Weekend Trip to Marrakech

I loved Marrakech. Loved, loved, looooooooooved.

Something about the energy, from the first time we set foot in the square at 11pm Friday night, just felt like a spirit match for me. I like Casa, and admittedly I haven’t seen nearly enough of it yet, but Marrakech has been my favorite city to visit in Morocco so far. I loved the drums you could hear constantly, the smells of the barbecued chicken and meats coming from the Square, the traditional Berber dancing and singing, the treasures you could find in the Souk. The people were different; the sights, smells and sounds were different; the buildings were different; even the languages (Berber) were different! I absolutely loved it, and I immediately felt connected to the city in a way that I hadn’t experienced just yet.

We got in late Friday night and went straight to the Square for dinner. We sat on a rooftop, where we could overlook the entire Square and hear the music that was playing.

After our tajines and brochettes, we ventured into the Square briefly to see what was happening. Surrounding the food stands in the middle, there were people gathered playing the drums, dancing, and selling their handmade goods, even though it was already after midnight!

The scene in the Square of Marrakech

The next day, we visited several royal palaces, had lunch on another rooftop, and then spent the rest of the day shopping along the winding alleys of the souk.

There were spice markets, leather goods, jewelry, metalworks, souvenirs, and anything else you could imagine. My favorite part, though, was interacting with the people who were selling the goods. While negotiations were a part of the process, I was intrigued by some of the conversations and stories and backgrounds I would also hear.

Most interestingly to me was the mixture of people I saw in the street and who were selling goods. There were a lot more people from the South and a lot more Berbers. These individuals were darker skinned, and, in short, they looked like me! Still, while I was walking throughout Marrakech, many people shouted out “I like your color!!” as I passed by. I found that absolutely fascinating. From most people, it seemed genuine and unassuming, but I wondered why there was still something noticeable about darker-skinned individuals. And I also wondered if it was because I was African American or not Moroccan that they called out, or if they would have remarked the same to another African from the south with the same color. Before I leave, I would like to know what the relationship is between darker and lighter skinned Moroccans. Coming from the United States, where one constantly confronts different things about different skin colors, I wonder what it’s like here, particularly given that we are on the African continent. Admittedly, it’s also the “Culture and Politics” major in me that wants to know how skin color affects social constructs in Morocco, if at all. More to follow on that as I observe more interactions!

Overall, we had an excellent time on Saturday and even more fun on Sunday. Will be back shortly to recap our last day in Marrakech!

Architecture like this was hidden all over the city!

#ibmcsc #morocco5