Located along Rue Bahia Bab in the Mellah district of the Marrakech Medina is the Bahia Palace, a stunning set of tranquil gardens enclosed within the beautifully decorated walled pavilions. Bou Ahmed, a former slave who rose to a position of power under sultans Moulay Hassam and Abd Aziz, built the palace in the last […]
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Dar Si Said was originally a mansion built by Sidi Said, royal Visir and half-brother of Ba Ahmed Ben Moussa (the former slave who built the nearby Bahia Palace), in the nineteenth century. Today, the interconnecting courtyards and beautiful wooden ceilings house the Museum of Moroccan Arts and Crafts: a collection of carpets, jewellery, weaponry, […]
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The Tiskiwin Museum was founded Bert Flint – a Dutch anthropologist who himself has been a Marrakech resident since 1957– to display highlights from his personal collection of Amzigh Berber artefacts. Such is the importance of Flint’s collection that Tiskiwin is now part of the Marrakech University Cadi Ayyad. The stunning collection includes Berber tents, […]
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Although Marrakech is often known as ‘The Red City’ thanks to the pisé-cement ramparts that surround the old town, once you enter the Medina it becomes clear that Marrakech actually holds a multitude of bright and vibrant colours. We noticed at this point in the ‘Needle and Thread’ Medina walk, as you turn south towards the Jemaa el-Fna Square, there […]
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The Berber people are the ethnicity indigenous to North Africa, known for their fine craftwork, delicious cuisine and traditional music. The newly refurbished Berber museum, situated within the Majourelle Garden, is a fantastic resource cataloguing Berber life from diverse regions of Morocco. The exhibits document all aspects of Berber life, from craftwork to clothing and […]
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The Marrakech Tanneries are perhaps one of the must-see attractions in red city. The traditional tanning process, as witnessed in the Marrakech tanneries, is laced with symbolism. It is often said that the position of the tanneries itself, the east of the Marrakech Medina, symbolizes the rebirth of animal skin into leather through the sun […]
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On www.hipmarrakech.com one of our new features are riads with Hammams. The Hammam is important in Moroccan culture and life. They are descended from Roman baths and modelled after Turkish baths. I once read that there are over 700 Hammams in Marrakech, most of which are just used by locals. They are heated by a […]
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Alongside the food stalls and tradesmen in the centre of Marrakech is this interesting spectacle. Tourists and locals alike test their patience and focus as they try their hand at this hoop game. “It looks a lot easier than it is” a passing tourist informs me, as I watch the crowd try and loop small […]
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Just a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute taxi ride from the Marrakesh Medina are the Majorelle Gardens (Le Jardin Majorelle). The garden’s were created as a project by the French artist Jacques Majorelle between the 1920’s and 30’s and have grown to become one of Marrakech’s most popular tourist attractions. As I travel […]
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A thoroughly vibrant experience both welcoming and delightfully charming yet confusing and scary, Moroccan souks are a culture and lifestyle upon themselves and a must visit on any travel to Morocco. Meandering through these ancient mazes can conjure up scenes of an exploratory Hitchcock era: men walk hand in hand wearing biblical full length hooded jalabiyas […]
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