Marrakech		Academia Arabesca's Morocco headquarters is in Marrakech. From Marrakech, one can easily access the desert and the coast. The Atlas Mountain foothills are about half an hour by road. The nearest coastal city to Marrakech is Essaouira - three and a half hours by coach.
Riad Arabesca		Academia Arabesca has two riads in Marrakech. The larger of the two is Riad Arabesca, the smaller is called Dar Gita, just a few minutes apart from each other in the heart of the Medina - the Old Town. This photo shows the courtyard of Riad Arabesca, with its bananna and orange trees and flowering bouganvilla. This Riad was originally a small part of an immense vice-sultan's palace.
		Including the courtyard, Riad Arabesca has three storeys and a terrace. This is the first floor balcony with it's two sitting areas. Behind the door is a large "Golden Room" used for special events. On the ceiling of Golden Room and above the balcony is the original hundred-year old detailed paintings.
		The Grand Hall is also on the first floor. This is the view from the Hall looking out into the courtyard. This hall is a public space for everyone. It's often used for courses, lectures, and other group activities such as playing music or dancing.
		Here's the other side of the same hall, with it's intricately carved plaster relief pattern around the top of the wall. At the end of the Grand Hall is a door that leads into the Oriental Suite - see the detailed picture below.
		The Oriental Suite has one double bed and two single beds - for one person, a couple, or even a family of four. The double bed is in the niche behind the screen, the other single bed is behind the photographer.
		On the second floor, there are three double rooms, and two smaller single rooms like this one. The largest of the double rooms has it's own shower and toilet, the other rooms share a toilet and two showers. Double or twin beds are available on request.
		On the terrace of the Riad it's very often sunny, and the view of the snow-covered High Atlas mountains is breathtaking - see the photo below.
		Looking out onto the city from the terrace of Riad Arabesca, the Koutoubia mosque is plainly visible. On a clear day, one can also see the peaks of Atlas Mountains. At night, the lighted minarets of the city are visible on all sides, as is the smoke rising from the grill restaurants of the market square, Place Jemaa El Fnaa.
Dar Gita		The view from the courtyard of Dar Gita, looking up to the balcony. Dar Gita is decorated in Berber style, typically using dark wood and less intricate painted patterns than those of Riad Arabesca. Each of the rooms in Dar Gita has woven straw matting or traditional Berber rugs or kelims on the floors.
		One of two sitting areas in the courtyard of Dar Gita.
		The upstairs terrace sitting area. The room on the left of this picture serves as a communal room, or a twin room when extra beds are required.
		A view of the three-sided balcony of Dar Gita.
		Half of the common room. Here, guests can relax individually or in groups.
		Detail of one of the double rooms in Dar Gita.
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