Photos

Locals visiting Menara garden.

Menara gardens are located at the west of Marrakech, Morocco at the gates of the Atlas mountains. They were built in the 12th century (c. 1130) by the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu'min.

The name menara term derives from the pavillon with its small green, piramid roof (menzeh). The pavilion was built by the 16th century Saadi dynasty and renovated in 1869 by sultan Abderrahmane of Morocco who used to stay here in summertime.

The pavilion and basin (an artificial lake) are surrounded by orchards and olive groves. The intention of the basin was to irrigate the surrounding gardens and orchards using a sophisticated system called Qanat. The basin is supplied with water thanks to an old hydraulic system which conveys water from the mountains located at 30 km approximately away from Marrakech.