10 Marrakech Souvenis you can´t miss

Babouches 

Babouches are Moroccan slippers, handmade from local leather, although increasingly the babouches found in the souks are made of a synthetic plastic that only looks like leather. In their most basic form they are pointy-toed and come in a variety of colours – canary yellow being the most common – but are otherwise plain. However, lots of boutiques and shops customize their babouches with silk trim, or even carving the leather with exquisite designs.

Argan oil

Argan oil is an almost mystical substance to which all kinds of properties are attributed . Part of its mystique can be credited to the rarity of argan trees, which only grow in southwestern Morocco. The oil is sold all over the souks but much of it is low grade. For quality oil, it’s best to buy from a reputable dealer.

JEMAA EL FNA for food Connaisseurs

As day gives way to night, this famous square is decked out in inviting, make-shift tables, where you can sample grilled meats and traditional dishes.

"I couldn't believe the flawless organisation of the night restaurants in this fantastic square! Long tables are laid out in a flash, while the coals glow red and kebabs flash before your eyes accompanied by bread and tomato sauce. The sellers appeal to passers-by, inviting them to sit at their tables. Under the lights and the fumes, young and old find themselves sitting at the same benches partaking of timeless, unchanging dishes that include couscous with seven vegetables,

Marrakech Museum of Art

In the calendar of its temporary exhibitions, the Museum of Art de Vivre in Marrakech opens its new cultural season with an exhibition devoted to the art of the garden in Morocco. Being a great lover of gardens, cacti in the first place, with great pleasure I write on this topic, more and more present in Morocco. The man, from his sedentary worked and modified landscapes. And it has created others. On the thread of time, farming techniques and diversification of cultures and the creation of new plant varieties with biotechnology and breeding techniques have changed and enriched prondamente flora around the world.

The Last Storytellers Of Marrakech

"Every winter I make this trip to Marrakech to escape the bitter cold of the mountains, desert or the sea, but also because I feel the need to come to terms with what happened that night here in Jemaa, on which hung the feeling of something wrong, even when the two strangers had made ​​their first appearance, which would prove to be the last. In fact, they are my torment. " 

In the famous Jemaa el Fna, the main square overlooking the medina of Marrakech, attentive listeners and passers-by gather around for years to Hassan, a storyteller who loves to recall the story of a couple of foreigners, gone one night a few years earlier . Everyone in the Jemaa el Fna had noticed the young American, bright and beautiful, accompanied by that Indian enigmatic, everyone had been hypnotized, and now seem to see them again appear and disappear in the alleys of the medina, in flashes of images evoked and memories.

Marrakech international Art exhibition 2011

Marrakech Art Fair 2011 The second edition of International Exhibition of Modern and Contemporary Art Fair Marrakech will be held from September 30 to October 3, 2011 at the Palace Es Saadi, with the participation of 45 international galleries to exhibit their most important artists. A dozen new entries since the first edition, proof that this show is reaching an important and recognized quality. In addition to representation, very important, the contemporary scene in Turkey, with six galleries (CDA Projects, IP Artworks, Empire Project, CAM Gallery, Art Gallery and Merkur PG), the halls of the fair will host two of the main actors of the New York scene: Metro Pictures and Edwynn Houk Gallery.

Marrakech Hammam Rituals

The Marrakech hammam ritual: pure moments of pleasure. Hammam treatments, which have been used for centuries, are an opportunity for a delightful moment of peace and calm to awaken your senses. Did you know that one hammam session lasts at least two hours? To start with, you move through a series of increasingly hotter rooms, perfumed with Eucalyptus oil. Then, a hammam specialist

Marrakech Beldi Country Club

The Beldi Country Club is a green haven of relaxation 10 minutes away from the city.

"This peaceful garden is the ideal place for those who love plant life, like me. Just imagine fields filled with roses and hundred-year-old olive trees under the benevolent gaze of the Atlas mountains. VEHBQBF2QDS5

Dar Cherifa literary café

Brought back to life by top craftsmen, the oldest house in the Medina has become a unique type of cultural centre.

"This is a beautiful, welcoming house, a wonderful place that breathes culture. Thanks to its considerate hosts, the original concept of literary café means that you can experience art in its true form. Painting exhibitions, sculptures and evening concerts: I was able to cross paths with poets, calligraphers, potters and even colourists eager to share their art, usually around a glass of mint tea or a tasty meal.

Marrakech or hustle and bustle

Immerse yourself in the city of expansion. Try out new experiences from the range of possibilities on offer to visitors in Marrakech. Be at one with the rhythm of this legendary city, which gave its name to Morocco. Cosmopolitan, international Marrakech, like its archetypal counterparts of Madrid, Paris, Barcelona and London, surprises by its creative energy. The ramparts, gardens and fine palaces of the imperial city's golden age are now the backdrop for cultural, sporting, artistic and economic fervour.  

Marrakech is more than the medina

Beach clubs, trekking or hill retreats. If you thought it was a city just for weekend breaks, it’s time to think again!

Picture the scene: an old house, a riad, full of beckoning arches and curvaceous carvings, with a cool pool and a picture-book palm in the courtyard. Orange juice and pancakes on the roof for breakfast, couscous and salads under the stars at night. And all this in the middle of the medina, the old town of Marrakech, where the call to prayer rings out every morning and the sun shines all year round.

It’s no wonder we love Marrakech, and no wonder that more than 400 riads offer rooms in the medina. Up to now, however, this has been very much a weekender’s city, overflowing with atmosphere, but a little short on diversions. Once you’ve seen the Saadian tombs and the Bahia Palace, excavated the souks and wriggled among the snake-charmers on the Djemaa el Fna, you’re done. What next?

Dinner For Two In Marrakech

Morocco is famous for its food, and no wonder. It's mouthwatering and eclectic, and there's something for everyone. The best-known dish is the tagine, a filling stew slow cooked in an earthenware pot with a conical lid. In addition to chicken, beef, lamb, fish, or vegetables, tagines often include stewed fruit, olives, onions, or almonds. Many restaurants also serve couscous, particularly as a traditional family lunch on Fridays. The seven-veggie couscous royale, topped with a raisin/onion concoction, is not to be missed.

Wait, Is it Marrakesh or Marrakech?

When she isn't trying to open a hotel or being a professional shopper, Maryam Montague blogs about life in Morocco. We can't think of a better guide to this bewitching—but often rather bewildering—city.

I'm an American, but for my whole life I've been a nomad. It started in Cairo, where I was born. (My dad, a New Yorker, was on assignment in Egypt.) My travels have continued through more than 70 countries--Cambodia to Colombia, Iran to Italy, Namibia to Nepal--and my work as a specialist in human rights and democracy means the list keeps growing.

Every place I've visited has been compelling in its own way, but I never found a city that made me want to settle down until I came to Marrakech. Its appeal comes from so much more than the snake charmers, the fortune-tellers, and the souks--though they help, too. The hospitable people, the delicious food, the mysterious architecture, and the fascinating Moroccan culture all add up to make Marrakech a city like no other. Borrowing the words of little Goldilocks, Marrakech felt "just right" somehow.

Eat And Shop In Marrakech

Where to Shop In Marrakech:

Beldi 9—11 Souikat Laksour; 212-44/441-076. Jean-Paul Gaultier is a regular at Taoufiq Baroudi's boutique, for glamorous caftans, babouches (slippers), silk quilts, and pillows.

Ministero del Gusto 22 Derb Azzouz el-Mouassine; 212-44/426-455. This Italian-run gallery with a pool in the middle specializes in contemporary art and furniture.

Ryad Tamsna 23 Derb Zanka Deika, off Rue Riad Zitoun Jdid; 212-44/385-272. Meryanne Loum-Martin's restored medina town house has an excellent bookstore, an art gallery, and a boutique offering one-of-a-kind fabrics, scarves, bags, and jewelry.

The Transformation Of The Red City

This North African city of medieval souks and winding streets is undergoing a dramatic transformation.

Marrakech and I go back almost 40 years, when I was assigned by the Peace Corps to teach English at the Lycée Mohammed V, deep in the medina. At the time, the city was an exotic North African backwater with only a handful of decent places to stay and eat, most of them holdovers from the French-colonial era. And the visitors were mostly hippies in search of good hash and cheap crash pads in the medina, which in those days was an unpaved, tumbledown collection of souks and town houses. Still, I loved the place: the snake charmers and acrobats on the Djemaa el-Fna, the orange-tree-edged Avenue Mohammed V, the Parisian-style Café Renaissance, in Guéliz, the sweet-smelling rose gardens, the exhilarating views of the snow-covered Atlas Mountains, and, above all, the warmth and wit of the Marrakchis.

Feel Better In Marrakech

Forget chilly lessons in the UK. Where better to beat a childhood phobia of water than on an intensive swimming course in Morocco? It was a warm winter morning in Marrakech and I was staring at a middle-aged man called Steven and urging myself to fall into his arms. "Just let yourself go," he said. "I can't, I just can't," I whimpered. "I'm scared – I have never done this before." "You can," urged Steven with persuasive authority. "You just need to let yourself relax."

From Stylish Marrakech To Essaouira

It'a the kind of place one first hears about in a yoga class, discussed in heated whispers between sun salutations. Or while eavesdropping on two model types with French accents in a cafe. About 10 years ago that place might have been Tulum, Mexico, but these days it's Essaouira, a tiny white-walled port city on Morocco's Atlantic coast.

While Marrakech is increasingly attracting stylish travelers from all over Europe to North Africa, the stylish expatriates of Marrakesh drive two hours to Essaouira (pronounced ess-ah-WEER-ah) for the weekend to escape the crowds. "I think of Essaouira as the beach of Marrakech," said an American transplant, Nancy Bridger, over coffee in Pâtisserie Driss, known for its brusque service but Paris-worthy croissants.

Discover Marrakch in 36 Hours

IN 1939, George Orwell wrote of Westerners flocking to Marrakech in search of “camels, castles, palm-trees, Foreign Legionnaires, brass trays and bandits.” Ever since, the city has been ravishing visitors with its teeming souks, ornate palaces and sybaritic night life. In recent years, a succession of high-end openings and restorations — most notably, the lavish reopening of the hotel La Mamounia — has transformed the city into an obligatory stop for jet-setters. Yet despite Marrakesh’s new cachet, the true treasures of the enigmatic city still hide down dusty side streets and behind sagging storefronts.

La Mamounia Marrakech: A legend

La Mamounia, Marrakech: Few hotels have inspired more glamorous and romantic stories than the grande dame of Marrakech, La Mamounia. The hotel has hosted politicians and celebrities since it opened in the 1920s. In 1943, Winston Churchill asked Franklin D Roosevelt to join him on one of his many visits, describing the hotel as 'the loveliest place on earth'. Alfred Hitchcock used it as the backdrop for his 1956 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much; Hollywood stars including Marlene Dietrich and Charlie Chaplin soon followed.

Marrakech adds modern amenities

Marrakech: Tourists wandering through the ornately tiled rooms of the late-9th-century Bahia Palace, home to a sultan's vizier, his four wives, 24 concubines and countless offspring, can only imagine the domestic juggling act required to get through the day.

Not far from here, in a jewel-box-like palace of similar vintage, Driss Segueni ponders a more modern problem. Namely, how to provide for the upkeep of a palace bursting with intricate mosaic tile, sculpted plasterwork and areas like slaves and harem quarters that just don't figure into the typical 21st-century lifestyle.

Marrakech: Visit The Red City

They come out at night As the sun sets, Djemaa el-Fna transforms from bargain bedlam into one of the world's greatest open air restaurants. It's been recognised by Unesco as being part of mankind's cultural heritage  his dye is made from poppies," explained the smiling scarf-seller. "It's the colour of Marrakech."