Dec 2 – Marrakech

Today was a marathon day of sightseeing in Marrakech.  There is a lot to see plus we have decided to try to complete all of the major sightseeing so that everyone can have an easy day tomorrow.  We had a short walk...

to our first stop was Place Moulay El Yazid, an old cemetery that was walled off at one time and only rediscovered in the early 1900s.

Then it was on to El Bahai Palace, built by a Vizier for one of his wives.  It was pretty magical with courtyards and fountains,

beautiful painted ceilings,

stained glass windows,

gardens,

mosaics,

and all kinds of interesting details.

We had a stop for drinks in Jemaa el Fna Square, with great views of the square.

On the way through the square we passed a "shop" with snakes hanging around the tent.  

Then it was off into the narrow streets with all of the incredible shops.

At one point we met a group of school children out for some sort of outing.

Our winding walk took us to the Dar Si Sid Weaving and Carpet Museum.  The museum contains carpets from all over Morocco and they represent the work of many of the ethnic groups of the country.

We also had a short visit to the Mouassine Museum that is in an old Riad but is now an art museum.

And we had yet another museum; this one is another large, beautiful mansion/house complex that has been preserved as an example of the architecture from the 17^th and 18^th centuries. 

Copy of the Torah in a scroll:

We walked by the Koutoubia Mosque…

and through a park.

and then took a drive to the Jardin Majorelle.  It was designed and created by French painter Jacques Majorelle over a 40 year period (starting in 1923).  It eventually fell into disrepair and was eventually saved and restored by fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge.  It is now one of the most visited sights in Marrakech, for very good reason.  It must have been 10 degrees cooler in the garden.  It was so wonderfully shady compared to the rest of the city.

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More Majorelle Gardens Photos
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It was a pretty long day but the sights were very interesting and varied. 

In the evening we took a taxi over to La Mamounia Hotel for dinner.  Tara is checking it out for another client.  The public rooms that we saw were pretty amazing.

When we asked for the bill it arrived, along with a trio of musicians who gave us a short serenade.