Marrakesh is a former imperial city of Morocco and its medina was listed as the UNESCO World Heritage. It was known as the red city because of its buildings and ramparts of beaten clay. In fact, the red city was called the “City of Seven Saints” by many Moroccans that is not a very well-known fact among most tourists.  These saints were believed to have been blessed by Allah with remarkable wisdom and strengths. The saints also had different strengths that the Muslims could seek assistance for, such as healing different kind of diseases, helping with child births, reaching life goals etc.

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Their tombs became popular destinations as pilgrimages for many centuries before the tradition slowly died down. Today, we will visit 3 or 4 out from 7 saints' tomb depending on their opening time:

1. Sidi Youssef Ben Ali nickname is "the cave man" as he went to live in a cave in a deserted place near Marrakesh when he was afflicted with leprosy at a young age. Locals expected him to die any moment, but he surprised them and survived for a long time. People started talking about his power to resist hunger and disease, and they began visiting him in the cave to receive guidance and help them solve their problems.

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2. Qadi Ayyad was the great imam of Ceuta and later, a high judge in Granada. As a scion of a notable scholarly family, he was able to learn from the best teachers, Ceuta had to offer. He became a prestigious scholar in his own right, and won the support of the highest levels of society.

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3. Sidi Bel Abbas is the most important of the Seven Saints, and is sometimes referred to as the Patron Saint of Marrakech. Sidi Bel Abbas was also a great patron of the poor and particularly the blind in the twelfth century. Even today, food for the poor is distributed regularly at his tomb.

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4. Sidi Suleiman Al Jazuli A Moroccan Sufi leader of the Berber tribe of the Jazulah. He is best known for compiling the Dala’il al-Khayrat, an extremely popular Muslim prayer book. 

5. Sidi Abdel Aziz was illiterate during his youth but later made a name for himself in Fez at the Medersat el Attarine, where he was the spiritual successor of Imam el Jazouli. It is a local tradition for women to visit his grave, drawn to the idea that he can heal their fertility and facilitate childbirth. 

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6. Sidi Abdullah Ghazouani led the resistance in the 16th century when the Portuguese invaded Marrakech.

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7. Imam Souhaili was a blind man from Malaga in Spain who moved to Marrakech in the 12th century. He was famous for knowing the whole Quran by heart. 

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At the evening, we will visit the largest traditional market Jemaa El Fna.

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