religious centres (e.g.
mosques and the Ben Youssef Madrasa) and the
grandeur of its palaces (e.g.
El Badi palace, La Bahia). Own impression Annick: We visited Marrakesh on a couple of occasions and I really liked the feel of the city. The Djema El Fna is, as Maarten explains below, not really the place to be, although they have excellent orange juice there - pressed at the spot, an ideal refreshment. I loved visiting the famous sights, since they were a relief from the busy souks. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the souks - especially because they have specialised districts, like the tanners, or the painters. But, when you have to take care of a toddler, they are a bit too hectic ;-) I was glad that it was so hot, so she wanted to be in the stroller for the majority of the time. If not, she would've definitely ended up hurt by either a mule or a motorcycle, or maybe even both... It was even a miracle I never got hit ;-) The palaces are of extreme beauty though. I really love islamic architecture and it's only the second time I really had the opportunity to discover some - the first being in Jerusalem. More of that if you aks me!
Maarten:
During our stay in Morocco, we headed into the
city several times, mostly because of the heat
and the overwhelming character of the city. It’s
completely impossible to visit and experience
all its treasures in one day. Moreover, most
monuments are so intricately and extensively
decorated, that it is a feast for the eye but it
also becomes a bit much after a while. So if you
want to appreciate this city in its full glory,
spend several days here. I must admit I hated
the Djemaa El Fna square, where even looking at
someone could result in that person charging you
for it. We experienced our first rip-off even
within our first 5 minutes on the square, when
we wanted to photograph one of the snake
charmers. Happy with the pictures and experience
though, but needless to say the amount they
asked was ridiculous. We didn’t pay what they
wanted, but we still paid too much if you ask me
(15 euro!). |
Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou Added to the list in 1987 - visited by Maarten, Annick and Febe in 2014
The ksar at Ait-Ben-Haddou is a typical and
stunning example of pre-Saharan, South-Moroccan
architecture. Just like the kasbah, the family
unit for the wealthy class, the ksar is a type
of traditional habitat. It’s a collective
grouping of earthen buildings surrounded by high
defensive walls and reinforced with angle towers
and zigzag-shaped gates, common in all countries
of the Great Maghreb. The structures inside a
ksar are either houses, collective buildings or
community areas. They were constructed using a
range of pre-Saharan construction techniques.
The ksar of Ait-Ben Haddou is built against a
hill for protection issues and is located along
a former caravan route, between the High Atlas
mountains and the Sahara desert.
Own impression Annick: Our visit to Ait-Ben-Haddou was at
the end of a very beautiful day, where we
discovered the magnificent Atlas mountains and
also the beautiful kasbah at Telouet. At this
point you are already in the more arid zone of
Morocco, so the scenery changed a lot over the
day. Maarten:
Our visit to Ait-Ben-Haddou was part of a very
memorable travel day, also including a visit to
the magnificent Telouet kasbah
and an
unforgettable dromedary trip around the ksar.
The area between Telouet and Ait-Ben -Haddou was
also just breath-taking. I reckon this day to be
one of the most exciting travel experiences in
my life. Obviously, Ait-Ben-Haddou was not the
only highlight of that day, but definitely a
must-visit when you are in the area. I
especially enjoyed the view from the nearby town
and from dromedary-back. I must recommend you do
the dromedary trip, especially when traveling
with children. The ksar’s location in a
semi-desert landscape, built against the slope
of a hill and alongside a small river turns it
into a true postcard. Moreover, there is always
that special feeling when you recognise movie
locations such as the “African arena” where
Maximus fought his first battles in “Gladiator”…
Taking the hike through the city up the hill is
also a must-do: it takes you through the
different city quarters ànd you have a superb
view from the hilltop. |
Medina of Essaouira (formerly
Mogador) Added to the list in 2001 - visited by Maarten, Annick and Febe in 2014
Essaouira is an exceptional and well-preserved
example of a late 18th century,
fortified, European-style seaport city in North
Africa. This major international trading port
served as an economical link between Morocco and
the rest of the world (esp. Europe). Annick: A bit of a crazy excursion, this one. We had to drive from Marrakesh and back the same day, which meant 5 hours in the car. This limited our time in Essaouira - if I would do it all over again, I would have booked a riad there and would've stayed overnight. The town is certainly worth a visit. I love the seaside and the seaside in Morocco is wonderfull. The whole port was filled with the smell of freshly grilled fish and the cosy stroll along the sea, the blue boats and the fortified harbour was just lovely. Since Febe also wanted to go to the beach and dip her feet in the ocean, we had to skip the inner part of town completely - but that's how it goes when you travel with a young girl :-) Maarten:
We drove there all the way from Marrakesh, which
took a while (2.5h) because of speed limits, but
was nevertheless very easy. We arrived there
around noon and went straight to the Skala du
Port and the seaport itself. We watched the
fishermen clean their catch, gazed at the sky
blue boats and walked on the ramparts, from
where we could see the ruins of the prison on
the island of Île de Mogador. Afterwards, we
enjoyed the best grilled fish ever. Just
perfect! In the afternoon, we decided to go to
the nearby beach with Febe (we still had a long
ride ahead of us) and skip the remainder of the
medina. This was definitely the best decision
for all of us, but if we ever go back to the
region, I would certainly want to wander some
more through its streets… |