I forgot to mention yesterday that, if you click on any of Tom's pictures, you'll open a window that will allow you to see it in a larger size; the other photos in that day's post are in thumbnails at the bottom of the screen, and can be enlarged by clicking on them, too.
Breakfast today was on the rooftop
patio of our riad and provided a peaceful interlude while we fortified mind and
body for the Marrakech immersion experience ahead.
Our first destination was the Ali ben Youssef Medersa and, though we had some maps, they seemed to have little correlation to the streets and derbs (alleys) of the souks we walked. As we wandered, we came upon artisans working in their shops. Among the most interesting was a man operating a primitive lathe by working a string on a stick back and forth encircling some wood while he used his toes to hold a metal blade against the wood to score patterns into it as it turned!
We did eventually find the Mouassine Fountain and mosque, so we knew we were headed in the right direction. We decided yesterday that a reasonable rule of thumb would be for us to politely decline unsolicited offers of assistance and instead ask directions of the shopkeepers in the souks. Today, as a man approached us offering to direct us to the Medersa, we looked over his shoulder to a sign indicating that it was in exactly the opposite of the direction he was indicating! (We also encountered others who were willing to helpfully show us where the tanneries were -- again.) "Fool me once..." Lesson learned.
Our first destination was the Ali ben Youssef Medersa and, though we had some maps, they seemed to have little correlation to the streets and derbs (alleys) of the souks we walked. As we wandered, we came upon artisans working in their shops. Among the most interesting was a man operating a primitive lathe by working a string on a stick back and forth encircling some wood while he used his toes to hold a metal blade against the wood to score patterns into it as it turned!
We did eventually find the Mouassine Fountain and mosque, so we knew we were headed in the right direction. We decided yesterday that a reasonable rule of thumb would be for us to politely decline unsolicited offers of assistance and instead ask directions of the shopkeepers in the souks. Today, as a man approached us offering to direct us to the Medersa, we looked over his shoulder to a sign indicating that it was in exactly the opposite of the direction he was indicating! (We also encountered others who were willing to helpfully show us where the tanneries were -- again.) "Fool me once..." Lesson learned.
 |
| Note the guy in the window |
The Medersa was worth the
journey. The school, affiliated with the nearby mosque of the same name,
was once a center of learning for several hundred students; now it is a
museum. The central courtyard is a gorgeous two-storey, open-air space in
which every surface is covered in colorful tile or intricately carved stone and
wood. In an adjacent hall is a curved mihrab, the east-facing prayer
niche carved from and ornately decorated in white marble. On both floors,
the courtyard is ringed with classrooms and student rooms whose stark
simplicity was in marked contrast to it.
We made our way back through the souks to the central square and had lunch -- enough lamb to feed a family, bread "utensils", and a variety of olives. Though we were in a busy tourist area just off the square, most of our fellow diners appeared to be locals.
This afternoon, we wound our way through ever more souks to the Bahia Palace, once home to a Grand Vizier (sort of a Prime Minister), his wives and harem. Now stripped of its furnishings, it is still a lovely assemblage of courtyards, ornately carved stone, zellij (mosaic) tiles, and halls roofed in painted, gilded and carved cedar.
We made our way back through the souks to the central square and had lunch -- enough lamb to feed a family, bread "utensils", and a variety of olives. Though we were in a busy tourist area just off the square, most of our fellow diners appeared to be locals.
This afternoon, we wound our way through ever more souks to the Bahia Palace, once home to a Grand Vizier (sort of a Prime Minister), his wives and harem. Now stripped of its furnishings, it is still a lovely assemblage of courtyards, ornately carved stone, zellij (mosaic) tiles, and halls roofed in painted, gilded and carved cedar.
A short (and relatively direct!) walk from the palace was Dar Si Said, currently a museum of Moroccan traditional arts. Leather goods, pottery, jewelry, and arms were displayed in the former home of the Grand Vizier's brother, the defense minister. The star attraction here was the building itself, especially the minister's reception hall and the bridal reception chamber. Both had highly decorated wood ceilings, beautiful zellij tiles, and more intricately carved stone.
One more assault on (or by?!?) the souks, and we grabbed a very large and very cold bottle of Coke and headed for our riad's rooftop terrace to unwind, cool off, and seek a bit of stillness before venturing out again.
We headed to the square to see the nighttime action, and what a scene it was! The souks were busier than ever, as it was apparently Ladies' Night Out -- in force. Crowds of people (Here were the men!) formed and re-formed fluid circles around boxers, musicians, belly dancers, and all manner of performers.
The orange juice sellers, snake charmers, henna tattooists, denture sellers and monkey minders (with some of their charges in diapers!) were still hanging on from the day shift and the food tents were set up for dinner with their grills smoking and their eager touts calling out to passersby. We enjoyed a traditional tagine for dinner and had a prime spot for viewing the passing scene; it beat any dinner theater experience you might have had elsewhere!
As darkness fell, the top of the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque was lit up above it all.
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