The cliché would be to say that Marrakesh is a land of contrasts. And the truth is that in a city that's been around and evolving for almost a thousand years, there's bound to be some old against new. These photos below kind of say it all. But I'm going to say more anyway.
An example of the ancient: the El Badi Palace which, frankly, would be more awe-inspiring if Moulay Ismaïl hadn't plundered virtually everything but the mud walls themselves at the end of the 17th century. The holes in the wall come from inserting the scaffolding in the mud as they create the walls. Then they leave the holes so that future renovations can use them. Generously, Ismaïl did not abscond with the holes.
An example of ...the ancient. When was the last time you saw so many (or any?) pay phones?
And more of the legitimately ancient... In this case, Bob is not your Uncle, but rather the way you pronounce "Bab" which means gate. The mid-12th century Bab Agnaou is the prettiest of them, leading into the Marrikesh medina, but the most fun to say is Bab er Rob. The Bab Agnaou gate leads you in right next to the beautiful Saadian tombs, which were built in the 16th century, walled-in, and then subsequently lost until World War I pilots spotted them from above. How you lose something this big, in the middle of a populated city, is a mystery; it's not like it's a Mayan pyramid overtaken by the jungle.
Here you can see the embodiment of the national dyslexia. This sign clearly point to the right and say that the Majorelle Gardens are 200m to the left. Around 75% of the people we've asked for direction through the country have pointed right and told us "left" or vise versa. I actually looked up how to say these words in Arabic, thinking perhaps it sounded similar in a confusing way. But no, "left" is yaminan in Arabic and gauche in French and "right" is shimalan in Arabic and droit in French. So we have no explanation for this pervasive phenomenon.
An example of the ancient: the El Badi Palace which, frankly, would be more awe-inspiring if Moulay Ismaïl hadn't plundered virtually everything but the mud walls themselves at the end of the 17th century. The holes in the wall come from inserting the scaffolding in the mud as they create the walls. Then they leave the holes so that future renovations can use them. Generously, Ismaïl did not abscond with the holes.
An example of ...the ancient. When was the last time you saw so many (or any?) pay phones?
And more of the legitimately ancient... In this case, Bob is not your Uncle, but rather the way you pronounce "Bab" which means gate. The mid-12th century Bab Agnaou is the prettiest of them, leading into the Marrikesh medina, but the most fun to say is Bab er Rob. The Bab Agnaou gate leads you in right next to the beautiful Saadian tombs, which were built in the 16th century, walled-in, and then subsequently lost until World War I pilots spotted them from above. How you lose something this big, in the middle of a populated city, is a mystery; it's not like it's a Mayan pyramid overtaken by the jungle.
And here, a view of the 12th century Koutoubia minaret in the center of the old city, with a colorfully-clad Berber water-seller in front of it.
My personal favorite of the old sites: the Ben Youssef Medersa. Built in the 14th century, it is no longer the largest Koranic university in the Maghreb (Northern African region containing Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria), but it remains just as stunningly beautiful as it ever was. The former students' rooms are small but look out onto this gorgeous courtyard. I've seen worse places to live in 21st century Paris.
Here you can see the embodiment of the national dyslexia. This sign clearly point to the right and say that the Majorelle Gardens are 200m to the left. Around 75% of the people we've asked for direction through the country have pointed right and told us "left" or vise versa. I actually looked up how to say these words in Arabic, thinking perhaps it sounded similar in a confusing way. But no, "left" is yaminan in Arabic and gauche in French and "right" is shimalan in Arabic and droit in French. So we have no explanation for this pervasive phenomenon.
The place itself is something of a contrast -- a garden first built by French artist Jacques Majorelle, then purchased and revived by Yves Saint-Laurent, who also opened a fashion musuem here. It's a haven from the honking and hubbub of the streets. Other than the swarms of tourists inside, that is. Very refined with an Occidental sensibility (it feels a little like being in a Monet painting) yet distinct Moroccan influences.
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