I began my second day in Marrakesh by eating breakfast on the roof of the riad before heading out to explore the city. Like Fes, Marrakesh has created tourist paths that connect various sites to one another so you can navigate the city relatively easily. I started off following one of the paths to Dar Si Said, which houses the Museum of Moroccan Arts. I really moved this museum, which had a beautiful courtyard, and really great exhibits featuring Moroccan jewelry and handicrafts.
01 | Dar Si Said (click for more)
Next I went to the El Bahia Palace (Palais El Bahia) nearby. I’d heard great things about this palace from the American and British couples that I’d met while on the camping trip in the Sahara, and it was indeed impressive. It featured ornate tiling and stunning stucco work. The only downside to the site is that it was packed with tourist groups, so it was hard to enjoy when competing with so many other people to see things. Despite this, I really loved the palace, and it was one of the most impressive things I saw on the trip.
02 | El Bahia Palace (click for more)
03 | Door in El Bahia (click for more)
After departing El Bahia, I went to the other major palace in Marrakesh, the similarly named El Badi Palace (Palais El Badi قصر البديع) that was a short walk away. The two sites couldn’t have been more different from one another. While the El Bahia had been much more modern and ornate, the El Badi is now in ruins and is more like an archaeological site. I wasn’t too excited about this site and almost skipped it after hearing from the two couples on the camping trip that they didn’t enjoy it, but I actually loved it even more than the El Bahia, and it still stands out as one of my favorite moments of the trip.
04 | El Badi Palace (click for more)
Unlike the suffocating crowds at El Bahia, the El Badi was virtually empty, meaning that I could explore it without bumping into anyone else. This also made ideal conditions for taking photos as I never had to wait for anyone to move! During the entire time there I saw probably fewer than a dozen other tourists. Compared to the El Bahia, the El Badi was a sprawling complex with a lot to see. My only complaint is that I wish I’d gone a bit earlier when the sun wasn’t quite so hot, as a large part of the site is out in the open with no shade nearby.
05 | El Badi Palace (click for more)
After leaving El Badi I went to see the Bab Mansour gate on the way to the Saadian Tombs, where the remains of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur and his family are buried. The grounds were beautiful, but very crowded with other tourists.
06 | Bab Angaou Gate
07 | Saadian Tombs (click for more)
08 | Saadian Tombs (click for more)
Next I stopped at Mechoui Alley for some mechoui, which is lamb cooked in a stone pot underground and then placed on sandwiches. It was the most amazing thing I ate in Morocco, but the next day it became my biggest regret of the trip.
09 | Door in the medina
10 | El Mansour Minaret
After lunch I went to the Marrakech Museum (Museo De Marrakech), which was one of my favorite museums in the country. It was in a beautiful building which was formerly a palace, and had some really fantastic exhibits of jewelry (which were the highlight for me), pottery, and other artwork. When I was done looking I sat down at the cafe and had a soda. It was an incredibly hot day and I was exhausted from walking in the heat and sun all day and the break was fantastic.
11 | Door in the medina
12 | Museo De Marrkesh (click for more)
Next I went to the Almoravid Koubba. The building is supposed to be open on weekdays from about 8:30am–6pm, but it appeared to be closed when I was there on a Thursday and I couldn’t find any way in.
13 | Bab El Debbagh
14 | Almoravid Koubba
My next stop was at the Ali ben Youssef Medersa, which I’d bought a combined ticket for at the Marrakech Museum. The madrassa was similar to the Medersa Bou Inania in Fes and the Medersa Bou Inania in Meknes, but I think this one was probably my favorite. It was very crowded, although not as bad as some of the other sites that day.
15 | Medersa Ben Youssef (click for more)
After leaving the madrasa I wandered around the city for a while until I made my way back to the hotel. I rested for a while out of the heat and then went to the Jemaa el Fna for dinner around 7:30pm or so. I had a bean soup at one place and some tea at another, and then walked around the square taking a few photos before I went back to the hotel to go to bed.
16 | People playing a game at Jemaa El Fna (click for more)
17 | Sweets vendor in Jemaa El Fna (click for more)
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