Marrakech

Hassan Tower

From Fes, we traveled by bus 7 hours to Marrakech. On the way, we stopped in Rabat, which is the capital of Morocco. We stopped at Mausoleum of Mohammad V, the first king of Morocco, grandfather to the current king. The mausoleum is on the site of the unfinished mosque, started in 1195. Hassan Tower, the original minaret, stands half completed, and still serves as the minaret for the new mosque built on the other side of the plaza. 

Columns of the Unfinished Mosque 

Tomb of Muhammad V

Moroccan countryside

Koutoubia Mosque 

We spent our first day in Marrakech exploring the medina. Our first stop was at Koutoubia Mosque, the largest and most iconic mosque in Marrakech. Built in 1186, it had to be rebuilt immediately after construction, because the builders had not oriented the mosque facing Mecca. Thus, next to the current mosque are hundreds of pillars from the original building.  

Medina of Marrakech

Tombs of the Saadian Dynasty

 We next visited the Saadian Tombs, where members of the Saadian dynasty were buried in the 16th century. Rediscovered in 1917, the tombs are now a major tourist stop in Marrakech. Within the complex, you can view the tombs of the kings, the harem  the soldiers, and the children of the royal family.

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace was built in the 19th century for the sultan's grand vizier. It is a beautiful complex, filled with gardens, fountains, intricate mosaics, and stucco carvings. 

Bahia Palace

Jemaa el-Fnaa Square

We spent the rest of the day exploring the city. I had lunch on a rooftop overlooking Jemma el-Fnaa Square, the central marketplace of Marrakech. Surrounded by shops, the square boasts henna artists, snake charmers, monkey tamers, and Berber musicians. It is a sensory overload, but loads of fun to wander around and see the sights. Marrakech sits at the base of the Atlas Mountains, and since it was a sunny day, we could see them in the distance. 

Atlas Mountains