Address: 20, rue Ibn Aicha, Marrakesh
Phone: (+212)(0)24 43 9031
The Cuban-themed surrounds and sounds of Montecristo, complete with Che Guevara portraits. This latin/salsa club is a popular spot with fine drinks, DJ music and live bands. To beat the heat of the dance floorhead to the gorgeous roof terrace.
Majorelle Gardens and Museum of Islamic Art: In the 1920s the French artist Jacques Majorelle had it made, complete with pools, banana trees, coconut palms, and houses in a fantastic dark blue colour. The wonderful garden is alive with the sound of birds, its incredible cacti standing out in sharp contrast against the blue facade of the villa. The gardens have later been taken good care of by the French couturier Yves Saint-Laurent, who added a private museum of North African artefacts and a collection of Islamic art.
The museum and gardens are shut for lunch for a couple of hours (12-2). You cannot take any photographs inside the museum.
Menara Gardens: Located at the west of Marrakech, Morocco at the gates of the Atlas mountains. They were built in the 12th century (c. 1130) by the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu’min.
The name menara term derives from the pavillon with it small green, piramid roof (menzeh). The pavilion was built by the 16th century Saadi dynasty and renovated in 1869 by sultan Abderrahmane of Morocco who used to stay here in summertime.
The Menara gardens offers not only a pleasant escape from roaming Marrakech, it also has one of the most photographed settings of Morocco. So what is this place actually? It is designed as a summer escape- remember that Marrakech is like an oven through mid-summer- with both orchards and olive groves.
Koutoubia Mosque Minaret: Named after the souk el koutoubiyyin, the bazaar of the book-traders, which is nearby. The hall-type mosque has 17 aisles and 112 columns and is among the largest of its kind – 25,000 of the faithful can say their prayers within it. At the end of the prayer hall is an ornately carved minbar (pulpit), which is supposed to be a remnant of the Almoravid mosque destroyed by the Almohad builders of the present edifice. The square minaret, which wasn’t completed until the reign of Yacoub el Mansour (1184-1199), was the direct model for the Giralda in Sevilla and the Hassan Tower in Rabat. It is considered the ultimate structure of its kind.
Djemaa el-Fna “Square of the Dead” or the “Square of Hell”: The famous town square of Marrakech owes little of its fame to its own beauty, but to the continuous day and night life. During most of the days, perfomers of every kind put on shows, continuing until the food stalls start to move in. From the Jemaa there are several entries to the fantastic souqs (Zocos), and for anyone who needs to relax, there are plenty of cafés around the Jemaa, where the main attraction is watching the ongoing activities.
Jemaa el-Fna owes most of its fame to the large number of shows going on all the time. Snake charmers, singers, story tellers, healers and fakirs attract a dominantly Moroccan audience.
The food stalls take over the Jemaa as soon as the orange juice sellers have packed up and gone home (do not drink it). The food is prepared fresh on the spot, and you can choose between fish, meat or vegetable dishes. The concept is easy, you point at everything you desire, indicate the quantity and within few minutes it is there in front of you. The food is exquisite, tasteful and much appreciated by Moroccans and brave tourists.
