Marrakech, Morocco
Moroccan cultural heritage site
South of the Kasbah and the royal palace in Marrakech stretch the Agdal Gardens, vast walled orchards laid out by the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min in the 12th century and listed by UNESCO with the medina and the Menara Gardens in 1985. Agdal is an Amazigh word for a walled meadow, and the same name is used for similar royal gardens in Fez, Meknes and Rabat. The trees are planted in neat rectangular plots of orange, lemon, fig, apricot and pomegranate, divided by olive-lined walkways and watered by an old network of channels and underground khettara bringing water from the Atlas. At the heart are two great reservoirs, the best known being the Sahrij el-Hana beside the Dar el-Hana pavilion, along with the Dar al-Bayda, remnants of the sultans' pleasure palaces. It shows the skill of Moroccan garden engineers, combining beauty with food production, and is a quiet escape far from the noise of Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Opening days are limited and change, and the gardens can close when the king is staying at the neighbouring palace, so check before you go. Allow one to two hours of walking; early morning or late afternoon is cooler, with views of the Atlas on clear days. Bring water: distances are long.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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ParkMarrakech, Morocco
