In the Medina of Marrakech

Marrakech (aka Marrakesh) is an ancient city located at the foot of the Atlas Mountains in the center of Morocco. It has the largest and oldest medina (walled city) in the country which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Walking through the narrow, labyrinthine alleys of the city’s old town, you realize that life has continued here much as it has for hundreds, if not a thousand years. The muezzins still call the faithful to prayer five times a day, but the calls are now pre-recorded. And no one seems to pay much attention, as the ebb and flow of commerce continues unabated.

The old caravanserais that were used as hostels and stables hundreds of years ago are now housing souvenir sellers, herb and spice vendors, antique markets, butchers, sweets bakers, tile merchants, cloth and carpet weavers, carpenters, metal workers, and a variety of other stores and retailers. If it’s produced anywhere in Morocco, it will be found in this medina.

A number of the ancient family-owned mansions have been purchased by new owners, restored and refurbished and turned into luxurious Riad hotels. A Riad is a traditional Moroccan home built around an interior courtyard. Actually, the word “riad” derives from the Arabic word for “garden.”

The buildings are designed in Andaluz-styled architecture. The courtyards are tiled with geometric or naturalistic tile designs and should have plants in planting beds and a central fountain. A few courtyards feature a shallow oblong pool. Some of the larger hotel Riads are composed of adjacent houses and have two or more courtyards.

Riads were originally built as palaces and lived in by very wealthy merchants or courtiers, housing several generations of the same family. In order to make the most of the limited space available in the crowded medina, Riads are narrow and tall, with two or three stories overlooking the courtyard.

These stories have balustraded balconies and walkways, allowing residents to enjoy ample light and fresh air. There is only a single entrance door to the outside street, and there are no windows in the exterior walls. All windows and doors look into the open-air courtyard.

A very interesting place to visit in the Marrakech medina is the Moroccan Culinary Art Museum. It’s a combination museum, exhibition space, and culinary center, where you can learn the ins and outs of Moroccan cuisine. There are modern demonstration rooms with closed circuit TVs where an instructor will demonstrate a dish, and participants can follow and prepare their individual versions.

The main cooking implement for Moroccan dishes is the tajine, a two piece terracotta or stoneware peaked baking dish. The dishes are also named tajines. They are usually casseroles made with vegetables and either lamb, chicken, or beef with a large variety of spices cooked on medium fire for a considerable time. Couscous is sometimes used to complement these dishes.

Dishes served in a tajine are traditionally eaten communally. Diners sit around a low table and eat with the right hand, using pieces of Moroccan flatbread to scoop up meat chunks, vegetables, and sauce. The taste is very distinctive because of the use of a traditional spice blend which consists of paprika, ground coriander seeds, cassia, allspice, chili powder, cloves, green cardamom, and gGarlic.

There are regional variations to the spice blend that can also include saffron, turmeric, and preserved lemons. Raisins, dates, dried apricots, or dried prunes are also often used with chicken, beef, or lamb to sweeten the dish.

Sometimes, slivered dried almond meat or pine nuts are added to tajines, but those are not found in traditional versions that have their origins in the North African Maghreb. These two ingredients originated in cooking preparations of the Ottoman Empire and are transplants. The Ottomans never actually conquered Morocco, though they culturally influenced the country (especially the cuisine).

Another classic, traditional Moroccan dish is Harira, which is a soup made with dried legumes — lentils, chickpeas, and fava beans that have been soaked overnight, along with onions, celery, carrot cubes, turmeric, cumin, paprika, cilantro, crushed tomatoes, preserved lemons, and a dash of cinnamon.

It’s traditionally cooked with lamb shoulder or in mutton stock. It’s popular at the beginning of a meal but is also eaten on its own as a light snack. There are many variations, and it’s mostly served to break the fast during Ramadan, although it’s cooked throughout the year.

There are medinas in all major Moroccan cities, but the one in Marrakech is the oldest and largest. The passages are so intertwined and convoluted that you could get lost, even using GPS. While walking through the labyrinth, I expected a flying carpet to appear overhead any minute but quickly realized that flying carpets come from a different part of the world (the Arab Middle East). No matter how many brass oil lamps I rubbed, no jinn would appear to grant me three wishes! 

For information about Morocco, visit The Moroccan National Tourist Office website.