Ali Ben Youssef Medersa (Madrasa) Marrakech

Being woken up to chirping birds and a victorious Barack Obama is definitely one of the more pleasant ways to wake up! After a fantastic night of sleep, a great breakfast of OJ, coffee, croissant/bun megamix and omelette was a fantastic treat to wake up to. As we leisurely ate breakfast we planned the day, then headed out the door to explore …

October 30 to November 2, 2011: Marrakech, Morocco

We departed from Argentina knowing that we were definitely entering a new phase of our trip: leaving the Americas; going to a country where we didn't speak the language; going to a non-Christian country, etcetera. Our flight to Morocco was a marathon slog: from the extreme southern part of …

Woke up early today to make sure Dave and I see the last of the attractions he wanted, the Saadian Tombs and Koutoubia Mosque. After seeing Dave off the bus stop where the no 19 bus was rather prompt for Morocco standards, I ambled back to the hotel. In the luxury of the hotel terrace, I read the Lonely Planet in planning my last few days here ( …

After a good and peaceful night's rest, I awoke to a refreshed feeling, my cold was definitely on the decline. I had fallen asleep at around 11PM and didn't wake up until 10AM, but it was a much needed eleven hours of rest. I had mentioned to Gary that I was planning to get to the Majorelle Gardens by 11AM thinking that we might try to meet up …

This morning we rise early to try to avoid the main heat of the day. Breakfast at 7am. What's this, all the terrace tables have napkins on them...a German tour group has arrived. Today we take it easy and haggle for a taxi to take us into the old town. We make our way to the Ali ben Youssef Medersa, a twelfth century university. It's still early …

... longer to chat with Mahjoub, finally making our plans.  We got going a bit late, but the next stop was the Ali ben Youssef Medersa, a 14th-century Quranic learning centre.  Getting there was not easy, though it looks simple enough on the map - ...

... housed in a restored 19th century palace, with a beautiful (covered) courtyard, the Koubba Ba'adiyn and the Ali Ben youssef Medersa (theological college). Which brings me to my last evening in Morocco and an opportunity to sample some local ...

... Almoravid shrine spared by the Amohads during their destruction of Marrakesh.  From here we headed to the Ali ben Youssef Medersa which provided a tranquil relief from the busy medina.  This lovely building with a large courtyard fountain was ...

... and detailed carving but other than that not much to look at.  Last stop (following the other tourists) was the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa - now this was definitely work a look.  Built some time in the 14th century its purpose was a college and ...

... back to the old town within the walls of the medina, we spend some time learning of Marrakech's history at the museum & the Ali ben Youssef Medersa - a theological college that was founded in the 14th centurty and restored in 1564, where they ...

... . A hour later, decided that I needed drag myself out of the hotel to be a tourist. Started my discovery walk to the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa, take TWO. The walk started well and I was right on target.  As soon as I finished congratulating myself on ...

... in the bottom of my daypack, before dashing off to take in some more of the city before I had to leave. The Ali ben Youssef Medersa 14th century seat of learning is probably the best example of a theological college that I’ve seen in ...

... and crafted. I purchased a small lantern with stained glass that can be used as a candle holder. Our first stop was the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa, which used to be one of the largest Islamic schools in North Africa. It is no longer in use but has been ...