20 Best Sights in Marrakesh, Morocco

If you want a little breath taken out of you, don't pass up the chance to see this extraordinarily well-preserved 16th-century Koranic school, North Africa's largest such institution. The delicate intricacy of the gibs (stucco plasterwork), carved cedar, and zellij (mosaic) on display in the central courtyard makes the building seem to loom taller than it really does. As many as 900 students from Muslim countries all over the world once studied here, and arranged around the courtyard are their former sleeping quarters—a network of tiny upper-level rooms that resemble monks' cells. The building was erected in the 14th century by the Merenids in a somewhat different style from that of other medersas; later, in the 16th century, Sultan Abdullah el Ghallib rebuilt it almost completely, adding the Andalusian details. The large main courtyard, framed by two columned arcades, opens into a prayer hall elaborately decorated with rare palm motifs as well as the more-customary Islamic calligraphy. The Koranic school closed in 1960, but the building was restored and opened to the public in 1982. In 2018 the building closed for further restoration and is expected to reopen in 2022.

The open square market at the center of the medina is Marrakesh's heartbeat and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This centuries-old square was once a meeting point for regional farmers and tradesmen, storytellers and healers. Today it's surrounded by bazaars, mosques, and terraced cafés with balcony views over the action. While it’s relatively quiet during the day, food stalls and performers begin to appear in the late afternoon. 

Djemâa el Fna comes to life at night when it fills with a variety of performers enticing locals and visitors alike. Gnawa dancers sway clanking their krakebs (castanets) and strumming on traditional guitars while traditional storytellers regale locals with tales from the past. By sunset the square is full, and smoke rises from the makeshift stalls that are set up every evening and offer grilled meats on paper-lined tables. 

All day (and night) long you can get fresh orange juice from the green carts that line up around the square, starting at 4 DH a glass. You can also pose for a photograph with one of the roving water sellers (you'll be expected to pay at least 10 DH for the privilege), whose eye-popping costumes carry leather water pouches and polished-brass drinking bowls---we don't recommend drinking from the offered cup of water. Or snack on sweet dates, apricots, bananas, almonds, sugar-coated peanuts, and walnuts from the dried fruit–and–nut stalls in the northwest corner. It’s a festival atmosphere every night of the week!

It's worth noting that while these days this is a wonderful bazaar, once upon a time the Djemâa's purpose was more gruesome: it accommodated public viewings of the severed heads of sinners and criminals. Djemâa actually means "meeting place" and el Fna means "the end" or "death," so as a whole it means something along the lines of "assembly of death" or "meeting place at the end of the world."

Watch out for pickpockets and be wary of ladies here offering henna applications as they're not always aboveboard.

Yacoub el Mansour built Marrakesh's towering Moorish mosque on the site of the original 11th-century Almoravid mosque. Dating from the early 12th century, it became a model for the Hassan Tower in Rabat and the Giralda in Seville. The mosque takes its name from the Arabic word for book, koutoub, because there was once a large booksellers' market nearby. The minaret is topped by three golden orbs, which, according to one local legend, were offered by the mother of the Saadian sultan Ahmed el Mansour Edhabi in penance for fasting days she missed during Ramadan. The mosque has a large plaza, walkways, and gardens, as well as floodlights to illuminate its curved windows, a band of ceramic inlay, pointed merlons (ornamental edgings), and various decorative arches. Although non-Muslims may not enter, anyone within earshot will be moved by the power of the evening muezzin call.

This 19th-century palace, once home to a harem, is a marvelous display of painted wood, ceramics, and symmetrical gardens. Built by Sultan Moulay el Hassan I's notorious Grand Vizier Bou Ahmed, the palace was ransacked on Bou Ahmed's death, but you can still experience its layout and get a sense of its former beauty. Don't forget to look up at smooth arches, carved-cedar ceilings, tadlak (shiny marble) finishes, gibs cornices, and zouak painted ceilings. Fancy a room? Each one varies in size according to the importance of each wife or concubine. In 2020 the entire palace was repainted and some areas restored.

If you use an on-site guide, you should also tip 30 DH–50 DH.

The vast labyrinth of narrow streets and derbs at the center of the medina is the souk—Marrakesh's marketplace and a wonder of arts, crafts, and workshops. Every step brings you face-to-face with the colorful handicrafts and bazaars for which Marrakesh is famous. In the past, every craft had a special zone within the market—a souk within the souk. Today savvy vendors have pushed south to tap trading opportunities as early as possible, but the deeper in you venture, the more you will be rewarded by better prices and by seeing artisans at work---metalworkers, carpenters, tailors, and cobblers just to name a few. Look for incongruities born of the modern era. Beside handcrafted wooden pots for kohl eye makeup are modern perfume stores; where there is a world of hand-sewn djellabas at one turn, you'll find soccer jerseys after the next; fake Gucci caps sit beside handmade Imazighen carpets.

As you wander through the souk, take note of landmarks so that you can retrace your steps without too much trouble. Once the shops' shutters close, they're often unrecognizable.

The farther north you go the more the lanes twist, turn, and entwine. Should you lose your way, retrace your steps to the busiest thoroughfare and then look for the brown painted signs (usually found at key intersections) indicating the direction of Place Djemâa el Fna. But mostly you'll rely on people in the souk to point the way. If you ask a shopkeeper rather than a loitering local, you'll be less likely to encounter a "faux guide."

The Secret Garden, or Le Jardin Secret, opened to the public in 2016 after several years of intensive excavation, restoration, and planting. Once one of the largest private riads in the medina, the 16th-century site is home to beautiful Islamic architecture, the lush Exotic and Islamic gardens, an ancient, but still operational, water management and irrigation system, and the original watchtower that has commanding views over the whole medina. The restored Pavilions, which were once formal reception rooms, now house a small café and an exhibit of photographs that show the property's excavation and reconstruction. There are areas to sit and relax, a bookshop, café, and exhibition rooms. Well-informed guides are on-site and provide free tours of the gardens. Entry to the Tower is an extra 40 DH.

Stretching a full 3 km (2 miles) south of the Royal Palace, the Jardin de l'Aguedal comprises vast orchards, a large lagoon, and other small pools, all fed by an impressive, ancient system of underground irrigation channels from the Ourika Valley in the High Atlas. Until the French protectorate's advent, it was the sultans' retreat of choice for lavish picnics and boating parties. Sadly the Agdal Gardens have suffered from neglect in recent years and now have little charm for visitors. The largest basin, the 12th-century "Tank of Health," and the small pavilion next to it are still accessible on Friday and Sunday, but the vast orchards and olive groves, where Moroccans once strolled, are now closed to the public.

After the Koutoubia, this is the medina's largest mosque and Marrakesh's oldest. The building was first constructed in the second half of the 12th century by the Almoravid sultan Ali ben Youssef, around the time of the Qoubba Almoravid. In succeeding centuries it was destroyed and rebuilt several times by the Almohads and the Saadians, who changed its size and architecture accordingly; it was last overhauled in the 19th century, in the then-popular Merenid style. Non-Muslims may not enter.

Built in 1910, Dar el Bacha was once the home of the infamous Thami el Glaoui who, during the French protectorate of Morocco, was considered one of the most powerful men in the south of the country. This palace was where he would host and entertain famous guests such as Josephine Baker, Winston Churchill, and Charlie Chaplin. 

The building was renovated and opened to the public for the first time in 2018 and features exemplary Moroccan craftsmanship. Zellij-tiled walls in multiple different styles, a traditional courtyard resplendent with citrus trees and local fauna, and rooms housing exhibits that tell the story of coexistence between the faiths in Morocco are some of the highlights.  

This 19th-century palace is now a museum with an excellent collection of antique Moroccan crafts including pottery from Safi and Tamegroute, jewelry, daggers, caftans, carpets, and leatherwork. The palace's courtyard is filled with flowers and cypress trees, and furnished with a gazebo and fountain. The most extraordinary salon is upstairs; it's a somber room decorated with gibs cornices, zellij walls, and an amazing carved-cedar ceiling painted in the zouak style (bright colors in intricate patterns). Look for the prize exhibit, a marble basin with an inscription indicating its 10th-century Córdoban origin. The basin, which is sometimes on loan to other museums, was once given pride of place in the Ali ben Youssef Mosque in the north of the souk. It was brought to Morocco by the Almoravid sultan in spite of its decorative eagles and griffins, which defy the Koran's prohibition of artistic representations of living things.

This 16th-century palace was once a playground for Saadian princes and visiting diplomats—a mammoth showpiece for opulent entertaining. Today it's a romantic set of sandstone ruins, policed by nesting storks. Sultan Ahmed el Mansour's lavish creation was ransacked by Moulay Ismail in the 17th century to help him complete his own palace at Meknès. But it's not hard to see why the palace, whose name translates as "The Marvel," was once among the world's most impressive monuments. A huge swimming pool in the center (still there today, but empty) is flanked by four others, along with four sunken orange orchards. The main hall was named the Koubba el Khamsiniyya, referring to its 50 grand marble columns. Along the southern wall is a series of belowground corridors and underground dungeons. It's a vast, calm, and mystical place. Also on display is a collection of goods from the minbar (pulpit from which the imam gives services) of the Koutoubia Mosque. If you use an on-site guide (otherwise unpaid), who can bring the place to life, you should also tip 30 DH to 50 DH.

The casino at La Mamounia has a large room for roulette, poker, and blackjack; a slot-machine hall; and is open until 6 am, but you'll need to dress up to gain entrance to this exclusive establishment.

One of the few remaining synagogues still in operation, the Lazama synagogue was established in 1492 and renovated several times since, with the latest being at the turn of the 20th century. Visitors are permitted inside to learn about Morocco's Jewish history and see the blending of traditions and cultures. 

This restored riad, in the heart of the medina, houses a rare collection of original black-and-white photos and glass negatives that depict life in Moroccan communities between 1862 and 1960. The archive, which was established in 2009, is constantly growing and there are regular thematic exhibitions. There is also a very pleasant roof terrace café.

As in other Moroccan cities, the Mellah is the old Jewish quarter, once a small city within the city. Although it used to be home to a thriving community, along with rabbinical schools and scholars, today there are only a few Jewish inhabitants. You can visit the remains of a couple of synagogues with the help of an official guide, or local kids will be happy to point the way in return for a few dirhams. The Lazama Synagogue is open daily and is still used for weddings and bar mitzvahs. It has a pretty, blue-tiled inner courtyard. The Mellah gets its name from the Arabic word for salt, and some say that the Jewish residents who lived here acquired their wealth through the salt trade.

The Mellah district has undergone many renovations in recent years, but visitors might want to avoid walking alone in the more residential areas, past the Lazama Synagogue.

The main reason to come to this small, privately owned museum next door to the Ali ben Youssef Medersa is not the exhibitions of regional pottery, ceremonial daggers, and traditional costume, but rather the stunning central atrium, a tiled courtyard containing a huge lampshade that resembles a descending UFO. Set within the restored 19th-century Menebhi Palace, this is a perfect place to relax while enjoying Moroccan architecture and gentle music piped through speakers. There are occasional exhibitions in the courtyard of beautiful artifacts or paintings, but they're poorly displayed and lack English translations. 

Newly renovated and open to the public for the first time in 2021, this is the city's oldest monument and the only intact example of Almoravid architecture in all of Morocco (the few other ruins include some walls here in Marrakesh and a minaret in El Jadida). Dating from the 12th century, this masterpiece of mechanical waterworks somehow escaped destruction by the Almohads. It was once used for ablutions before prayer in the next-door Ali ben Youssef Mosque (relying on the revolutionary hydraulics of khatteras, drainage systems dug down into the water table), and also had a system of toilets, showers, and faucets for drinking water. It was only excavated from the rubble of the original Ali ben Youssef Mosque and Medersa in 1948.

The medina's amazingly well-preserved walls measure about 33 feet high and 7 feet thick, and are 15 km (9 miles) in circumference. The walls are fashioned from local reddish ocher clay laid in huge blocks. The holes that are visible on the exterior surface are typical of this style of construction, marking where wooden scaffold supports have been inserted as each level is added. Until the early 20th century, before the French protectorate, the gates were closed at night to prevent anyone who didn't live in Marrakesh from entering. Eight of the 14 original babs (arched entry gates) leading in and out of the medina are still in use. Bab Agnaou, in the kasbah, is the loveliest and best preserved of the arches.

The best time to visit the walls is just before sunset, when the swallows that nest in the ramparts' holes come out to take their evening meal. 

This small, beautiful, 16th-century burial ground is the permanent resting place of 166 Saadians, including its creator, Sultan Ahmed el Mansour, the Golden One. True to his name, he did it in style—even those not in the lavish mausoleum have their own colorful zellij graves, laid out for all to see, among the palm trees and flowers. Because the infamous Moulay Ismail chose not to destroy them (he was apparently superstitious about plundering the dead), these tombs are one of the few Saadian relics left. He simply sealed them up, leaving only a small section open for use. The complex was rediscovered only in 1917 by General Hubert Lyautey during the French protectorate. Passionate about every aspect of Morocco's history, the general undertook the restoration of the tombs.

The central mausoleum, the Hall of Twelve Columns, contains the tombs of Ahmed el Mansour and his family. It's dark, lavish, and ornate, with a huge vaulted roof, carved cedar doors and moucharabia (carved wooden screens traditionally used to separate the sexes), and gray Italian marble columns. In a smaller inner mausoleum, on the site of an earlier structure containing the decapitated body of the Saadian dynasty's founder, Mohammed esh Sheikh, is the tomb of El Mansour's mother.

Get here either early or late to avoid the crowds and to see the monuments swathed in soft golden sunlight.

If you use one of the on-site guides (who are unpaid), you should tip 30 DH to 50 DH.

For a whiff of Marrakesh life the old way, the tanneries are a real eye-waterer, not least because of the smell of acrid pigeon excrement, which provides the ammonia that is vital to the tanning process. Six hundred skins sit in a vat at any one time, resting there for up to two months amid constant soaping, scrubbing, and polishing to get the leather strong, supple, clean, and ready for use. Once the hides have been stripped of fur, washed, and made supple through this six-week process, the final stage involves soaking and rubbing in a mix of ground mimosa bark and water, which eventually turns the grayish-green hides into the natural reddish-brown or "tan" shade that we always expect in our natural leather goods. The tanned skins are dried in the sun and then sold direct to the artisans near Ben Youssef Mosque. Additional color dyeing takes place after the skins have been purchased by the artisans in another part of the souk.

Thirteen tanneries are still in operation in the Bab Debbagh area in the northeast of the medina. Simply turn up Rue de Bab Debbagh and look for the tannery signs above several open doorways to both the right and left of the street. To visit one of them, just pop in and the local manager will offer you mint leaves to cover the smell, explain the process, and guide you around the vats of dyes. In return he'll hope for a healthy tip to share with his workers; this is a dying art in a poor dyeing area, so the more you can tip, the better.

Finding the tanneries can be frustrating. It's best to arrive via taxi and ask for Bab Debbagh (the tanneries are straight ahead through the gate) or the Place el Mokf (Avenue Bab Debbagh is at the top on the left). Alternatively, task an official guide to include the visit as part of a city walking tour, but beware of false guides who are plentiful and forceful in this area.