Last stop on our around the world journey before heading back to the U.S. is Marrakech, one of my favorite cities. We arrived in the early evening and checked into La Mamounia, a Moroccan art deco styled hotel with a hundred year history of accommodating royalty, celebrities and politicians. We had a fabulous dinner in the Le Marocain restaurant in a small private dining room. I started with harira (legume) soup wonderfully flavored with herbs and spices and had chicken and date tangine as my main. A wandering musical trio performed a few songs for us adding more Moroccan flavor to the evening.
The next morning we took a walking tour of the city. The Medina or walled city of old Marrakech was constructed in the 11th century and is today a UNESCO World Heritage site; we planned to see the famous sites in the old city. We started at the Hayel Mellah, the old walled Jewish quarter, filled with shops, apartments and the only remaining synagogue in Marrakech. Marrakech once had a vibrant Jewish community but over time the majority of Jews emigrated, mostly to Israel. Today fewer than 100 Jews, most of them elderly, remain in Hayel Mellah but are free to practice their religion. It was early morning when we passed through and merchants were just starting to open their shops.
We continued to Bahia Palace, built in the late 19th century by Grand Vizier (Prime Minister to the Sultan), Si Moussa for his personal use. He named the palace after one of his many wives and built ornately tiled rooms in the Islamic style for each of his wives and children.
He must have been a lusty man as the palace had a harem with a private courtyard and rooms for his concubines. The second owner, Abu Ahmed, a former slave who rose to power and wealth, continued to improve the palace.
There were lush gardens and courtyards interspersed amongst the palace rooms so that household members could privately enjoy the outdoors. These courtyards had fountains, walking paths, flowers and fruit trees.
From Bahia Palace, we walked to the back alleys of the souks to watch craftsmen make their wares. Shops were small and dark and it looked like these artisans were making goods the same way their forefathers had made them centuries before. We saw metal workers, locksmiths, bakers and leather makers.
The souks are a shopper’s paradise – we had great fun shopping but had to be careful not to get lost. The spices, rose water, argon oil and silk tunics were my nemesis. Prices are typically negotiated in Morocco and merchants are aggressive bargainers but overall I was satisfied with my purchases!
We made our way to Djemaa el Fna, one of the largest and most vibrant squares in all of Africa. This square has been an integral part of Marrakech’s culture since its founding in the 11th century. The square gets busier and busier as the day goes on; by nightfall Djemaa el Fna is stall to stall with food vendors and entertainers.
We were on a mission to find the snake charmers. We were told that the snake charmers typically perform in the afternoon – their snakes are venomous and in the evening, the risk that someone will get hurt increases with the crowds and darkness. Must admit that the charming was a bit underwhelming – the snakes stand up when the ‘charmer’ raises his hand and then the ‘charmer’ poses for pictures and collects his fee.
We walked by the Koutoubia Mosque, the oldest mosque in the city, established in 11th century. It is still in use today and from our hotel we could hear the five daily calls to prayer from the loudspeaker on its minaret.
That evening we had cocktails on the veranda of the hotel and then a traditional Moroccan dinner with harira soup, various Moroccan salads, chicken and fish tangines and an assortment of desserts. Of course our evening entertainers were belly dancers and we watched as these performers shimmied their torsos and swiveled their hips at an unbelievably rapid rate.
The next morning we were off to the the airport to begin our journey home. As our plane ascended, we caught one last glimpse of the city below with the snow capped Atlas Mountains in the distance. Our visit here was too short!
