Situated in the new ‘M Avenue’* commercial centre of Marrakech opened in December 2021, Meydene is a 3,000 m² cultural venue, housing a 400-seat theatre, the first of its kind in Morocco, designed to host an eclectic range of entertainment and cultural events. The centre also houses a permanent exhibition (Le Parcours) of dazzling virtual reality shows highlighting the attractions of Marrakech and its region. 'Le Parcours' is a five-stage journey for anyone keen to discover the Marrakech of yesterday as well as the thriving tourist hub that it is today.
The first stage of the virtual reality experience, entitled ‘I am Marrakech’, comprises the testimonies of hundreds of local residents. Drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, each participant describes their daily life and sets out their vision for the Marrakech of tomorrow in a series of fascinating audio-visual exchanges.
The second stage, or space, called ‘Landscapes and Alleys’, leads the walker into a typical derb, a narrow, winding alleyway decorated with frescoes of 26 hand illustrated panels.
The third space, ‘the Hall of Wonders’ is the most grandiose. At this point the experience becomes vertiginous, the visual effects and sound track destabilising the senses to lead everyone to spin, fly and travel not only through the alleyways of the medina but over the Atlas Mountains too. At the end of an exhilarating journey, a final flight takes us on a dive into the waves that crash onto the Moroccan coast. Before that, the journey will have included lush gardens, labyrinthine alleyways, a typical riad patio and the modern streets of Guéliz. The Hall of Wonders trip is a simply dazzling experience.
The fourth space, entitled the ‘Island of Treasures’, features over 300 objects to represent the daily lives of Marrakesh citizens; none is chosen by chance as each tells a story attached to the lives of those who populate and criss-cross the humming streets and quiet alleyways of the ancient city.
The final space of the Meydene journey takes the form of an exhibition of photographs, a portfolio of images intended to capture each participant’s journey through time in the Ochre City.
*M Avenue is the latest ‘lifestyle destination’ of Marrakech, an open-air shopping mall with retail and gourmet brands for every taste. It also features the ‘M Art Studio’ designed to encourage the artistic development of children and adults, in the form of drama, dance and song.