Zaynab's Oath — Uncover the Harem Conspiracy

Your quest begins in Jemaa el-Fna Square, classified as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2001. This 'Assembly of the Dead' in Arabic, a site of public executions under the Almohads around 1147, is now a convergence point for the main axes of the medina. Its 9,000 m² are surrounded by cafes and souks, where you must locate a contact. Then, you head towards the Koutoubia Minaret, built between 1147 and 1158 under Abd al-Mu'min. This 77-meter giant, an architectural model for the Giralda of Seville, houses an adjacent mosque capable of accommodating 20,000 worshippers, reoriented in 1147 to correct the qibla towards Mecca. A Quranic inscription in Kufic script on its first three levels could hold a crucial clue.

Your journey then takes you to the Place des Ferblantiers, 500 m from Jemaa el-Fna, the heart of the tinsmiths' quarter since the 17th century. Here, 138 shops recorded in 2019 by the municipality perpetuate the traditional tinned zinc technique, exported worldwide since the Saadians. The 17th-century central fountain might hide a message. You then pass through Bab Agnaou, a monumental gate built in 1147-1163 under the Almohads. Standing 7.3 m high with its horseshoe arch adorned with floral motifs, it was the old southern entrance to the royal Kasbah. Restored in 1900 by the French, this gate, classified as a historical monument since 1985, bears a Kufic inscription dedicated to 'the victory of the believers', symbolizing Almohad power.

Enter the enclosure of the Kasbah Mosque, erected in 1147 by Abd al-Mu'min. Its 64 m minaret, inspired by the Koutoubia, was built for the Almohad soldiers of the Kasbah. Like the Koutoubia, it was reoriented in 1147. The mihrab adorned with 17th-century zellige under the Saadians, linked to the adjacent royal tombs, is a key point of your investigation. Right next door, the Saadian Tombs, a funerary complex built in 1598 by Ahmed al-Mansour, cover 5,550 m² with 66 marble tombs from Carrara. The main mausoleum, with its 12 carved cedar columns and 14 m high vaults in Italo-Andalusian style, was rediscovered in 1917 by the French. This is where Ahmed al-Mansour (1549-1603) and his mother rest.

Your investigation leads you to El Badi Palace, built between 1578 and 1593 by Ahmed al-Mansour. This palace, which initially covered 1.8 ha with 360 rooms and a 135x20 m pool, is now a set of ruins covering 20,000 m², used as stables by the Alaouites in the 17th century. The 9 m high cedarwood minbar imported from Cairo in 1593 is a remnant of the Saadian economic peak. It is in this place of fallen splendor that you must find proof of the conspiracy. Finally, your journey ends at the Mouassine Fountain, built in 1574 under the Saadians in the Mouassine quarter. Standing 5.6 m high with two public basins, it features an Almohad style with horseshoe arches and green zellige. Fed by Marrakech's ancient hydraulic network, this fountain, restored in 2007 by UNESCO, is one of the medina's 800 historic fountains.

By following Zaynab's footsteps through the medina of Marrakech, you will have explored historical monuments of Morocco that witnessed the Almohad and Saadian dynasties. From Jemaa el-Fna Square, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985, to the gates of the 12th-century Almohad Kasbah, each step of this interactive visit will have revealed the secrets of an empire. This GPS treasure hunt offers an in-depth discovery of Marrakech for families, well beyond classic tourist circuits, by immersing you in the history of Marrakech-Safi and its emblematic monuments.