Dar el Bacha Marrakech: Morocco’s Most Beautiful Museum?

Originally built in 1910 for Thami El Glaoui, the Pasha of Marrakech, Dar el Bacha: Musée des Confluences is one of Marrakech’s most captivating museums, a true architectural gem and a must-see. Plus: Is the trendy Bacha Coffee worth the wait?

One of the landmarks that was new to us on our return trip to Marrakech was Dar el Bacha, a meticulously restored Moroccan mansion-turned-museum. 

Thami El Glaoui, the powerful pasha who owned Dar el Bacha before it became a museum

Located in the lively medina, the estate was commissioned by Thami El Glaoui, a Berber chieftain born in 1879 into the Glaoua tribe of the High Atlas Mountains. He allied early with the French, lending troops to Resident General Lyautey’s “pacification” campaign — a sanitized colonial label for the military suppression of Moroccan resistance.

In 1912 Sultan Moulay Youssef rewarded El Glaoui with the post of pasha, a role he held until 1956, bacha being the French transliteration of the same title. The partnership made him “Lord of the Atlas” to Europeans and, in time, one of the wealthiest and most divisive men in Morocco. 

The Rise and Fall of Marrakech’s Most Powerful Pasha  

The grand residence dates to 1910, and its scale was meant to impress the steady stream of international celebrities and politicians who passed through El Glaoui’s court. Among them were UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the writer Colette, the composer Maurice Ravel and the filmmaker Charlie Chaplin. 

The estate included a reception hall, a hammam (a traditional steam bathhouse), a courtyard shaded by orange trees, fountains, a harem (the private quarters reserved for the bacha’s family) and a douiria (servants’ quarters).

In 1953, El Glaoui helped engineer the forced exile of Sultan Mohammed V. It’s one of the reasons he’s remembered for his lavish excess, his ruthless suppression of rivals and dissidents, and a justice system widely regarded as arbitrary and self-serving. After his death in 1956, the same year Morocco achieved independence, the compound was shuttered and left to fall into disrepair. 

From Crumbling Estate to Museum of Confluences 

The first attempt at conversion began around 2006, led by the Paris- and Casablanca-based firm Oualalou+Choi. They were commissioned to transform the former seat of the pasha into the Musée des Arts Premiers (Museum of Tribal Arts). 

The project grew out of a partnership between Morocco’s Ministry of Culture and Patti Cadby Birch, an American philanthropist and honorary trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Birch had previously funded the 1990s restoration of the Koutoubia minbar (the pulpit from which the imam delivers the sermon) and envisioned transforming Dar el Bacha into an arts museum to properly showcase her vast personal collection. That effort stalled, and Birch died in 2007 without seeing her vision realized.

The ruined mansion’s fortunes changed in 2014, when it was placed under the stewardship of the Fondation Nationale des Musées (National Foundation of Museums). After several more years of restoration, it finally opened to the public in 2017 as Dar el Bacha: Musée des Confluences (House of the Pasha: Museum of Confluences) with a mission to showcase the various aspects of cultural heritage that shaped the country’s identity. It was inaugurated by King Mohammed VI, with a dedicated room honoring Birch’s collection.

After exploring the nearby Ben Youssef Madrasa, we arrived around 10:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning and found ourselves at the end of a rather long line. 

Bacha Coffee: Worth the Wait?

Note: If you’re interested in going to the ultra-trendy Bacha Coffee, which is housed in an Art Deco-style salon inside the museum, you’ll need to purchase either a café-only ticket (10 dirhams, about $1) or a combined ticket (60 MAD, about $6) that also includes museum entry. 

When we got to the ticket counter, we were told the wait time for the café was already pushing three hours — roughly the flight time from Marrakech to London — and agreed to get our caffeine fix elsewhere. 

“We were told the wait for Bacha Coffee was already pushing three hours — roughly the flight time from Marrakech to London.”

The concept was inspired by the lavish receptions where Arabica coffee was served to guests from glittering golden gooseneck pots at El Glaoui’s home. In 2017, French-Moroccan entrepreneur Taha Bouqdib attended the ceremony marking the museum’s opening and was invited to bring the legendary coffee tradition back to life.

We did, however, stop by the Bacha Coffee boutique, just beyond the ticket counter. The irresistible aroma of freshly ground coffee filled the air, and library-style shelves were stocked floor to ceiling with neat rows of orange canisters bearing gold lettering, organized by growing region. 

The walls that didn’t display coffee held gift sets, scented candles and serviceware, set against wallpaper depicting tropical flora and exotic birds. They also sold a book titled Marvelous Moroccan Moka, detailing the origins of the brand’s 200-plus coffee varieties, which I debated buying but ultimately didn’t.

Pro tip: The airport also has a shop, where I bought an airtight tin and a 200 gram (7 ounce) bag of Cuba Turquino, a single-origin, medium roast coffee, ground for French press.

The meticulously restored reception hall of El Glaoui’s former residence now hosts temporary exhibitions.

Dar el Bacha’s Reception Hall 

One of the first rooms we entered was the grand reception hall, where columns covered in geometric zellige tile rose toward a ceiling of carved cedarwood. 

The building has been meticulously restored, with several details of the stately home’s history preserved. 

Mosaïque (Mosaic) by Mohamed Azouzi, 2002

Le soulèvement (The Uprising) by Mohamed Azouzi, 2005

Smaller adjoining chambers, fitted with handcarved cedarwood doors, held the temporary exhibit Sous le signe du Noun (Under the Sign of Noun), a retrospective featuring the vibrant abstract canvases of Mohamed Azouzi (1946–2022), a Moroccan painter who trained at the École des Beaux-Arts de Casablanca (Casablanca School of Fine Arts) before moving to Paris to continue his studies at the École des Arts Décoratifs (School of Decorative Arts). 

Interior Courtyard

From there, we made our way to the palatial interior courtyard, the heart of the museum. Framed by an arcade of tiled columns with sculpted capitals and set against carved cedarwood shutters and doors, the open-air enclosure and its six surrounding chambers now serve as galleries featuring a diverse collection of traditional Islamic art. 

The garden is divided into four sections, planted with manicured orange trees throughout, a design evoking the garden of paradise described in the Qur’an. 

One of the salons holds religious artifacts, including a cast bronze chandelier and a cedar window frame bearing the maze-like barakah Muhammad (blessings of Muhammad).

The first room displayed a collection of religious artifacts associated with the expression of faith among Muslim artisans, including a carved and painted cedar window frame with a square Kufic inscription bearing the blessings of Muhammad from Meknès; a painted and carved wood corbel with floral patterns and muqarnas (stalactite vaulting) from Fès; and a hammered and cast bronze thrayya (chandelier) used for illuminating prayer halls in mosques and madrasas. 

The marble funerary stele of Sultan Abu Ya’qub Yusuf. Its front is inscribed with Latin, and its back was used for his epitaph. 

Another room held the white marble funerary stele of Marinid Sultan Abu Ya’qub Yusuf (ruled 1286–1307), son and successor of Abu Yusuf Ya’qub. The marker has a curious history: It began as a Roman tombstone from Hispania Baetica, dedicated to a 3rd century governor, Aulus Caecina Tacitus. It was later repurposed as a fountain basin in Umayyad Córdoba, Spain, and centuries later was brought to Morocco, where Marinid carvers turned its blank face into the sultan’s epitaph. 

The stone features a poly-lobed arch reminiscent of a mihrab, the wall niche marking the holiest place in a mosque, and a circular opening, likely a  drainage hole from its former life as a fountain.

Known for his piety and prowess in warfare, Sultan Abu Ya’qub Yusuf faced revolts within his own territories in Morocco, alongside a prolonged siege against the Zayyanids of Tlemcen (Algeria) and military campaigns in Spain. He was assassinated in the Tlemcen siege camp in May 1307 (706 AH), after which he was laid to rest in the Chellah necropolis in Rabat.

One of the larger halls displayed a grouping of robe-like caftans. The pale yellow silk brocade caftan is embroidered using the khrib technique, which loosely translates to “the one who ruins,” a nod to how costly and exclusive this fabric once was.

We ventured into a larger exhibition hall with an elaborate coffered ceiling, featuring traditional silk brocade and embroidered velvet caftans from Fès and Tetouan. Of the trio, the pale yellow silk brocade caftan with raised rose medallions caught my eye and was labeled as a bencherif-style bridal costume from the Alawite period. Developed by the Bencherif family in Fès, this luxurious woven textile is known as khrib, which loosely translates to “the one who ruins,” a nod to how costly and exclusive this fabric once was.

Originally reserved for nobility, the collarless, robe-like garment is thought to have reached Morocco via Andalusian Spain, carried by the Marinid dynasty following their ties to al-Andalus. Under the Saadian dynasty, it spread more widely and became a celebrated symbol of Moroccan identity and heritage. 

Objects from Birch’s personal collection come from across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Birch, Please: The Patti Birch Collection

The final space held a selection of pieces from the Patti Birch collection and featured an introductory wall panel accompanied by a striking black-and-white portrait of its patroness taken by Man Ray in 1948. The permanent exhibition is the work of curator Hadia Temli and French scenographer Christophe Martin, whose résumé also includes the Museé Berbère at the Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum across town. Temli runs Galerie Siniya28 in Gueliz, a showcase for emerging artists.

We learned more about the remarkable Ms. Birch. She was born in New York City in 1923, the daughter of sculptor S. Tobias Garnell. After an education in Paris, Birch returned to the United States, where a short-lived stint at the University of Virginia gave way to a growing fascination with art. That pull eventually led her to a job at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where she met her future husband, Everett Birch, in 1952.

An Ndomo mask made of wood, wax, shells and seeds from Mali, mid-20th century

Together, they built a wide-ranging collection, amassing artworks that ranged from jewelry to antiquities to contemporary art. Having traveled extensively in Morocco, Birch was a generous supporter of the Met’s Islamic collections. The Patti Cadby Birch Court, also known as the Moroccan Court, was funded in her memory by the Patti and Everett B. Birch Foundation after her death.

Objects from her personal collection, gifted to the kingdom of Morocco in 1999, are on display at Dar el Bacha, drawn from across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The room is a high-ceilinged gallery with a single overhead skylight and an octagonal wooden table at its center, holding a terracotta head, a stone ceremonial stool in the shape of an animal, and a carved wooden tribal fertility statue. The back wall is anchored by a zellige-tiled fireplace, flanked by a pair of built-in glass display cabinets holding smaller ceramics, masks and figurines, each labeled with an ice blue placard. 

The assemblage pays tribute to Birch’s commitment to cultural preservation and stands as a testament to humanity’s shared history.

Why Dar el Bacha Is One of Marrakech’s Best Museums  

The Dar el Bacha’s holdings reflect the estate’s history and its role as a point of interconnection between Marrakech and the wider world, bridging different cultures, religions and artistic traditions. 

We spent about two hours wandering through its rooms and admiring its artifacts. Floors are laid with marble, and rooms unfold in a skillful blend of Islamic and Andalusian splendor with European design influences. It felt less like an exhibition hall and more like a conversation between cultures, which is exactly what the Musée des Confluences promises. –Duke

VISITOR INFORMATION

Dar el Bacha and Bacha Coffee

Address
65–69 Riad Laârous
Route Dar el Bacha, Medina
Marrakech, Morocco

Hours
Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Closed Mondays

Admission
60 MAD (about $6) for foreign visitors
A café-only ticket (10 MAD) is available if you're just visiting Bacha Coffee.

Time Needed
Plan for 1½–2 hours to explore the museum.
If Bacha Coffee is on your itinerary, budget significantly longer for the wait.

Tips

• Arrive early, especially if you want to visit Bacha Coffee — waits of several hours are common.
• You can skip the wait at Bacha Coffee and just visit the store (or the shop at the airport).
• Pair your visit with nearby Ben Youssef Madrasa and Le Jardin Secret.
• Take your time. The palace itself is as much the attraction as the museum's collections.

 

A Taste of Rosemary in Marrakech, an Art-Filled Boutique Riad

Discover Riad Rosemary Marrakech, Laurence Leenaert’s LRNCE-designed boutique riad near the Mellah, filled with hand-crafted ceramics and textiles.

The rooftop terrace features whimsical wrought iron Helios chairs and a tiled table adapted from one of Laurence Leenaert’s drawings.

When Wally and I began thinking about where to travel next, we found ourselves drawn back to Marrakech, the Red City, named for the salmon-colored rammed earth walls enclosing its maze of alleys, their blank façades broken only by wooden doors that suggest another world hidden just beyond them. We had visited in 2012 with our friend Vanessa and were curious to see how the city had changed and what remained from our previous trip.

On that visit, we had a digital camera, and after a three-day journey that included an overnight stay among the shifting sands of the Sahara, we discovered the memory card was “frite” (fried) and beyond repair. So the prospect of returning to a place that held such wonderful memories for a full week this time, was impossible to resist. 

The courtyard is the heart of the riad, anchored by a magnificent 40-year-old jacaranda tree and home to the salon d’été, wavy terrazzo tiles, plunge pool, LRNCE boutique and living room.

Like Alice in Wonderland, I enjoy falling down the rabbithole, gathering sites for us to see as well as finding the perfect place to call home during our stay. This was how I discovered Rosemary, an intimate five-bedroom boutique riad built around a courtyard and interior garden, tucked into the quiet residential neighborhood of Riad Zitoun Jdid. 

On the map, it sits in one of the oldest quarters of the southern medina, a stone’s throw from Bahia Palace and within walking distance of the souks and other sites we wanted to explore. 

Leenaert and her husband, Ayoub Boualam, worked with dozens of craftsmen and women from Morocco to rework the interiors with bespoke furnishings and finishes, including zelije tiles and tadelakt, a natural lime-based plaster.

The riad was the former home of Rose-Marie, who happened to cross paths with Belgian artist and designer Laurence Leenaert and her husband and business partner, Ayoub Boualam, at their studio in Sidi Ghanem, an industrial area just outside Marrakech. She was looking to sell, and once the couple toured the space, its faded grandeur made the decision an easy one, and a logical next step in the brand’s evolution.

Leenaert is the founder of the lifestyle brand LRNCE, launched in 2013 and based in Marrakech, where she arrived with little more than a sewing machine and a few hundred euros. She originally specialized in small leather bags before evolving into an internationally recognized label known for its hand-painted ceramics, woven rugs, textiles, clothing and objects deeply rooted in Marrakech’s craft traditions.

Rosemary is a living extension of LRNCE’s aesthetic universe, immersing guests in Leenaert’s creative world rather than simply offering a glimpse of it.

Arriving at Rosemary 

We remembered how easy it was to get lost in the medina, and while that’s part of the fun, we didn’t want to stress over being dropped at the edge of a narrow street and rolling our suitcases down it while navigating pedestrians, donkey carts and weaving mopeds. To avoid this, I prearranged pickup. We were met at the airport and transported to a dropoff point on Rue Riad Zitoun el Jdid. There, one of Rosemary’s accommodating hosts welcomed us, took our bags, and led us down to 25 Rue de la Bahia.

Among the countless handcrafted details, sandstone has been fashioned into sculptural objects, including a chair, pedestal and table base, for the salon d’été.

We were seated at a banquette in the cozy salon d’été (summer salon) in the tranquil central courtyard shaded by a majestic jacaranda tree, and served mint tea and slices of housemade banana bread while we completed check-in. 

Afterward, we were shown our room and given a tour. During our stay, the riad was hosting an event on the rooftop to promote the collaboration between LRNCE and Australian resort wear brand Alémais, and guests could also participate in craft events, including an intimate textile workshop the day before we departed. 

The Clemande suite features a queen-sized bed, built-in shelving filled with hand-painted ceramics and found objects, including a goatskin lampshade.

The Rooms at Rosemary

I had booked the Cocoon suite on the second floor, which overlooks the central courtyard. In-room amenities include wifi, a preloaded iPad complete with a chill rooftop mix, a Sonos portable Bluetooth speaker and shelves lined with art books, along with a queen-sized bed, a bathroom with a stained glass window, a built-in bench with hand-embroidered throw pillows and a handcarved cedarwood sideboard with a marble top. 

The Cocoon suite lives up to its name — a perfect retreat after a day spent haggling in the souks.

The Cocoon suite features a custom stained glass panel, sculptural lighting and a cozy bedroom.

A couple of days later, we were graciously upgraded to the Clemande suite and could hardly believe we had our very own private balcony. We spent most afternoons soaking our feet in the cool water of the plunge pool or relaxing up there. 

A large painting of two octopuses by Belgian artist Lieven Deconinck hangs above the plunge pool where Duke and Wally spent many afternoons relaxing and soaking our tired feet. 

The suite features a queen-size bed, built-in geometric shelving lined with art books, hand-painted ceramics and found objects, including a goatskin lampshade, plus a bathroom with a marble soaking tub and a striking tile mural painted by Leenaert.

The Clemande suite features a marble bathtub and hand-painted tile mural by Leenaertart.

And can we take a moment to talk about their toiletries? The hand soap, body wash, shampoo and silky body lotion are all scented with notes of neroli orange, rosemary and cedar atlas. We ended up buying some to take home.

The onsite boutique carries hand-painted ceramics, embroidered bed linens, toiletries and apparel.

The LRNCE Vision

Laurence and Ayoub’s vision respects the building’s pedigree, and the results are anything but typical. The property had previously been renovated by Belgian architect Quentin Wilbaux, who has spent decades documenting and restoring traditional riads throughout the medina and is widely regarded as one of the leading authorities on its architecture. The couple oversaw every aspect of the intensive three-year renovation, and collaborated with more than a few dozen maâlems, or master craftsmen, drawn from across Morocco’s specialized trades: stained-glass artisans from Meknès, potters from Safi, zellige tilemakers from Fès, marble vendors from Rabat, and a crew of local Marrakchi carpenters, metalworkers and plasterers who handled the riad’s finishes. 

The hotel’s name is a nod to its previous owner as well as the herb used to perfume its in-house hammam.

Hand-painted plates by LRNCE and a vintage brass cobra sconce we coveted, found at the Bab el Khemis flea market

Each detail, from the spontaneous hand-drawn lines etched into the columns framing the plunge pool to the wrought iron door handles and red marble lozenges meticulously set into the staircase, contributes to a space that pulls you fully into Leenaert’s creative world. Her own works are complemented by vintage fixtures and furnishings sourced from their travels. Wally and I were obsessed with the vintage brass cobra wall sconces found throughout, and later learned they came from a seller at the Bab el Khemis flea market.

Located off the courtyard, the living room features built-in banquette, vintage furniture, and tiered shelves lined with art books, ceramics and objects by LRNCE. 

Staying at Rosemary 

Breakfast is served on the sun-drenched rooftop terrace, which is dotted with LRNCE designed tables, whimsical wrought iron chairs and sunloungers. The spread includes homemade yogurt, amlou (almond spread), honey, preserves, sticky date and sesame energy balls, mesemmen (semi-leavened bread), baghir (Moroccan semolina pancakes) and eggs made to order, served from terracotta tagines. The freshly squeezed orange juice is exceptional, as is the nous nous (“half-half” in Darija, Moroccan Arabic), a local café staple made with equal parts espresso and steamed milk.

The kitchen features hand-painted plates by Leenaert and mashrabiya-style cabinet doors.

Rosemary felt less like staying at a hotel and more like being welcomed into a dear friend’s home. The warmth and generosity of everyone who took care of us will not soon be forgotten. Once you check in, you may never want to leave. 

An ornate traditional wrought iron grille looks out upon the interior courtyard.

If you happen to fall in love with the hand-crafted ceramics, linens, rugs or toiletries during your stay — and you will — the onsite LRNCE shop makes it easy to take a bit of Rosemary home with you. –Duke

The hand-carved cedarwood front door was adapted from Leenaert’s sketches, one of the first pieces created for Rosemary, and took over four months to complete.

Riad Rosemary

25 Rue de la Bahia
Marrakech 40000
Morocco

 

Ben Youssef Madrasa Is Beautiful — Even When Someone Is Blocking Your Shot

Once home to hundreds of theology students, Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech is now a hypnotic maze of cedarwood, tilework, tiny dormitories and tourists trying to stage the perfect Instagram reel.

En route to Ben Youssef Madrasa, you wind through the medina past scooters, cats, more cats, hanging lanterns, leather bags and shopkeepers trying to lure you into buying everything from slippers to saffron. The alleys feel compressed and chaotic — until suddenly they open up. Around a corner: a doorway. You’ve arrived.  

You step into the entrance, pay for your ticket — and then!

“There were moments when the madrasa felt less like a historic site and more like the set of multiple simultaneous influencer campaigns.”

The courtyard is almost absurdly intricate. Cedarwood curls across the ceilings in impossible patterns. Geometric zellige tilework climbs the walls with mathematical precision. Light bounces off the reflecting pool while visitors slowly circle the space trying to take it all in.

Or, in many cases, trying to take themselves in. During our visit, there were moments when the madrasa felt less like a historic site and more like the set of multiple simultaneous influencer campaigns. One woman posed dramatically at the edge of the reflecting pool while her friend shot video from approximately 14 different angles. Another visitor appeared to be filming a luxury perfume commercial involving slow-motion twirling. At one point, someone became visibly irritated that tourists were daring to walk through a public building during her photoshoot.

Which is unfortunate, because this place deserves your actual attention.

Planning Your Visit

Ben Youssef Madrasa

Address

Rue Assouel, Marrakesh Medina, Morocco

Hours

9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Ramadan: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Admission

50 dirhams (~$5) — foreign adults

20 DH — Moroccan adults

10 DH — children under 12

30 DH — groups of 21+

Time Needed

Plan for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

Dress Code

Modest clothing is best — shoulders and knees covered out of respect for the site.

Long before it became one of the most photographed spots in Marrakech, Ben Youssef Madrasa was one of the great centers of Islamic learning in North Africa. Built in its current form during the 16th century under the Saadian dynasty, the school once housed hundreds of students studying theology, law and philosophy within these walls. And despite the crowds, despite the cameras and despite the occasional accidental appearance in a stranger’s TikTok, there are still moments where the building completely silences you.

Especially once you wander upstairs into the tiny student dormitories and realize the people who lived here were just young scholars sleeping in cramped little rooms beneath some of the most astonishing craftsmanship in Morocco.

The History of Ben Youssef Madrasa

Before it became one of Marrakech’s most photographed attractions, Ben Youssef Madrasa was built for something far less glamorous: studying.

The madrasa was connected to the nearby Ben Youssef Mosque, which was originally founded in the 12th century during the Almoravid dynasty under Sultan Ali Ben Youssef, the ruler the complex is ultimately named after. At the time, Marrakech was emerging as a major political, religious and intellectual center, and institutions like this helped establish the city as one of the most important hubs of Islamic scholarship in the region.

What visitors see today, however, mostly dates to a later reconstruction ordered by the Saadian Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib in the 1560s. And the Saadians, to put it mildly, weren’t interested in subtlety.

The rebuilt madrasa was enormous for its time. Historians believe it housed as many as 900 students living in its 130 dormitory cells, and shared a single communal bathroom. Young men traveled here from across Morocco to study Qur’anic interpretation, theology, law and other religious sciences. Some likely arrived after journeys that took days or even weeks by foot or caravan, only to end up sleeping in rooms roughly the size of a walk-in closet — just three square meters, or about nine by nine feet. 

Which is part of what makes the place so fascinating today. Every visible surface seems carved, painted or tiled. The cedarwood ceilings resemble something pulled from a fantasy novel. The geometric mosaics are so precise they start to make your brain hurt if you stare too long. Yet the actual student quarters upstairs are tiny and more austere, built for discipline rather than comfort.

It’s a striking contrast — and very intentional. Islamic madrasas often placed beauty in communal and sacred spaces rather than personal luxury. The architecture itself became part of the educational experience, reflecting ideas about harmony, mathematics, craftsmanship and divine order.

And the craftsmanship here is genuinely staggering. The zellige tilework was assembled by hand, piece by piece. The carved stucco contains Arabic calligraphy and religious inscriptions woven into floral and geometric patterns. Massive cedar beams from the Atlas Mountains were transformed into intricately carved ceilings that somehow still look delicate centuries later.

The madrasa continued operating as a school until 1960 before eventually closing and later undergoing restoration. Today, instead of students memorizing scripture by oil lamp, the building is filled with tourists whispering “oh my God” while trying not to accidentally walk into someone’s selfie shoot.

The Courtyard: The Big Reveal

There’s a very specific moment that happens when people enter the central courtyard of Ben Youssef Madrasa.

They stop.

Not politely. Abruptly. Like their brains need a second to process what they’re looking at.

The courtyard is the heart of the madrasa and the space most people picture when they think of Ben Youssef: the reflecting pool stretching down the center, the carved cedar balconies overhead, the walls wrapped in geometric tilework so intricate it barely seems possible that human hands made it. Every surface appears obsessed with detail. Even the empty spaces feel designed.

And somehow it never quite becomes visual overload.

Part of that comes down to symmetry. Islamic architecture often uses repeating geometric patterns to create a sense of balance and harmony, and Ben Youssef Madrasa leans into that philosophy hard. Your eyes keep finding echoes of shapes and lines repeating across the courtyard — arches mirroring arches, tiles reflecting tiles, carvings folding endlessly into themselves. It creates this strange feeling where the space feels both calming and hypnotic at the same time.

Then there’s the reflecting pool, which anchors the entire courtyard. Water plays an important symbolic role in Islamic architecture, representing purity and paradise while also helping cool the surrounding space. Here, the pool acts almost like a visual pause button amid all the detail. Of course, today it also serves another important function: becoming the exact spot where every tourist wants their photo taken.

At one point during our visit, there was an unofficial queue forming for people to stand dramatically beside the water while their companions directed increasingly elaborate poses. Gazing up thoughtfully. Turning slowly toward the camera. Looking over their shoulder. Touching the brim of their sun hat. It’s a terrible trend, and you’ll see it all over Marrakech. 

Meanwhile, the actual architecture remains the real star of the show.

It’s the kind of place where you keep spotting details long after you think you’ve fully taken it in.

And honestly, the best thing you can do here is occasionally stop trying to photograph every inch of it and just stand still for a minute. The courtyard was designed to inspire awe long before anyone invented Instagram. Sixteenth-century students probably walked through here every day and still found themselves impressed by the craftsmanship.

Though thankfully, they were less likely to block an entire archway for a slow-motion video.

The Prayer Hall and Ablution Basin

Off the main courtyard is the prayer hall, though “hall” may make it sound grander than the visitor experience actually feels. You can look into it, but you can’t fully wander through the space, so it reads more like a richly decorated room just beyond the courtyard rather than a major stop on its own.

The entrance is framed by two finely decorated marble panels, while the arch leading into the entrance bay is embellished with palm leaves and pineapples. The mihrab, which indicates the direction of Mecca, has a pentagonal plan and an arched frame supported by four marble columns, with palm leaves and intertwining floral motifs worked into the design.

Dominating the space is the ablution basin, which once served as a fountain for ritual washing before prayer. Its faces carry a partly legible Kufic inscription naming its patron, Abd al-Malik, son of the powerful Andalusian vizier Al-Mansur. The basin was imported from Andalusia by the Almoravid sovereign Youssef Ben Tachfine — a reminder that medieval Marrakech and Islamic Spain were deeply interconnected worlds, with artistic styles, craftsmen and ideas moving back and forth across the Strait of Gibraltar. Visitors who have explored places like the Alhambra in Granada or the Mezquita in Córdoba will likely recognize some of the same geometric motifs, carved stucco work and architectural sensibilities here.

The basin itself is decorated with floral and geometric motifs, along with carefully depicted animals including birds and fish. That detail is especially interesting because people often assume Islamic art avoids animal imagery entirely. 

Upstairs in the Dormitories

A surprising number of visitors to Ben Youssef Madrasa never spend much time upstairs. I’m not even sure we ventured up there on our first visit more than a decade ago. 

Most people walk through the courtyard, take approximately 400 photos in front of the reflecting pool, glance into the prayer hall and move on. Which is a shame, because the upper level changes your understanding of the building.

The staircase leads into a maze of narrow corridors lined with tiny student rooms, and the contrast is immediate. Downstairs feels grand and ceremonial. Upstairs feels practical. Human. A bit severe.

Some of the dormitory cells are shockingly small — little more than sparse chambers with enough room for about six young boys to get packed in like sardines to sleep and study. After the extravagance of the courtyard below, the simplicity is almost startling. These students lived surrounded by extraordinary beauty without actually living luxuriously themselves.

The architecture downstairs wasn’t designed to pamper students. It reflected larger ideas about knowledge, faith, harmony and discipline. Meanwhile, the dormitories emphasized modesty and focus. You can easily imagine young scholars sitting cross-legged in these tiny rooms late into the evening, memorizing religious texts by lamplight while the sounds of the courtyard drifted upward through the open galleries.

The upstairs level also gives you some of the best views in the building.

From the balconies, you can look down into the courtyard and see the geometry of the madrasa as a complete composition. The reflecting pool stretches like a spine through the center while visitors below move slowly through the space like pieces on a game board. 

And I hate to say this since it could draw more influencer wannabes upstairs, but there are some nice photo opps up here. Station a photographer in one arched window while the subject poses on the balcony across the way. 

For now, the upper floor feels calmer overall. Fewer people linger there for long, which means you occasionally get rare moments where the building becomes quiet. It’s upstairs that Ben Youssef Madrasa stops feeling merely impressive and starts feeling inhabited.

Fascinating Details Most Visitors Miss at Ben Youssef Madrasa

It’s easy to walk through Ben Youssef Madrasa in a kind of architectural daze. But beneath the obvious beauty are dozens of small details that make the madrasa even more fascinating once you slow down enough to notice them.

The student rooms were intentionally austere. 

The contrast between the lavish courtyard and the tiny dormitory cells upstairs wasn’t accidental. Islamic madrasas often emphasized communal beauty and spiritual reflection over personal comfort. Students lived simply even while surrounded by extraordinary craftsmanship.

The cedarwood ceilings are functional, not just decorative. 

Many of the carved cedar elements came from Atlas Mountain cedar, prized not only for its beauty but also because cedar naturally resists insects and rot. Which means the ceilings weren’t just stunning — they were practical engineering.

The tilework is assembled piece by piece. 

The geometric mosaics, known as zellige (or zellij), are not painted patterns or prefabricated panels. Artisans individually cut and placed tiny pieces of glazed tile by hand into elaborate mathematical designs. Looking closely at the edges makes the craftsmanship feel even more impressive.

The reflecting pool was never meant for swimming. 

This may sound obvious, but judging by modern tourist behavior worldwide, it apparently needs to be stated occasionally. The water feature was symbolic and architectural, helping reflect light, cool the courtyard and create a sense of harmony.

The calligraphy is saying something. 

Many visitors admire the carved Arabic inscriptions without realizing they contain Qur’anic verses, blessings and religious phrases woven directly into the decoration. The building itself is essentially layered with sacred text.

The architecture manipulates your experience on purpose. 

The medina streets outside are noisy and enclosed. Then the madrasa suddenly opens into a bright symmetrical courtyard. That dramatic reveal is part of the experience. The building was designed to create emotional impact from the moment you entered.

It remained an active school until surprisingly recently. 

Ben Youssef Madrasa only stopped functioning as a college in 1960. Which means this isn’t some distant medieval relic disconnected from modern history. People were still studying here within living memory.

Upstairs is quieter because many tourists skip it. 

The dormitories tend to thin out the crowds significantly. If you want a calmer experience, go upstairs and linger longer than everyone else.

The acoustics are incredible. 

Even small sounds carry through the courtyard and hallways in unexpected ways. Footsteps echo softly across the tile. Conversations drift upward into the galleries. 

Visitor Tips for Ben Youssef Madrasa

Go early. 

This is one everyone’s must-see list. 

By mid-morning, Ben Youssef Madrasa can become extremely crowded, especially in the central courtyard. Arriving earlier gives you softer light, slightly cooler temperatures and at least a fighting chance of seeing the reflecting pool without six simultaneous photoshoots unfolding around it.

Keyword: slightly.

But maybe not right at opening. 

We haven’t tested this out, but I wonder if maybe it’s not actually wise to go right when these attractions open. Because inevitably there are other others with the same idea, and you guarantee you’re entering with a crowd. 

I’m wondering if maybe it would calm down even just a bit a half an hour or an hour after opening. But again, it’s just a theory.

Don’t just do the courtyard. 

Some of the best details are actually around the edges: carved doorways, quieter side chambers, shadow patterns in the hallways and the transitions between rooms.

The madrasa rewards wandering.

Go upstairs — seriously. 

A surprising number of people barely explore the dormitory level, which is unfortunate because it completely changes how the building feels. The upstairs corridors are quieter, more atmospheric and far more revealing about what daily life here might actually have been like.

Plus, the views overlooking the courtyard are fantastic.

Look up constantly. 

This is good advice for Marrakech in general. Duke is obsessed with Moroccan ceilings, and for good reason.

The walls get most of the attention, but some of the most astonishing craftsmanship is overhead. The cedar ceilings are unbelievable and easy to miss if you stay focused at eye level.

Your neck may eventually resent you for this advice.

Be prepared for the influencer culture. 

You’re going to encounter people filming elaborate content. It’s sadly unavoidable.

Some visitors behave as though they’ve rented the entire madrasa for a private campaign shoot. You can roll your eyes, but getting frustrated will only ruin your own experience.

Pair the madrasa with other nearby sites. 

Ben Youssef Madrasa works especially well alongside other attractions in the vicinity:

• Dar El Bacha Museum of Confluences

• Le Jardin Secret

• Rahba Kedima spice square

• The surrounding souks

Together they create a fuller picture of Marrakech beyond just checking famous landmarks off a list. –Wally

Riad Alwachma, Marrakech, Morocco

Why a riad is absolutely the best place to stay in Marrakech, with their interior courtyards with fountains and rooftop terraces. We chose one that’s a quick walk to Jemma el-Fna, the main square.

The interior courtyard of Riad Alwachma, Marrakech, Morocco

Part of the fun in planning a trip is figuring out where you’re going to stay. When Wally and I settled on Marrakech, I set to work to find a few options. The only criteria was to find lodging within the medina, the old quarter of the city surrounded by rammed earth walls. 

I had narrowed it down to three riads and began showing them to Wally. He’d excitedly reply with, “Ooo, I like that one with the fountain in the middle!” To which I’d reply, “They all have fountains in the middle.” 

Then he’d exclaim, “Ooo! I like that one with the rooftop terrace!” To which I’d reply, “They all have rooftop terraces.” 

“OK,” Wally said, a huge smile on his face. “I get it.”

““Ooo, I like that one with the fountain in the middle!”

”They all have fountains in the middle.” 

“Ooo! I like that one with the rooftop terrace!”

“They all have rooftop terraces.” ”

We settled upon Riad Alwachma, located a mere 10 minutes from the Jemaa el-Fnaa, the main square, and the souks.

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8 Tips to Get the Best Deals at a Moroccan Souk

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Our driver, which we had arranged in advance, dropped Wally, Vanessa and I off at the entrance to Derb Bab Doukkala and led us with our luggage in tow down the cobbled road to the riad. Most derbs (often translated as alleys, but more like lanes) in the medina are too narrow for cars — not a bad thing as there are plenty of other types of traffic throughout, including mopeds and donkey carts.

We arrived at Riad Alwachma’s large wooden door and were cordially greeted by one of the proprietors, a charming French expat named Jérôme. The three of us passed through the threshold, and the quiet of the interior courtyard enveloped us.

Most riads have unassuming front doors, like that of Riad Alwachma — but such beauty lies within!

What’s a Riad?

Riads are the traditional former residences of wealthy merchants that have been converted into private guest lodgings. The term comes from the Arabic word ryad, meaning garden, and is applied to homes built around an inner courtyard or garden. They have unassuming façades that conceal a gorgeous interior. 

Like all riads, ours had a large central courtyard that opened to the sky. In the center, a fountain laden with rose petals dancing on the surface gurgled faintly. A chirping bird was contentedly hopping along the floor.

Wally and I smiled conspiratorially at each other. Without missing a beat, Jérôme smiled too and told us that a bird in the house is a symbol of good luck.

A bird in the home is good luck, our host tells us — and a not-too-uncommon occurrence with the open-air central courtyard.

Vanessa, Wally and I sat at a table in the courtyard while Jérôme explained the origin of the riad's name. Alwachma comes from a traditional chin tattoo Berber women use to adorn themselves. I decided to nickname our riad The Girl With the Berber Tattoo.

Our host provided us with a map of the city and indicated points of interest and areas to avoid at night.

Getting Your Bearings in Marrakech

Over some pastries and our first cup of mint tea, which locals love to jokingly call “Berber whisky,” Jérôme explained that Marrakech tends to be a very safe city and that there are many uniformed police found throughout. But he did offer some advice on concealing our new camera because of the approach of Eid al-Adha, the Islamic festival to commemorate prophet Ibrahim’s obedience to Allah above all others. Jérôme explained that locals sacrifice animals on this feast day, and people occasionally do desperate things to provide their families with money to purchase a sheep or goat.

While we were more interested in the sights of the medina, from the Saadian Tombs to the El Badi Palace, Jérôme indicated Guéliz, the Ville Nouveau, or New Town, on the map. He kept saying that this was where we should go should we want to “make party,” an expression that made us giggle. 

We finished our tea while mapping out our first of many adventures to come. First stop:  Jemaa El-Fna and shopping in the souks, of course. –Duke
 

Riad Alwachma
27 Derb Sehb Bab Doukkala, Medina
4000 Marrakech
Morocco

 

The Saadian Tombs: A Glorious Monument to the Dead

Peek inside the royal necropolis in Marrakech, which rivals parts of the Alhambra in its beauty. We can thank Sultan al-Mansur for its magnificence — and Ismail Ibn Sharif’s fear of the dead for leaving it intact. 

The Saadian Tombs in 1925

Don’t judge a tomb by its cover. The unremarkable exterior walls surrounding the Saadian Tombs in the medina of Marrakech concealed their exquisite mausoleums for centuries, attracting little more than stray cats and storks. While not much to look at from the outside, the secluded interior courtyard is a completely different matter. 

Walled in and forgotten for more than two centuries, the necropolis of the deceased Saadian royals and their descendants remained hidden until its discovery in 1917. French Resident-General Hubert Lyautey commissioned an aerial survey of Marrakech and, by chance, the photographs revealed the existence of the tombs. They were brought back from disrepair by the Service des Beaux-Arts, Antiquités et des Monuments Historiques before being opened to the general public. 

The unassuming exterior of the Saadian Tombs belies its gorgeous interior.

The historic property is located along the Rue de la Kasbah near the ruins of the El Badi Palace. Even if you have a strong sense of direction, the unmarked streets and nondescript ancient rammed earth walls surrounding many of the buildings in the medina district of Marrakech make finding a destination challenging. 

Ahmad al-Mansur

We eventually did and purchased our tickets, which cost 70 dirhams, or around $8, each. Wally, our friend Vanessa and I passed through an inconspicuous narrow corridor cut into the exterior wall and emerged into a tranquil courtyard garden. 

The royal necropolis dates back to the beginning of the 14th century and originally served as a courtyard garden of the Kasbah Mosque. It wasn’t until the reign of the sixth and most famous sultan of the Saadian dynasty, Ahmad al-Mansur (who reigned from 1578-1603 and was known as Eddahbi, the Golden), that the construction of the tombs reached a far more elegant and refined status. Before al-Mansur died from the plague in 1603, he expanded and embellished its mausoleums in the grand style of the Alhambra, the royal residence of the Nasrid Kingdom, built 200 years prior in Granada, Spain.

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Brightly tiled tombstones fill the courtyard.

A Rested Development

Seven sultans and 62 family members are interred in the Saadian Tombs, with over 100 more outside in the gardens. 

The courtyard enclosure includes two mausoleums with gabled, glazed green roof tiles of kiln-fired clay. 

The gravestones in the mihrab, or prayer niche, reminded us of prayer mats.

The main tombs are located to the left of the enclosure. The first of the three chambers was originally a mihrab, or prayer niche, and is now the final resting place of Saadian princes. Its walls and floors are covered with intricate multicolored zellij mosaic tiles. The varying shapes, colors and patterns embedded in the flat graves reminded me of prayer rugs, laid facing Mecca, for eternity. The stucco work of the archway is delicate and ornate, while the ceiling is equally impressive.

The Hall of Twelve Columns is the star of the show.

Pillars of Society: The Hall of Twelve Columns

The central mausoleum where al-Mansour lies is known as the Hall of Twelve Columns. This chamber incorporates a dozen Carrera marble pillars, carved stucco walls and gilt honeycomb ceiling vaulting known as muqarnas. Al-Mansur traded sugar with the Italians in exchange for the marble, which is fitting, as its white, crystalline surface resembles the fine granular texture of sugar. The sultan’s narrow marble headstone stands in the center of the room and is flanked by those of his son and grandson. The chamber is also home to the remains of Princess Zahra, whose epitaph reads, “Here is the tomb of the noble lady, new moon, marvel of virtues.”

A coffered cedarwood ceiling with sunken square panels of diminishing sizes representing the earth and a circle at its apex standing in for the heavens spans the columned central chamber. This sacred geometry symbolizes the passage from the material to the spiritual world. 

Recent restoration work on the Saadian Tombs began in 2013 and lasted for two years.

The Three Niche Chamber and Lalla Masuda Qubba

Beyond the great hall is the Three Niche Chamber, where those relations deemed less important, including children, are buried. The three arched recesses for which the mausoleum takes its name feature magnificent incised muqarnas embossed in gold, lending the space a luminous quality. 

The “less important” relatives were interred in the Three Niche Chamber, which is still not too shabby a place to spend eternity, if you ask us.

Between the mausoleums and throughout the gardens are descendants, wives and emirs, each resting closer or further away from al-Mansur’s sepulcher, depending on his or her status. 

The entrance to the Lalla Masuda Qubba. As with the rest of the complex, you can’t go inside —  but you can peek into the chambers.

The second and smaller structure is called the Lalla Masuda Qubba and refers to the domed roof mausoleum which contains the grave of al-Mansur’s mother. 

Lalla Masuda

The oldest and original Saadian tomb includes a cedarwood dome and two entrance porches or loggias. It was built by Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib to bury his father, Mohammed al-Sheikh, the founder of the dynasty. 

In 1591, al-Mansur had his mother, Lalla Masuda, added to the tomb. She was a Moroccan political figure in the Saadi dynasty remembered for her humanitarian work and considered an awliya, or saint. 

Fearing the Dead 

Less than two decades later, Sultan Ahmad al-Abbas was assassinated, the Saadian dynasty had come to an end, and the Alaouites had taken control of the country.  

When Sultan Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif assumed power, he wasted no time eradicating the legacy of the Saadi dynasty. He systematically set about looting and stripping most of their architectural achievements, including the El Badi Palace. However, he spared the Saadian Tombs — probably because he feared bad luck if he desecrated them and was superstitious that the spirits of the dead would pursue him. He satisfied himself with sealing up all but one obscure entrance from the Kasbah Mosque. 

Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif completely stripped the nearby El Badi Palace but left the Saadian Tombs intact. Was he nervous about disturbing the spirits of the dead?

The Saadian Tombs gave us a sense of the former grandeur of the El Badi Palace. Heads up that the various chambers are off limits to the public, but a path winds past them, letting tourists see them from outside, much like peeking into a diorama. 

While the tombs are cordoned off to human visitors, felines are another matter. We witnessed more than a few cats and kittens napping on their cool tiled floors. 

If you enjoy Islamic architecture as much as we do, then a visit to this funerary monument and tribute to the Saadian legacy is a must. –Duke

 

The Crumbling Ruins of El Badi Palace in Marrakech

Once praised for its massive scale and beauty, El Badi Palace soon became a mere shell of its former grandeur. Only storks now call it home.

A ruined palace sits within the medina of Marrakech.

It must have once been quite a spectacle. El Badi Palace was commissioned by Ahmad al-Mansour, a Saadi sultan who ascended to power after his brother’s untimely death in 1578. Its financing came from ransoms paid by the Portuguese to release their prisoners who had been captured and enslaved following their defeat after the Battle of al-Qasr al-Quibir.

A ransom paid by Portugal financed the construction of El Badi Palace.

Al-Mansour and the Battle of Three Kings

The young and impetuous King Sebastian of Portugal wanted to reclaim coastal Morocco for his country and intended to convert the Muslim populace to Christianity. He combined forces with the deposed sultan al-Mutawakkil, who had his own aspirations to reclaim sovereignty. 

When King Sebastian, al-Mutawakkil and their troops landed at Tangier, they were met by Sultan Abd al-Malik and his men. Within a mere six hours, the Muslim army easily forced the invading Christians to retreat to the port city of Larache — but while fleeing across the Wadi al-Makhazin at high tide, Sebastian and al-Mutawakkil drowned. 

Exhausted from combat, Abd al-Malik fell ill and expired the following morning. In the end, all three died. For this reason, the event is also known as the Battle of Three Kings.

“Al-Mansour asked his court jester what he thought of his palace complex.

The jester replied, “It will make a magnificent ruin.” ”

Was this stork once a human being? Or is it off to deliver a baby?

Say Hi to the Storks: Visiting El Badi Palace

While staying in the Marrakech medina, we spent a day trying not to get lost and seeing the sights, including El Badi Palace. 

Outside the site are shops. An open-air restaurant with charcoal braziers filled the air with oily black smoke. Enormous storks nests that could easily accommodate the three of us have taken up residence atop the remains of the rammed earth walls. The storks of Marrakech are considered to be holy animals. Even before the arrival of Islam, an old Berber belief held that storks were actually transformed humans. As a Westerner, I’m only familiar with storks delivering babies.

The silhouettes of storks seen at sunset. The birds find niches in the ruins of El Bahi Palace to build their nests.

Wally, our travel buddy Vanessa and I paid 10 Moraccan dirham (about $1) at the kiosk located outside the palace. We entered through a towering doorway and found ourselves enclosed in a massive bare-walled chamber open to a cloudless blue sky. These are the ruins of the Qubbat al-Khadra or Green Pavilion. The two-story pavilion most likely had a pyramidal roof of green terracotta tiles, a common material of the period. 

El Badi means the Incomparable One.

Nothing Compares 2 U: The Incomparable Palace

The name of the palace derives from one of the 99 names of Allah given in the Qur’an, and translates to “the Incomparable One.” It served as the reception palace of al-Mansour, who spared no expense in building his lavish monument to the Saadian dynasty and its growing power. 

While the palace was widely acknowledged in its time as a spectacular architectural achievement, it was plundered for its rich decorative materials only a century after its construction. However, you still get a clear sense of its monumental scale. The courtyard features four symmetrical sunken groves planted with lemon and orange trees surrounded by footpaths and separated by a large central basin, which was dry upon our visit but once provided irrigation for the orchards. 

The sunken courtyards house small orchards of citrus trees.

It took nearly 16 years over the course of Sultan al-Mansour’s reign to complete, using materials imported from numerous countries, including onyx, Carrera marble from Italy, gold from Sudan, cedarwood and ivory. Walls and pathways were covered with multi-colored glazed zellij tiles arranged in geometric patterns. 

The zellij tile floor is the one section of the palace with some color.

We met a fussy tomcat who at first craved our attention and then just as quickly grew fickle, batted a paw and hissed at us. (I think it was an angry jinn who became unhinged as we didn’t have any scraps of food to offer it.)

Sixteen-century Moroccan architecture during the Saadian period was heavily influenced by Andalusian decorative traditions, an Islamic architectural style that spanned across North Africa and Spain. El Badi’s layout follows a rectilinear grid similar to the Court of Myrtles at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, but on a much larger scale.

Foreign ambassadors of the time gushed about El Badi’s unparalleled beauty and grandiose domed pavilions: In addition to the Green Pavilion, there’s the Qubbat ad-Dahab (Golden Pavilion), the Qubbat az-Zujaj (Crystal Pavilion) and the Qubbat al-Khayzuran (Khayzuran Pavilion). According to a plaque outside the latter, Khayzuran comes from the Arabic name for wild myrtle and is believed to have been the harem’s quarters. 

I’d suggest bringing bottled water and sunblock, as the site is mostly exposed. Although there isn’t a dress code, it’s respectful to stay modest wherever you go in Morocco. Wally and I both wore linen pants, and Vanessa covered up appropriately. 

It’s too bad the grandeur of the palace didn’t last long. Moulay Ismail stripped El Badi and repurposed the materials to build a new residence in nearby Meknès.

El Badi’s Short-Lived Beauty

Less than a century after the construction of El Badi, the 17th-century Alaouite Sultan Moulay Ismail decided to move the capital from Marrakech to Meknès, and spent over 10 years systematically stripping El Badi of its riches to reuse for his palace in the new capital city. 

This could explain why, as far as ruins go, El Badi might have once been astounding, but now it just doesn’t inspire much awe. That being said, according to local lore, al-Mansour asked his court jester, who was in attendance at the official opening, what he thought of his palace complex. The jester replied, “It will make a magnificent ruin.” And indeed it does. –Duke

If you have a few days in Marrakech, you should visit El Badi Palace. If time is limited, skip it and do the souk and Jardin Majorelle instead.

El Badi Palace
Ksibat Nhass
Marrakech 40000
Morocco

 

Jardin Majorelle: A Moroccan Garden Oasis in Marrakech

What exactly is Majorelle Blue? What does Yves Saint Laurent have to do with the Majorelle Garden? And what’s this about a new Musée Yves Saint Laurent?

Escape the chaos of the medina for a calming visit to le Jardin Majorelle 

Marrakech, Morocco is famous for many things: thick, fortified ramparts of beaten red clay, the towering minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque and the vast open square Djemaa el-Fna with its network of narrow, winding market-filled alleys known as souks. Oh, and “Berber whiskey”: hot, sweet mint tea served in small glasses.

Duke and Vanessa in the Majorelle Gardens

On our last full day in Marrakech, Wally, Vanessa and I walked from the medina to the Nouvelle Ville — French for New City. Our plan was to visit the Jardin Majorelle and to purchase a new memory card for our digital camera. We hoped to retrieve the images from our corrupted memory card, which had stopped working when we arrived in the Sahara, further proof that jinns exist.

We found a camera store, and Wally conversed with the shopkeeper in French, who took the card and inserted it into a reader. He looked up at us, shook his head and said, "C’est grillé.”

“I think that means it’s toast,” Wally said, sadly.

Towering palms seen through an archway

We went on with our day, happy to at least have a new memory card to start taking more pictures. As the three of us made our way around the walled enclosure surrounding the Jardin Majorelle, we became a bit concerned it wouldn’t be open. Our guide from our desert trek, Barack, had told us that the most important prayers of the week are those at noon on Friday, and because of this, Muslim cities essentially close from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We were in luck, though — the garden was open.

We entered the garden through a weathered wooden door, and although there were many people visiting that morning, I was struck by its serenity. The pebbled garden path led through a dense cluster of bamboo. Sadly, countless visitors have left their mark by carving their initials into the shafts of bamboo.

Visitors past have left their mark in the bamboo section of the garden

Wally loves the exquisite Moroccan detailing at the nearby villa 

The villa houses a gift shop and Berber museum

True Blue: The History of the Majorelle Garden

The garden’s creator was Jacques Majorelle, a French Orientalist painter, the son of furniture designer and manufacturer Louis Majorelle. On the advice of his physician, Majorelle the junior travelled to Morocco for the sake of his health, and was immediately captivated by the vibrant colors and quality of light.

He settled in Marrakech in 1917, and in 1923 purchased four acres of land bordering a palm grove outside the city’s ancient walled medina. Eventually, Majorelle purchased an adjacent plot, expanding the property to 10 acres.

In 1931, he commissioned architect Paul Sinoir to design a Cubist villa to serve as his studio. Majorelle painted the fountains, planters and atelier a specific shade of cobalt blue, now appropriately named bleu Majorelle.

This striking cobalt is known as Majorelle blue

Around his new dwelling, Majorelle, a passionate amateur botanist, cultivated the gardens, which he opened to the public in 1947 to help offset their costly maintenance. After Majorelle’s death in 1962, the gardens remained open but gradually fell into a state of disrepair, lacking the care necessary to maintain them.

The designer Yves Saint Laurent saved the garden from disrepair

Yves Saint Laurent to the Rescue

Couturier Yves Saint Laurent acquired a second guesthouse, Dar Es Saada, in Marrakech in 1973 with his then-boyfriend Pierre Bergé. Arabic for the House of Happiness in Serenity, it was located near one of their favorite places, the Jardin Majorelle. When they learned seven years later that the gardens were slated for demolition to make way for a pool and bungalows. Saint Laurent and Bergé decided to purchase the 12-acre garden and villa. The couple enlisted American landscape architect Madison Cox to meticulously restore the gardens. According to Cox, Saint Laurent had the vision to have the flowerpots scattered throughout the garden painted in lemon yellow, sky blue and the famous bleu Majorelle. Saint Laurent and Bergé kept the garden open for visitors to enjoy, just as Majorelle did. 

(Bergé and Cox married in a private civil ceremony shortly before Bergé’s death in 2017. Cox is  also the director of the Fondation Jardin Majorelle, an organization that operates under the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent.)

YSL’s genderbending aesthetic included le smoking, a feminized take on the tux

Musée Yves Saint Laurent

Saint Laurent often designed his collections while in Marrakech, inspired by the city’s colors and shapes. So it’s fitting, pun intended, that a museum dedicated to the influential designer’s life and legacy was built next to the Jardin Majorelle.

Although it wasn’t open when we visited, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, abbreviated as mYSLm, was spearheaded by Bergé and conceived by Studio KO architects Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty. The museum contains an extensive collection of couture garments, sketches, fashion photos and assorted objects showcasing YSL’s signature genderbending style from 1962 until his retirement in 2002.

The bamboo copse at Majorelle

Secret Garden

We passed through a pergola covered with bougainvillea and paused to look into a reflecting pool containing water lilies and a pair of turtles resting at its edge.

The garden is mostly green with periodic bursts of pink and red

Drought-tolerant cacti make up the majority of plants at the Majorelle Garden

Following the garden path, we came upon a modest memorial dedicated to Saint Laurent. When he passed away in 2008, his ashes were scattered amongst the garden he and Bergé so lovingly restored.

This decaying column serves as Saint Laurent’s memorial 

Wally and Vanessa enjoy the serenity of this oasis

Artists paint the plantlife

A peek over an artist’s shoulder

The magnificence of this garden reminded me of the exotic Generalife gardens located beside the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. The arid landscape, originally almost devoid of vegetation, like the gardens of the Alhambra, were utterly transformed by Majorelle over a span of 40 years. From what I could identify, the garden includes agave, bamboo, cacti, cypress, datura, succulents and bougainvillea.

In the Cubist villa, there’s a gift shop and a museum dedicated to artifacts from the pre-Arab inhabitants of North Africa, the Berbers. Just don’t try to sneak in, or you might get kicked out, like Wally did.

Birds chirping, bamboo rustling in the breeze, and the sound of trickling fountains truly turn the garden into a welcome oasis from the hustle and bustle of the medina. –Duke

We recommend adding le Jardin Majorelle to your Marrakech itinerary

Jardin Majorelle
Rue Yves Saint Laurent

Admission: 30 dirham, or around $3.25

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Spinach-filled phylo puffs at the neighboring Kaowa Café

Nearby

Thirsty and hungry after visiting the gardens, we dined on the terrace of Kaowa Café, a snack and juice bar situated across the way. We ate delicious puffs filled with cheese and tried some of their signature juices.

20 Best Instagram Photos of 2016

You saw, you liked. Here are our best-rated travel photos on Instagram of last year.

 

Looking back, 2016 taught me the importance of staying connected to friends near and far. Seeking new perspectives to overcome hurdles and nurturing the labor of love Wally and I call the Not So Innocents Abroad.

Our hope is to share our experiences of other cities and other cultures. Whether exploring the unusual 161-year-old Dhundiraj Ganpati Mandir wooden Hindu temple in Baroda, India or asking our friends abroad to vocalize how they felt about the polarizing effects of the American election, we’re grateful for the role you’ve played and look forward to welcoming a year filled with optimism and new adventures.

Choose Your Own Adventure

As the old adage goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Predicting what makes one image more engaging than another can be difficult to determine and often, like art, is simply subjective.

From amazing destinations that include Cambodia, France, India and Morocco, here’s a look back at our most popular Instagrams of last year.

Follow us on Instagram — and be a part of the action! –Duke

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1. If Aix-en-Provence, France doesn’t charm you with its markets, food and architecture, there is no shortage of magnificent elaborately hand-carved entry doors to look at.

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2. The beautiful Italianate courtyard outside the Darbar Hall at Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara, India.

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3. Deco Darling. Tucked away in the Fès Medina, Morocco, is the beautiful Palais Amani. Originally owned by a prominent Fassi family of merchants, the majority of the residence was rebuilt in the Art Deco style after a landslide badly damaged the 17th century property.

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4. The Café St. Regis was one of our favorite spots to enjoy breakfast when we visited Paris, France.

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5. The façade of Notre Dame in Paris has many interesting details, but perhaps none as unique as the sculpture in the left portal holding his head. The statue is of St. Denis, said to have picked his head up after being decapitated and walked six miles, while preaching a sermon of repentance the entire way. If it takes me 45 minutes on the treadmill at 6 miles per hour, he would have walked an hour plus!

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6. Both covered and open-air, the green metal pavilions from the 1900s form the charming flower market located on Place Louis Lépine in Paris, between the Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte Chapelle chapel.

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7. A view of the magnificent Rajon Ki Baoli stepwell in Delhi, India, built by Daulat Khan during the reign of Sikandar Lodi in 1516. Chambers located behind the arch-shaped niches once provided respite from the heat and a place for patrons to socialize.

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8. One of the splendid staircases with its elegant wrought-iron railing inside the 18th century Hotel d’Albertas mansion in Aix-en-Provence, France. Embellishments such as these were a sign of family wealth intended to call out the social status of the owner.

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9. Neptune wielding a trident riding on a fish by sculptor André Massoule on the Beaux-Arts Pont Alexandre III in Paris. A marvel of 19th century engineering, this bridge consists of a 20-foot-high single-span steel arch.

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10. Musical Chairs. I was awestruck by the hypnotic symmetry of the rows of empty ladder-back chairs awaiting the devout at Saint Suplice in Paris. The ethereal Catholic church, located in the 6th arrondissement, is the second largest in Paris and it was in some movie called The Da Vinci Code. 😜

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11. The enormous grooved stump of lime mortar and rubble masonry are all that remains of the unfinished Alai Minar in Delhi. The minaret was intended to rival the Qutb Minar in both size and scale, but was never completed.

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12. Part of the Right Bank, this busy square located in Montmartre, Paris is known for its portrait artists and painters. During the Belle Époque, at the beginning of the 20th century, many artists, including Pablo Picasso, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Vincent van Gogh resided and worked here.

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13. Fez was founded in 859 CE. The origin of the name is unknown. Some scholars believe it comes from the old Berber name of the Middle Atlas Mountains, Fazaz. Other stories trace the name back to a tale of a golden axe that divided the river of Fez into two halves. In Arabic, a fez is an axe.

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14. Built by sculptor Jean-Claude Rambot and situated in the heart of the Mazarin district, the Fountain of the Four Dolphins in Aix supports an obelisk topped with a pineapple. We spent an afternoon here with our sketchbooks pretending we were bohemian artistes.

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15. The stunning Angkor Wat temple, the largest religious monument in the world, was built by Khmer king Suryavarman II in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It’s a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, the Mount Olympus of the Hindu faith and the abode of ancient gods. The complex has been in continuous use since it was built.

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16. Benched. There is something beautiful in the patina of these benches in Aix Cathedral combined with the well-worn brick floor that has stood the test of time.

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17. A Room With a View. Our grand suite at the Udai Bilas Palace in Dungarpur, India looked out onto the tranquil waters of Gaibsagar Lake, where the royal family’s private island temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva floats serenely.

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18. Set in Stone. A white marble cenotaph lies at the center of Safdarjung’s tomb in Delhi.

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19. Kittens and cats are a common sight among the streets of the Marrakech Medina in Morocco, indifferent to the activity around them. This little guy came to visit while we were sitting having coffee.

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20. Louvre is in the air at Paris’ famous museum.

The Cats of Marrakech

What to do in Marrakech? Try cat-watching! Cherchez les chats. Cats and Islam have a long history.

 

Morocco is a cat lover's delight. They're everywhere, and they're well taken care of. 

Every day we saw shopkeepers and ticket takers at monuments save bits of their meals to put out for a stray cat. 

“A woman locked up a cat until the poor creature starved to death. For this, she was tortured and “had to get into Hell.””

We had tons more pics of the cats of Marrakesh, but a djinni corrupted our memory card. So these are all just from our last day and a half in the city.

Like we said, there are cats everywhere. And most of them were sweet as can be. Click through the photos above, though, and you'll see the one mean kitty in Marrakech. 

FIND OUT: Why We Believe in Genies

Cats and Islam

Most people trace Muslims' fondness for felines back to the Prophet Mohammed. He had a cat named Muezza, who’s the star of a well-known story.

The call to prayer sounded, and Mohammed wanted to wear a particular robe — but Muezza was curled up asleep on one of its sleeves. Instead of disturbing the cat, the prophet cut the sleeve off of the robe.

Duke and I can certainly relate. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve stayed on the couch longer than we planned, just so we don’t have to budge Bowzer. So far no clothing has had to be sacrificed.

The Prophet Mohammed stroked Muezza three times  — and ever since then, all cats have nine lives and the ability to always land on their feet.

“Islam teaches Muslims to treat cats well and that the cat is a creature to be cherished and loved. Mistreating a cat is regarded as a severe sin in Islam,” according to the Islamic Information Portal.

The hadith (a story shared orally before being written down) titled The Book of Virtue, Good Manners and Joining of the Ties of Relationship explains how important it is not to mistreat a cat.

In the story, a woman locks up a cat until the poor creature starves to death. For this, she was tortured and “had to get into Hell.”

Cats are loved, not only for their beauty, cleanliness and elegance, but for their practical purposes as well. Muslim scholars wrote odes to their cats because they protected their precious books from mice, according to the website Muslim Heritage.

As an added bonus, “it is believed that you will suffer no harm if you drink from the cat’s water, provided no impurities are seen in the cat’s mouth,” the Islamic Information Portal states. Bottoms up! –Wally

Top 6 Wellness Tourism Trips

Hiking and biking the Dolomites along the Italian and Austrian border

Yoga on the Mexican beach, hikes to Machu Picchu, Pilates in Morocco — the best health tourism adventures.

You know the type. Their Facebook page is full of beautiful photos of fabulous trips. You’re simultaneously insanely jealous and giddy with excitement at the opportunity to live vicariously through your friend’s adventures.

Well, that’s Nancy.

“I leave with a feeling of renewal and that I can take on all of my biggest dreams.”

As I battled my jealousy of and happiness for her, I noticed a trend among Nancy’s trips: They all had some sort of wellness angle. She’d be doing yoga on a beach in Mexico or hiking across Europe or doing Pilates in Morocco.

I decided to get her take on wellness travel. Here are her top trips and advice. Namaste. –Wally

What draws you to wellness travel?

I cannot just sit on a beach. I always feel like I need to “earn the day.”

I love combining culture, physical activity, regional food and wine, like-minded people, spirituality and mindfulness into one trip. 

What trends have you seen in wellness travel lately?

Adding volunteerism to the experience. For example, in Marrakech, Morocco, we delivered school supplies to a local school and spent some time in the classroom. 

Most surprising thing you’ve discovered on a trip?

In Tulum, Mexico, I got a massage from a Mayan healer. These healers can pick up on energy in your body. He told me that the sciatic nerve area can represent “stalled advancement” and that I was experiencing this right now. He basically summed up a few key areas of my life at the time.

This experience motivated me to go after a new career opportunity at my company, which I successfully landed.

Nancy’s Top Wellness Travel Destinations 

Amansala in Tulum, Mexico offers runs along the beach and candlelit yoga

1. Amansala Bikini Bootcamp, Tulum, Mexico

I go to Amansala every year for the last week of the year as a way to undo all of the debauchery from the holidays and to kick-start the New Year.

The setting is boho chic huts and palapas [open-sided shelters with thatched palm roofs] on a white sand beach with Caribbean blue water.

One of her favorite annual traditions: Nancy does yoga at sunset on New Year's Eve

Guests have the option to make the week as active or as chill as they would like. Most choose active due to the wide variety of activities and high-caliber instructors.

The daily routine at Amansala includes morning beach walks or runs, yoga with beach views, cardio class (kickboxing, circuit training, etc.), dance class and/or sunset candlelit yoga.

Experiences such as cultural excursions, massages, a Mayan clay renewal ritual and tarot card readings are all offered at Amansala. You can also sweat out all of your toxins/sins at their Temezcal (Mayan sweat lodge) ceremony, led by an elder Mayan healer.

In between all of this, you can relax on the gorgeous white sand beach. The three golden Labs, who are pets of the property, might join you or try to rally you for a game of “fetch the coconut.”

The food is also healthy and tasty — they even have their own cookbook. 

Amansala combines the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of wellness, which is why I go back every year. I leave with a feeling of renewal and that I can take on all of my biggest dreams. This special place attracts like-minded people, so I have met several friends with whom I am still in touch. 

Hiking through the Dolomites mountain range, which straddle Italy and Austria

2. Backroads Breakaway Walking & Hiking Tour, the Dolomites, Italy

On this tour, you hike every day (four to six hours) in the spectacular setting of the Dolomites mountain range in-between Italy and Austria.

There’s amazing Italian and Austrian food. You might have apple strudel and beer at lunch and then pasta and red wine at dinner.

Nancy and her local guide, with the Cinque Torri in the Dolomites as a backdrop

We hiked from one resort to the next over a seven-day period. We would stop in at ski huts along the way to refuel.

It was the perfect combination of outdoor activity, breathtaking scenery, culture — Italy and Austria! — amazing food and awe-inspiring boutique hotels. 

The amazing pool at the Escape to Shape resort in Marrakech, Morocco

3. Escape to Shape, Marrakech, Morocco

This yoga and Pilates retreat was hosted at our own private amazing villa in Marrakech, located outside of the medina. Lodging, meals, cultural excursions, and yoga, Pilates and circuit training classes were all included.

This was a great combination of physical activity (about two to three hours per day) and cultural immersion.

Nancy in her favorite store in Marrakech

Escape to Shape provided a very safe, fun and invigorating way to experience Marrakech. Erica Gragg, the owner, has been doing this for years, and she curates the perfect trip. She knows Marrakech like the back of her hand and showed us all of the hidden jewels and hot spots. She would open a door in the medina that you did not even know was there, and inside you would find four floors of amazing treasures.

Shopping is a must in Marrakech, and Erica is the perfect sherpa/stylist. Our group came away with beautiful rugs, caftans and home accents that we never would have found without Erica’s expert eye and relationships.

The yoga and Pilates classes allowed us to indulge without guilt in all of the amazing Moroccan cuisine.  

4. Miraval Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Their tagline is “Life in Balance.” Miraval offers hiking in the Sonoran Desert and Santa Catalina Mountains, a large variety of fitness classes, meditation, healthy, delicious food, mindfulness sessions, equine therapy and other outdoor adventure activities.

Their spa is beautiful. Relax by the pool during your downtime. 

I always come away feeling amazing after four to five days here. 

Snow Canyon State Park in Utah

5. Red Mountain Resort, Ivins, Utah, USA

Red Mountain offers hiking in a gorgeous setting — literally in red rocks in Snow Canyon State Park, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

Hikes are guided, or you can go on your own — all different levels.

Nancy in Zion National Park, Utah

The setting is breathtaking and awe-inspiring.

Fitness classes and outdoor activities keep you physically active. There are also great opportunities for personal discovery and mindfulness: intuitive energy reading, guided imagery, etc., as well as artistic pursuits, such as photography and pottery classes.  

Machu Picchu, Peru

6. Mountain Travel Sobek Machu Picchu Inn-to-Inn Express Trek, Peru

This was a seven-day lodge-to-lodge trek to Machu Picchu through a variety of terrain, scenery and elevation. 

It was a great combination of scenic hiking, excellent Peruvian food and wine, cultural exposure and great lodging.

Nancy at the peak of Machu Picchu