Marrakesh is unbearably hot during the day in the summer months, but the dry heat is much more bearable once the sun goes down. Here’s a photo essay of my visit to the Marrakesh Medina after dark.
Marrakesh By Night – A Photo Essay
The main square of Marrakesh called Jemaa el-Fnaa and located in the Medina Quarter (medina historically has meant the non-European or Arab part of a Nothern African city), is always bustling. During the day, you can find snake charmers and freshly squeezed orange juice, but as the sun goes down, the food stalls begin to open.
I took a walk around town as the sunset…it was still so dreadfully hot…but by the time I reached the main square, the sun had set and the people were out…a ton of them!
While I always seem to be hungry, I had not eaten all day (the cookies on Royal Air Maroc were good but didn’t cut it) and I was famished. Yes, the food stalls in the medina are a bit “touristy” but there were certainly more locals than tourists and the food was delicious and cheap.
Be warned, however, that the men are quite aggressive in trying to pull you into their stalls (most of which offer the same kind of food). I took a walk around to better understand my range of options and soon settled on a stand that was quite crowded, which is often a good sign.
Immediately upon sitting down at No. 4, I was offered bread with olives and a spicy red sauce. I ordered chicken tagine and it took about 15 minutes to cook, but was worth the wait…so tender, flavorful, and delicious! The entire meal was about 8 USD.
After, I visited one of the many juice stands and ordered a mix of strawberry, orange, lemon, and avocado…yum. The cup was about 1 USD.
Alcohol is not a big thing in Morroco, at least out in the open, but you cannot go wrong trying the many juice shops…or even mobile coffee shops.
I don’t recommend a trip to Morocco in the summer…it is very hot and still crowded. Winter is best, spring and autumn can be hit or miss, but there’s something so vibrant about Marrakesh that I just don’t feel in Casablanca.
This is part of my Return To Morocco trip report.
indeed a great city.
good photography
Thank you. It’s like you can smell the spices.
Matthew I’m curious about your camera. What did you use to take these photos?
iPhone 15 Pro Max.
i liked your b/w photos, especially the one with the mosque and palm trees.
Great pictures, it is on my bucket list!