Marrakesh is a fabled city and one of the most evocative names in African travel. Over its turbulent thousand-year history the city has fallen in and out of favour with the ruling sultans, although its function as a market and place of trade has continued regardless.
Today it is the medina that defines Marrakesh, a sprawling lattice of narrow alleyways resounding to the manufacture and sale of countless goods. At its heart is the Djema El Fna, an open space that comes alive at night, packed with entertainers and soothsayers. Interspersed amongst all the activities are proud and beautiful reminders of the city’s past, towering minarets, ornate tombs and cavernous palaces, all encircled by ochre ramparts, shaded beneath swaying palms against the distant backdrop of the imposing Atlas Mountains.