There's much to see in Marrakech but the rich walls of the Medina will draw you in again and again, writes Sunday Times reader Mark LewisMarrakech, "The Ochre City" and capital of Morocco, rises like a terracotta jewel in the semi-desert landscape. Most striking are the towering mosques and palm trees, with low-rise ochre buildings stretching to the horizon.Arriving from Casablanca, we enter a city boasting modern industries, shopping centres, a new stadium and residential construction sites.Under the young king, Mohammed VI, things are looking up. Tourism and trade have boomed and Morocco is one of the most modern countries in the Arab world.Home for us is Riad Afrika, within the Medina, the walled section of the original city. Down a narrow alley off the huge Jaama el Fna open market, we find our lodgings behind a magnificent cedar-wood door, with the rooms looking inward onto a central pool. A rooftop garden provides panoramic views and sunsets are spectacular, minarets in every direction with the Atlas Mountains a faraway backdrop.story_article_left1Armed with sound advice from Tim, our hotel manager, we negotiate the alleys back to the square for a meal and some shopping. The Jamaa el Fna is Morocco's largest, most famous market square, bustling with traders. A chaotic wash of colour and sound engulfs us.Fresh orange juice, nuts, olives, sweetmeats and fresh fruit are all reasonably priced. Musicians and storytellers arrive to dance and sing. This unique Berber display takes place every evening, primarily for locals, and serves as entertainment and news, played out in song and dance from the various regions.Meals are eaten with fresh bread in a meze style directly from vendors at their tables. Moroccan cuisine is a blend of Berber, Arab, Andalusian and French cooking and all is prepared with cumin, garlic, paprika and turmeric.The maze of souks north of the square keep the market buzzing till midnight. Traders gather in "souks" - areas within the market, where vendors are grouped by goods - the cosmetic souk, clothing, olives, jewellery, lamps, herbs, antiques and so on.Warm service, delicious food and Berber music create an exotic Arabian Nights atmosphere.The next day we visit the 12th century Koutoubia Mosque, one of a trio that epitomises the Almohad culture in North Africa and Spain - the others being in Rabat and Seville.We catch a caleche, a mule-drawn carriage, around the walls of the Medina, heading to the Jardin Majorelle. Created by artist Jacque Majorelle over a 40-year period between 1886 and 1962, it was bought in a derelict state in 1980 by Yves St Laurent and his partner, who restored it. It now houses a monument to St Laurent and his ashes are scattered in the garden. In Islam, gardens are earthly imitations of paradise and this is a fine example. Its features include a range of cacti and plants collected worldwide, set amid fountains and streams .Mid morning, we hail a taxi back to the Artisanal Market, where traders conduct business in a more westernised fashion. An abundance of art, mosaics and jewellery challenge the credit cards. Then it's a swim and siesta to recharge before another session in the souks before dinner.story_article_right2"You find everything here but you find it many times over," says Elias Canetti in his book Voices of Marrakesh. Shopping is about haggling over prices and then spending too much.Next morning, we head to the Ben Youssef Madrasa. The largest historic religious school in Morocco, it was built by Sultan Abdullah al Galib in the 16th century. Finished in a year, it is a marvellous example of the cedar wood carving and mosaic architecture of the day.Then east to the tanneries, housed within the Medina, where 60 families live, processing and dyeing animal hides into workable leather. Not for the faint-hearted, this hands-on process involves labouring in tanks filled with lime and pigeon guano, creating a stench hard to ignore.Then a short visit to the Saadian Tombs, where 66 members of a family that ruled for over 200 years lie. The mosaic tombs were rediscovered in 1917 by the French in aerial photographs shot during the war.Our last stop was the Medina. One needs at least three days and a good budget to absorb the exotic trading culture. Spending and eating too much are commonplace, but there is no better way to experience Arabian Africa.Share your travel experiences with us in 'Readers' World' and you could win R1,000Send your photos - at least 500KB - and a story of no more than 800 words. ALL winners receive R1,000. Only winning entrants will be contacted. E-mail travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za..