Lonely Planet Pocket Marrakesh: top sights, local life, made easy (Travel Guide)

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In 1923, Majorelle decided to put down roots in Marrakesh and bought a 4-acre palm grove on the edge of the medina, planted with poplars that gave his home its original name, Bou Saf Saf (meaning "the poplars" in Arabic). The first dwelling built here was Moorish in style, with a traditional adobe tower. It wasn’t until 1931, after Majorelle had extended the plot to almost 10 acres, that he hired French architect Paul Sinoir to design a villa and studio in the art deco style. Stretching out behind the Koutoubia Mosque, the palm-tree-dotted green swath of Koutoubia Gardens is a favorite Marrakshi spot for strolling, relaxing on park benches and generally taking a quiet break. If you need some downtime after dodging motorbikes amid the medina's skinny alleyways, take the locals' lead and head here for a peaceful meander. Koutoubia Gardens are one of the best parks in Marrakesh, and there are great views of the Koutoubia Mosque's minaret. Visiting Koutoubia Mosque

The gardens are home to more than 300 plant species from five continents, mostly collected by Jacques Majorelle over several decades of globetrotting. The gardens were first opened to the public in 1947 but were abandoned after his death until Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé made it their mission to save them from property developers. If you want to eat alongside Marrakshis, come to Gueliz. This is where office workers chow down at the city's best no-frills grills, Moroccan families gather for pizza, and couples share platters of fried fish and calamari. Most of Marrakesh's high-end, contemporary restaurants can be found in this neighborhood. Ville Nouvelle's nightlife is thriving; it's far easier to get a drink outside the medina. Marrakesh has few accessible facilities, but the city is not necessarily out of bounds for travelers with a physical disability and a sense of adventure. Narrow medina streets and rutted pavements can make wheelchair access difficult; the neighborhood of Gueliz is easier to navigate. Buses in Marrakesh are not wheelchair friendly, but the City Tour Marrakech is wheelchair accessible and an excellent way to get between many of the city's top sights. Petits taxis in Marrakesh are too small to accommodate wheelchairs, but grands taxis should be able to – they typically cost about 50% more per journey. Explore Marrakesh or the Atlas Mountains beyond, on a family-friendly bike tour with AXS. High-quality Giant road bikes, mountain bikes (including kids' bikes) and helmets are provided.

Leather babouches:

Considered shoulder season, these months are typically when Marrakesh experiences its largest rainfall, which can hamper plans to explore the city. But the rain usually only lasts a day or two, making for ideal opportunities to head to the hammam to warm up and scrub down. Expect road closures around town as marathoners race around the city’s ramparts, through the palm groves and down the main drags before crossing the finish line in Djemaa el Fna as part of the Marrakesh marathon on the last Sunday of January. Non-Muslims can’t go inside the Koutoubia Mosque or minaret but are most likely to get a glimpse inside on a Friday when the doors are open for prayers. The best spot from which to photograph the Koutoubia's minaret – framed by old stone and date palms – is under the archway to the left of the main entrance. Where to stay near Koutoubia Mosque Sandwiched between the Petit Riad and the Grand Riad, you'll pass through two courtyards. The first is relatively plain, but the second, called the Grand Cour or Cour d'Honneur, is the undisputed heart of the palace and one of the most spectacular open spaces ever to be conceived in Morocco. It is 1500 sq metres in size and was restored to its original brilliance in 2018. The floor is a vast expanse of Italian Carrara marble, encircled by a gallery uniquely coloured with bright blue and yellow plaster and woodwork.

Bus No 12 from Bab Doukkala heads past Jardin Majorelle. If you want to walk, it's a 10-minute stroll from Bab Doukkala. Head up Avenue Moulay Abdullah and then turn right onto Ave Yacoub El Mansour.

Lanterns

Plenty of Marrakesh's big-hitting sights are scattered through the dense quarter of Kâat Ben Nahid. Skip the tanneries if you don't have a strong stomach for persistent touts and hassle (or hire a guide). There's enough to keep visitors busy for at least a day – and a busy one, at that. Just west of the pavilion, a highlight is the room housing the Koutoubia minbar (prayer pulpit). Once the minbar of the Koutoubia Mosque, its cedar-wood steps with gold and silver calligraphy were the work of 12th-century Cordoban artisans headed by a man named Aziz – the Metropolitan Museum of Art restoration surfaced his signature. Morocco is a fantastic year-round vacation destination, but choosing the best time of year to travel will depend on your interests and holiday needs. Along with Mouassine, Kâat Ben Nahid is the core of the old medina, with scrawls of close-knit alleyways hiding sumptuous 17th-century riads. On its western edge is the Mnebhi Palace, now the Musée de Marrakech. This is also where you'll find Ali Ben Youssef Medersa, a clutch of excellent museums and, to the east, one of the medina's poorest districts, home to the malodorous Bab Debbagh tanneries.

Marrakesh is synonymous with charming architecture and warm hospitality and, thankfully, this can be found in all price categories, whether you sleep on a local's sofa through Couchsurfing or rent a room via AirBnb.

Thuya wood items 

In Arabic, djemaa means congregation as well as gathering, and one theory is that the true translation of Djemaa El Fna, the famous square in Marrakesh that's near Koutoubia Mosque, is not "assembly of the dead," but "mosque of the dead," a legacy of the tragic event that occurred here. Meaning of Koutoubia Mosque It's a hot contest, but Mouassine and the Central Souqs area might just be Marrakesh's best shopping district. Between Place Rahba Kedima and Place Ben Youssef is the best hunting ground for artisan crafts, while Rue Mouassine and the area around Rue Amesfah are home to a burgeoning high-end local design scene.