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Marrakech
Simply saying the name Marrakech conjures up a magical swirl of minarets and markets and mysterious alleyways leading into arched courtyards.
No other city on earth has the power to mesmerise like Marrakech. Every step brings you a new sight, an enticing smell and a taste of the exotic. Stand beneath a sky streaked with great swirls of red, amber and violet. Inhale the sweet scent of spices wafting through tangled alleyways. Hear the haunting melody of the snake charmers flutes.The cliché all human life is here could have been coined for Jemaa el Fna, the citys famous square. Every day, near the citys most familiar landmark, the Koutoubia minaret, one of the greatest shows on earth takes place. By day its little more than a bustling square but at the magical sunset hour the spectacle unfolds, a melee of fortune tellers,
snake charmers, medicine men, acrobats, dancers and more. Its spellbinding. Away from this extravaganza, Gueliz, the new town, has reminders of French colonial rule, with wide boulevards and Parisian-style pavement cafés. Tranquil gardens offer welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of city life. But the real draw is the labyrinth of the ancient medina with its elaborate mosques and crowded souks. Gaze at intricate tiles and wood carvings, and hear the call of the muezzin echoing around the time-weathered walls. Here and there are beautiful riads, wonderfully tranquil, with just the sound of the courtyard fountains filling the air. Marrakech truly is a city like no other.
Tangier
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Strait
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Gibraltar
Tetouan Oujda
RABAT Casablanca
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Fez
Meknes
3737 Jbel Ayachi
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Safi Marrakech
Essaouira
Cap Rhir
4167
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4071 a s Erfoud Irhil tl MÌGoun A
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Visit& the Saadian Tombs, where Ahmed-el-Mansour found his final resting place, surrounded by his sons " Ben Youssef Medersa, the largest Koranic school in Morocco " the old Jewish quarter, or Mellah, for a different style and feel from the rest of the city Unwind& in Jardin Majorelle, an imaginative concoction of rustling palms, spiky cacti and towering bamboo owned by French couturier Yves Saint Laurent " in Menara Gardens, where an elegant pavilion gazes out at a shimmering pool. Taste& olives in all colours and varieties which are served with every meal, and can be seen piled high in the souks " sweet mint tea, drunk in abundance by the locals, and which will probably be offered to you in welcome " couscous and meat stews or more French-inspired cuisine in some restaurants. Explore& the breathtaking High Atlas, where spectacular scenery and unspoilt villages await. Take home& a henna tattoo, traditionally given to female travellers by their host to prove that she has been well looked after " a Hand of Fatima, or khamsa, a good luck charm which youll find on jewellery and ornaments in the market outside the Jewish quarter " a cure for whatever ails you! Medicine men in the medina sell love potions, tonics and promises to remedy any complaint " local handicrafts, from glittering brass and quirky antiques to leather slippers and wrought iron lanterns. Festivals... National Festival of Popular Arts in June, with music, theatre and dance transforming El Badi Palace into a riot of colour, passion and fun " Marrakech International Film Festival in September
At a glance
Tarfaya
ALGERIA
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Layoune
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Skaymat
MAURITANIA
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MOROCCO Morocco
230 km
© TUI 2005
Climate
Marrakech Apr 26
Average daily maximum temperature (ºC) May 29 Jun 33 Jul 38 Aug 38 Sept 33 Oct 28
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