Medersa Ben Youssef in Marrakech
The Medersa (arabic word for school) Ben Youssef was an important koranic university. It was built in 1570 at the request of the Sa’did Sultan Abdellah Al Ghalib in order to educate the young men attending the mosque located nearby. The medersa’s name is a tribute to the Sultan Ali Ben Youssef who fortified Marrakech in…
Palais Bahia : Jewel of the Hispano-Mauresque art
Palais Bahia is incredibly decorated with somptuous mosaics, sculpted stone artifacts and painted doors and ceilings. The palace was built under the reign of two sultans : Sidi Mohammed ben Abd al Rahman (1859-1873) and Moulay Abd al-Aziz (1894-1908). The construction lasted seven years and was realised by the architect El Mekki. Sources : http://www.palais-bahia.com/en/…
Le jardin Majorelle : An oasis of colours in Marrakech
The French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) created this wonderful botanic garden in the 1920’s. Passionate about botany, he brought back exotic plants from his travels (cacti, palm trees, bamboo, coconut palms, jasmine, agaves, bougainvilleas…). He uses the famous Majorelle blue to paint his villa and the garden : an ultramarine, a cobalt blue. He wanted…
