More recently, Princess Lalla Meyrem, the king’s sister, devoted much time and effort to embellishing oases and parks across Marrakech. Lush lawns beautifully offset the red sandstone of ramparts and gates while at the very heart of town, the Koutoubia Gardens welcome everyone with cool marble seats, almond blossom, mimosa and the city’s iconic mosque, dominated by a pink minaret, rising to over 230 ft against the blue sky and topped with crenellations and golden globes. Majolica borders and fine stone work gleam on every façade and the mosque itself is divided into 17 aisles. Once hailed as one of the largest in the western world, the original venue was built by the Almohads to celebrate their victory.

Mosques or shrines, the religious sites of Marrakech are too numerous to name but for lovers of architecture, a must-see is the Ben Youssef Medersa, one of the Maghreb’s finest and largest Koranic schools. Founded by the Merenids, it has elaborate doorways, mosaic-paved corridors, marble, calligraphy and Zellij tilework with flowing patterns.