Marrakesh Express
A good air service makes Marrakesh a first choice for short stays in Morocco. On arrival, this exotic and friendly gem of the south is a complete change of scenery.
An enchanting square
Head for Place Jemaa El-Fna on your first evening round dusk. Its magic will immediately touch you. Storytellers, fire-eaters, the fascinated crowds; another exotic and out of the ordinary world welcomes you. Dine, under the stars, in one of the small restaurants lining the square. Enjoy the incomparable savours of local cooking and desserts in unspoilt surroundings.
Picturesque markets
Marrakesh has the most extensive souks in Morocco. In a maze of alleys multitude of busy craftsmen offer their traditional articles. Now is the time to fill up on authentic souvenirs! Compare, negotiate while enjoying a mint tea and fall for a carpet, a finely worked brass tray or, even, some ceramics!
Culture in a flash
The inevitable Ben-Youssef medersa. This Koranic school was founded in the 14th century. The ablution basin, decorated with zelliges, mosaics formed with little bits of enamelled terracotta, murmurs in its white marble central courtyard. Several hundred metres to the west, the Koubba Ba’Adiyn is the only remaining building from the Almoravid period. Its superbly decorated dome shelters a pond filled with water coming from the Atlas mountains.
To remember
Marrakesh has all the resources to satisfy those who are there for a short stay. Picturesque squares, souks full of authentic souvenirs to bring back and historic buildings are on the menu.
Architecture through the centuries
Ancient Anfa has become Casablanca which is probably the most high tech city in the country. Business, trade, festivals and the relaxed Moroccan life-style… Everything happens in Casablanca!
The origins
In the middle of the 18th century, the Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah decided to rebuild ancient Anfa (the hill), a small Berber 7th century town, from its ruins. You will find a thousand small crafts in the maze of alleys and workshops in the ancient medina which is still partially enclosed by ramparts.
The thirties
Casablanca became the showcase of Art Deco architecture in the thirties. The outlying districts are connected to and organized around the Place de France and the Place Administrative, now respectively United Nations Place and Mohammed V Place. The Habous area, situated 3km away from the city centre, is a new medina intended, in the 1920s, for the rural population attracted by the development of the city. The architectural tradition of the city endures to this day with the inauguration of the Hassan II mosque on the 30th of August 1993, one of the largest (200m high) and most beautiful mosques in the world.
Casablanca today
The hectic Mäarif district personifies modern Casablanca. This, previously modest area situated to the west of the Arab League Park in the shadow of the Twin Center twin towers, has progressively become on of the most prominent districts in the city. Anfa, the Casablanca's upmarket area, is worth visiting. Boulevard Mohammed V, situated towards the city centre, has kept its arcades under which shops and restaurants abound for almost 2km. In the evening, the Aïn-Diab coast road is a must-see. The at times rocky coast between the El Hank lighthouse and Sidi Bou Abderrahmane mausoleum, a small village only accessible at low tide is Casablanca's seaside resort. You can enjoy a drink while admiring a sunset. Later in the evening the discotheques keep things lively in this city with its reputation of never sleeping.
To remember
Casablanca, on the move, bursting with energy and exemplifying the many facets of modern Morocco, lives alongside the remains of a city with a very rich past.
