Private tour of Marrakech

The Medina is the historic heart of Marrakech. Founded in 1070-1072 by the Almoravids, it is rich in a thousand years of history.
Some magnificent monuments date back to this period: the Koutoubia mosque with its incomparable 77-metre minaret, an essential monument of Muslim architecture, is one of the great landmarks of the urban landscape and the very symbol of the city, the Kasbah, the ramparts, the monumental gates, the gardens, etc… Later, the city will welcome other wonders, such as the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Medersa, the Saâdian tombs, and large residences.
But above all, it is in the Medina that the famous souks of Marrakech and Jamaâ El Fna square are located, a true open-air theatre that amazes tourists and Marrakchis alike every day.

The Medina of Marrakech is built like a great labyrinth of high walls with its network of small streets, its houses and riads, its souks, its fondouks, its traditional crafts and commercial activities.

Like most old Moroccan cities, the Medina of Marrakech is surrounded by walls that separate the old city from the new. This wall is pierced by several more or less monumental doors.

The districts of the Medina may be named after the neighbouring gate, a zaouïa, a mausoleum, a mosque, a palace or a cemetery located there, a traffic route, or a traditional name.

Due to its original design still preserved, its building and decorative materials still in use (Zellige, tadallakt plaster, painted and sculpted wood, plasterwork, ironwork, cabinet-making, etc.) and its natural environment (notably the Agdal and Menara Gardens, and the Palmeraie whose plantation is attributed to the Almoravids) still protected, the Medina of Marrakech enjoys all of its original components, both cultural and natural, which confer on it an Outstanding Universal Value.

The Medina of Marrakech has been listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1985.