April 5, 2023
The second day of the overland was spent touring Marrakech. His first stop was to see the Koutoubia Mosque. Its minaret can be seen from the roof of every building in Marrakech. The minaret of a mosque is the high point from which the call to prayer is made by the muezzin. Just in case his call is not heard, the muezzin also raises a white flag in the minaret during the time for prayer.
Next, he visited the Bahia Palace of the Sultan. There were beautifully patterned rooms, including the luxurious rooms of the Sultan's harem and the magnificent courtyard.
He then visited the Dar Si Said Museum, a museum devoted to the intricate art of carpets.
They explored the narrow streets of Marrakech on their way to see a show with traditional belly dancers.
After the show, he went to the Dar El Bacha Museum which was once the home of the Pasha of Marrakech in the early 1900s. (A pasha is an important person in the military or government.) It displays the unique architecture of the home itself, as well as important historical artifacts.
After the museum, he wandered through the busy souks (markets) and explored Jamaa el Fna Square where there were snake charmers and musicians. The souks were very crowded with narrow walkways and motorcycles zipping in and out of the shoppers.
At dinner, there were belly dancers again and the audience was encouraged to dance with them. The head of shore excursions, Nyron, had escorted the tour and he danced with them. Brent said he was quite good.
After dinner, there was more time to explore the square.
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