Marrakesh Airport is in the area of Menara, about 6 km south-west of the city centre. The construction of the main structure began at the beginnings of the 2000s, when Morocco saw a huge increase in tourism, with always more presences on its territory. Thanks to the attention to details, this airport is among the most beautiful ones in the world from an architectonical point of view.
One of its peculiarities is in the structure of the steel ceiling in aluminium coated with wide windows that allow the plenty of natural light inside. These latter have a pyramidal shapemade of photovoltaic modules that produce electrical energy. The aesthetics is an essential feature and, right for this reason, the architects, during the phase of designing, decided to add triangular windows, covered of arabesques that make the view enchanting thanks to a particular play of lights, that decor all the rooms. Menara is, indeed, the splendid airport where the Moroccan cultural tradition communicates with the most sophisticated modern architectures.
Marrakesh Airport is relatively small and is the second most important one in Morocco, after that of Casablanca. You can take advantage of the car rental service at Casablanca Airport to reach the city centre; we recommend you to rely on RentalUp, booking a rental car a few days before departure. In this way, once arrived, you will have the possibility to easily pick your rental car up to drive along Morocco safely and freely, without needing to use the public transportation or a taxi.
The road to get to Marrakesh city centre from Menara is the following: once left the area of the airport, you will need to continue along the Avenue Guemassa (R2 12) for about 4 km, then take Boulevard Al Yarmouk (direction Rue el Adala) for 2,4 km and continue along Rue el Adala towards Rue Da el Blaoui, follow this road until Sidi Abdelaziz and drive towards D. El Maâden to get to your destination.
Marrakesh: the main points of interest
Exactly as well as the great part of the Moroccancities, Marrakesh is divided into two maxi areas: the new town, of new construction, and the old town, the most ancient part of the city. The old town is also known as the Medina and differs a lot from the new Marrakesh. The oldest area is surrounded by the city walls, within which there are the main tourist attractions.
The base of the Arabian cities is meant by the term “Medina” and it can be more or less extensive depending on the importance of the place. It is characterised by very narrow streets and alleyways alternating to the small squares typical of this area. Moreover, the Medersa Ben Youssef, a former Koranic school, the biggest and the most majestic throughout Morocco, is very interesting, too.
Lastly, you can try the Hammam, a purifying ritual ablution of the Muslim tradition, and visit the Souks, soul of the city and beating heart of the Moroccan culture, to fully immerse yourself into the local culture. The souks are markets in which all the commercial and artisanal life is developed, among alleyways with merchants of every kind of goods. In particular, at the artisan laboratories, where wood and iron are worked, it is interesting to observe the artisans at work and appreciate their ability. The main square in Marrakesh is Jemaa El Fna, rich in stalls alternating all day long, where tourists can taste typical dishes in the many restaurants and the street food shops, in a suggestive and picturesque scenery.
Art and culture in the enchanting Marrakesh
Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs are highly important from the artistic and cultural points of view. Visiting these places will allow you to discover the history and the culture of this city. The palace, with beautiful decors, extends for 8 hectares, but only a part of these are open to the public. The structure was built for the sovran in 1860 and it was the private residence where his 4 wives and 24 concubines stayed.
The Saadian Tombs, not far from the Bahia Palace, represent the resting places of the royals, finely decorated and luxurious. Lastly, during a vacation in Marrakech, you cannot miss a visit to the Majorelle Gardens: built in 1990, they were considered a natural oasis and are in the new city.
