Doors 324 – Doors of Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025 (Part V)
This week I am continuing with some doorscursions mostly concentrated at the southern end of the Medina of Marrakesh, not too far away from where our Riad was. There had been some light rain, which didn’t really matter, because it was short-lived and dried up pretty swiftly.
My description this week is fairly brief, because I find myself short of time to write this post. There is a bit more variation in the doors this time, and I even include some ghost doors (or, as some call them, phantom doors). Do you have a favourite? I know that I do:
A door with multiple panels which is sunk one step below street level, Tariq Sahrij Gnaoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025One doorway, two different doors, Tariq Sahrij Gnaoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Elegant door with a stunning tile surround, Tariq Sahrij Gnaoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Large arched door and sliding door cover, Tariq Sahrij Gnaoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Large ghost door, Tariq Sahrij Gnaoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Three studded doors in a side alley, Tariq Sahrij Gnaoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Wonderful door within a door, Tariq Sahrij Gnaoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Studded black door with small window above, Tariq Sahrij Gnaoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Concreted ghost door with brickwork exposed, perhaps a casualty of the earthquake, Tariq Sahrij Gnaoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Characterful wooden door, Derb Souikt Lahaj Abdellah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Well, that’s it for this week and indeed for next week too, because I will be on a late summer family holiday in Madeira (Not many doorscursion opportunities, as the family have limited patience for my obsession).
May I wish you a very happy weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post.
Doors 323 – Doors of Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025 (Part IV)
For those of you who have been following this series of doors from Marrakesh, this week’s offering might feel a little bit ‘samey’, as they are more doors from the narrow lanes in the southern end of the Medina in Marrakesh. This whole area is enough to drive a door enthusiast into meltdown. It seems that each and every door is unique and very personal to the dwelling behind it, unlike in the suburbs of British (and other) towns and cities, where uniformity is more the norm.
Most of these doors were all photographed during an early morning walk on my own, which meant I didn’t need to tone down my enthusiasm to appease my wife and daughter, who get a little tired of my incessant fascination with doors. Keywords – Pinky-red walls, carvings, unique. I hope you enjoy them:
Narrow street and archway, Derb Benzina, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Tall slim studded door and doorway, Tariq Makhzen, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Plain door with bold and padlock and motorcycle, Tariq Makhzen, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Three different sized doors, Tariq Makhzen, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Door to the Didi Spa, Rue Bab Agnaou, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Roof garden at ther Restaurant Al Khayma, Rue Bab Agnaou, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Kasbah Cafe entrance and door, Rue de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025A pair of doors, Tariq Makhzen, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025A studded door with two door knockers, Tariq Makhzen, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Beautifully crafted gate in front of a door, Tariq Makhzen, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Archway entrance at the south of the Medina, Tariq Makhzen, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
So that’s it for another week. If you miss this, it doesn’t really matter, because there is plenty more to come in the coming weeks. My only hope it that it doesn’t get too boring – although things do hot up a bit before too long.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post.
Doors 322 – Doors of Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025 (Part III)
This week’s selection of doors were taken in the backstreets in the southern part of the Medina. Front doors are often quite fancy and elaborate, and might be the only sign that there is a dwelling at all. Many houses don’t even have windows facing out onto the street, and so the door becomes an important statement.
The narrow labyrinthine streets area wonderful pinky red colour, but quite imposing and stark, punctuated by these amazing doors. Occasionally you get to peek behind a door that might be open or ajar, and a beautiful, colourful, often tiled interior awaits.
This selection includes a range of different styles and sizes of doors, each one special in its own way. I hope you enjoy them:
A pair of markedly different doors side by side and a lamp shadow, Derb Oualidine, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Metal door and plant pot, Derb Oualidine, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Tiled portico, stone surround, tile decorations, carved wooden frame, studded doors and two beautiful cats, this door has it all, Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Is this a door within a door? Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025A step up to a beautiful carved wooden door and frame, Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Blue door with a face, Derb Oualidine, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Grand doorway with tiled portico and stunning carved door and surround, Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Door gate, Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Symmetry and tiles on this door of Riad Les Reves de Marrakech, Rue Errachidia, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025A nicely decorated metal door, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
More of the same next time, although I hope to provide a bit more context around these doors to provide more of a sense of place. While these backstreets were generally fairly quiet, some of the more touristy places were so full of bustle, and I hope to get this across in posts to come. That’s it for now, have a great weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post.
Doors 321 – Doors of Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025 (Part II)
This selection of doors is presented in chronological order, following our first walk in the streets of Marrakesh, walking north from our hotel (featured last week) towards the centre of the Medina.
Our first impressions were very much shaped by the bustle of the city. Bright light, dusty streets, so many people walking the streets dodging the motorbikes and scooters that are the dominant form of transport through the narrow and windy streets. You will spot that the walls of Marrakesh, known as the Red City, are pinky-red in colour due to the local stone and clay, rich in iron oxide employed in the construction of the ancient city, and still used today. You will get used to this ubiquitous colour through the passage of these posts.
Marrakesh is a Thursday Doors dream, although it is not just doors, but arches and more generally the architecture that are so attractive. I hope you enjoy these first steps into the city as much as we did:
Minaret and supported walls (earthquake damaged) of the Moulay El Yazid Mosque, Place My Yazid, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025A cell tower disguised as a palm tree, complete with a stork nest (real) on the top, Rue Arset El Maach, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Cafe Tamrakcht with side door and open front, Rue de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Studded wooden door and decorative surround, Bab Agnou, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Stunning carved entrance and keyhole doorways, Bab Agnou, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Double archway, Bab Agnou, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Bab Agnou city gate, Rue Oqba Ben Nafaa, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Iron/door with decorations, Passage Bab Agnaou, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Keyhole gateway in a city wall, Rue Oqba Ben Nafaa, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Modern studded door, Passage Bab Agnaou, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Tatty door at No 37, Derb Oualdidine, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
It feels wonderful to revisit these doors and our trip to Marrakesh back in January, it was a great way to recharge our batteries and put us in a good place to tackle 2025. There will be plenty more doors next time and for some considerable time, I fear it might get a little samey or boring, but hope not. Have a great weekend all.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post.
Doors 320 – Doors of Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025 (Part I)
In January this year, my wife and I decided to enjoy a winter break in Marrakesh, as we were desperate for some sun after a poor summer in 2024. Key to our choice of destination was that we could fly from Bristol airport, which just makes things so much easier for us. We brought our daughter along with us too, as she was on a break from University.
We hadn’t done too much research before the trip and were open to a wholly new experience. I had been to Egypt many years ago when I was in my late teens, but otherwise North Africa was something of a mystery to be discovered.
Marrakesh is a busy, dusty, and ancient city, with an incredible culture and heritage, and although our stay was short, we took in so many sights and activities. Of course, we were presented with thousands of doors, and in all my travels in the UK and abroad, I don’t think I have seen so many doors worthy of sharing on Thursday Doors. I expect this is going to be a long series of posts from Marrakesh.
In this first post, I will start with our hotel called Les Borjs de la Kasbah, a riad (a traditional, multi-story house or palace built around a central courtyard or garden), which was located at the south of the Medina, the old walled part of the city.
Floor plan of Les Borjs de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
This hotel had been lovingly restored over a period of four years by local craftsmen from a complex of six small town houses (dars) and one riad. The restoration included traditional doors and balcony windows, as well as tiles, fountains and other details. I hope you enjoy this collection of doors and get a small sense of the traditional style of the riad.
Small courtyard off the main courtyard, Les Borjs de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Restored bedroom door,Les Borjs de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Storage room door, Les Borjs de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025A room that opens into the central courtyard, Les Borjs del la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Another room that opens onto the courtyard – not a door in sight, Les Borjs de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025A third sitting room opening into the courtyard (ignore the TV, we did), Les Borjs del la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025The main courtyard with plenty of doorways, just no doors, Les Borjs de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Second floor stairway to the roof garden, Les Borjs de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Roof garden view with the Atlas Mountains in the distance, Les Borjs de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025The swimming pool area, Les Borjs de la Kasbah, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025Stunningly recreated balcony windows overlooking the pool, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
This has been a deliberately gentle introduction to Marrakesh before getting into some hard core doors over the coming weeks. The hotel was the perfect base for some lengthy walks, mostly northwards, to some of the tourist hotspots, but the long walks meant that there were an awful lot of back streets and doors to get through on the way.
I thought I’d leave you with an earworm, that naturally I have in my head, because of the district we stayed in. Rock the Kasbah!
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post.
Natural adventures 