Marrakech is located about 327 kilometers west of Rabat, the capital of Morocco, 580 kilometers southwest of Tangier and 196 kilometers southwest of Casablanca. Established in the 11th century AD, Marrakech has a long and rich history and many impressive monuments visited by many travelers touring Morocco. The Almoravid dynasty established Marrakech in 1070 AD as the capital of their kingdom and made it an important commercial and cultural center.
Many Morocco travel packages that include a visit to Marrakech usually focus on two or three monuments, including the Koutobeya Mosque, the Saadian Tombs, and the famous Gamea ‘El Fna Square. Although these places are quite remarkable, there are many other attractions in Marrakech that deserve to be explored by travelers.
The Ben Yusuf Madrasa
Built by the Marinid dynasty in the mid-14th century, it was actually renovated by the Saadian dynasty in 1565; The Ben Yusuf Islamic teaching school is one of the largest and most impressive in Morocco. The school or Madraza stands out with its wonderful tile decorations. It is considered one of the most wonderful examples of this type of construction in Morocco.
The Marrakesh Museum
The Marrakech Museum has an important location situated near the Ibn Yusuf Madrassa and Game’ El Fna Square. The museum building itself is quite remarkable. It was originally a palace that was built in the late 19th century before being transformed into a museum for the city in 1997.
The Marrakech museum stands out for displaying a large collection of exhibits including contemporary art portraits, ancient coins, historical books, traditional Moroccan pottery and many more interesting collections. Many of the tourists who travel to Morocco would like to visit the different museums in the country at some point.
The Almoravid Dome
Credited with the mission of establishing the city of Marrakech, the Almoravid built many notable Islamic structures in the city. The oldest historical site in the city today is, in fact, the Almoravid Dome. Built in the early 12th century AD by Sultan Yusuf, the structure was actually established as an ablution area for worshipers going to pray at the Yusuf Mosque.
The Dome is located on the roof of a large open Sahn courtyard with 19 private places for ablutions. The dome is 12 meters high with a rectangle shaped dome 12 meters long and 7 meters wide. The dome is one of the most impressive Almoravid monuments to be explored by travelers passing their vacation in Morocco.
The Majorelle Gardens
The Majorelle Garden is actually one of the most fun places to visit for tourists of all ages traveling to Morocco. First established in 1924 by Jack Majorelle, famous French artists who painted the garden buildings a distinctive shade of the color blue in 1937 in a bold move that shocked red city dwellers at the time.
An important milestone in the history of Jardin Majorelle was when the famous French designer Yves Saint Laurent and author Pierre Pergy bought the garden and specified a section within it for public visits. Today, the garden is one of the most popular tourist spots in Marrakech. The buildings surrounding the garden have been converted into a museum of Islamic art. The garden itself is featured with the rare types of plants and trees that were imported from all regions of the world.