District · Marrakech
Mellahالملاح
The old Jewish quarter next to Bahia Palace; markets are more local than the tourist souks.
Key facts
- Suits
- Spice market, cemetery, synagogue
- Sights here
- 3
What it's like
- Feels:
- Palaces, ramparts and a quieter working district
- Suits:
- Spice market, cemetery, synagogue
- Best time:
- Mornings
- Watch out for:
- Tanneries touts and 'government shops'.
- In short:
- The old Jewish quarter next to Bahia Palace; markets are more local than the tourist souks.
About these names
Almost everything a first visit needs is inside the medina walls, about 2 km across, plus Gueliz and the Majorelle garden 2–3 km to the north-west. Petit taxis link the two.
Where exactly
This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Mellahالملاح
see
The old Jewish quarter next to Bahia Palace; markets are more local than the tourist souks.
Suits: Spice market, cemetery, synagogue
On the map: Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace, Saadian Tombs
Off the map: Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) (20–40 min by the usual route).
Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Hivernage, Palmeraie, Sidi Ghanem. See the table above.
Where’s what, as a list:
- Medina: Mouassine and the souks (المدينة): Everything is a walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa; taxis stop at a gate, then a porter carries the bags. Suits: First visit, 2–4 nights, shopping and courtyards. Price band $$.
- Medina: Kasbah and Riad Zitoun (القصبة): Bahia, El Badi and the Saadian Tombs within 10 minutes on foot; a 15–20 minute walk to the evening square. Suits: Palaces at opening, quieter nights. Price band $$.
- Jemaa el-Fnaa and Koutoubia (جامع الفنا): The square is a meeting point, not a bed: loud, crowded, hustled. Koutoubia gardens are the calm corner. Suits: One evening, orientation.
- Mellah (الملاح): The old Jewish quarter next to Bahia Palace; markets are more local than the tourist souks. Suits: Spice market, cemetery, synagogue.
- Gueliz: French-built new town; wide pavements, cars, a modern grid. 15–25 minutes by taxi from the square. Suits: Restaurants, cafés, cash machines, the train.
- Hivernage: Between the medina and Gueliz; comfort over character, and every outing is a taxi. Suits: Big hotels with pools, casinos, nightclubs.
- Palmeraie: Palm grove 10 km north; car needed for everything.Palm grove 6.2 mi north; car needed for everything. Suits: Resorts and villas with gardens.
- Sidi Ghanem: Industrial zone north-west with furniture, lamps and ceramics at fixed prices; only for a shopping trip. Suits: Design and craft showrooms.
- Sleep area Kasbah — Riad Zitoun (riad): suits Palaces at opening, quieter nights, price band $$.
- Sleep area Medina — Mouassine (riad): suits First visit, 2–4 nights, shopping and courtyards, price band $$.
- Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), 20–40 min by the usual route.
Stay here?
Not a base in this guide
See
Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.
- Bahia PalaceBook a time
A 19th-century palace of courtyards and painted ceilings: go when it opens, 45 minutes, and pair it with the Saadian Tombs.
- Hours:
- 09:00–17:009:00 AM–5:00 PM(check)
- Entry:
- about MAD 70 (2026 estimate)
- El Badi PalaceBook a time
The ruins of a 16th-century sultan's palace: go at opening or late afternoon, 45 minutes, and skip it in the midday sun.
- Hours:
- 09:00–17:009:00 AM–5:00 PM(check)
- Entry:
- about MAD 70 (2026 estimate)
- Saadian TombsBook a time
Sixteenth-century royal tombs behind the Kasbah Mosque: the queue decides the visit, so go before 09:30 or skip.
- Hours:
- 09:00–17:009:00 AM–5:00 PM(check)
- Entry:
- about MAD 70 (2026 estimate)
Open now in this district
Checking the time in Marrakech…
Shopping
Markets and shopping streets from the Marrakech buying guide that name this district.
- Mellah market · Spices, fruit, jewellery stalls, day-to-day goods · Daytime · haggling: lightFewer visitors and calmer selling than Semmarine.
- Spices and saffron · Rahba Kedima and Mellah · Shop hoursReal saffron is expensive; deep red threads that dye water instantly can be dyed fibres.
Getting there and around
Where to get off
- Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid; enter from the street entrance · for Bahia Palace
- Place des Ferblantiers, then the palace gate · for El Badi Palace
- Rue de la Kasbah, north of Kasbah Mosque · for Saadian Tombs
Walks inside the district
- Bahia Palace → Saadian Tombs: 11–16 min on foot (Walk west along Rue Riad Zitoun)
- Saadian Tombs → El Badi Palace: 8–12 min on foot (Walk north along the kasbah wall)
- Bahia Palace → El Badi Palace: 10–15 min on foot (Walk to the palace gate)
On to the next area
- Walk north: about 15 min to Jemaa el-Fnaa & Koutoubia
- Walk or taxi north: about 20 min to Souks & Mouassine
From other sleep areas
- From Kasbah — Riad Zitoun (riad): 3–6 min walk to Kasbah & Mellah
Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.
Walking loop
A loop that starts and ends at the same place, through this district's sights and eats. Pick a length; download it for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google Earth.
About 109 min in all: 29 min on foot, the rest at the stops. 3 stops, back to where you started.
- Bahia PalaceStart here · stop about 30 min
- El Badi Palace10 min walk · stop about 30 min
- Saadian Tombs8 min walk · stop about 20 min
- Back to Bahia Palace: 11 min walk
Walking minutes come from this guide’s route graph where it has one; “estimate” means straight-line distance plus a quarter for street detours at an easy pace. Opening hours are not checked: look at “Open now” below before you set off.
Half-day walk
In the day plans: Day 1 — Bahia and Saadian Tombs at opening, a 12:30 lunch table (Marrakech in 3 days)
Photo and sunset spots
Light: Late afternoon
Storks nest on the walls; warm light on the red ramparts.
Streets in this district
Street names that appear in the addresses of this district’s places and eats: useful to type into a map or show a driver.
- Rue Riad Zitoun
- Rue de la Kasbah
Safety at night and noise
Kasbah and Mellahday: oknight: caution
Quiet lanes after dark; touts around Bahia and the Saadian Tombs.
Nearby districts
Built from this guide’s Marrakech districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.