Morocco's stunning cities

Marrakech is one of Morocco’s best known cities and has been the country’s capital on more than one occasion. Nicknamed the ‘Red City’ due to the terracotta tinge to its buildings, Marrakech is nestled between a swathe of desert and the towering Atlas Mountains and is split into two parts. There is the old fortified city and the new adjacent city, commonly referred to as Old Town and New Town respectively. The differences between the two halves is striking, with a labyrinth of authentic alleys, souks and squares in Old Town, versus the wide tree lined boulevards of the new.

There are plenty of things to see in Marrakech but a few are absolute must-sees. Djemaa el Fna is the busiest square in Marrakech and offers stalls, acrobats, musicians and dancers during the day but truly comes alive at night. When the sun sets the square fills with food vendors and becomes a bustling open air restaurant. Another must-see is the El Badi Palace, a once lavish haven it was stripped by Alaouite Sultan Mawlay Ismail to furnish his own palace with its Italian marble and Sudanese gold. The El Badi palace is also home to the Koutoubia minbar in one of its refurbished pavilions. The Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakech and is adorned with four copper globes and a minaret that has inspired many like it all over the world.

Meknes is another city to have spent some time as the capital of Morocco and is a stunning city, quieter than Marrakech but with just as many attractions and experiences. Many changes were made to Meknes during its stint as capital including the building of a large prison beneath the city and a scattering of parks, gates and mosques throughout its streets, the latter of which are responsible for the city’s nickname the ‘City of a Hundred Minarets’. The Bab Monsour is one of the most famous gates and your gateway from the medina to the Imperial City. It was created by a Christian renegade who converted to Islam and utilised Moroccan techniques, style and some marble columns pillaged from the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis. The medina is home to a multitude of souks selling lanterns, spices and other traditional Moroccan wares and also the Dar Jamai Palace which now houses a museum set within beautiful landscaped gardens.