Marrakesh: Culture, Gardens, & Hidden Gems

Posted on April 21, 2026 By KFBuchsbaum

We covered a lot of territory on this trip, and our time in Marrakesh was no exception. Since this is my final post for this series, I’m going to round up a variety of highlights from several days. Enjoy a review of a little art, some gardens, a lot of history, and some relaxation.

YSL Majorelle Gardens

In 1923, artist Jacques Majorelle created his dream home, complete with a villa and beautiful gardens. After his death and years of neglect, Yves Saint-Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé bought the property in 1980 and undertook a total restoration. Today, there are 400 varieties of palms and 1,800 species of cactus, as well as a memorial to YSL and the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts.

It was really a lovely spot, but these days, very crowded. You must have reservations and then be prepared to stand in a long queue to enter in smaller groups. Security along the planned route keeps everyone moving and under control. There are no photos allowed in the museum. Despite all that, I am still glad we got to see it.

Back to Antiquities

We covered various landmarks during our stay here, and a few are featured in the photos below. Not pictured are the Koutoubia Mosque and La Palmeraie. La Palmeraie (the water-fed palm grove oasis mentioned in previous posts) is huge here. The portions we saw look very bedraggled. Scraggly palms, many with missing fronds, and dozens of camel concessions ready to take tourists for rides. It did not look appealing.

At this point in the trip, we’ve seen a lot of UNESCO sites that honestly began to blur together. Marrakesh was crowded, and it was a bit more difficult to really enjoy the details that make these locations so special. Over the hundreds of years, some sites were built, torn apart, pieces moved, and rebuilt by later rulers – it’s complicated.

The El-Badi Palace, built by King Ahmed El-Mansour starting in 1578, was a massive 360-room masterpiece of opulence and craftsmanship. In 1683, it was destroyed when a new ruler preferred his Imperial city to be Meknes. Many of its treasurers also made the move across the country.

**We saw storks nesting all over Morocco, and here is another favored spot.**

**The Saadian Tombs.**
**A necropolis since 1145, the tombs of the Saadian dynasty date from the late 1500s. Unrecognized and hidden from view for two centuries, they were uncovered and made accessible to the public in 1917.**

The Bahia Palace was built by father and son grand vizers to sultans at the end of the 19th century. This photo shows the older portion. The newer section is more extensive and currently under renovation. It’s located in the Mellah, which is the old Jewish Quarter. The photos below show more detail.

A Private Collection

The Riad Kniza , located in the Medina, was our home while in Marrakesh. It was a great example of an innovative owner who combined several historic riads into one, uniquely lovely historic property.

**The courtyard outside our room. The next three are also from the Riad Kniza.**

I was wandering around the Riad’s public areas, taking pictures of the wonderful paintings, when a gentleman stopped and introduced himself. It turns out it was the owner of the property, Mohamed Bouskri. I knew he had a private museum and had not yet seen it, so I jumped at the chance when he offered to take us himself. He and his wife were antique dealers, and his collection, gathered in honor of his parents, is wonderful, well-curated, and beautifully displayed and labeled. Unlike the Berber museum at the Majorelle Gardens, his signage includes English. I’m showing just a few examples here. BTW, he also has a great gift shop with antiques and jewelry his wife makes using antique pieces, as well as a boutique run by his daughter.

**Mohamed Bouskri at the museum’s entrance, located across from his Riad.**

The Iconic Hotels: La Mamounia & Royal Mansour

At La Mamounia Hotel, we were disappointed to learn the iconic Churchill Bar has been completely redone and is now the size of a Pullman train bar car. So, we found another spot in the hotel for some drinks, a light dinner, and some good jazzy music. This hotel hosted Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt during WWII, for negotiations that led to D-Day.

**Finally got some decent bourbon (Woodford Reserve) at the Royal Mansour.**

This adventure is in the books. We enjoyed our time in Morocco and felt very welcome here. I confess, it was hard to keep my eyes open during the three-hour drive back to Casablanca to catch our flight home. Til next time.