MOROCCO

Location - North Africa; Capital - Rabat; Population - 32 million; Currency - Morocco Dirham MORE MOROCCO

I was interested in seeing the disputed territory of Western Sahara, so took a flight to Marrakech before heading south - December 2009.

The Moroccan Dirham

Outside Hotel Ali, just down the road from the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

The souqs of Marrakech are labyrinthine, with most located north of the Djemaa el Fna

 A stall in the Marrakech souqs

An undercover section of a Marrakech souq

Lamps, lamps and more lamps - Marrackech

Caleches (horse & carts) wait for trade in front of the Koutoubia Mosque - Marrakech

A 5-minute walk from the Djemaa el Fna is the 12th century Koutoubia Mosque - Marrakech

Koutoubia Mosque's minaret is almost 70 metres high - Marrakech

A Moroccan flag flies outside the Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech

The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque at sunset, from the Djemma el Fna - Marrakech

The main drawcard for tourists is the Djemma el Fna, a central square that is a hive of activity day and night - Marrakech

A caleche at Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Djemaa el Fna attracts musicians, dancers, snake charmers, acrobats, street entertainers and more - Marrakech

There's work to be done - Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Traditional water sellers walking through the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Acrobats perform at the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

But it's at night when the Djemaa el Fna comes into its own - Marrakech

In the late afternoon/early evening temporary foodstalls are set up in the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

And at this time it seems like locals and tourists converge on the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Fruit and nuts for sale in the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Stalls at the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Take a look around the hot-food stalls and choose one that's popular with the locals - Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Smoke rises above the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

I recommend having a drink at one of the cafes surrounding the Djemaa el Fna. They're great places to take in the sights, sounds and superb atmosphere below, particularly at night - Marrakech

The makeshift food stalls in Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Mix music, lights, smoke and chatter to create a great mood - Marrakech

My YouTube video here

I must like taking photos of lamps...Marrakech

Marrakech was hosting the International Film Festival. There were lots of high-brow foreign films being shown around the city, aswell as The Wedding Crashers (?)

Breakfast at Hotel Ali, Marrakech

The Saadian Tombs house the rulers of Morocco from the 16th to 17th centuries - Marrakech

The Saadian Tombs, Marrakech

Throughout Marrakech birds use the walls as nests - Saadian Tombs

..Sometimes on top of the walls rather than inside - Marrakech

Close to the Saadian Tombs is the Kasbah Mosque - Marrakech

The central courtyard of Ben Youssef Medersa - Marrakech

Ben Youssef Medersa was a koranic school attached to the mosque of the same name - Marrakech

It dates to the 14th century - Ben Youssef Medersa, Marrakech

Reflections in the central courtyard of Ben Youssef Medersa, Marrakech

Southwest of the medina are the Menara Gardens - Marrakech

There's some big fish in the Menara Gardens pool - Marrakech

Feeding the fish at the Menara Gardens.
It's just possible to see the outline of the Atlas mountains behind - Marrakech

Also in the new town is the Majorelle Garden - Marrakech

Majorelle Garden was designed by French artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s - Marrakech

From 1980 Yves Saint Laurent jointly owned the botanical gardens until his death in 2008.
A memorial to the fashion designer can be found in the grounds - Marrakech

Majorelle Garden website here

Along with terracotta blues, yellows and greens feature in the garden - Marrakech

I'm calling this a terrapin (or turtle or tortoise? Take your pick) - Majorelle Garden, Marrakech

Not quite out at the ranch, just the Majorelle Garden - Marrakech

Behind the medina walls is the old town, containing the souqs, Djemaa el Fna and Koutoubia Mosque - Marrakech

An outside 'restaurant' next to the bus station - Marrakech

Rows of delicious tajines get the charcoal treatment at a break in the journey from Marrakech to Agadir

Tajines explained here

Go to the kasbah for fantastic views of Agadir and the Atlantic Ocean - Agadir

Hopefully you'll have a blue sky day - Agadir

Fishing boats crowd into the port at Agadir

The kasbah lies above Agadir's beach

The Atlantic Ocean with the kasbah as a backdrop - Agadir

The sky clears at Agadir

Agadir is a Winter package holiday destination for Europeans, and many Moroccans also come here to enjoy the beach

Enjoying olives (with a beer of course) at a beachside restaurant - Agadir

'Allah King Nation' is lit up on the slopes below the kasbah - Agadir

Website and content Copyright © 2008-2012 Mark Wilkinson. All rights reserved.

LINKS

www.tourism-in-morocco.com

www.visitmorocco.org - Moroccan tourist board

http://morocco.guideof.com

www.oncf.ma - Moroccan train timetables, fares, info etc

www.ctm.ma - download timetable under Telechargement - 'Horaires & Tarifs CTM'

I am not responsible for the content of external websites.