Marrakech: Hiking, Camel Riding, and Exploring

Over the weekend the students visited Marrakech and Ourika. Marrakech is about a four hour drive from Rabat. We arrived on Friday night and enjoyed dinner in Jamaa al-Fana, a marketplace in the Marrakech medina. The sun set as we were finishing dinner and then students returned to the hotel to rest for a packed Saturday.

On Saturday morning, students went on a guided tour of the historical sites in Marrakech. We went to Mosque Koutoubia, which was built by the Almoravid dynasty. Then we visited al-Bahia palace, a nineteenth century residence of the Prime Minister. The palace has many sections, including a mosque, a garden, and areas for entertaining dignitaries. The most striking feature of the palace is its tilework on the floors and walls. The name 'al-Bahia' refers to its brilliance.

After the tour, we headed to Ourika and stopped on the way to ride camels. Before getting on the camels, students dressed up and wrapped their heads as people do before going into the desert. The students only had a few minutes to ride the camels, but camels can carry people on their backs for long journeys in the desert.

When we arrived to the mountain village of Ourika, we had a lunch made with locally grown ingredients and then went on a hike through an Amazigh village. The landscape was incredible and students got to see how people in the area still thrive on small scale agriculture.