Marrakech, Morocco

For the latest in our historical holiday series, Sarah takes in the sights, sounds and smells of Morocco’s former imperial capital.

- Sarah Crook

“Don’t bring sunglasses,” was the curious advice given to me before my first trip to Marrakech. Wary, I packed them anyway but they stayed firmly stashed in my suitcase. For this is the way to take in Marrakech – unblinkered, and able to drink in the details of the city: mounds of spices and dried herbs in the souks, each a different shade of gold and red; the intricate mosaics of turquoise, white and navy that garland the walls and floors of riads and restaurants; the clean lines of the Koutoubia mosque against the azure sky: and the regular calls to prayer that ring out from mosques across the city.