Mogador Opera, Avenue Mohammed VI, Marrakech, Morocco Phone: (+ 212) 530 530 530 Mogador Opera is located right near Marrakesh train station, some 2.5km away from the old Medina. A very convenient location if you arrive by train.
Please note that the Conference is non-residential and that Authors and Participants are kindly requested to make their own arrangements for accommodation in Marrakech. We recommend staying at the conference venue to cut down on travel time and additional travel costs.
To book your accommodation at the venue of the conference, i.e., "Mogador Opera", please send an email to "Mrs BAYDABA" hoperacommercial@mogadorhotels.com with the mention "booking Africacrypt for YOUR NAME". Please CC africacrypt2018@aui.ma. The preferential rates will be around 60 Euros per night for a single room and 70 Euros for a double room including breakfast. You will need to fill in a form and send your credit card information by email/fax to Mrs BAYDABA. If you do not feel comfortable with this, you will have to book via booking.com or hotels.com or similar at market rate. For tight budgets, we recommend one of the nearby 3 stars Hotel les trois palmiers or AlMAS , which you can book via your favorite hotel booking site. Please note that no preferential rates have been arrangedwith this hotel.
Marrakesh is one of the most mystical Morocco's imperial cities. It is the fourth largest city in the country, after Casablanca, Fez and Tangier. It is the capital city of the mid-southwestern region of Marrakesh-Safi. Located to the north of the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, Marrakesh is situated 580 km (360 mi) southwest of Tangier, 327 km (203 mi) southwest of the Moroccan capital of Rabat, 239 km (149 mi) south of Casablanca, and 246 km (153 mi) northeast of Agadir. Marrakesh is possibly the most important of Morocco's four former imperial cities. The region has been inhabited by Berber farmers since Neolithic times, but the actual city was founded in 1062. In the 12th century, the Almoravids built many madrasas (Koranic schools) and mosques in Marrakesh that bear Andalusian influences. The red walls of the city, built by Ali ibn Yusuf in 1122–1123, and various buildings constructed in red sandstone during this period, have given the city the nickname of the "Red City" or "Ochre City". Marrakesh grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural, religious, and trading centre for the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa; Jemaa el-Fnaa is the busiest square in Africa. The city is situated in a narrow valley against the backdrop of the Middle Atlas, and positioned on the old crossroads of caravan routes connecting the Saharan empires like Timbuktu and Takrur with the Atlantic and the Mediterranean shipping lanes.
Marrakesh, the largest Oasis in Morocco, is home to mosques, palaces and gardens. The medina is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with mazelike alleys where thriving souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry. A symbol of the city, and visible for miles, is the Moorish minaret of 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque. Click to see the list of places to visit.
Some recent videos about Morocco and Marrakesh: Maroc: sur La route des Oasis/ Morocco: on the Oasis road Morocco view from the sky Marrakech la folie des grandeurs/Marrakesh exuberance
Morocco is a safe and stable country.
It is the travelers responsibility to check and confirm current visa requirements to enter Morocco. You may check with the the Moroccan Consulate in your country whether you need a visa and how to obtain one if necessary.
The list of documents and the visa application form can be found here.
You can check here to see if you are exempt from visa, or a if visa can be issued to you at the Moroccan boarders.
Requests for Visa Support Letters
For security purposes, the conference has policy for issuing official Visa Support Letters as follows:
Visa Support Letters will be issued via email in PDF format. Please contact the Conference Manager at africacrypt2018@aui.ma to arrange for a Visa Support Letter. You must include:
Note: Obtaining a Visa Support Letter from Africacrypt Conference will not guarantee that your visa application to enter Morocco will be approved. The letter is merely supplementary information that explains a visa applicant's intended purpose of travel to Morocco.
Guided tour of the Old Medina on Thursday May 8, 18:00-21:00 (To be confirmed)
