The Highlights of Marrakesh

02/01/22 • 23 min

Marrakesh is one of the most famous destinations in Morocco, one of the "imperial cities" (one-time capital cities), and a place immortalized in popular culture and romantic images.
When you think of a Moroccan city, and ancient markets, spices, mosques, vibrant colours and winding, narrow alleyways come to mind, it is likely Marrakesh that you're thinking of.
Azdean welcomes his friend and local tour guide Youssef Kharroubi to the podcast, to give us an overview of the city and its many sights and activities. We talk a bit about the history of the city and its place in Morocco, and Youssef introduces highlights such as the city gardens, the Bahia Palace, the souk (marketplace), the Kutubiyya mosque (nearly 900 years old) and the Bab Agnaou gates. Most of this is encapsulated in the medina (city centre), named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
And then there's the food! You may be familiar with the cone-shaped tagine cooking pot, great for cooking vegetables and couscous. Youssef also introduces the tangiya, which is a similar concept, but more of a deep, oval-shaped clay pot often used for cooking lamb dishes, and immersed in coals to slow-cook for 8-10 hours.
Each topic could be an episode in itself, and so Youssef helps to orient us and set the stage for the discovery of Marrakesh. This episode will get your travel juices flowing!
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
A Moroccan souk (market)
A traditional Moroccan tagine cooking pot
Stunning Moroccan gardens
Kutubiyya Mosque in Marrakesh, built in 1158

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Previous Episode

An Introduction to Morocco

As we begin our exploration of Morocco, Azdean invites his producer, Ted Cragg, onto the podcast, to chat about what listeners can expect from the show over the coming episodes.
Imagine us sitting in a nice café, or maybe drinking some fresh Moroccan mint tea, as Azdean gives us an overview of Morocco for those just beginning to learn about the country. We talk about some of the fundamentals: population, languages, climate, distances, costs, potable water, security and more.
Azdean gets us started on planning a trip to Morocco: where would you go if you had 1 week? What choices would you need to make? We get a sense of the scale and proximity of the various cities and sights, and some of the highlights to make sure to include.
As you'll hear in this episode, there are so many facets of Morocco to be explored, topics and curiosities that will appeal to both the casual traveller who enjoys learning about different places around the world, and to those with an upcoming trip in mind to Morocco. We set the stage here in Episode 2 for all of these discoveries. So much to look forward to!
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
Destination Morocco Instagram
A Moroccan riad (traditional house & garden)
Some of the movies filmed at Atlas Studios (IMDB)
Today's Weather in Morocco
Sidi Ali water
Ted Cragg Podcasting

Next Episode

Scams! How to Understand and Avoid Them

Travellers love Morocco for its exotic appeal, culture, stunning landscapes, distinct cuisine, and for its charms.
Yes, these charms can include scams, a regular feature of life as a tourist in Morocco, as elsewhere. And as Azdean will tell you, natives like him are far from exempt! Most of what you'll hear in this episode has happened to him at some point.
With touches of humor, detail and vivid descriptions that carry you away to the streets, taxi cabs, markets and restaurants of Marrakesh, Azdean guides you through what to expect, right from arrival at the airport.
You're about to learn:

How to prepare your cash and use an ATM in Morocco,
Understanding the money and conversions,
Arriving at the airport, things to look out for,
Finding a good SIM card for your mobile phone,
Taxis: a key experience to navigate. How to prepare yourself for a taxi scam. Be prepared!

Arriving in the square. What scams to look out for?

A guided tour, the price looks great and the itinerary is exciting. But where will you end up spending the night?
A henna tattoo, what could go wrong?
Surely orange juice is just orange juice, right?
How do you choose where to eat, and not be gouged on the price?

And, Azdean shares which is the scariest scam of them all.
Always, always: Remember your body language!
Join us for a fascinating, insider's look into how scams operate, how to avoid or get out of situations, and why they exist in the first place.
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
Jamaa el-Fnaa Square (aka "The Square")
Moroccan dirhams
Globe Convert app
Mobile SIM card Maroc Telecom Etisalat