Today was a full, colourful day in Marrakech, breakfast in the Riad, an early wander through the calm Jardin Majorelle, then hours getting happily lost in the medina’s souks, cafés and narrow streets. We stopped for mint tea, found a peaceful courtyard for lunch, rested near the Kutubiyya Mosque, and eventually made it back to the Riad exhausted but happy. A day of colour, noise, history and the small moments that make Marrakech unforgettable.
Jardin Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent Memorial
We woke up around 07:00, had a shower, and went down to the courtyard of our Riad for breakfast. After we had eaten, we took a taxi to the Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent Memorial. It was not far away, but we did not want to risk getting lost in the medina and missing our entry time.
The Majorelle Garden is a two acre botanical and artist’s landscape garden created by the French Orientalist painter Jacques Majorelle. He developed it over almost forty years from 1923 onwards. The Cubist villa inside the garden was designed in the 1930s by the French architect Paul Sinoir. Majorelle and his wife lived on the property until the 1950s. In the 1980s the estate was bought and restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Today the garden and villa are open to the public.
We had already bought our tickets from the official website. Entry numbers were limited each hour. The gardens opened at 08:00 and our entry time was 08:30. The taxi dropped us at the end of the street and we walked the short distance to the entrance. I showed our tickets to the security staff and we entered at about 08:30.
There were more security people than I expected, both at the entrance and walking around inside, but they were helpful and pointed us in the right direction as we explored. I loved the gardens and could imagine having something similar if I had a large enough property. I was not a fan of the artwork in the Yves Saint Laurent museum. It looked like something a child might create, but Lisa liked it.
Visiting the Marrakech Medina
A medina is the historic district found in many North African cities and usually corresponds to the old walled town. The word comes from Arabic and means city.
After leaving the Jardin Majorelle, we checked Google Maps for the general direction of the medina and started walking. We passed many horse drawn carriages parked along the main road. Several drivers offered to take us anywhere in the medina for a fee, but we declined and continued walking.
We saw what looked like a large market and walked towards it, only to realise it was a huge taxi park. As soon as we stepped inside, drivers asked if we wanted a ride. We declined again and walked back out towards the medina walls, which we could see ahead of us.
We walked through the walls and into the narrow streets. We stopped at a small café for mint tea and a Moroccan biscuit. After chatting for a while, we continued deeper into the medina. We walked through several different souks. Some sold clothing, others metal items, others food, and many sold tourist items.
Eventually we stopped at a Craftswoman Centre to get something to eat. The courtyard was peaceful and very pleasant. We planned to order two different tagines so we could try both, but by the time we looked at the menu it was 19:30 and they were no longer available. I ordered a panini and Lisa had couscous. The food was very good. After resting for a while, we continued exploring.
We walked through more of the medina but struggled to work out exactly where we were. Eventually we came out onto a main road and could see the Kutubiyya Mosque.
The Kutubiyya Mosque is the largest in Marrakech. It stands in the southwest medina quarter near the Jemaa el Fnaa souks and is surrounded by gardens. It was founded in 1147 by the Almohad caliph Abd al Mu’min after he conquered the city. A second version of the mosque was rebuilt around 1158, and the minaret was likely completed around 1195. This is the structure that stands today.
Resting at Bistro Laksour
We stopped at a small café called Bistro Laksour. My legs were aching and very swollen by this point, so I needed to sit down. We stayed there for quite a while watching the world go by.
Across the road a car was parked with a small gap behind it. We watched at least three cars reverse into the space, hitting the cars already parked there each time. Nobody seemed to care and nobody left a note.
It was a lovely café and we agreed that if we could find it again, we would return.
We left around 21:00 and continued through the medina. Eventually we found our way back to the Riad and fell asleep within minutes of getting in.
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