From snake charmers to the labyrinthine old-city center, from merchants hawking colorfully woven carpets to the ornate mosques, Marrakech embodies many aspects of Morocco's fascinating heritage.

CNN: Moroccan multisport

New York City architect Richard Meier, who designed the Getty Center museum in Los Angeles, says the old design (with identical facing on each side) ignored the impact of sunlight on heating and cooling the enormous buildings.

FORBES: They Will Rise Again

That means conference-goers, after tough days spent networking, scamming CDs and doing shots of weird ethnic liquors at the FIBES convention center, spend their nights eating tapas, drinking wine from Rioja and catching shows in the old city.

NPR: The Musical Worlds of WOMEX