Marrakech offers the possibility of visiting quite a few number of museums. Marrakech and Morocco’s vast and ancient history makes it possible to gather few places with fantastic collections and fabulous architecture.

For those searching for culture and want to spend some time inside palace converted museums, Marrakech is the place to be and we assure you that you’ll love it.

Marrakech Best Museums

Marrakech Museum

Marrakech’s most visited museum that features: several rooms with exhibits such as Arabic calligraphy, ceramics, music and jewelery, a temporary Art exhibit changing once a couple of months; and many different renovated rooms restaurant following tradition and the line of master artisans from Marrakech. The 19th century Mnebhi Palace, renovated back in 1997 by the Omar Benjelloun Foundation is a nice place to spend 1 hour and appreciate its nice architecture and several art exhibits.

Marrakech Museum

• Place ben Youssef Square, Marrakech Morocco
• +212.524.441.893
• Open daily from 9am until 6:30pm

Dar Tiskiwin Museum Marrakech

This fantastic museum is inside Bert Flint’s house – the Dutch art historian and expert on Moroccan folk art and culture. Basically you can travel around ancient caravan routes through the Sahara Desert from Morocco south to the Sahel, where each room of the museum represents one specific region showing artifacts and important cultural aspects of the ancient caravan routes of the Sijilmassa trails.

Dar Tiskiwin Museum

• 8 Rue de la Bahia Street, Marrakech Morocco
• +212.524.389.192
• Open daily from 10am until 12:30am and 3pm until 5:30pm

The Art of Living Museum Marrakech

This is Marrakech’s newest museum, located inside an old renovated house, where you can appreciate a specific type of building architecture called riad. There are many Riads in Marrakech but usually converted into guest houses.

The Art of Living Museum’s first exhibit was about the history of the Kaftan clothes in Morocco. Several rooms with different artifacts and dresses. You can enjoy a cup of tea in the riad’s courtyard.

The Art of Living Museum

• 8 Rue de la Bahia Street, Marrakech Morocco
• +212.524.389.192
• Open daily from 10am until 12:30am and 3pm until 5:30pm

Dar Bellarj Museum Marrakech

Dar Bellarj is also known as the House of Storks as it used to be a hospital for these type of birds. Dar Bellarj features several painting and sculpture exhibits inside riad renovated back in 1997 by the Dar Bellarj Foundation for Moroccan culture.

Dar Bellarj Museum

• 9 Rue Toualat Zaouiat Street, Marrakech Morocco
• +212.524.444.555
• Open daily from 9am until 1pm and 2:30pm until 6:30pm

Dar Si Said Museum Marrakech

This Alouite style palace is home of the South Morocco Regional Arts Museum and you can enjoy several collections filled with mashrabiyas, pottery, arms and Berber jewelery, rugs from many regions of Morocco, old kasbah doors, wedding girdles and artifacts, kaftans dressings and other exceptional pieces.

Dar Si Said Museum

• Riad Zitoun Jdid Street, Marrakech Morocco
• +212.524.389.564
• Open Saturday to Thursday from 9am until 11:45am and 3pm until 5:45pm; Friday from 9am until 11:30am and 3pm until 5:45pm

Marrakech offers a great number of fascinating monuments and places to visit but some of them have an bigger important significance to its people and city ancient rich history.

The Legend of the Koutoubia Mosque dates back to the 12th century when Marrakech was ruled by Moulay Yacoub Amir.

Apart from the Koutoubia mosque, Moulay Yacoub also ordered the El Mansouria mosque near Bab Agnaou and Bab Ksiba in the south districts of Marrakech old medina.

According to this specific legend, the story of the Koutoubia Mosque tells that the upper globes on top of the mosque were originally made of pure gold, and that there were supposed to have been only three globes instead of four.

The fourth globe was donated by the wife of Moulay Yacoub as compensation for her one day failure to keep the fast during the month of Ramadan. All her golden jewelry was melted down to flab the globe that became the nowadays forth upper globe of the Koutoubia Mosque of Marrakech.

Facts about the Koutoubia Mosque

• The Koutoubia Mosque was build during 1184 and 1199 – corresponding to the reign of Moulay Yacoub;
• The Koutoubia Mosque name derivative from the Arabic al-Koutoubiyyin for librarian;
• The Koutoubia Mosque tower is 69 m (221 ft) in height and has a lateral length of 12.8 m (41 ft);
• The Koutoubia Mosque served as model for the minaret of the Giralda mosque in Seville – Spain and as model for the Hassan Tower in Rabat – capital city of Morocco;
• The Koutoubia Mosque was built in a traditional Almohad architecture style;

Legend of the Koutoubia Mosque, Koutoubia Marrakesh, Monument Marrakesh, Koutoubia History, Legend Koutoubia

The Arabic language seems to be difficult for the majority of people but knowing a few words isn’t that complicate and can actually be quite useful while shopping and getting to know local population. Moroccan Arabic is a little bit easier due to the lack of most grammar logics.

On this page you’ll learn Basic Moroccan Arabic in order to be able to communicate with people.

Riad Marrakech will introduce you some words of Moroccan Arabic in order to improve your Arabic language skills so that next time you travel to Marrakech, you can actually communicate and make yourself understood on the streets.This page will be updated time to time.

Traveling is all about Human contact and Human interaction, so, being able to communicate with local people in their own language gives you the chance of getting to know the country in a different way.

Photo of Hairdresser salon in Marrakech written in Arabic and French.

Learn the Basics of Moroccan Arabic and practice it while visiting the country during your next holidays in Morocco.

Greetings in Moroccan Arabic

• Hello – Salam Aleikum
• Hello back (response) – Wa Aleikum Asalam
• Good Morning – Saba Alrair (first “r” of “Alrair” to be strong like French “r” in Paris)
• Good Morning back (response) – Saba Anur
• Good Afternoon – Masa Alrair
• Goodbye – Masalama
• Goodnight – Leila Saida / Tseba alarair (first “r” of “alarair” to be strong like French “r” in Paris)
• How are You? – Labas alik?
• All is Fine? (like how’s it going?) – kulshi birair? (first “r” of “Bilhair” to be strong like French “r” in Paris)

Go To the Market – Useful phrases in Moroccan Arabic

• How Much is that? – Beshal hadik?
• Please Give Me 1 Kilo of Oranges – Ateini Wahid Kilo Dial Limun
• Add a Bit More Please – Zid Shi Shuiya Afaq
• Remove a Little Bit Please – Nqes Shi Shuiya Afaq
• I Want This One – Bghit Hadik
• I Don’t Want That One – Mabghitsh Hadik

Learn Moroccan Arabic, Moroccan Arabic Basics, Moroccan Arabic

Marrakech is quite photogenic and perfect for many photo opportunities. A walk around Marrakech old Medina will make that perfect photo you are just waiting for.

On this page we will show you some images of Marrakech, and explain what it is all about in a short direct sentence. Enjoy Marrakech.

Photos of Marrakech, Marrakech Photo Tour

Photo of Souk Semmarine Street, just a couple of minutes away from Jemaa el Fna Square. This street is just after Souk Kchacha Market and takes you deep inside Marrakech city markets.

Photo of Moroccan woman taking a taxi (petit taxi) in Jemaa el Fna Square. From the main square you can take a taxi out of the old Medina and visit the new town called Gueliz.

Photo of Rhaba Kdima Square also known as the Old Square. This used to be the place of an old slave market and nowadays a gathering place for medicine sellers and healers.

Photo of Jemaa el Fna Square orange juice stands. Here you can drink a tasty and fresh orange juice just for 4 Dirhams 0.3 British Pounds. YES cheap!

Photo of Jemaa el Fna Square facing Argana cafe, with a lady waiting for her next henna painting clients.

Photo of Marrakech rooftops of Riad Zitoun el Kdim Street near Jemaa el Fna. That big roof you notice on the picture is a Hammam. A Hammam in Marrakech is a magnificent experience where you deep cleanse your skin and get out freshly new.

Photo of Marrakech Museum entrance. Inside this museum in Marrakech you can enjoy temporary art exhibits and a fantastics 19th century restored palace in the heart of Marrakech Medina.

Many people hear about “Hammam” and about “Hammam Marrakech“, but most folks don’t really know what others are talking about exactly.

Basically a Hammam is the Moroccan version of the Turkish Bath, a place to relax, treat your body and clean your skin through some natural products, hot water and hot steam.

Photo of natural products and hammam utensils in a Moroccan Hammam.

The biggest difference between a Hammam in Morocco and the Turkish bath is that in Morocco rooms are not usually heated with steam, but heated through hot water taps and heated floors (which will eventually create some steam also).

Most normal hammams in Marrakech will be places where people go to deep clean their body and spend some time socializing with friends (specially women hammams).

In Marrakech you can also find some quality hammams where you can enjoy a full body treatment, massage, skin cleansing and exfoliating with natural soaps and oils which leave you with beautiful skin and body.

The hammam health process is combined with ancient traditional beauty rites using techniques such as soft soap body scrub and purified clay body poultice. Bath-salts and fumes can be of cedar wood, orange blossom, rose petals and other herbs found in Morocco.

Hammam risks and dangers

• Don’t go to a hammam after eating, you might be in digestion process and could be dangerous
• Hammam is not healthy for people suffering from high blood pressure is obviously not suitable for people suffering from hypotension due to the hot environment
• Going to the hammam on the same day as you shave your legs could be irritable for your skin and you will be deep scrubbed. Some good hammams also offer professional and assisted hair removal, taking good care of you and using no irritable processes and products.
• You’ll spend a couple of hours inside a very hot environment, please protect yourself from unnecessary cold and wind as you come out of the hammam, get your scarf with you to use it on the 30 minutes after you go out of the hammam.

Photo of a Hammam in Marrakech, where you have your set of personal items inside a private room (also many public hammams can be found in Marrakech).

Who would say that Marrakech would have patrons & protectors saints? In fact, Marrakech have 7 Saints that serve as spiritual guardians and protectors of this amazing city.

Nowadays the life on the city seems to run without the presence of the Patron Saints of Marrakech, but deep inside, spirituality is evident.

Photo from the inside of Sidi Youssef Ben Ali Zaouia in Marrakech.

During the 18th century, the Sultan Moulay Ismail make this official as he instituted a pilgrimage called ziara. This ziara pilgrimage of the tombs would make pilgrims to visit seven patron saints and meditate each day in one of the mausoleums called zaouias. Each patron saint corresponded to a specific day of the week.

In order to protect Moroccan culture during the French presence in the country, a law prohibited non-Muslims to visit these holy places, making it impossible to visit. You can try your luck and ask if you can go inside, take your shoes out and remember to contribute your way in to the lady in charge (10 Dirhams is enough).

Patron Saints of Marrakech

• Monday: Sidi es Soheili
• Tuesday: Sidi Youssef Ben Ali
• Wedneday: Qadi Ayad
• Thursday: Sidi Bel Abbes
• Friday: Sidi Ben Slimane el Jazouli
• Saturday: Sidi Abd el Aziz
• Sunday: Moul el Ksour

Quick Marrakech Spiritual Vocabulary

• Ziara – Instituted pilgrimage to Marrakech’s 7 patron saints;
• Zaouia – Mausoleum of a saint or someone spiritually important;
• Salat – Muslim prayer to be done 5 times a day;

Many people are very interesting to know a bit more about Moroccan women. This page will try to clarify you about some facts on girls in Morocco and women in Morocco.

First on this article we would like to point out that King Mohamed 6′s first law change was about women’s rights and women’s freedom in Morocco.

King Mohamed 6 instituted a new family code called Mudawana (this law came into effect in February, 2004), which granted women more power and rights as civilians and individuals.

Photo of a Modern Moroccan Girl walking with her traditionally dressed mother on the streets of Marrakech.

Moroccan women tend to be more attached to their traditional past than Moroccan girls, as these last ones search for their new life where individual personality is let free.

Although much things changed on paper, this doens’t mean that Moroccan girls are detached from their culture and their past Islamic rules. Family bound in Moroccan families are very strong and still control rural communities and part of urban regions, where government laws will slowly arrive and change.

How do Moroccan Women Dress?

Apart from exceptions cities like Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier where many women dress casual western clothing, generally Moroccan women tend to exclusively dress traditionally (some women dress traditional and others modern traditional mixing a bit of head cover with long dresses and jeans for example). Traditional women clothing in Morocco follow both Moroccan traditional clothes like jelaba and hijab, or the haik; Arabic standard clothing like albayia and Islamic clothing called khimar.

Photos of Moroccan women on the streets of Marrakech, Morocco.

How do Moroccan Girls Dress?

There is a considerable number of girls in Morocco who dress in western style, who shop in Zara and Stradivarius and who follow a personal dress code.

Many girls in Moroccan big cities have the choice of dressing what they want (inside whatever is possible and acceptable in Moroccan society, but most of western casual clothing is pretty much OK; other girls still follow either religious or family code that are much attached to each other.

In rural areas the case is not the same and girls will dress always traditional and anything but that will not be accepted nor respectful. Very interesting is that within the same family, two sisters can both dress differently, one wearing the head cover called hijab and the other not using it at all.

Photos of Moroccan girls on the streets of Marrakech, Morocco.

Moroccan Internet services and providers have grown incredibly fast the last couple of years. The Internet phenomenon in Morocco is settled on a huge scale and all big cities, small towns, and even tiny village in the Sahara Desert have “Cybercafés” where you can surf the web with a good Internet speed.

Few companies started to offer 3G Modems in order to provide mobile Internet in Morocco. These 3G mobile connections more or less follow the length of specific companies coverage signal. Some companies have better signal coverage than other in specific regions of Morocco. Big cities like Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, and Tangier, the Internet signal is usually good and 100% in open spaces.

Morocco main 3G Mobile Internet providers

3G Internet Morocco is always changing prices and services. This information was updated on July 2010.

Meditel 3G Modem

• Modem + 1 month connection
• No contract – Plug & Play
• From 290 Moroccan Dirhams = 21.8 British Pounds
• Meditel 3G Modem – Official Website: http://www.meditel3gplus.ma/

Wana / Inwi 3G Modem

• Modem + 2 month connection Summer promotion
• No contract – Plug & Play
• From 300 Moroccan Dirhams = 22.6 British Pounds
• Inwi 3G Modem – Official Website: http://www.inwi.ma/

Maroc Telecom 3G Modem

• Modem + 1 month connection
• No contract – Plug & Play
• From 249 Moroccan Dirhams = 18.7 British Pounds
• Maroc Telecom 3G Modem – Official Website: http://www.iam.ma/

Marrakech is a fantastic destination ready to offer you the best holidays in Morocco.

This website is just starting to grown, so add it to your favorites and come back later for further information and details about Marrakech Morocco.

Welcome to Marrakech, welcome to “Riad Marrakech” welcome to Morocco. On this page we give you quick advices of great activities and important events not to be missed in Marrakech. Marrakech at its best!

International Film Festival of Marrakech

The 9th edition of the International Film Festival of Marrakech is coming up. Don’t miss this fantastic event in this beautiful city.

Photo Copyright © FIFM

Marrakech Film Festival venues

• Palais des Congres Boulevard Mohammed VI, Marrakech / Phone: +212.524.339.100;
• Cinema Colisee Bd Zerktouni, Marrakech / Phone: +212.524.448.893;
• Cinema Megarama Avenue 7ème art, Route de l’Ourika, Marrakech / Phone: +212.524.386.857;
• Jemaa el Fna Square Medina city center facing the Koutoubia Mosque.

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