Marrakech Sites

A French artist, Jacques Marjorelle created a beautiful botanical garden when the French occupied Morocco. This is the famous "bleu" house which he used as his studio, but now serves as a museum for Moroccan art.

Alas, the Museum was closed for renovation when I was in Marrakech.

The garden houses plants from around the world. My guess is that it's more colorful in the summertime.

The designer Yves Saint Laurent purchased the property and when he died his ashes were spread throughout the garden. Here is his memorial.

Back inside the Medina (everything from here on is in the Medina), here is the Bahia Palace courtyard. Built in the late 19th century, it is classical Morocco in style and decoration.

The palace covers over 2 acres and is open to the public except when the royal family has a function.

This is the Ben Youssef Madrasa, or Islamic college, built in the 14th century.

The Madrasa is the largest in all of Morocco.

The Madrasa, when it was in use, could house up to 900 students at a time.

On both sides of the central courtyard are these small two story plazas off which are little dormitory rooms.

Some of the lucky students got rooms that had windows with a view of the courtyard.

The Saadian Dynasty ruled Morocco in the 15th and 16th centuries. Many of the kings were buried in a tomb that for some reason were not destroyed and/or looted and discovered in 1917.

In close proximity to the tombs is the Saadian El Badi Palace ruins.

The palace is surrounds a huge courtyard.

Looks like the Saadians were crafty enough to have a basic sewage system.

The holes in the wall are windows onto....

...more tombs




For some reason, the storks around the palace build these gigantic nests atop structures. Basic protection from predators (i.e. humans?) I guess.