Guide 02 of 08
Inside the Riad
The house that faces itself
What happens behind the unmarked door — the bathroom, the bed, the cold, the noise.
11 observations
Why is the riad so hard to find?
The door is designed to be invisible. No signs, no shop front, often the same colour as the wall — that's intentional privacy architecture, not poor signage. Most riads send someone to meet guests or guide them in by WhatsApp. The route clicks after you've walked it once. Until then, it's genuinely confusing and that's part of the design.
You're not lost. The door is designed to be invisible. That's the point.
Why does the first night in a riad feel unsettling?
Jet lag, unfamiliar silence, unidentifiable sounds — cats on the roof, the call to prayer at 4am, deep courtyard shadows, and the open boundary between your room and the night sky. Your brain is scanning an unknown environment for threats. Completely normal. By the third night, it stands down.
Read more →Why do riad rooms only have windows facing inward?
Riad rooms have windows — but they open onto the courtyard, not the street. Islamic residential architecture treats privacy as a right: if there are no street-facing windows, no one can see in. The courtyard gives light, air, and the sound of water instead of traffic.
Read more →Why do riads feel cooler inside than outside, even without AC?
Thick earthen walls, a central courtyard pulling hot air upward, shade geometry, a fountain adding moisture to the breeze — a riad can sit 10–15°C below street temperature without a single watt of electricity. The building is the air conditioning.
Read more →Why do riads feel humid, especially at night?
Courtyard fountains, thick earth walls that retain moisture, and limited air exchange between enclosed rooms create higher relative humidity indoors. At night, temperature drops cause condensation on cool wall surfaces.
Read more →Why do riad bathrooms sometimes smell?
Dry water traps. That's it. Riads predate modern plumbing by centuries, and vent stacks that release sewer gas above the roof are nearly impossible to retrofit through metre-thick earth walls. Running water briefly through all the drains refills the traps and the smell vanishes.
You smell it at 3am. You've just arrived, the riad is beautiful, the courtyard has a fountain — and the bathroom smells like something died beneath the floor.
Why can you hear everything inside a riad?
The open courtyard is a vertical amphitheatre. Hard surfaces of zellige, plaster, and stone amplify every sound — a cough downstairs, a door bolt, someone's alarm at 6am. Traditional wooden doors have gaps and ventilation openings that were designed for airflow, not privacy. Upper floors are quieter. You're sleeping inside an acoustic instrument.
Read more →Why are Moroccan beds so hard?
Moroccan mattress tradition favours firm, thin surfaces — often wool-stuffed or high-density foam on solid bases. It descends from the sedari (wall-bench) tradition where firmness signals quality. Higher-end guesthouses increasingly stock European-style mattresses, but the default is firm enough to notice.
Read more →Why is it so cold inside in winter?
Thermal mass works both ways. The thick rammed-earth walls that keep riads gloriously cool in summer absorb cold in winter and radiate it inward. Marrakech nights drop to 5–8°C from November through February. Most traditional riads weren't built with heating. The well-managed ones have invested in it since — but not all of them, and not equally.
Read more →Why is it so loud in the medina at night?
Stone walls carry sound. Courtyards amplify it. And there's no buffer between a wedding next door and your pillow. Morocco's Law 11-03 does protect residents from noise nuisance — fines up to 40,000 dirhams — but enforcement works at neighbourhood speed, not hotel-complaint speed.
Read more →Can you file a noise complaint in Morocco?
Yes. Law 11-03 (Article 47) prohibits noise nuisance — fines up to 40,000 dirhams. Penal Code Article 609 addresses nocturnal disturbances. Law 15-91 prohibits public smoking. The complaint chain: moqaddem → arrondissement → procureur du Roi. A constat d'huissier (bailiff's report) with timestamps and evidence strengthens your case. The legal framework exists and is being strengthened as Morocco modernises urban governance.
Read more →