Jemaa el-Fnaa Marrakech

Jemaa el-Fnaa is the beating heart of Marrakech’s medina, and its daily life of storytellers, musicians, henna artists and street performers is recognised by UNESCO as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. By day it is a wide, sunlit square of orange-juice sellers and stalls; as evening falls, rows of open-air food stalls fill it with smoke and lantern light.

Watch the scene from a rooftop café as the call to prayer rings out from the Koutoubia minaret, then wander into the souks that lead off the square, where lanes of shops sell spices, lanterns, leather slippers, carpets and silver.

Keep valuables secure in the crowds, ask before photographing performers, and bargain cheerfully in the souks. A guide for your first visit helps you find your way back out of the maze.