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LOCATION Marrakech A city of irrigated gardens and sun-baked walls the colour of terracotta, the Medina of Marrakech was founded nearly a thousand years ago as an oasis in the arid Haouz plain. The city is an exotic blend of Arab, Berber and sub-Saharan influences and is often referred to as the Capital of the South.
The Kasbah 'The Kasbah is a very safe, friendly area … much more open and less congested than the areas surrounding the main square of Marrakech.' A Place in the Sun, November 2005 Maison Mnabha is situated in an ideal location at the heart of the Kasbah, which is in the southernmost part of the medina of Marrakech. The Kasbah is open, vibrant and alive with the colourful traditions of this ancient quarter. We are located off the Rue de la Kasbah - the main street of the district - at the end of a quiet lane with no through traffic. Cars and taxis have direct access to Maison Mnabha, in contrast to hotels in other parts of the old city. The neighbourhood is friendly and welcoming.
The Kasbah was in origin a citadel
and has been continually occupied by the Sultans
of Morocco since the twelfth century. Consequently Maison Mnabha is in the
vicinity of the splendid palaces and magnificent
The twelfth century Moulay Yazid Mosque, which is of outstanding architectural interest, is a few minutes walk from Maison Mnabha down the lively main street of the Kasbah. Attached to the Mosque, the Saadian Tombs are a highlight for visitors to Marrakech
On the border of the Kasbah and the Mellah (historical Jewish quarter), lamp makers display their wares outside their workshops in the Place des Ferblantiers, which was formerly a Jewish market. In the present day 'Mellah Souk', market stallholders are keen to share with their customers their knowledge of the locally cultivated, seasonal produce used in Moroccan cooking and traditionally preserved fruit, vegetables and meat that they also sell.
The environs of Marrakech The High Atlas mountain range, which lies between Marrakech and the Sahara, is approximately 37 miles south of the Kasbah. It takes less than two hours by road to reach the base of the Djebel Toubkal, at over 13000 feet the highest mountain in North Africa. From Marrakech a tour of the mountain villages is a popular excursion. The Ourika Valley cuts deep into the High Atlas and is reached by a road that leads directly from the Kasbah of Marrakech.
Waterfall at Setti Fatma: the Ourika River is fed by the melting snow on the face of the Djebel Toubkal A journey across the Atlas Mountains transports travellers to a world of lush oases, date palms and the dunes of the Sahara Desert. Marrakech is just over a hundred miles inland from the Atlantic coast: it takes a little more than two hours by road to reach the enchanting fishing port of Essaouira. At Maison Mnabha we are able to organize day excursions and offer advice in planning trips.
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monuments
built by the Sultans. The Bab Agnaou is the most beautiful and
impressive of the gates in the entire city ramparts; it was constructed in the twelfth century
using local stone as the ceremonial entrance of the
Sultans into the Kasbah. The
gardens and pavilions of the Royal Palace begun by the present King's ancestors
in the seventeenth century dominate the view to the East from the roof terraces
of Maison Mnabha. The evocative ruins of the sixteenth century Badi Palace are
also seen from the hotel's terraces and can be visited by taking a fascinating walk through the Kasbah's winding back streets.
