Morocco
Marrakesh :
If one was short on time and resources and had to visit one place that sumps up the essence of the country of Morocco. Marrakesh would have to be the place to go see. The city is serviced by a nearby airport with connections to almost all major European airports. The city was founded in 1062 to be the imperial seat of the Almoravid Dynasty which ruled Morocco and parts of Spain and Portugal. The new section is devoid of character and serves the purpose of a population center. Inside the ancient medina walls, however, lies the beating heart of the city. Place Jemaa El Fna, is a large plaza that has for over 800 years welcomed a frenzy of food vendors, story tellers, snake charmers and other performers and captures the essence of Moroccan folklore.
The city has a multitude of old houses called “riads” with central water gardens, which make you forget the uninspiring outer shell.
Majorelle Garden, is a house designed by a French artist Jacques Majorelle and owned by another French celebrity, Yves Saint-Laurent, until his death in 2008. The house sites on 12 acres of cactus botanical and landscape garden and houses a Museum of textiles, ceramics, jewelry, and paintings by Majorelle.
The Menara gardens, built in the 12th century, with a central lighthouse and an artificial lake that uses old underground channels to irrigate the adjacent groves with water from the mountains about 20 miles away.
Fes :
Is the first of Morocco's imperial cities to serve as such, founded in 789 the old city is a labyrinth of narrow streets that twist and turn for miles. and which are only accessible by foot, hence the extensive continued use of mules to carry goods across town. crowds of people go about their daily business in the maze. The city hosts an international festival for sacred musics, held among other venues, in front of an iconic old city wall door( Bab Al Makina). The city also boasts the oldest continuously functioning university in the world, built in 859.
Ouarzazate:
Sits between the High Atlas and the Anti Atlas Mountains, and can be a stop for those who visit Marrakesh. The city has many ancient defensive castles, made of adobe walls and called Kasbahs. Some of which have been the setting for iconic Hollywood movies. The most famous is the very picturesque Kasbah Ait Benhaddou.
Agadir :
With its crescent beach, its resorts, and bazaars, Agadir is a prime spot for vacationers interested in water-sports, surfing and the laid back seaside stay with good beaches and mild temperature, not to mention beautiful sunsets, beachfront cafes and bars.
There are a few more vacation spots that are worth penciling on your itinerary. Essaouira comes to mind, Casablanca, Tangier... It is important to be mindful of street vendors peddling souvenirs and other merchandise to tourists, some of there tactics border on con. visitors are encouraged to exercise common sense as would apply anywhere else.
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