MENARA GARDENS
We all know this beautiful image of a pavilion reflected in a pool, with the snowy peaks of the Atlas Mountains in the background.
With its majestic basin, this 100-hectare garden offers a romantic stroll that cannot be missed, especially at the end of the day, and is undoubtedly one of the most visited in Marrakech, along with the Agdal. There are many legends about the history of the Menara basin: it would be the place where the Almoravid Abu Bekr, founder of the city, buried the booty collected during his campaigns or even a vast cemetery where the bones of the mistresses of Sultan Moulay Ismaïl rest. In concrete terms, the original function of the basin was to store water from the rains and the mountains and to irrigate the crops and olive groves. Nowadays, the basin, with a surface of about 200 m, continues to fill up thanks to a very old hydraulic system. In its waters is reflected the beautiful Menara pavilion built by the Saadians in 1866 as a residence. Its pyramidal green roof reflected in the water, with the snow-capped Atlas Mountains in the background, is a postcard image, probably the most beautiful of the city. Nowadays, in addition to amateur photographers and tourists, it is the favorite place of families who come to picnic on weekends in the shade of olive trees, as well as lovers who can enjoy a relaxing moment alone away from the eyes and the tumult of the city. Sometimes you can see them throwing bread to the carp that live in the lake. At the entrance to the lake, there are various small shops where you can drink a cup of tea or quench your thirst.
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