Heart of the Medina

The Koutoubia Minaret stands seventy-seven meters tall, capped with a distinct lantern and four copper globes. Built in the twelfth century under the Almohad Caliph Yacoub el-Mansour, this tower served as the spiritual anchor for…

Bab Lakssour stands as a wide, gated entryway built of rough, sun-baked earth, marked by a massive, central horseshoe arch that pierces the thick city wall. It served as a vital portal connecting the interior of the Medina to the bustling…

The Mouassine Fountain is distinguished by its three arched bays carved from dark cedar wood and delicate stucco, set deep into the wall of the mosque complex. Commissioned by the Saadian Sultan Moulay Abdallah al-Ghalib in the sixteenth…

Le Jardin Secret features two distinct, walled garden squares filled with water channels and geometric planting beds that break up the dense sprawl of the Marrakech Medina. This complex sits on the footprint of a sixteenth-century Saadian…

Souk Semmarine is the widest and busiest artery in the Marrakech medina, identifiable by the intricate, vaulted iron roofing that filters the sun into thin, golden slats across the pavement. For centuries, this alley served as the primary…

Rahba Kedima is defined by the stacks of vibrant, conical piles of ground spices that line the merchant stalls. This square serves as the traditional spice market of the Medina, where trade has centered for centuries. Merchants here once…

Jemaa el-Fnaa is a wide, open square defined by a dense, shifting grid of food stalls, snake charmers, and musicians that fills the space every evening. This plaza served as a site for public executions under the Almoravid dynasty, earning…

The Café de France features a sprawling, multi-level terrace that hangs directly over the Jemaa el-Fnaa. Built in the early twentieth century, this structure served as a primary hub for French colonial officers and travelers navigating the…