Marrakech is a vivid, noisy, and busy city. Sometimes you want to take a break from its pace, buzz, and rave of color. The best way to do it is to go to a remote beautiful place, the Menara gardens, an oasis of wonderful trees, calm waters, and stunning sunsets.
The story of the Jardin de la Menara began in the 12th century when the founder of the Almohad dynasty, Caliphate ruler Abd al-Mu'min, decided to put up a unique garden, not just beautiful, but also useful. Since the first day, the fruits and vegetables were grown here, foreign plants were adapted and new crops were cultivated. Today a lot of palms, olive, and orange trees are growing there. Some of them are older than 300 hundred years.
At the edge of the 12th – 13th centuries, a huge lake appeared in the middle of the park. It was not just a decoration, it also played the role of a water reservoir. It collected meltwaters from the mountains and during dry months this water was used for watering gardens, so that they continued to grow booming. The engineers of that time designed a powerful 200-meter water collecting system of underground pipes to make the reservoir fill up evenly.
Much later, in the 19th century, the sultan Moulay Abd al-Rahman decided that the garden was lacking a place for rest, and the trees are not enough, a roof over the head is needed. So, an elegant pavilion with a green roof in Egyptian style appeared next to the lake. First, it was a noble residence. Now it hosts exhibitions, concerts, presentations, and workshops.
This place is worth visiting if you are longing for coolness, peace, and quiet. Nature there is wonderful, miraculous reflections in the lake in the evenings, fresh and mild air will be an ideal scenery to finish a busy day.