the setting
The Marrakech medina: walls, gates and courtyard houses
A short background to the old city the restaurant sits in, drawn from Wikipedia.
Reserve your evening at Dar Essalam ↗The medina in numbers
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | Around 1070, as the Almoravid capital |
| Ramparts | About 19 km round, with 20 gates and 200 towers |
| World Heritage | Old town listed by UNESCO in 1985 |
| Oldest riads | Documented from the Saadian period, 16th–17th centuries |
A capital founded around 1070
Marrakesh was founded around 1070 by Abu Bakr ibn Umar as the capital of the Almoravid dynasty. The Almoravids built its first major structures and shaped a layout that lasted for centuries.
The red walls
The ramparts were built in the 12th century from orange-red clay and chalk, which earned the city its nickname of the Red City. They stand up to about 5.8 metres high.
Jemaa el-Fnaa and the souks
The medina holds the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square and a large number of souks. In the old days the square drew musicians playing pipes, tambourines and African drums, and entertainers of many kinds still gather there.
The riad tradition
Riads are courtyard houses with high outer walls around an open garden. The design gave privacy and kept the temperature down, and the oldest documented examples date from the Saadian period.
Craft in every room
Cedar is the usual wood for riad doors and palace ceilings, and the city's workshops also turn out zelij tilework, carpets, and brass and iron lamps. Much of what you see in a Marrakech dining room comes from these trades.
Where the evening fits
Dar Essalam is in the heart of this medina: several rooms, each with its own architecture and history, in a restaurant with a long and well-preserved history.