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STUNNING MARRAKECH
Friday 1st December 2006
If you long for something more exotic than your usual holiday destination but can't bear the thought of a long-haul flight, there's a place just for you – Marrakech, in Morocco, North Africa.
Just a four-hour flight from the UK, the sights, sounds and smells of this incredible city are closer than you think. But once you've immersed yourself in the culture, which is so different from anything you'll find in Europe, it'll feel a world away.
Morocco is a Muslim country, and the evidence of this is everywhere in Marrakech. The city's most prominent landmark, the Koutoubia mosque, dominates the skyline, its minaret towering above the medina, or old town, and casting a shadow over the hustle and bustle below.
In the famous Jemaa el-Fna Square, the pulsating centre of life in Marrakech, market traders, snake charmers and entertainers jostle for your attention, and every few hours, the air is pierced with the haunting sound of the call to prayer.
From the dusty dry heat to the spectacle of even the most everyday activities, Marrakech is an assault on the senses. Shopping, eating – even walking along the street – takes on a whole new dimension as you're thrust into a different way of life.
Stunning monuments and mosques, some dating back thousands of years, nestle in among the red-brick buildings of the medina.
Within the ancient city walls, you'll see working donkeys pulling carts of exotic fruit, trailers piled high with bunches of fresh mint, and traders weaving in and out of the crowded narrow streets, peddling their wares in the only way they know how.
The 21st century seems to have passed Marrakech by – and it's all the better for it. Make no mistake, it will challenge and surprise you, and if it's a quiet, relaxing break you're after, you'd better stay away. But get over here soon if you want excitement, exhilaration and a holiday to remember. After a visit to Marrakech, you'll really feel alive.
DON'T MISS
Jemaa el-Fna The multitude of snake charmers, entertainers, storytellers and water sellers make this bustling square one of the most fascinating spectacles in the world.
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