Other important monuments

A Jewish cemetery and a religious convent

Although there is a wide array of ruins and monuments to visit when exploring the Marrakesh Medina, another two spots worth a look are the Miâara and the Zaouia Sidi Bell Abess. The first offers a stunning view that recalls the persecution that the Jewish people suffered during the World Wars of the twentieth century. This is because there was a time when Marrakesh was home to a large Jewish population, part of which today rests in this cemetery. The enclosure harbours hundreds of haphazardly placed rectangular white tombstones, that provide an unusual and haunting vision in the centre of Marrakesh. Meditation, prayer and dances constitute the main activity that Muslims undertake in the lovely Zouia - or convent - Sidi Bell Abess, one of the few temples in the city that non-adherents to Islam can visit. In the mausoleum that was built by the Sultan Ben Abdallah, where rests Sidi Bel Abbel, one of the city's most important saints.