Garden sights in Marrakesh
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Koutoubia Minaret
When the present mosque and its iconic Moorish minaret were finished by Almohad Sultan Yacoub el-Mansour in the 12th century, 100 booksellers were clustered around its base - hence the name Koutoubia, meaning 'booksellers'. In the recently refurbished gardens outside the mosque, you might still notice a recent excavation that confirmed a longstanding Marrakshi legend.
The pious Almohads were apparently distressed to discover that their lax Almoravid predecessors had built a mosque that wasn't properly aligned with Mecca, and razed the place to build another. Atop the minaret are three golden balls made of copper. The originals were reputedly real gold donated by the guilt…
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Ramparts
In the 12th century, the Almoravids wrapped the Medina snugly in 19km of mud brick 5m tall, so that the city doubled as a fortress. But this didn't keep out the Almohads, who considered their predecessors irredeemably corrupt and razed the city, leaving almost no trace of their 85-year rule except for these ramparts. Today the ramparts are for lovers, not fighters, with couples patrolling the rampart gardens at sunset. Calèches (horse-drawn carriages) are available near the Djemaa el-Fna.
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Agdal Gardens
Moroccan sultans have greeted dignitaries here for eight centuries, among fragrant fruit and olive orchards and reflecting pools stocked with psychic carp that sense you and your bread crusts coming. The gardens still serve ceremonial purposes, so they're only open weekends and when the king isn't in residence.
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