Welcome
on the site Marrakech
Until a few decades
ago, Morocco was known as Kingdom of Marrakesh by Arabs,
Persians and Europeans. European names of Morocco, Marruecos,
Maroc, Marokko..etc are directly derived from the Berber
word Murakush.
Marrakesh city
has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco
and also has one of the busiest squares in Africa and
the world, Djemaa el Fna.[1] The square bustles with
acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers, and
musicians. By night, the square turns into food stalls,
becoming a huge open-air restaurant.
Like many North
African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech comprises
both an old fortified city (the médina) and an
adjacent modern city (called Gueliz). It is served by
Ménara International Airport (RAK is the code
for the airport) and a rail link to Casablanca and the
north.
The city is spelled
"Marrakech" in French, "Marrakesh"
in English, "Marrakesch" in German and "Marakes"
in Turkish.
Marrakesh is
the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and
Rabat. It was known to early travellers as "Morocco
City." Prior to the advent of the Almoravids in
the 11th century, the area was ruled from the city of
Aghmat. The Almoravid leader, Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar decided
Aghmat was becoming overcrowded and chose to build a
new capital. Being a nomad from the Sahara Desert, he
decided to build it in the plains, away from the mountains
and rivers. He chose the site of Marrakech, because
it was in neutral territory between two tribes who were
vying for the honor of hosting the new capital. Work
started in May 1070, but Abu-Bakr was recalled to the
Sahara to put down a rebellion in January 1071 and the
city was completed by his deputy and eventual successor
Yusuf ibn Tashfin[2]. The city experienced its greatest
period under the leadership of Yacoub el Mansour, the
third Almohad sultan. A number of poets and scholars
entered the city during his reign and he began the construction
of the Koutoubia Mosque and a new kasbah.
Prior to the
reign of Moulay Ismail, Marrakech was the capital of
Morocco. After his reign, his grandson moved the capital
back to Marrakech from Meknès.
For centuries
Marrakesh has been known for its 'seven saints.' When
sufism was at the height of its popularity, during the
reign of Moulay Ismail, the festival of the 'seven saints'
was founded by Abu Ali al-Hassan al-Yusi at the request
of the sultan. The tombs of several renowned figures
were moved to Marrakesh to attract pilgrims in the same
way Essaouira did at that time with its Regrega festivals.
The 'seven saints' (sebaatou rizjel) is now a firmly
established institution, attracting visitors from everywhere.
The seven saints include Sidi Bel Abbas (the patron
saint of the city), Sidi Muhammad al-Jazuli, Sidi Abu
al-Qasim Al-Suhayli, Cadi Ayyad ben Moussa, Abdelaziz
al-Tebaa and Abdallah al-Ghazwani.
Marrakech was
dominated in the first half of the 20th century by T'hami
El Glaoui, Lord of the Atlas and Pasha of Marrakech.
The poet of the city was Mohammed Ben Brahim, his favorite
place was café Al-Masraf. The poems and songs
of Ben Brahim are still known by heart by many Marrakshi.
[edit] Demographics
Marrakech had a population of 1,036,500 in 2006.
Panoramic picture of the Djemaa el Fna square at sunset.
Koutoubia Mosque appears on the extreme left. The souks
are in the alleys behind the square
The official number of residents is one million. Also,
there is a very large international community consisting
mainly of Europeans: especially French, estimated at
10,700 people, mostly retired. Additionally there are
Germans, Italians, English, and Swiss.
Further information:
Demographics of Morocco
[edit] Main sights
in Marrakech
Main article: List of places in Marrakech
[edit] Trips
from Marrakech
Many tourists take a trip from Marrakech to visit the
valley of the Ourika River in the Atlas Mountains or
the valley of the Draa River in the south near the Sahara
desert, but also to Middle Atlas Mountains: Waterfalls
of Beni Mellal, and to the Essaouira on the Atlantic
ocean.
[edit] Transport
Menara International Airport serves as the main airport
for the city and receives flights from Europe and neighboring
Arab countries.
A toll-paying
motorway connects Marrakech with Casablanca.
CTM coaches (intercity
buses) and various private lines run services to most
notable Moroccan towns as well as a number of European
cities, from the Gare Routière on Rue Bab Doukkala
in downtown Marrakech.
Marrakesh is
the southern terminus of the ONCF, the Moroccan railway
network, and Marrakesh is well served by trains heading
to Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, and Fez. The train station
is located on Avenue Hassan II.
The ONCF owned
"Supratours" bus company serves towns not
served by the train. The bus timetable coordinates with
the train timetable and the bus terminal is right beside
the station.
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