mosaic road

Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Oldest Koranic School

The Ben Youssef Madrasa was an  Islamic school in Marrakech, Morocco. It is the largest Medrasa in all of Morocco.

The college was founded during the 14th century and was closely connected to its neighbour Ben Youssef Mosque. It had  seemingly fallen into disrepair as the  madrasa was rebuilt by a Saadian Sultan in the mid 1550's. There is inscription in the prayer room marked 1565.  There were 130 student dormitory cells around the big courtyard. Classic and era-typical carvings in cedar, marble and stucco can be seen on the building. The carvings, though beautiful, have no pictures of people or animals as required by Islam, and so you will only see inscriptions and geometric mosaic patterns.

This madrasa or school was one of the largest colleges of theology in North Africa . It is thought that up to 900 students attended at one time. After closing down in 1960, the building was refurbished and opened up as a historical site in 1982 for us all to see and enjoy.

 

Doors & Arches

If the crowd clears a bit in the souks you will get to see some wonderful doorways and if you remember to look up you may see some very ancient arches. Much of the time these go unnoticed because most people are busy navigating their way through the busy alleys concentrating on their map or dodging speeding motorbikes and plodding donkeys, both totally understandable occupations if you are at all familiar with Marrakech. I count myself lucky as I can wander at off peak times but also  I don't have the pressure of a tourist agenda. This city dates back to the 12th century and just this fact alone is hard to take in. The arches and doors that I so appreciate are a tiny but charming part of this ancient walled Medina that I have come to love.

Cafe des Espices - the views

Marrakech is brimming with roof tops, views and cafes and this trio can usually be found in a winning combination and Cafe des Espices certainly has the lot. It is a very typical design in that the downstairs area  spills out onto the street, then stairs, always narrow, lead to a couple of salons on different levels and then a final staircase goes up to the roof top. From there you can see more of the city and look down on the hustle and bustle of the market. It is a perfect spot when the sun is out and as you sit and contemplate you might have the feeling that a dream has come true.

 

Cafe des Epices

This little cafe  is a very popular coffee stop in the middle of the Medina. You can eat and drink with a birdseye  view of everything happening below  in the heart of the souk. I usually have the Cafe Canelle which is a short black with heavy cinnamony overtones.

Retail Therapy

Anyone from Melbourne will tell you that every rug store you pass in any given suburb is having a permanent closing down sale. They don't actually ever close down, they just live in hope that their advertising lures in some buyers. The rug shops here in Marrakech never close either. You could buy a rug from someone, somewhere in the Medina 24/7. The competition is cut throat. This one lovely store has gone to great lengths with their display of rugs and runners and carpets. They hang from the roof and around the walls, drape over ground and decorate the entrance in every size and colour combination. If you enter you will be plied with tea and persuasive offers, bargaining and haggling is obligatory. This exercise is not for the fainthearted but I assure you, you will leave with a purchase or two and a great story to tell.

 

A "Timely" Treat

Reading the weekend papers over coffee and breakfast is something so many of us take for granted. It is a chance for catching up on a week's worth of news, reading the inserts full of reviews on books and movies, perusing real estate we cannot afford and being inspired by celebrity chefs and their recipes. But here in Marrakech I am hard pressed to find a newspaper that I can read. There are plenty in French and Arabic but that rules me out as a reader. Sometimes I see the New York International Times as I pass [infrequently] through an upmarket hotel lobby. So today when a departing UK guest handed me a day old copy of The Times I felt quite euphoric. An indulgent half hour or so is ahead of me. 

Strolling the Souks

Convoluted alleyways and  congested corridors make up the souks in the Medina of Marrakech. They are a cobblestoned maze with vendors selling all manner of items. I took a wander with a friend on Sunday and we veered a bit of the beaten track where there was a lessening of the madding crowd. Wonderful artisan goods and ancient architecture alike make a souk saunter a feast on many fronts not to mention the certain challenge of refraining from making a purchase. As in many marketplaces much persuasive pressure is bought to bare immediately you slow to admire the handicrafts.

A Riot of Colour

Usually the term "a riot of colour" refers to an abundance of colourful blooms in a garden  but it was what came to my mind immediately when I saw this display of confectionary. Chocolate, mini meringues and frosted cupcakes in pastels and primary colours looked almost too good to eat - but only almost !!  Customers were lined up in droves to make their rainbow purchases when I was in Harvey Nichols in London.

A Touch of Home

Donna Hay is a household name in Australia and over the years I have loved her magazines and recipes.  I have used her packaged cake and brownie mixes with delicious results and admired from a distance her  beautiful range of cookware and utensils . I did exactly that again when I saw her magazine in London recently , selling sadly at an unjustifiable cost. This post is for M, a dear Melbourne gym buddy who is an aficionado of all, repeat all, things Donna Hay.

 

Like Watching Paint Dry !!

I live opposite this enormous and vast cleared area where a chicken market once stood . Now it has been re located thankfully and the huge open space is a bit of a combination of rubbish dump and dust bowl with the additions of straying dogs and grazing mules. Further down the track, I am told, a hotel will be built here. Anyway for now a vast retaining wall is being constructed. The workers are there every single day and it is tough relentless work with virtually no equipment. I watched some of the cement delivery process - one solitary mixer as opposed to the assembly line of mixers you would see on the job in Australia. But come what may the task got done !!