More Marrakech.

3-24-14 MARRAKECH, MOROCCO: After breakfast, we had an 8 AM start and bussed to the Jardin Majorette, a beautiful, walled garden founded in the early 20th century, by Jacques Majorette, a French painter. It was later opened to the public, and more recently restored by Yves Saint Laurent. The grounds include a Berber Museum. The cactus collection is one of the largest in the world. The museum has tools, jewels, and textiles. It’s small but worth the visit.

Next, we were back in the medina and saw a renovated house, Dar Bellarj, and the Ben Youssef Madrasa, a 14th century Islamic college. It’s another architectural gem built around a central courtyard with a reflecting pool. The typical building in the medina has a plain outside wall with no windows and opens up to an atrium with the reflecting pool. Upstairs in the madrasa, is a labyrinth of small student rooms. Lucy had her name written in Arabic calligraphy.

We saw a Qoubba, a site for ritual baths, from the 11th century, built by the Almoravid dynasty. It is the only structure that survived the transfer of power, non-peaceful, to the Almohads successors. It’s a small, stout and sturdy looking structure. Lunch was at Dar Moha in their courtyard by their pool, another great meal.

Some of us went with the trip leaders Ron and Andrew to the archaeological dig that Ron has been running for 9 years at Aghmat, a small town in the Atlas foothills. The Atlas Mts. are craggy and snow covered. Ron's team has uncovered a large, Roman style bath with three chambers, the royal palace and the mosque. The size of the bath and mosque suggest a big settlement. Ephesus and Pompey once looked like this when the excavations were beginning. Back in Marrakech, Ron gave a history rundown on Morocco. Atlas Mountains tomorrow.


The Jardin has water features, bridges and a huge cactus collection.

Cacti, cacti, cacti.

Big bamboo.

Almoravid mosque, 11th century.

Calligrapher at work.

Souk transport.

Simultaneous translation.

Hotel garden.

Marrakech school kids.

The madrasa courtyard.

The market, souk, light fixtures....

and dyed yarn and weaving.

Aghmat offers a view and preview of the Atlas Mountains behind the mosque.

In the archaeological dig at Aghmat, inside 11th century baths.