Boucherouite Inspiration

The Moroccan Boucherouite carpet (or rag rug) as inspiration for swimwear! 

More beautiful images of Moroccan decor inspirations for the Spring collection of Mara Hoffman here http://www.marahoffman.com/world-of/blog/resort-swim-2016-editorial/

Growing Up In Morocco

Shopping for a belly dance costume in the souk and learning the shimmy shake!

Lots of camels to feed!

Never bored of henna painting!

Siesta on hot days, nothing better than a pile of Beni Ouarain carpets to lie on!

A visit to the desert and playing in one of the world's largest sandpits!

Learning to repair Moroccan wedding blankets but lets start with a scrap!

Moroccan Carpets; Colourful Indulgement

Psst... I've added color to my carpet collection! Lots of striking, bold, stunning and crazy colors!

ZY70 Zayani Carpet

AZ515 Azilal Carpet

 

ZM71 Zemmour Carpet

 

BS539 Boucherouite Carpet

BS515 Boucherouite Carpet

MR110 Beni Mrirt Carpet

TSH09 Talsint Hanbel

Many more startling, happy, marvellous and eclectic colored 

Moroccan carpets on www.beyondmarrakech.com

A Moroccan Basket

A shopping basket, a beach basket or a picnic basket. It is impossible not to notice these beautiful Moroccan baskets with embroidery in the souk of Marrakech. They will catch your eye one way or the other! 

Handcrafted by women in the small Berber villages around the city, they find their way to the small shops in the medina and to the stylish boutiques in the modern quarter Gueliz.

The spectrum of colours and embroidery designs is infinite and I truly, truly love them all!

The Wonderful Colors Of Marrakech, Part Two

Small Treasures Of Morocco

Outside our house there is the kingdom of Mother Nature. From left to right a spectacular view of the greenest mountains and the river that runs through the valley as its source of life. The only sounds being the twittering of birds in the morning and late afternoon (did you know that birds take a siesta?) and on a hot day like today the distant cheers of Berber children playing in the river. Our garden has fruit trees, rose bushes and fluffy rabbits hopping around, consequently eating everything we plant.

My little kingdom is inside the house. Take a look at some of the small treasures I've purchased in Morocco and that decorate our house.

Ceramic pot from Fez

Mysterious little object, origin unknown

Brass candle holder

Berber pottery

Ceramic vases from Safi

Oh, check out the Handira Boutique for some stunning new blankets I bought yesterday. When I found the large 1001 sparkler I blinked my eyes a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming. How lucky can a girl get!

The Wonderful Colors Of Marrakech

Place Rahba Kedima 



A Tale of Marrakech, Djemaa el Fna

Google ‘places to see in Marrakech’ and you’ll immediately find Morocco’s most famous square the Djemaa el Fna on top of the list. It is the beating heart of the town. From dawn until many hours after dusk you’ll find entertainment for the senses. It is the most cunning seductress of Marrakech, reaching out to you with new surprises each time, over and over, again and again and remember, nothing really is for free. All you see, smell, hear and feel in this small circus of life has a price. The seduced visitor will almost certainly reward three times its worth for the entertainment and if not with money the unfriendly or even angry glances of the entertainers will make you compensate with the uncomfortable sensation of annoyance, guilt or even shame.

During daytime there are the colourful orange juice stalls decorating part of the square. The snake charmers invite the visitor’s with their haunting flutes, a sound so typical of the square that it will doubtlessly always remind you of the Djemaa el Fna. As much as I wish to disregard the men with the chained Barbary apes my daughter always pulls me towards them for a closer look. As soon as a weakness or slight conflict is detected by the entertainers you’re rapidly and unwillingly lured into photo poses with the unfortunate apes. Veiled ladies call out to visitors with their little photo portfolios of henna painting designs and last but not least it is impossible to miss the water sellers in their colourful costumes with the leather water bags and brass cups.


Around 4.30 pm the spirit of the square changes with the arrival of numerous carts being pulled unto the Djemaa el Fna. The carts are quick and efficiently unpacked and small restaurants unfold within minutes, blurring the square behind a screen of thick smoke. It takes a strong will or at least a full stomach to resist the tempting smells of spices, grilled meat or simmering stews. The variety of dishes is endless and the food is cheap, served with loud and comic entertainment by the stall workers. Each stall has its own number displayed on a sign attached to the stall making it easy to find your favourite place to eat along the many small lanes of smoking food stalls.


The Djemaa el Fna is not only a popular tourist attraction. Many locals visit the square for a stroll and entertainment. Traditional medicine men sell their remedies and the dancing boys, musicians and story tellers attract vast crowds while the fortune tellers sooth or amuse clients with their cards or beads.

A day on the Djemaa el Fna in summer ends past midnight. The food stall’s disappear back into the carts, the entertainers leave after a last money collection from the remaining crowd and when the lasts visitors disappear into the night the curtain of the Djemaa el Fna stage finally falls.

A Tale of Marrakech part 2

This morning we drove to the city with a time bound schedule of things to do and not surprisingly we managed to do nothing at all! Marrakech has a sixth sense for people visiting in a hurry; don’t try it because you’ll end up with nothing but frustration and the urge to start screaming!

Today the city seemed even more buoyant than ever. The roads leading to Gueliz were temporarily blocked for a biking event finishing in the heart of the new town. On every roundabout or turn policemen were fanatically blowing their whistles, pointing and redirecting traffic like flags in a hurricane leaving us clueless of which direction to turn. And typical of traffic in Marrakech, an impossible situation always unravels itself and you’re of to the next jam.

Marrakech is a humming beehive. In the pandemonium of its city life there is an indistinct flow. Once you find yourself in it the confusion dissolves and you’ll discover that the city has all you need and more. Offer it your patience and Marrakech rewards like opening a treasure chest.

Besides the annual film festival and the Tour du Maroc which passes through, Marrakech now also has the Marrakech Grand Prix with its racing track running on the road along the old city wall towards the Valley of Ourika. This location has spectacular views of the Atlas Mountains making it without a doubt one of the most beautiful circuits worldwide. Marrakech the Monte Carlo of Africa but then so much more interesting!

A tale of Marrakech part 1

There is much to be said about the red city of Marrakech, one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and by far my favourite city. It is a bustling city, colourful and enchanting. Its greatest achievement might be its modernisation without the loss of old traditions which are still very much alive.

The medina (old fortified city) is a place for wandering endlessly and to be seduced into believing that all is scenic and intriguing. The adjacent modern city Gueliz has developed an unexpected splendour with its trendy restaurants and brand stores. But it is not all praise. Marrakech is also a turbulent, noisy, polluted and an exhausting city.

Lately we only visit the city with a busy schedule of appointments and lists of things we need to find but Marrakech seems to sabotage hurried visits. The appalling traffic, aggressive hassling of sellers and determined beggars require a sense of humour and an easy going state of mind. Most of all you need time, a flexible attitude and you might as well leave at home your stress and time bound schedule because Marrakech simply doesn’t allow it.

Today an early appointment at the Toyota garage in the city left us carless and with a whole day to spend randomly in Marrakech. We strolled from Gueliz to the medina, submitted to the embracement of the city and once again our eyes opened to its colour and vibrant life.