Marrakech

The pulsating heart of Marrakech, this vast irregular square has been a gathering place for traders, storytellers, and performers since the city's founding. Recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage, it transforms from morning market to nocturnal carnival every single night.

The 12th-century Koutoubia is Marrakech's most emblematic landmark, its 77-metre minaret visible from nearly everywhere in the city. The geometric stonework is so perfectly proportioned that it inspired the Giralda in Seville and the Hassan Tower in Rabat.

Built in the 1890s for Grand Vizier Si Moussa, the Bahia ("Brilliance") Palace is an exquisite showcase of Moroccan artistry: painted cedar ceilings, zellige tilework, carved stucco, and serene marble courtyards. Its eight hectares of gardens are among the finest in the city.

Sealed by the Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century and forgotten for over 250 years, these royal tombs were rediscovered by aerial survey in 1917. The Hall of Twelve Columns, with its Italian Carrara marble and intricate muqarnas ceiling, is breathtaking.

Once among the grandest palaces in the world, El Badi was stripped bare by Moulay Ismail in the 18th century. What remains is a haunting skeleton of sunken gardens, massive pisé walls, and resident stork colonies nesting on the ramparts. The rooftop terrace offers panoramic views.

Designed by Studio KO, this terracotta-brick museum celebrates the fashion icon who fell in love with Marrakech in 1966. Rotating exhibitions display haute couture alongside Berber textiles, film projections, and an outstanding research library. The building itself is a masterpiece of contemporary architecture.

Created by French painter Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s and lovingly restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge, this botanical garden is an oasis of cobalt blue, bougainvillea, cacti, and bamboo groves. The Berber Museum inside houses a world-class collection of North African artefacts.

Founded in the 14th century and rebuilt under the Saadians, this former Quranic school is the largest in North Africa. Its courtyard, adorned with carved cedar, zellige mosaic, and stucco arabesques, represents the zenith of Moroccan decorative arts. The 130 student dormitory cells above are remarkably austere by comparison.

Housed in a 19th-century palace, this Museum of Moroccan Arts displays an outstanding collection of Berber jewellery, cedarwood carvings, antique carpets, zellige, and weaponry. The riad courtyard with its central fountain is among the most peaceful spaces in the medina.

The Mnebhi Palace, a magnificent late-19th-century riad, hosts rotating exhibitions of Moroccan contemporary art alongside a permanent collection of ceramics, textiles, and illuminated Qurans. The central courtyard's enormous bronze chandelier is stunning.

The Mellah's winding streets tell 500 years of Jewish-Moroccan coexistence. The Lazama Synagogue, rebuilt in the early 20th century, features a beautiful tiled courtyard and Torah scrolls. The Miara Cemetery, with its thousands of white-washed tombs, is deeply moving.

Two vast royal gardens bookend the city. The Menara, with its 12th-century reflecting pool and Atlas Mountain backdrop, is Marrakech's most photographed view. The Agdal, a walled orchard of olive, pomegranate, and fig trees, stretches for over three kilometres south of the Royal Palace.