48 hours In: Marrakech

48 hours In: Marrakech


Temperatures in Marrakech are warming up, with highs of around 18°C. Next week the city hosts the Marrakech Biennale (February 29-March 4). A celebration of arts, literature and debate, it attracts both a local and an international line-up — this year's film panel is curated by Alan Yentob (marrakechbiennale.org).

Touch down

Marrakech's Menara airport is served by BA (tel: 0844 493 0787; ba.com) and BMI (tel: 0844 848 4888; flybmi.com) from Heathrow; easyJet (tel: 0843 104 5000; easyJet.com) and Thomson (tel: 0871 231 4787; flights.thomson. co.uk) from Gatwick and Manchester and Ryanair (tel: 0871 246 0000; ryanair. com) from Luton and Stansted.

The medina (the ancient walled city centre) is a 15-minute drive from the airport. There are two types of taxis: petit taxis and the larger grand taxis (usually old Mercedes). The former have meters but these are rarely used, so agree a price before you set off: between 70 dirham (£5.30) and 100 dirham (£7.50). Bus 19 departs from the airport every hour and costs 20 dirham (£1.50); it stops at several points in the centre including Djemaa el Fna and the Place du 16 Novembre.

Get your bearings

Known as the Rose City, owing to the deep pink hue of its medina walls, Marrakech is spectacularly bordered by the Atlas Mountains to the south and the Jbilets hills to the north. The Unesco-listed medina is the star attraction. A heady mosaic of alleyways, houses, souks and workshops, it is dominated by the towering Koutoubia Mosque. West of the medina is the Ville Nouvelle — laid out in the early 20th century during the French Protectorate. Most visitors will find themselves in its Hivernage and Guéliz neighbourhoods, which are home to hotels, shops and restaurants. The latter is also home to the tourist office at Place Abdel Moumen Ben Ali/Avenue Mohammed V (tel: 00 212 524 43 61 31; marrakech. travel). It opens Monday-Friday 8.30am-4.30pm.

North-east of the city is the sprawling Palmeraie, dotted with over 100,000 palm trees planted by the Almoravids in the 12th century. These days, it is also home to lavish resorts and golf courses.

Check in

Winston Churchill loved to paint in the tranquil orange tree-dotted gardens of La Mamounia (tel: 00 212 524 388600; mamounia.com). Set just inside the medina, this Art Deco landmark is still one of its most glamorous addresses, thanks to a recent renovation at the hands of French designer Jacques Garcia. Doubles start at 6,050 dirham (£500), room only.

Riads are another highlight — there are hundreds of these courtyard houses in the medina. One of the most charming is Riad Madani (tel: 00 212 524 441884; riad-madani.com). Its antique scattered rooms start at €110 including breakfast; there's also a pool.

Set outside town with views of the mountains, the Beldi Country Club (tel: 00 212 524 383950; beldicountryclub.com) in Cherifia is a rustic-chic, rose-filled estate with a 27-room hotel built in the style of a small traditional Moroccan village. There are also two restaurants, a pool, spa and three boutiques selling the work of on-site artisans and stylish antiques. Doubles from €170, including breakfast.

Take a view

For many, the Djemaa el Fna, encapsulates all that is exotic about the city. From dawn until well after dusk, this central square buzzes with snake charmers, tooth pullers, magicians, henna artists and storytellers. A rite of passage for any visitor is the Café de France(tel: 00 212 524 442319), which also has one of the best vantage points of the square. Sip a mint tea (15 dirham/£1.10) and soak it all up.

Take a hike

Start in the gardens of the Koutoubia Mosque. Its 77m-tall minaret is one of most impressive in the region. Cross Place Youssef Ben Tachfine and continue down the rue Sidi Mimoune. You will soon reach one of the medina's most impressive gates, the highly decorative Bab Agnaou. Nearby is the Kasbah Mosque, with its turquoise minaret. Behind a high wall next door are the Saadian Tombs. Open daily 8.30-11.45am, 2.30-5.30pm; 10 dirham (75p). The tombs of over 60 members of the Saadian dynasty are intricately decorated with zellige mosaics and carved alabaster and marble.

Outside, plunge into the tiny streets of the Kasbah quarter, until you arrive via the Bab Berrima at the impressive remains of the Palais El Badi. The erstwhile palace of Sultan Ahmed el-Mansour, the remnants hint at its former splendour. Go back to the Place des Ferblantiers and continue along the rue Bahia Bab Mellah, which skirts the tightly packed lanes of the former Jewish ghetto.

You will soon arrive at the Palais Bahia. This late 19th-century palace is resplendent with stunning rooms, courtyards, fountains and verdant gardens. Turn up the rue Riad Ezitoune El Jadid, lined with 19th-century palaces, eventually bearing left until you arrive at Djemaa el Fna.

Lunch on the run

The Souk Quessabine is a tiny lane running off the northwestern corner of Djemaa el Fna. Here, a row of half a dozen stalls sell méchoui, lamb roasted in an underground clay pit. For about 20 dirham (£1.50) you can have a delicious sandwich (Jamie Oliver approved).

Window shopping

You will definitely get lost in the tangle of the souks, but that's all part of the fun of a shopping trip here. Start on rue El Mouassine and plunge into the sinuous alleyways that peel off it, crammed with stalls. Each souk is loosely grouped by what it sells: babouches (leather slippers), herbs, carpets, ironmongery, woodcarving and so on. The Souk des Teinturiers or dyers' souk offers good photo opportunities. They open until late at night, but lunchtimes tend to be quieter. If haggling fatigue sets in, seek out the anonymous door at 142-144 Bab Doukkala (tel: 00 212 524 38 52 40), the emporium of Mustapha Blaoui. Here you can sip mint tea and browse a succession of rooms housing lanterns, pottery, leather and more.

An aperitif

Built in 1925, the Grand Café de la Poste (tel: 00 212 524 43 30 38; grandcafe|delaposte.com) on the corner of Boulevard el-Mansour Eddahbi and Avenue Imam Malik is a former post office restored to its colonial splendour as a café. Order a glass of quaffable local Moroccan wine for 50 dirham (£3.75).

Dining with the locals

Al Fassia Aguedal, 9 bis route de l'Ourika (tel: 00 212 524 43 4060; alfassia. com), is known for its Fez-inspired cuisine — tagine, couscous and pigeon pastilla — made by female chefs. A three-course meal costs around 530 dirham (£40), with wine.

Out to brunch

Le Jardin, 32 souk El Jeld Sidi Abdelaziz (tel: 00 212 524 37 82 95; lejardin.ma) is a new addition to the souks, set in a 17th-century riad done out in a vaguely Sixties style. Sunday brunch (11am-3pm) costs 90 dirham (£6.75) — tuck into date and banana smoothie or orange juice, coffee, tea and Moroccan pancakes served with amlou (argan oil, honey and almond paste) that's a deluxe version of peanut butter.

Take a ride

It may be touristy, but a horse-drawn calèche is one of the best ways to tour inside the 11th-century city walls. They congregate around the edge of Djemaa el Fna near Bab el Jdid and there is now a fixed price of 150 dirham (£11.20) per hour. A circuit will take about two hours.

Cultural afternoon

Dating from the 16th century, the Ben Youssef Medersa (00 212 52 44 418 93; musee.ma) is one of the city's greatest Islamic monuments and used to be the largest university of theology in Maghreb. Inside, its rooms and arcades display striking zellige mosaics, delicately carved cedarwood screens and stucco, set around a courtyard. Admission (60 dirham/ £4.50) also includes entry to the adjacent Musée de Marrakech with exhibitions of ethnographic and Islamic objects. Both open daily, 9am-6.30pm.

A walk in the park

With its green displays of bamboo, cacti and myriad plant species and architecture painted in the cobalt hue known as Majorelle blue, the tranquil Jardin Majorelle, Avenue Yacoub El Mansour (tel: 00 212 5 24 31 30 47; jardinmajorelle.com) is a must-see. Begun in the 1920s by the French painter Jacques Majorelle, the garden was later acquired by the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. Open daily 8am- 5.30pm; 40 dirham (£3).

The icing on the cake

A hammam is the ultimate steam bath and exfoliation. Les Bains de Marrakech, 2 Derb Sedra, Bab Agnaou (tel: 00 212 524 381 428; lesbainsdemarrakech.com; daily 9am-8pm) fulfils all Arabian Nights fantasies; hammams from 150 dirham (£11.20). Or indulge at the opulent Royal Mansour hotel, rue Abou Abbas El Sebti (tel: 00 212 529 80 82 00; royalmansour.com) for 1,200 dirham (£90).



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Marrakech Biennale

Marrakech Biennale

an International Gathering of Performance, Screening and Debate for the Promotion of Contemporary Art and Culture

Marrakech will host the artistic and literary gathering of the 4th edition of the Marrakech Biennale under the theme “Surrender” from February 29 until March 4, with the main visual arts exhibitions running from February 29 until June 3.

The Marrakech Biennale offers the opportunity for international artists, authors, and film makers to exhibit their works, discuss and debate current issues, and exchange their experiences and thoughts at a larger scale with other artists and ordinary audiences as well.

The event is a celebration and a promotion of contemporary art in its various forms and a meeting point between artists in different fields and from different countries to cut cultural bridges and immerse in dialogue, discussions and debates.

The main visual arts exhibition will be held in Le Théatre Royale and in Al-Koutoubia tanks. It will bring together over 25 internationally acclaimed artists, architects, writers, musicians and composers who will exhibit their works. The exhibition is created in partnership with the local craftsmen of Marrakech to create an artistic dialogue between the artists and the specificities of the city.

Almost ten daily debates are planned under the supervision of Omar Berrada, Benedicte Clarkson and Elizabeth Sheinkman. The literary section will be held in the Riad El Fenn, a historic 17th century riad in the heart of the Marrakech medina, but also in several other places in town.

A series of lectures on art and its relationship with the city will also be held by many specialists, such as Aziz Daki (Workshop 21), Simon Njami (Revue Noire), WJT Mitchell (Art Professor, and editor of Critical Inquiry journal), and Rasha Salti (Art Critic).

To provide access to contemporary culture and art at a larger scale and for people of all ages, the 4th edition Biennale of Marrakech will include workshops for children organized by local and international stakeholders, in partnership with Zidzid Kids. In addition, students of the Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech and l’ESAV (Ecole supérieure des arts visuels) will accompany the guest artists through an internship program.

The program of the 4th edition of Marrakech Biennale will be as follows:

Tuesday, February 29 :

2:30pm – 3:30pm : “Writing Advice” by Latifa Baqa, Ali Benmakhlouf, Geoff Dyer, Camille de Toledo and Omar Berrada (as the moderator).

Friday,March 2 :

10.30 – 12.30am : “5×15″ by Touria Binebine, Rian Malan, Ben Okri, Ouidad Tebaâ, Ruby Wax and Rosie Boycott (as the moderator).

2.30pm – 4pm : “Fathers and Sons” by Camille de Toledo, Driss Ksikès, Rabia Raihane and Juan Asis Palao (as the moderator).

4pm – 5.30pm : “Are You Modern ?” by Khadija Carroll La, Pankaj Mishra, Zahia Rahmani and Ali Benmakhlouf (as moderator).

Saturday, March 3 :

11;00 am-12.30 am : “Trahir-vrai” by Rian Malan, Zahia Rahmani and Driss Ksikès (as the moderator).

2.30pm – 4pm : “Writing in Images” by Geoff Dyer, Mario Pfeifer and Omar Berrada (as the moderator).

4pm – 5.30pm : “Moroccan Novels” by Latifa Baqa, Rabia Raihane, Abderrahim Elkhassar and Ayoub El Mouzaine (as the moderator).

Sunday, March 4 :

2:30pm – 4pm : “Worlds of Words” by Abderrahim Elkhassar, Ben Okri and Pankaj Mishra (as the moderator).

Edited by Ahmad Azizi



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MARRAKECH BIENNALE

MARRAKECH BIENNALE
Marrakech Biennale Exhibit information:

This past month, Marrakech hosted its 4th Biennale, a cultural exhibit which brought together visual artists, writers, film-makers and literature under the rubric ‘Free Thinking Surrender’. The festival included public screenings, talks, performances and debates at venues around the city. The main exhibition , Higher Atlas, took place in and around the abandoned Théâtre Royal (which we highlight in another blog). Here, many of the installations were architectural either in function or in their interaction with the various spaces of the theater.

Clockwise from top left, a bridge suspended by a red curtain divides the audience and the never-completed stage in an installation by Alex Schweder La and Khadija Carroll La and named ‘The Rise and Fall’; Jurgen Mayer H’s satellite dish made of perforated metal and concrete made with similar techniques to traditional Moroccan trays and tabletops; in a courtyard just outside the theater, visual artist Faouszi Laaris used traditional drinking glasses to create a piece that reflects the relationship between urban environments and daily used items; a bright yellow sculptural mat on the floor of the theater, created by Sinta Werner, was intended to be seating for the unused theater; and Barkow Leibinger Architects created the ‘Loom-Hyperbolic’ in an exterior courtyard. Their giant web creation received its inspiration from Moroccan weaving craft as well as Marrakech architecture.



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