Postcards from... Marrakech

It was January 2012 and I was living in the south of Poland. Stuck in the midst of a particularly cold winter, which saw temperatures dropping to as low as -25ºC (-13ºF), the two-week winter break could not come soon enough. I was ready for some sun! But I was after something more exotic than a beach holiday. I wanted a city break that was different from anywhere I'd been before. The answer came in the form of Marrakesh.

The flight landed in the evening, and it was dark when we arrived so it wasn't until the next morning that I got to see Marrakech in all its glorious colour. The narrow streets leading from the riad to Jemaa el-Fna, the city's main square and market place, were painted in shades of pink and red and they radiated warmth in the morning sun. The walls were hung with brightly-coloured scarves as vendors attempted to get tourists to part with their cash on the long walk to the souks.


Pretty in pink







 

 

Wall hanging

 

Colourful scarves for sale

 

All this light and colour was a world away from the miserable greyness of Poland in the winter. Marrakech was the very medicine I needed. Dark though they were, even the souks were not immune to the sunlight, which filtered through the gaps in the wooden slatted roof, and created pleasing patterns on the walls and floors. Colourful, exotic wares only added to my happiness.


Sunlight in the souks

 

 

A riot of colour

Later, keen to escape the hustle and bustle of Moroccans and tourists all fighting for space in the seemingly endless, labyrinthine souks, we followed the pinpoint of daylight and found ourselves in a small square, with a perfectly-located watering hole, Café des Epices, where we treated ourselves to Moroccan tea and watched the world go by...

Café des Epices, the perfect place to sip Moroccan tea and watch the world go by

One of my favourite things about Marrakech was the architecture. It was so ornate and exotic and completely unlike anything I had ever seen before. Arches and doorways were intricately carved, while walls were adorned with beautiful mosaics. I was simply mesmerised!

Inside Ali ben Youssef Medersa, a former Quaranic learning centre, once the largest in North Africa

 

 

Ornate archways in Ali ben Youssef Medersa

 

The sun-lit archway leading to the small courtyard in Bahia Palace

Being somewhat ignorant about the location of my new favourite city, I was amazed to see how close the Atlas mountains actually were. All of my pictures taken at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Badi Palace have a stunning backdrop of snow-capped mountains. I even got to see storks nesting on the walls of the palace.

Me at Badi Palace, with the snow-capped Atlas mountains in the background



Lone stork set against a backdrop of the Atlas mountains



Storks nesting on the walls on Badi Palace

I had a fantastic time in Marrakech – it was everything I'd hoped for and more. History, intrigue and the exotic all rolled into one, with a generous helping of sunshine thrown in for good measure. Like many places I've been, this one is definitely on my 'take two' list, but before I go back, I'd like to see a little more of the country. Visiting just one city has served to whet my appetite for all things Morocco...


No photo essay of Marrakech would be complete without a Moroccan lamp