Lost in the Medina

 

 

Old Marrakech was not hard to find as it was only three blocks from our four star hotel.  So armed with a colourful tourist map, we waded out into the brilliant sunshine. It was going to be a hot one today.

 

 

 

 

The medina of Marrakech dates back to the early 11 century and is a UNESCO World   Heritage site and like all good medina’s, it is encircled by 19 kilometres of mud wall.

We entered by the Bab El Jedid.  (Bab is Moroccan for city gate) It is no longer a gate, but a four lane boulevard into the heart of the medina.  It has only been since the mid 19^th Century that infidels were allowed to enter the medina without permission of the sultan.

Once through the gate we could see a glimpse of the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque which was to be our first stop in the search for Old Marrakech.

The original mosque was built in the early 12^th Century.  During a renovation of the mosque in the mid 12^th Century, it was found to be incorrectly oriented to Mecca.  A very big NO NO, so another mosque, was built with the correct orientation, adjacent to the first one and finished sometime in the late 12^th Century.  

Over time the original was allowed to deteriorate till only the pilings are left today.

The minaret overlooking the mosque is 77 metres high and it is said that it can be seen up to 29 kilometres away. This is partly due to the 12^th Century, Marrakech Building Bylaw that limited building heights in the medina to no higher than the height of a palm tree so that the minaret would always be the highest point in the medina.  

As do most entrepreneurial business men around the world, Moroccans like to stretch this bylaw to the limit.

From the mosque we went in search of Bab Agnaou, a 12^th Century gate that would lead us in to the Kasbah Mansour and the Tombeau Saadians. (Saadian Tombs), the final resting place for the Saadi dynasty.  It has been meticulously restored.

My chosen route should also take us by the Kasbah Mosque, another 12^th Century mosque, though so much renovated to have lost its original look.  








Thus began the beginning but not the end of our lost time.  Let me warn any travelers planning to visit a medina, you will get lost. Accept the inevitable and don’t stress it. The best way to avoid getting lost is not to have a destination. You cannot be lost if you aren’t trying to get anywhere.  Just wander around following the other tourists to their destinations. You may end up visiting the same place twice but it will be more fun and less stress. My superior tourist map skill had us finding the gate with only minimal lost time. Finding the Tombs was another problem.  Frustration finally overcame  reticence and we sought directions from a local carriage driver.  

We were directed to a narrow, dark alley at the side the Kasbah Mosque. A hand painted sign “Tombeau Saadiens" enticed us to enter the alley. Way down at the end, we could see what looked like a ticket booth where for 10 dirhams we were issued flimsy paper tickets and pointed down an even narrower corridor.  

Around several blind corners we came to a gap in the wall, stepped through and found ourselves in a beautiful, shaded and cool courtyard, the entrance to the tombs.




 

Leaving the tombs, we headed back out onto the hot dusty streets to find the Palais el Badi, home of the Sultan Ahmad al Mansour. Built in the late 16^th Century, it was then known as one the wonders of the Muslim world.  Map in hand, taking a careful sighting, we soon found ourselves once again, lost in the medina. 

 

A stranger sensing our plight, offered to lead us to the Palais. Normally, I would caution anyone, not to follow total strangers that offer to take you, but it was hot and in a moment of weakness, we agreed. He led us off the street and into a narrow alley which wound its way in so many directions I was completely disoriented in minutes. From the alley, he took us up a set of mud stairs, down a hallway and lo and behold we had arrived at his destination. 

The Palais Carpet Mart and Souvenir shop.  Thankfully the place was busy with other lost tourists so all the sales associates in our area were busy with them. We made our way through the labyrinth of carpets and souvenirs, dodging salesmen, looking for the nearest exit.  Whether it was skill or luck, we made it outside without a carpet or souvenir.  

Back out on the street, we found ourselves really lost.  Asking for directions several times, we managed to arrive at the gates of the Palais just as they closed for lunch.  So that left only one thing to do. Go for a drink, sadly just a soft drink.  With a bit more wandering in the small souks nearby, we stumbled across a small, shady plaza filled with mix of cafes, restaurants and stalls of artisans constructing all manner of things out of copper, brass and tin with nothing but hammers, anvils and shears.
 

The heat was becoming quite oppressive so Lora Lei decided to head back to the hotel for a nap. After dropping her off near the hotel we headed once more into the medina to look for the Place Jemaa el Fna.  The square was our destination tonight as it is much better seen in the evening. Our thinking was to find it in the daylight and avoiding lost time this evening.  

 

Another two hours of lost time wandering through the different souks in search of the elusive square.  

Things haven't changed much in the medina.

The temperature had reached  37 C so we headed back to our air conditioned room and nap to prepare us for the evening.

Oh! We did find the square.