Jemaa el Fna (Place of the Dead)

Jemaa el Fna square is the centre of medina life both day and night as a gathering place and unofficial stage for street theatre. For more than a millennium, the Jemaa el Fna's daily bill has featured acrobats, henna tattoo artists, storytellers, belly dancers, musicians, snake charmers and potion sellers. Mint sellers and carts selling dried fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice make way at dusk for 100 makeshift barbecue restaurants and troupes of entertainers vying for attention. Visitors should take plenty of loose change, as the performers do expect a couple of Dirhams worth of appreciation and some of the more colourful characters will pose for a photo for a small charge. That said, this is not a spectacle just for tourists; the crowd is mostly Moroccan. Jemaa el Fna is surrounded by cafés and restaurants, perfect places to escape the hustle and observe the proceedings with a mint tea, coffee or light meal. Café Argana, Café de France and Café Glacier all have roof terraces with wonderful views, although they are slightly more expensive than other local cafés.