A Flight to the Couscous Nest
Our reporter is taken by the casbah, not to mention the food, the views, and legendary hotel La Mamounia
Fixer uppers. Patches of the medina have been renovated courtesy of European money, for the most part. French designers Yves Saint Laurent and Jean-Paul Gaultier are among those who have bought and restored centuries-old homes. Many houses have been converted to gorgeous Moroccan-styled inns known as riads--an appealing alternative to La Mamounia and to the newer hotels beyond the medina's ramparts. The Euro influx might be expected to cause resentment, but in general the opposite has happened. The outside money has spared historic buildings headed for ruin and built up a market (and aesthetic appreciation) for Moroccan crafts like tiling and woodworking. Wealthy Moroccans have been buying homes in the medina as well. "This phenomenon has brought Moroccans to reconsider their cultural heritage," says Bouskri.
The timeless marvel of Marrakech is a public square called Djemaa el-Fna. Bouskri calls it "an eternal circus," and he is right. Picture a large medieval plaza that, with the descent of the desert sun, springs to life with a mesmerizing array of musicians, acrobats, snake charmers, fortunetellers, scribes, monkey trainers, spice peddlers, medicine men, and henna artists. Here, unlike more-Europeanized Casablanca and Rabat to the north, you feel Morocco's African identity. Get a glass of mint tea at one of the cafes overlooking Djemaa el-Fna, and soak in the scene. Amazingly, this centuries-old nightly spectacle survives mainly for Moroccans, not tourists. The visitors, they come and go. But Djemaa el-Fna endures, unforgettably. l
hotels: At La Mamounia (800-745-8883 or mamounia.com ), rooms and suites range from about $350 to $4,000 a night, de pending on season. Lovely riads abound in the medina (lists are available at riadomaroc.com and marrakech-riads.net) . Two with a superb setting and food are La Maison Arabe (www.lamaisonarabe.com, 212-44-387-010) and Riad Kniza (riadkniza.com, 212-44-378-365). Rates start at about $165 in low season and escalate to $500 or more. Dining: Try classics like Pastilla -- that ' s pigeon in pastry shell -- at top-notch eateries like Stylia (212-44-440- 505 ), Le Tobsil (212-44-444-052), and Yacout (212-44-382-929).
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