12 of the best · Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakech’s Great Sights, from the Koutoubia to the Saadian Tombs

Jemaa el-Fna and the Koutoubia, the souks, the Bahia, the Saadian Tombs, El Badi, Ben Youssef, the Mellah and the gates of the Kasbah.

Our 12 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated November 2026

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Insiders' picks

Three Marrakech moments we keep going back to: Jemaa el-Fna at dusk from a roof terrace, the Jardin Majorelle at opening time, and a day in the Atlas above Imlil.

UNESCO intangible heritage

Jemaa el-Fna

Medina·Square

The great square of the medina: storytellers, musicians and, at night, the food stalls.

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The great courtyard

Ben Youssef Madrasa

Medina·Monument

The former Koranic school of the north medina, its courtyard carved in stucco and cedar.

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Courtyards and gardens

Bahia Palace

Medina·Palace

A palace of courtyards and gardens on the east side of the medina, beside the Mellah.

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The full list: Sights, A–Z

Show 12 of 14 places on a map

The back story 2

Reading the red city’s great sights.

History & heritage

Marrakech: from the Almoravids to the red city

Marrakech·In depth: history and heritage

The Almoravid foundation of 1070–72, the Koutoubia, the Saadian Tombs and the Badi Palace, the great residences, Jemaa el-Fna and the new town: Marrakech’s heritage, told plainly.

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The back story

The red city: reading Marrakech’s great sights

Marrakech·In depth

The Koutoubia’s minaret, the open-air theatre of Jemaa el-Fna, the Saadian Tombs, the ruins of El Badi and the courtyards of the Bahia and Ben Youssef: how to read the medina UNESCO listed in 1985.

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The square and the minaret 3

Jemaa el-Fna, the Koutoubia, the souks.

UNESCO intangible heritage

Jemaa el-Fna

Medina·Square

The great square of the medina: storytellers, musicians and, at night, the food stalls.

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The 77-metre minaret

The Koutoubia Mosque

Medina·Mosque

The great mosque of the medina, its 77-metre minaret the landmark of the city.

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North of the square

The souks

Medina·Market

The covered market streets north of Jemaa el-Fna, quarter by craft.

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The Kasbah and the palaces 5

Tombs, ruins and courtyards.

The gate of the Kasbah

Bab Agnaou and the ramparts

Kasbah·Monument

The carved stone gate of the Kasbah and the earthen ramparts around the medina.

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Courtyards and gardens

Bahia Palace

Medina·Palace

A palace of courtyards and gardens on the east side of the medina, beside the Mellah.

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The great ruined court

El Badi Palace

Kasbah·Ruins

The vast ruined courts of the Badi Palace, inside high earthen walls.

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The old Jewish quarter

The Mellah

Kasbah·Quarter

The old Jewish quarter of the medina, east of the Kasbah, with its synagogue and cemetery.

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Beside the Kasbah mosque

The Saadian Tombs

Kasbah·Monument

The royal tombs of the Saadian dynasty, in a walled garden beside the Kasbah mosque.

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The north medina 2

Ben Youssef and the square’s museum.

The great courtyard

Ben Youssef Madrasa

Medina·Monument

The former Koranic school of the north medina, its courtyard carved in stucco and cedar.

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On the square

Jamaâ el-Fna, Musée du Patrimoine Immatériel

Medina·Museum

A museum of the square’s intangible heritage, in the first branch of Morocco’s state bank.

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Experiences 2

A balloon and a calèche.

At sunrise

A balloon over the Palmeraie

Palmeraie·Experience

A dawn balloon flight over the palms and the plains, with Ciel d’Afrique since 1990.

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By horse-drawn carriage

A calèche round the walls

Medina·Experience

A ride round the ramparts by horse-drawn calèche from beside the Koutoubia.

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