Marrakech, Morocco
Marrakech Morocco is best described in two types of experiences, by car and by foot. Totally different experiences and both exhilarating. Starting with the experience by car we begin at the Marrakech airport. Airports are not normally worthy of mention when describing a city unless you are in Marrakech. This small airport was renovated in 2016 and showcases a modern new Moroccan look inspired by old style Moroccan patterns, it is breathtakingly beautiful. Not surprising it finds itself on multiple lists of the top most beautiful airports in the world.
From the airport, we traveled by private car sent by the Riad we were staying at. I must first mention that Marrakech is comprised of two cities, the old Medina and the new city. The airport is in the new city and we were traveling to Riad AnaYela deep in the heart of the Medina. Traveling through the new city the roads were modern complete with billboards and wayfinding signs, and lined with street lights and palm trees and the occasional camel along the way. Cars were new and they shared the road with an equal number of scooters and motorcycles. Rules of the road, don’t hit anyone, that seemed to be it for rules. Separated by a wall from the new city, the Medina looks very different.
Once inside the Medina we quickly learned to hold on to something as this was a ride to remember. The roads are narrow and constructed of pavers not as old as the Medina itself having been updated at some point, but they weren’t asphalt compared to the new city roads. Getting through the Medina seemed to be a race for everyone as they worked their way to their destinations regardless again of any rules. The roads inside are shared with cars, motorcycles, trucks, carts pulled by donkeys and people walking. The Medina is of stark contrast to the new city, it is old and it shows. Streets are lined by buildings, there is no sidewalks or even stoops or landings to building entrances. Doors are the identifying feature of buildings and they come in every different variety from beautiful carved wood doors, elaborate metal gates, plywood coverings to metal roll up doors. As the Medina is old electricity was brought in after the buildings were built so power lines are thrown up on the outside of buildings. The Median looks as if it is in a constant state of construction as piles of rubble are seen every few hundred yards.
Once arrived at our Riad, deep within the Medina the feeling of being trapped came to mind. Understanding how many twists and turns we took within the walls I felt the sense that we would never be able to maneuver it on our own. I quickly got over that though as we were given a cell phone with the numbers of “our” taxi driver and contacts at the hotel who I later found out were experts at retrieving lost guests (not us, other guests were lost).
Marrakech by foot is how you really get to experience it using all your senses. The market of Marrakesh is enormous, comprised of over 17,000 shops that employ 75,000 people. You can enter the market multiple ways but if you enter through the Jemaa el-Fnaa, the Main Square in Marrakesh which is the largest public square in Africa it will be the most dramatic. The amount of people will vary at different times of day but come at night if you want to be around the energized crowds of people as it is cooler than during the day.
Smells of the market change as you meander through it first smelling donkey shit to make your nose scrunch then almost immediately your nose will be filled with the smell of fresh mint as you pass by the mint vendors immediately putting you into a state of relaxation and calmness. The smells of spices and charcoal used for cooking and blacksmithing are found as you walk further into the maze of shops. Noises of the ears and eyes can best describe the rest of the experience as you walk through the shops in the Medina. The sounds of horns honking, small engines revving, the flute music played by the snake charmers, and shop vendors calling to you to buy something. Eye noise as I call it consists of design patterns one after another, shops on top of each other and people everywhere no matter the time of day. With one million people living in such a dense place people must have to live in shifts.
The shops within the market appear small with openings 6-10 feet wide but many extended back and would opened into a larger area sometimes having multiple stories. The narrow pathways seemed like they were for pedestrians but scooters and motorcycles used them to pass through. The market is set up in sections of goods, vegetables, spices, leather, blacksmithing, clothing, etc. but you will not find a map to help you with that. You can spend days in the market and still not cover it all.
As we walked I was surprised at the cleanliness of the streets in the Median as there wasn’t litter to be seen. I was told that after a visit from the King four years prior he decided to put resources into the Medina to restore and clean it up for tourism opening public bathrooms throughout and having the streets cleaned daily. Embracing the tourists they receive and putting the appropriate resources to ensure its success is apparent. I’m finding myself still processing the experience I had in Marrakech as memories keep presenting themselves to me.
