About Riad Maizie

The Rich Pattern of Life

This article was published in the London Evening Standard Homes and Property section on the 9^th of April 2003:

I did not mean to buy a palace. I was on a routine shopping trip in Marrakech's medina with writer Maggie Perry when we passed the estate agent from which she bought her town house, or riad. I suggested we might just have a look.

Things to Do

We can arrange trips to the Ourika Valley, Essouira, and local markets. The more adventurous can take a day or two and go to the desert, or skiing in winter.

There are quite a few museums, as every guide book can tell you, you can swim in close by hotel for the price of a salad, or you can take a caleche and visit Yves St Laurent’s magical garden.

For the discerning, Marrakech has the best and most diverting shopping, but you do have to sift the gems from the dross. For those of you with an interest in Moroccan cuisine we can arrange cookery lessons with the girls.

People who want nothing more than to veg out can hire a masseuse to ease away workaday cares and stress. For serious workaholices there is a wifi connection in the riad and you are welcome to use the laptop to email or Skype.

Dining at Riad Maizie

Amal and Neza, the girls who work at the riad full-time, are excellent cooks, and whatever else you do, you should eat dinner at least once in the riad, either in the dining room or on the roof. It will probably be the best food you have in Marrakech.

The Decor

The house is decorated in traditional style, with an amazing opulence of surface decoration and colour. There must be a kilometre of Gibb’s Frieze, surrounding every door and window and running at dado height around the walls.

The courtyard is paved with cut and patterned terra cotta tiles, and the pillars of the verandah and three of the four fountains are clad in Zillig Fessi – a mosaic of tiny glazed pieces, cut with hammer and chisel from 6” square coloured tiles made in Fez.

Several of the ceilings are beautifully painted, also the huge double doors and much of the furniture, and some of the doors are carved and coloured in the Berber style.

The windows are discreetly veiled by the original lacelike wrought iron panels, conferring invisibility on those within.

The way to Riad Maizie

Riad Maizie is a twelve-minute walk from Djemaa el Fna, and about five minutes from the nearest taxi point, Ben Saleh Square.

From the main square you can amble to Riad Maizie via the jewellery, magic, metal and leatherwork souks or you can walk the more straightforward route along Derb Dabachi.