Apr 16 2025
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Photo Essay: Marrakesh After Dark

By Leila

people standing in front of a fruit stand

Marrakesh is unbearably hot during the day in the summer months, but the dry heat is much more bearable once the sun goes down. Here’s a photo essay of my visit to the Marrakesh Medina after dark.

Marrakesh By Night – A Photo Essay

The main square of Marrakesh called Jemaa el-Fnaa and located in the Medina Quarter (medina historically has meant the non-European or Arab part of a Nothern African city), is always bustling. During the day, you can find snake charmers and freshly squeezed orange juice, but as the sun goes down, the food stalls begin to open.

I took a walk around town as the sunset…it was still so dreadfully hot…but by the time I reached the main square, the sun had set and the people were out…a ton of them!

people walking on a sidewalk
A sultry afternoon in Marrakesh
two women walking on a sidewalk
The sidewalks in Marrakesh are made of tile and often uneven due to the roots of mature trees
a street lamp in a city
A quiet plaza just after closing time
a building with palm trees and a tower
Marrakesh is filled with mosques
a group of people standing in a crowd
Marrakesh Medina after dark
a large crowd of people outside at night
Marrakesh Medina after dark
a large crowd of people at night
Huge crowds in Marrakesh Medina
a large crowd of people in a city at night
Marrakesh Medina after dark
a crowd of people in a square
Marrakesh

a crowd of people in a city at night

While I always seem to be hungry, I had not eaten all day (the cookies on Royal Air Maroc were good but didn’t cut it) and I was famished. Yes, the food stalls in the medina are a bit “touristy” but there were certainly more locals than tourists and the food was delicious and cheap.

Be warned, however, that the men are quite aggressive in trying to pull you into their stalls (most of which offer the same kind of food). I took a walk around to better understand my range of options and soon settled on a stand that was quite crowded, which is often a good sign.

a group of people at a market
Food stalls in Marrakesh Medina
a crowd of people at a market
Food stalls in Marrakesh Medina
a crowd of people in a street market
So many delicious options

Immediately upon sitting down at No. 4, I was offered bread with olives and a spicy red sauce. I ordered chicken tagine and it took about 15 minutes to cook, but was worth the wait…so tender, flavorful, and delicious! The entire meal was about 8 USD.

a plate of food on a table
Bread with spicy sauce
a plate of food on a table
Olives
a bowl of food on a table
Chicken tagine in Marrakesh

a plate with food on it

After, I visited one of the many juice stands and ordered a mix of strawberry, orange, lemon, and avocado…yum. The cup was about 1 USD.

a group of people standing in front of a fruit stand

a group of people standing around a fruit stand

a man in a white shirt and red apron cutting oranges

a hand holding a plastic cup with a straw and a pink drink

Alcohol is not a big thing in Morroco, at least out in the open, but you cannot go wrong trying the many juice shops…or even mobile coffee shops.

a group of people standing in front of a fruit stand
Don’t neglect the juice!
a food cart with people around it
A mobile coffee cart in the Marrakesh Medina

I don’t recommend a trip to Morocco in the summer…it is very hot and still crowded. Winter is best, spring and autumn can be hit or miss, but there’s something so vibrant about Marrakesh that I just don’t feel in Casablanca.

This is part of my Return To Morocco trip report.

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