On The Road to Marrakech
/We had a later start today, 10 am, but the streets of Marrakech were still filled with the hustle and bustle of traffic, vendors and tourists as we made our way to the Bahia Palace in the medina (old city).
The Bahia Palace is the only one open to the public. It was built in 1867 by Si Moussa, Grand Vizier to the Sultan. It fills 2 acres and has 150 rooms, however, it wasn’t until Si Moussa’s son, Bou Ahmed rose to power that the palace flourished.
Wanting only the biggest and best, Bou Ahmed filled several gardens with dozens of unique sand unusual trees. The palace was the residence for Bou Ahmed, his four wives and several concubines. Each room is decorated in the elegant Moroccan style with carved stucco, cedar wood and beautiful mosaic tiles.
The palace also served as a backdrop for several movies, including this courtyard seen in the Alfred Hitchcock film “The Man Who Knew Too Much.”
A short walk from the palace brought us to the entrance to the souk (marketplace) in the old Jewish quarter. An empty synagogue sits on the corner, closed decades ago when the Jewish population left the old city.
We continued through the souk, taking in the beauty and wonder of the ancient structures.
Several in our group had expressed interest in natural herbs and remedies, so our guide took us to Herboristerre Bab Agnaou.
We learned about everything from the beneficial properties of argan and prickly pear oils, to how inhaling crushed nigella seeds through a tissue can clear sinuses and reduce snoring! With a bagful of products (would you expect anything less?) we stopped for a quick lunch and on to explore the market - and there’s quite a bit to explore!
A labyrinth of 10,000 shops over several miles makes this quite the event - the sights, the sounds, the smells attracting visitors from all over the world!
We had a double celebration at sundown - Havdalah to mark the end of Shabbat and the 7th night of Hanukkah.
As if that weren’t enough, our dinner plans included some very unique entertainment!. Chez Ali Restaurant calls itself “…a place of 1001 nights with Moroccan Hospitality.”
After a 5-course dinner in Berber tents, followed by a show that included folk music, belly dancers, acrobats, riders, and fireworks - I was exhausted, but in a good way! More culture in Marrakech tomorrow.