Morocco travel

Koutoubia Mosque The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech’s most renowned image – worked in a conventional Almohad style and finished with four copper globes – is obvious from close and far. It’s not by any means that high (77 meters), however on account of nearby geology and a neighborhood law that disallows some other working in the Medina to be higher than a palm tree, it towers grandly over its environment. It’s still a dynamic spot of love, and non-Muslims may not enter. In any case, it’s conceivable to get a good perspective of the outside by strolling around either side. Spend your Money at the souks There are a couple of more pleasurable approaches to investing energy in Marrakech than meandering around the apparently unending labyrinth of business sectors in the Medina. The territory of the Medina, only north of the Jamaa El Fna, is business – at any rate in its more focal ranges – with a stringy system of souks. Starting on the north edge, the souks include a rear endless supply of little retail workspaces. The further in you wander the all the more intriguing they get to be. The two primary courses into their…

Marrakech known as the Pearl of the South, Marrakesh is a city of Morocco at the foot of the Atlas Mountains and the most exotic city in Morocco. Marrakech is Morocco’s fourth largest city after Casablanca, Rabat and Fez. The city is divided into two distinct parts: the Old Medina and the new city whose principal districts are called: Guéliz and Hivernage. Guéliz is now the commercial center. It was founded by the French during the Protectorate. The Hivernage concentrates many hotel complexes. In recent years, the town expanded in the periphery including the West with the appearance of new residential neighborhoods. Marrakech has been developed from Berber town considered as a centre for trade and craft in the south of Morocco into one of the four royal cities (Fes, Meknes, Rabat and Marrakech), the city includes many attractions and monuments as follow: Jamaa El Fna Marrakech ramparts Koutoubia Mosque Madrasah Ben Youssef The Bahia Palace El Badi Palace The Saadian Tombs Mellah Quarter The Menara gardens The Majorelle Garden Dar Si Said Museum Museum of Marrakech Souks of Marrakech

Ait Ben Haddou this magnificent, earth-built fortified village became one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites in December 1987. Situated on the top of a hill some 40 Kilometres to the north-west of Ouarzazate. it is so ‘photogenic’ that it has been used as the background for some memorable scenes in two film masterpieces – ‘sodom and Gomorrah’ and ‘Lawrence of Arabia ‘ directed by David Lean.

The region of  Tafilalet lies on the south eastern edge of Morocco and was of foremost importance in the history of the contury. The Alaouiti dynasty, to which the present king belongs, originated here in 1640. But, for centuries Tafilalet, a main point of access to the Sahara dunes, also represented an important centre for commerce and gold, spices and slaves were transported from here towards Sudan and Guinea. Today it is an excellent tourist centre where the oases blend harmoniously with the dense palm groves and the Ksour, numbering over one hundred.

Situated between the Tafilalet river and the Draa valleys, Tinehir is a real architectural and environmental treasure. Built in terraces at the foot of a lush palm grove over which the windows of the earth-built houses open, this is a delightful town to visit both for the architecture and the local people. The casbah dominates the houses, palm grove and surrounding countryside. The picturesque and crowded weekly market is held on Mondays – a festive and lively occasion providing a chance to admire the attractive local crafts items displayed for sale. The Todghra Gorge is about 15 Km away and many small villages are situated along the course of the wadi, notable for the singular design of the houses. The walls are completely blind and light enters via an internal courtyard which has various functions. This is an ancient architectural arrangement intended to provide shelter from inclement weather and from the heat of the summer, and at the same time protects the privacy of family life from the curiosity of outsiders. The Todghra Gorge The barren and majestic Todghra Gorge is set amidst spectacular and fantastic scenery. The rugged, rocky walls that rise almost perpendicular to flank the bed of…

The main type of habitation in the oases and valleys consists of fortified structures, the architectural style of which is derived from many very different influences, especially eastern and pre-Islamic Mediterranean. Most of the casbahs are built on precipitous heights creating an imperious sense of isolation. They are all built in the same style and design and only the various ornamental brickwork patterns differ from one to the other. This decoration is not sophisticated but is dictated simply by the size of the building. In fact, once the construction reaches a certain height, it is difficult to use the normal pisé due to the weight of the wet earth which constitutes the basis of this building material. The walls are therefore finished with pre-dried bricks that are easier to transport. But even here it can be  seen that the proud solitude of these places, so strongly rooted in their traditions. has felt the impact of modernity. Indeed, here and there, small bars, telephones and occasional power lines have appeared.

the dramatic scenery of the rocky universe that flanks the entire length of the Dades valley consists of deep gorges, casbahs  perched on mountain tops and craggy precipices where once the fearsome Atlas lion roamed, a feline that became extinct in 1905. The area is certainly more calm and peaceful today as can be seen by the large population of small mouflon sheep, but is, however, still difficult to travel through given the extreme ruggedness of the few pathways. But the views that the Dades Gorge offers fully justify the discomfort of the journey. It has taken thousands of years of erosion to form the rock and to produce its present colour. Moreover, the vertical walls of the gorge provoke admiration and wonder while even the colour of the rocks amazes, ranging from red to lilac.

Lying immediately beneath the harsh and dramatic landscape of the Dades Gorge and overlooking the green banks of the wadi, one of the main attractions of the town of Boumalne is in fact this unusual and extreme environmental setting where the palm trees are unable to grow. In addition to serveral impressive kasbahs, a picturesque weekly market is held in the town. The  famous Kasbah of Tizzarouine, a characteristic structure built in pisé, provides a truly magnificent panorama over this extraordinary region. Also worth visiting is the nearby ” Valley of Birds ” , a spectacular combination of rocky desert plains and grassy expanses fed by the waters of the wadi, where hundreds of birds belonging to numerous species can be seen.

It might seem strange, but right here in the heart of the desert is the ‘’Valley of Roses’’, its capital being the fortified village of El kelâa M’Gouna, high up overlooking the left bank of the M’Goun wadi in the centre of a typical cold oasis. Situated at a height of 1476 metres, the altitude is too great for palm trees to survive but almonds, apricots and pomegranates can tolerate the colder heights. And here splendid rose bushes flourish everywhere along the valley of the M’Goun that becomes increasingly narrow ending in a tapering gorge. Solidly set in a canyon here is the mighty ksar of Bou Thrarar. Much prettier, though, is the environment around El Kelâa M’Gouna where the roses grow and where in the month of May every year a magnificent celebration is held. In contrast, not far from here the village of Azlag is famous for the crafts manufacture of daggers which involves almost its entire population.

Not far from the el Mansour eddahbi dam, 35 Km to the east of Ouarzazate, in the Dadés Valley is the lush Oasis of Skoura an ancient Ksar most probably founded in the 12th century by Yacoub el – Mansour. The name is derived from the Haskoureni, a Berber population who originally settled here, and the settlement is famous for rose cultivation which is surprisingly widespread in this area. However, the secret of the charm of this town is also certainly due to the splendid oasis, which is not only unusually dense, but also extremely large, sustaining, amidst the green palm groves, a considerable number of attractive villages and impressive casbahs, often exceptionally well-preserved. without doubt one of the most majestic and elegant of these is the casbah of Amerhidil, once an important fortified residence of the most powerful family in the region, guardians and lords of the surrounding lands and villages.