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Published: March 5th 2011
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Breakfast companion
Resident tit (finch?, sparrow?, vulture?) at Riad Balthazar who clearly expects guests to share their breakfasts with it. Friday 4th March: a lateish start as we planned to stay in the Old City and “do” most of the sights that we hadn't already explored. So after a leisurely breakfast we headed off into the souks with the intention of getting to the Marrakech Museum which, according to our map of the Old City, should be within half a mile of our hotel. However without a direct route there was plenty of scope and opportunity for getting lost. Nevertheless we managed it with the help of three stall holders who pointed to the correct alleyway to take.....and without soliciting payment or favour: quite unusual behaviour.
The Museum is located in the former palace of the Sultan's Grand Vizier, which had been neglected and allowed to become semi-ruined before a local patron of the arts purchased it and restored it to its former glory. The building itself is the best reason for visiting the Museum with beautiful mosaic wall and floor tiles: intricately carved wooden lintels and doors, very delicate stucco works and wonderful painted ceilings. In fact the ceilings are very similar to those in the Marquis of Bute's living quarters in Cardiff Castle as the Marquis's architect William Burgess
Lost in Souk
Master Navigator Jenks figuring the shortest route to the Museum without detouring via Casablanca, Gibralter, Madrid, Paris and all points north. Also, surprisingly alone given the local practice of offering guidance then claiming an exhorbitant reward. had been inspired by the Moorish architecture that he had seen in Sicily. After the Museum we looked over one of the oldest buildings in Marrakech, an ancient ablution which is apparently the earliest example of the architectural style from which all subsequent Moroccan architecture is derived. The only interesting feature of this two story building was it is was mostly below the current ground level as the city had been rebuilt around and over it many times and it was only discovered in the early 1950s. Then it was on to the nearby Ben Youssef Madrassa, a Koranic school founded in the fourteenth century and rebuilt in its present form in the 1560s. Up to 800 boys lived her and had to learn the entire Koran: by rote. This was another very impressive building featuring lots of intricate stuccowork but it must have been very crowded it its heyday when it had 800 boys living and studying there.
Afterwards we headed down through the alleys of the various souks (happily free of motorbikes and cyclists) and out into the Djemaa el Fna (Big Square) about two thirds of a mile from the Museum and Madrassa. We were looking for
Souk Scene 2
Common sight with a local in the traditional hooded kaftan a restaurant next to another large palace that we wanted to visit, but the roads south of the Big Square were if anything more difficult to navigate than the souks themselves. We found it eventually, feeling pretty hot and bothered but made up for it with a magnificent traditional Moroccan meal starting with 7 plates (small) of different vegetables followed by chicken tajine with prunes for Jane, and brochette of minced lamb for me; and finished off with sliced sweet oranges. I also had a couple of cans of the local ale – first taste of alcohol this week - and quite good too.
Then we toured the next door El Bahia Palace and were again impressed by the many wonderful examples of intricate workmanship in the tiled floors, carved wooden doors, stuccowork and painted ceilings. Interestingly there were lots of locals, children and adults, also touring the palace which I hadn't seen at any of the historic sites we had visited earlier.
It was now around 4.30pm and we were well “cultured out” as well as footsore so we took a taxi back to our hotel. This was the first time when we had used a taxi that the
Souk Scene 3
Browsing without being hustled......it couldn't last for long driver didn't try to grossly inflate the fare, which made for a nice change.
When we got back to our hotel we sat in the sun on the roof terrace which was very pleasant; and followed by coffee in the lounge when the sun went down.
Later we went looking for a nearby food stall that I had seen in order to get a snack for supper but couldn't find it and so we carried on walking down to the Big Square where we had a small meal (£5 for both of us) at our usual stall in the square. Then back to the hotel through the souks: now quiet as virtually all the stalls close down between 8.30pm and 9pm.
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Margaret
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Hi A & J, Nice to read your blog. Sorry you had trouble navigating the souk; know how you feel, Peter's giving free lessons in July and I am first on his hit list! Pleased that you are having a lovely time in the sun. The book of our Turkish holiday is coming along just fine and we are both enjoying reliving the experience. Best wishes M & P