Tourism in Morocco Medina of Marrakesh
marrakesh or marrakesh is the fourth largest city in the kingdom of morocco it is one of the four imperial cities of morocco and is the capital of the marrakesh safi region the city is situated west of the foothills of the atlas mountains marrakech is 580 kilometers southwest of tangier 327 kilometers southwest of the moroccan capital of rabat 239 kilometers south of casablanca and 246 kilometers northeast of agadir the region has been inhabited by berber farmers since neolithic times the city was founded in 1070 by emir abu bakr ibn umar as the imperial capital of the al-muraved empire the al-muravids established the first major structures in the city and shaped its layout for centuries to come the red walls of the city built by ali ibn yusuf in 1122-1123 and various buildings constructed in red sandstone afterwards have given the city the nickname of the red city or ochre city marrakech grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural religious and trading center for the maghreb and sub-saharan africa jamal efenna is the busiest square in africa after a period of decline the city was surpassed by fez and in the early 16th century marrakech again became the capital of the kingdom the city regained its preeminence under wealthy saudi and sultans of dala al ghalib and ahmad al-mansar who embellished the city with sumptuous palaces such as the albati palace and restored many ruined monuments beginning in the 17th century the city became popular among sufi pilgrims for its seven patron saints who are entombed here in 1912 the french protectorate in morocco was established and tahami el-ghlawi became pasha of marrakesh and held this position nearly throughout the protectorate until the role was dissolved upon the independence of morocco and the re-establishment of the monarchy in 1956 marrakech comprises an old fortified city packed with vendors and their stalls this medina quarter is a unesco world heritage site today it is one of the busiest cities in africa and serves as a major economic center and tourist destination real estate and hotel development in marrakech have grown dramatically in the 21st century marrakech is particularly popular with the french and numerous french celebrities own property in the city marrakech has the largest traditional market in morocco with some 18 suits selling wares ranging from traditional berber carpets to modern consumer electronics crafts employ a significant percentage of the population who primarily sell their products to tourists marrakech is served by manara international airport and by marrakech railway station which connects the city to casablanca and northern morocco marrakesh has several universities and schools including caddy ayad university a number of moroccan football clubs are here including najam de marakesh kac marrakesh muludia de marakesh and shay ali club de marakesh the marrakesh street circuit hosts the world touring car championship auto gp and fia formula 2 championship races etymology the exact meaning of the name is debated one possible origin of the name marakesh is from the berber word zamura kush which means land of god according to historian susan searight however the town's name was first documented in an 11th century manuscript in the carowian library in fez where its meaning was given as country of the sons of cush the word myrrh is used now in berber mostly in the feminine form to mert the same word myrrh appears in mauritania the north african kingdom from antiquity although the link remains controversial as this name possibly originates from morrow's mavros the ancient greek word for black the common english spelling is marrakech although marrakech is also widely used the name is spelled maracay c in the berber latin alphabet maroques in portuguese marrakech in spanish a typical pronunciation in moroccan arabic is marrakech with stress on the second syllable while vowels and the other syllables may be barely pronounced from medieval times until around the beginning of the 20th century the entire country of morocco was known as the kingdom of marrakesh as the kingdom's historic capital city was often marrakesh the name for morocco is still marrakesh to this day in persian and urdu as well as many other south asian languages various european names for morocco are directly derived from the berber word murakush conversely the city itself was in earlier times simply called morocco city by travelers from abroad the name of the city in the country diverged after the treaty of fez divided morocco into a french protectorate in morocco and spanish protectorate in morocco and the old interchangeable usage lasted widely until about the interregnum of muhammad ben arafa the latter episode set in motion the country's return to independence when morocco officially became its name no longer referring to the city of marrakech marrakech is known by a variety of nicknames including the red city the okr city and the daughter of the desert and has been the focus of poetic analogies such as when comparing the city to a drum that beats an african identity into the complex soul of morocco history the marrakesh area was inhabited by berber farmers from neolithic times and numerous stone implements have been unearthed in the area marrakesh was founded by abu bakr ibn umar chieftain and second cousin of the al-muravid king yusuf ibn tashfin historical sources cite a variety of dates for this event ranging between 1062 according to ibn abizar and ibn kalden and 1078 according to muhammad al-adrisi the date most commonly accepted by modern historians is 1070 although 1062 is still cited by some writers the al-muravids a berber dynasty seeking to reform islamic society ruled an emirate stretching from the edge of senegal to the center of spain and from the atlantic coast to algiers they used marrakech as their capital and established its first structures including mosques and a fortified residence the kasar al-hayyar near the present-day kutubaya mosque these al-muravid foundations also influenced the layout and urban organization of the city for centuries to come for example the present-day jamaa al-fana originated from a public square in front of the al-maravad palace gates the rabbat al-qasar and the major sukes of the city developed roughly in the area between this square and the city's main musk where they remained today the city developed the community into a trading center for the maghreb and sub-saharan africa it grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural and religious center supplanting agmet which had long been the capital of hawuz and illusion craftsmen from cordoba and seville built and decorated numerous monuments importing the umayyad style characterized by carved domes and cusped arches this andalusian influence merged with designs from the sahara and west africa creating a unique style of architecture which was fully adapted to the marrakesh environment yusuf ibn tashfin built houses minted coins and brought gold and silver to the city and caravans his son and successor ali ibn yusuf built the ben youssef musk the city's main musk between 1120 and 1132. he also fortified the city with city walls for the first time in 1126 to 1127 and expanded its water supply by creating the underground water system known as the ketera in 1125 the preacher ibn tumar settled in tin mall in the mountains to the south of marrakech founding the almahad movement this new faction composed mainly of massmuta tribesmen followed a doctrine of radical reform with ibn tumar as the mahdi a messianic figure he preached against the elmer ovids and influenced a revolt which succeeded in bringing about the fall of nearby agmet but stopped short of bringing down marrakech following an unsuccessful siege in 11 30. ibn tumar died shortly after in the same year but his successor abed al-muman took over the political leadership of the movement and captured marrakech in 1147 after a siege of several months the alma heads purged the al-muravid population over three days and established the city as their new capital they went on to take over much of the almoravid's former territory in africa and the iberian peninsula in 1147 shortly after the city's conquest abid al-muman founded the kutubaya mosque next to the former al-muravid palace to serve as the city's new main mosque the al-muravid mosques were either demolished or abandoned as the alma heads enacted their religious reforms abid al-muman was also responsible for establishing the manara gardens in 1157 while his successor abu yak abusif began the agdahl gardens jacob al-mansour possibly on the orders of his father abu yakub yusuf was responsible for building the kasbah a citadel and palace district on the south side of the city the casbah housed the center of government and the residence of the caliph a title borne by the almahad rulers to rival the eastern abbasid caliphate in part because of these various additions the alma had also improved the water supply system and created water reservoirs to irrigate their gardens thanks to its economic political and cultural importance marrakech hosted many writers artists and intellectuals many of them from al andalus including the famous philosopher avros of cordoba the death of yusuf 2 in 1224 began a period of instability marrakesh became the stronghold of the almahad tribal shakes and the al-addar who sought to claw power back from the ruling almahad family marrakesh was taken lost and retaken by force multiple times by a stream of caliphs and pretenders such as during the brutal seizure of marrakesh by the civilian caliph avid al-wahid ii al-mahman in 1226 which was followed by a massacre of the almahad tribal shakes and their families in a public denunciation of evan turmer's doctrines by the caliph from the pulpit of the cosby mosque after al-mahmond's death in 1232 his widow attempted to forcibly install her son acquiring the support of the almahad army chiefs and spanish mercenaries with the promise to hand marrakesh over to them for the sack hearing of the terms the people of marrakesh sought to make an agreement with the military captains and saved the city from destruction with a sizeable payoff of 500 000 dinars in 1269 marrakesh was conquered by nomadic sonata tribes who overran the last of the alma heads the city then fell into a state of decline which soon led to the loss of its status as capital to rival city fez in the early 16th century marrakech again became the capital of morocco after a period when it was the seat of the hintada emirs it quickly re-established its status especially during the reigns of the saudi and sultans abdallah al-ghalib and ahmad al-mansour thanks to the wealth amassed by the sultans marrakesh was embellished with sumptuous palaces while its ruined monuments were restored al-badi palace begun by ahmad al-mansour in 1578 was made with costly materials including marble from italy the palace was intended primarily for hosting lavish receptions for ambassadors from spain england and the ottoman empire showcasing saudi and morocco as a nation whose power and influence reached as far as the borders of niger and mali under the saudian dynasty marrakech regained its former position as a point of contact for caravan roots from the maghreb the mediterranean and sub-saharan africa for centuries marrakech has been known as the location of the tombs of morocco's seven patron saints when sufism was at the height of its popularity during the late 17th century reign of moulay ismail the festival of these saints was founded by abu ali al-hasan al-usi at the request of the sultan the tombs of several renowned figures were moved to marrakesh to attract pilgrims and the pilgrimage associated with the seven saints is now a firmly established institution pilgrims visit the tombs of the saints in a specific order as follows sidi yusuf ali sanhaji a leper kadhi ayat or kadhi of suda a theologian and author of ash shifa siti bellabas known as the patron saint of the city and most revered in the region sidi muhammad al jazuli a well-known sufi who founded the jizuli brotherhood abdelaziz al-tabah a student of al jazuli abdallah al-ghazwani known as moulay al-kasor and sidi abu al-qasim al-suhaili also known as imam al-suhaili until 1867 european christians were not authorized to enter the city unless they acquired special permission from the sultan east european jews were permitted during the early 20th century marrakesh underwent several years of unrest after the premature death in 1900 of the grand vizier ba ahmed who had been designated regent until the designated sultan abed al-aziz became of age the country was plagued by anarchy tribal revolts the plotting of feudal lords and european intrigues in 1907 marakesh caliph moulay abed al-hafid was proclaimed sultan by the powerful tribes of the high atlas and by ulama scholars who denied the legitimacy of his brother abed al-aziz it was also in 1907 that dr moshamp a french doctor was murdered in marrakech suspected of spying for his country france used the event as a pretext for sending its troops from the eastern moroccan town of ugda to the major metropolitan center of casablanca in the west the french colonial army encountered strong resistance from ahmed al-hiba a son of sheikh ma'al enan who arrived from the sahara accompanied by his nomadic regibot tribal warriors on the 30th of march 1912 the french protectorate in morocco was established after the battle of sidi beau othman which saw the victory of the french mangan column over the al-hiba forces in september 1912. the french seized marrakech the conquest was facilitated by the rallying of the imborn tribes and their leaders from the powerful glauwei family leading to a massacre of marrakech citizens in the resulting turmoil tahami el-ghlawi known as lord of the atlas became pasha of marrakesh a post he held virtually throughout the 44-year duration of the protectorate glowy dominated the city and became famous for his collaboration with the general residence authorities culminating in a plot to dethrone muhammad ben youssef and replace him with the sultan's cousin benarafa glowy already known for his amorous adventures and lavish lifestyle became a symbol of morocco's colonial order he could not however subdue the rise of nationalist sentiment nor the hostility of a growing proportion of the inhabitants nor could he resist pressure from france who agreed to terminate its moroccan protectorate in 1956 due to the launch of the algerian war immediately following the end of the war in indochina in which moroccans had been conscripted to fight in vietnam on behalf of the french army after two successive exiles to corsica and madagascar muhammad ben youssef was allowed to return to morocco in november 1955 bringing an end to the despotic rule of glauwei over marrakech and the surrounding region a protocol giving independence to morocco was then signed on the 2nd of march 1956 between french foreign minister christian pineau and ambarik ben bakai since the independence of morocco marrakech has thrived as a tourist destination in the 1960s and early 1970s the city became a trendy hippie mecca it attracted numerous western rock stars and musicians artists film directors and actors models and fashion divas leading tourism revenues to double in morocco between 1965 and 1970. yves saint laurent the beatles the rolling stones and jean paul getty all spent significant time in the city laurent bought a property here and renovated the majorelle gardens expatriates especially those from france have invested heavily in marrakech since the 1960s and developed many of the riads and palaces old buildings were renovated in the old medina new residences and commuter villages were built in the suburbs and new hotels began to spring up united nations agencies became active in marrakech beginning in the 1970s and the city's international political presence has subsequently grown in 1985 unesco declared the old town area of marrakesh a unesco world heritage site raising international awareness of the cultural heritage of the city in the 1980s patrick garand hermes purchased the 30 acres in el quasimo built by the family of leo tolstoy on the 15th of april 1994 the marrakesh agreement was signed here to establish a world trade organization and in march 1997 marrakech served as the site of the world water council's first world water forum which was attended by over 500 international participants in the 21st century property and real estate development in the city has boomed with a dramatic increase in new hotels and shopping centers fueled by the policies of muhammad vi of morocco who aims to increase the number of tourists annually visiting morocco to 20 million by 2020. in 2010 a major gas
explosion occurred in the city on the 28th of april 2011 a bomb attack took place in the jamaa al-afina square killing 15 people mainly foreigners the blast destroyed the nearby argonna cafe police sources arrested three suspects and claimed the chief suspect was loyal to al-qaeda although al-qaeda and the islamic maghreb denied involvement in november 2016 the city hosted the 2016 united nations climate change conference geography by road marrakech is 580 kilometers southwest of tangier 327 kilometers southwest of the moroccan capital of rabat 239 kilometers southwest of casablanca 196 kilometers southwest of benimelo 177 kilometers east of asura and 246 kilometers northeast of agadir the city has expanded north from the old center with suburbs such as dodiet dior el masakine sidi abad sakhar and amrit to the southeast with seedy yusuf ben ali to the west with masira and targa and southwest to muhammad beyond the airport on the p-2017 road bleeding south out of the city are large villages such as durlana tugana laguasam and lahabichate bleeding eventually through desert to the town of tono at the edge of the high atlas the highest mountainous barrier in north africa the average elevation of the snow-covered high atlas lies above 3000 meters it is mainly composed of jurassic limestone the mountain range runs along the atlantic coast then rises to the east of agadir and extends northeast into algeria before disappearing into tunisia the city is located in the tenceft river valley with the tensift river passing along the northern edge of the city the arika river valley is about 30 kilometers south of marrakech the silvery valley of the arika river curving north towards marrakesh and the red heights of jebel yogurt still capped with snow to the south are sights in this area david prescott barrows who describes marrakesh as morocco's strangest city describes the landscape in the following terms the city lies some 15 or 20 miles from the foot of the atlas mountains which here rise to their grandest proportions the spectacle of the mountains is superb through the clear desert air the eye can follow the rugged contours of the range for great distances to the north and eastward the winter snows mantle them with white and the turquoise sky gives a setting for their gray rocks and gleaming caps that is of unrivalled beauty with 130 000 hectares of greenery and over 180 000 palm trees in its pulmonary marrakesh is an oasis of rich plant variety throughout the seasons fragrant orange fig pomegranate and olive trees display their color and fruits in agdal garden manara garden and other gardens in the city the city's gardens feature numerous native plants alongside other species that have been imported over the course of the centuries including giant bamboos yuccas papyrus palm trees banana trees cypress philodendrons rose bushes bougainvilleas pines and various kinds of cactus plants climate a hot semi-arid climate predominates at marrakech average temperatures range from 12 degrees celsius in the winter to 26 to 30 degrees celsius in the summer the relatively wet winter and dry summer precipitation pattern of marrakesh mirrors precipitation patterns found in mediterranean climates however the city receives less rain than is typically found in a mediterranean climate resulting in a semi-arid climate classification between 1961 and 1990 the city averaged 281.3 millimeters of precipitation annually barrows says of the climate the region of marrakesh is frequently described as desert in character but to one familiar with the southwestern parts of the united states the locality does not suggest the desert rather an area of seasonal rainfall where moisture moves underground rather than by surface streams and where low brush takes the place of the forests of more heavily watered regions the location of marrakesh on the north side of the atlas rather than the south prevents it from being described as a desert city and it remains the northern focus of the saharan lines of communication and its history its types of dwellers and its commerce and arts are all related to the great south atlas spaces that reach further into the sahara desert demographics according to the 2014 census the population of marrakesh was 928 850 against 843 5575 in 2004. the number of households in 2014 was 217 245 against 173 603 in 2004. economy marrakech is a vital component to the economy and culture of morocco improvements to the highways from marrakesh to casablanca agadir and the local airport have led to a dramatic increase in tourism in the city which now attracts over 2 million tourists annually because of the importance of tourism to morocco's economy king muhammad vi has vowed to attract 20 million tourists a year to morocco by 2020 doubling the number of tourists from 2012. the city is popular with the
french and many french celebrities have bought property in the city including fashion moguls yves saint laurent and jean-paul gaultier in the 1990s very few foreigners lived in the city and real estate developments have dramatically increased in the last 15 years by 2005 over 3 000 foreigners had purchased properties in the city lured by its culture and the relatively cheap house prices it has been cited in french weekly magazine la pointe as the second saint tropez no longer simply a destination for a scattering of adventurous elites bohemians or backpackers seeking arabian night's fantasies marrakech is becoming a desirable stopover for the european jet set however despite the tourism boom the majority of the city's inhabitants are still poor and as of 2010 some 20 000 households still have no access to water or electricity many enterprises in the city are facing colossal debt problems despite the global economic crisis that began in 2007 investments in real estate progressed substantially in 2011 both in the area of tourist accommodation and social housing the main developments have been in facilities for tourists including hotels and leisure centers such as golf courses and health spas with investments of 10.9 billion dirham in 2011. the hotel infrastructure in recent years has experienced rapid growth in 2012 alone 19 new hotels were scheduled to open a development boom often compared to dubai royal ranch's marrakesh one of gulf finance house's flagship projects in morocco is a 380 hectares resort under development in the suburbs and one of the world's first five-star equestrian resorts the resort is expected to make a significant contribution to the local and national economy creating many jobs and attracting thousands of visitors annually as of april 2012 it was about 45 complete the avenue muhammad vi formerly avenue to france is a major city thoroughfare it has seen rapid development of residential complexes and many luxury hotels avenue muhammad vi contains what is claimed to be africa's largest nightclub pacha marrakesh a trendy club that plays house and electro house music it also has two large cinema complexes la colise a gillies and cinema riff and a new shopping precinct almazar trade and crafts are extremely important to the local tourism-fueled economy there are 18 suits in marrakech employing over 40 000 people in pottery copperware leather and other crafts the souks contain a massive range of items from plastic sandals to palestinian style scarves imported from india or china local boutiques are adept at making western style clothes using moroccan materials the birmingham post comments the souk offers an incredible shopping experience with a myriad of narrow winding streets that lead through a series of smaller markets clustered by trade through the squawking chaos of the poultry market the gory fascination of the open air butcher shops and the uncountable number of small and specialist traders just wandering around the streets can pass an entire day marrakech has several supermarkets including marjan asima aswak salaam and kharfar and three major shopping centres al-mazar mall plaza marrakesh and marjane square a branch of kharfur opened in almazar mall in 2010.
industrial production in the city is centered in the neighborhood of sidi ghanim al-massar containing large factories workshops storage depots and showrooms cements morocco a subsidiary of a major italian cement firm has a factory in marrakech the aero expo marrakesh international exhibition of aeronautical industries and services is held here as is the riyadh art expo marrakech is one of north africa's largest centers of wildlife trade despite the illegality of most of this trade much of this trade can be found in the medina and adjacent squares tortoises are particularly popular for sale as pets and barber emicox and snakes can also be seen the majority of these animals suffer from poor welfare conditions in these stalls politics marrakech the regional capital constitutes a prefecture level administrative unit of morocco marrakech prefecture forming part of the region of marrakesh safi marrakesh is a major center for law and jurisdiction in morocco and most of the major courts of the region are here these include the regional court of appeal the commercial court the administrative court the court of first instance the court of appeal of commerce and the administrative court of appeal numerous organizations of the region are based here including the regional government administrative offices the regional council of tourism office and regional public maintenance organizations such as the governed autonomous water supply and electricity and maroque telecom testament to marrakech's development as a modern city on the 12th of june 2009 fatima zara minsori a then 33 year old lawyer and daughter of a former assistant to the local authority chief in marrakech was elected the first female mayor of the city defeating outgoing mayor omar jazuli by 54 votes to 35 in a municipal council vote minsori became the second woman in the history of morocco to obtain a mayoral position after asmachabi mayor of asura and was elected to serve as marrakech's mayor for a second term in september 2021. since the legislative elections in november 2011 the ruling political party in marrakech has for the first time been the justice and development party or pdj which also rules at the national level the party which advocates islamism and islamic democracy won five seats the national rally of independence took one seat while the pam won three in the partial legislative elections for the gelli's ennical constituency in october 2012 the pdj under the leadership of ahmed el-mutasadiq was again declared the winner with 10 452 votes the pam largely consisting of friends of king muhammad vi came in second place with 9 794 votes landmark's jamaa lfn of the jamal efenna is one of the best-known squares in africa and is the center of city activity and trade it has been described as a world-famous square a metaphorical urban icon a bridge between the past and the present the place where moroccan tradition encounters modernity it has been part of the unesco world heritage site since 1985. the square's name has several possible meanings the most plausible etymology endorsed by historians is that it meant ruined musk or mosque of annihilation referring to the construction of a mosque within the square in the late 16th century that was left unfinished and fell into ruin the square was originally an open space for markets located on the east side of the kassar el-hayar the main fortress and palace of the al-marava dynasty who founded marrakesh following the takeover of the city by the alma heads a new royal palace complex was founded to the south of the city and the old el moravid palace was abandoned but the market square remained subsequently with the fluctuating fortunes of the city jamal fns saw periods of decline and renewal historically this square was used for public executions by rulers who sought to maintain their power by frightening the public the square attracted dwellers from the surrounding desert and mountains to trade here and stalls were raised in the square from early in its history the square attracted tradesmen snake charmers dancing boys of the clay atlas tribe and musicians playing pipes tambourines and african drums today the square attracts people from a diversity of social and ethnic backgrounds and tourists from all around the world snake charmers acrobats magicians mystics musicians monkey trainers herb sellers storytellers dentists pickpockets and entertainers in medieval garb still populate the square sook's marrakesh has the largest traditional market in morocco and the image of the city is closely associated with its souks historically the souks of marrakesh were divided into retail areas for particular goods such as leather carpets metalwork and pottery these divisions still roughly exist with significant overlap many of the souks sell items like carpets and rugs traditional muslim attire leather bags and lanterns haggling is still a very important part of trade in the souks one of the largest suits is souk cemerene which sells everything from brightly colored bejeweled sandals and slippers and leather poofs to jewelry and captains souk abloo contains stalls which specialize in lemons chilies capers pickles green red and black olives and mint a common ingredient of moroccan cuisine and tea similarly soup quesache specializes in dried fruit and nuts including dates figs walnuts cashews and apricots rava kedima contains stalls selling hand woven baskets natural perfumes knitted hats scarves t-shirts ramadan tea ginseng and alligator and iguana skins the creeper bear to the northeast of this market is noted for its dark berber carpets and rugs suk shiafan is known for its jewelry and suksmana nearby is noted for its extensive collection of babushes and belts suk cheratine specializes in leatherwear and sukpolarov sells modern consumer goods sukhadadeen specializes in ironware and lanterns the medina is also famous for its street food machui ali is particularly famous for selling slow-roasted lamb dishes the ensemble artisanal located near the catubia mosque is a government-run complex of small arts and crafts which offers a range of leather goods textiles and carpets young apprentices are taught a range of crafts in the workshop at the back of this complex city walls and gates the ramparts of marrakesh which stretch for some 19 kilometers around the medina of the city were built by the al-maravids in the 12th century as protective fortifications the walls are made of a distinct orange red clay and chalk giving the city its nickname is that red city they stand up to 19 feet high and have 20 gates and 200 towers along them of the city's gates one of the best known is bab agnow built in the late 12th century by the almahad caliph jacob al-mansour as the main public entrance to the new casbah the berber name agnow like nawa refers to people of sub-saharan african origin the gate was called bab alcohol or babal kusar in some historical sources the corner pieces are embellished with floral decorations this ornamentation is framed by three panels marked with an inscription from the quran in mcgrebby script using foliated kufic letters which were also used in al andalus bab agnow was renovated and its opening reduced in size during the rule of sultan muhammad bin abdallah the medina has at least eight main historic gates babtukala babel chemis babad debba babalen babagmet babur rob babel mazin and babel orissa these date back to the 12th century during the almuravad period and many have them have been modified since bab ducala is in general more massive and less ornamented than the other gates it takes its name from ducalla area on the atlantic coast well to the north of marrakech babel chemist is in the medina's northeastern corner and is named for the open-air thursday market it is one of the city's main gates and features a man-made spring babad deba to the east has one of the most complex layouts of any gate with an interior passage that turns multiple times babalin is located slightly further south of it babagmit is one of the city's main southern gates located east of the jewish and muslim cemeteries and near the tomb of ali ibn yusuf babur raab is the other main southern exit from the city located near bab agnow it has a curious position and layout which may be the result of multiple modifications to the surrounding area over the years it provides access to roads leading to the mountain towns of amismas and osny gardens the city is home to a number of gardens both historical and modern the largest and oldest gardens in the city are the manara gardens to the west and the agdahl gardens to the south the manara gardens were established in 1157 by the alma head ruler abet al-muman they are centered around a large water reservoir surrounded by orchards and olive groves a 19th century pavilion stands at the edge of the reservoir the agdahl gardens were established during the reign of abu yak abusif and extend over a larger area today containing several water basins and palace structures the agdahl gardens cover about 340 hectares and are surrounded by a circuit of pisa walls while the manara gardens cover around 96 hectares the water reservoirs for both gardens were supplied with water through an old hydraulic system known as keteras which conveyed water from the foothills of the nearby atlas mountains the majorelle garden on avenue yakubel mansour was at one time the home of the landscape painter jacques majorel famed designer yves saint laurent bought and restored the property which features a steel erected in his memory and the museum of islamic art which is housed in a dark blue building the garden opened to the public since 1947 has a large collection of plants from five continents including cacti palms and bamboo the catubia mosque is also flanked by another set of gardens the kotoubia gardens they feature orange and palm trees and are frequented by storks the mammounia gardens more than 100 years old and named after prince moulay mamoon have olive and orange trees as well as a variety of floral displays in 2016 artist andre heller opened the acclaimed garden anima near arika which combines a large collection of plants palms bamboo and cacti as well as works by keith herring a ghost rodan hans werner gertz and other artists palaces and ryadz the historic wealth of the city is manifested in palaces mansions and other lavish residences the best-known palaces today are the el badi palace and the bahia palace as well as the main royal palace which is still in use as one of the official residences of the king of morocco riads are common in marrakech based on the design of the roman villa they are characterized by an open central garden courtyard surrounded by high walls this construction provided the occupants with privacy and lowered the temperature within the building numerous riads and historic residences exist through the old city with the oldest documented examples dating back to the saudian period while many others date from the 19th and 20th centuries mosques the khatubia mosque is one of the largest and most famous mosques in the city located southwest of jamaa lfna the mosque was founded in 1147 by the alma had caliph abit al-muman a second version of the mosque was entirely rebuilt by abet al-muman around 11 58 with jacob al-mansour possibly finalizing construction of the minaret around 1195. this second mosque is the structure that stands today it is considered a major example of almahad architecture and of moroccan mosque architecture generally its minaret tower the tallest in the city at 77 metres in height is considered an important landmark and symbol of marrakesh it likely influenced other buildings such as the geralda of seville and the hassan tower of rabat ben yousuf mosque is named after the al-maravad sultan ali ibn yusuf who built the original mosque in the 12th century to serve as the city's main friday mosque after being abandoned during the alma head period and falling into ruin it was rebuilt in the 1560s by abdallah al ghalib and then completely rebuilt again moulay slimming at the beginning of the 19th century the 16th century ben youssef madrassa is located next to it also next to it is the kuba baadian or al-miravid kuba a rare architectural remnant of the al-maravid period which was excavated and restored in the 20th century the kuba a domed kiosk structure demonstrates a sophisticated style and is an important indication of the art and architecture of the period the cosby mosque overlooks place mouli yazid in the kasbah district of marrakech close to the el badi palace it was built by the alma head caliph jacob al-mansour in the late 12th century to serve as the main mosque of the casbah where he and his high officials resided it contended with the kotoubia mosque for prestige and the decoration of its minaret was highly influential in subsequent moroccan architecture the mosque was repaired by the saudi sultan mule abdallah al-ghalib following a devastating explosion at a nearby gunpowder reserve in the second half of the 16th century notably the sardian tombs were built just outside at southern wall in this period among the other notable mosques of the city is the 14th century bensala mosque located east of the medina center it is one of the only major marinet era monuments in the city the mwasi mosque was built by the saudi and sultan abdullah al-ghalib between 1562-63 and 1572-73 it was part of a larger architectural complex which included a library hamam and a madrasa the complex also included a large ornate street fountain known as the mossine fountain which still exists today the bac du kala mosque built around the same time further west has a similar layout and style as the mossy mosque both the mwaseen and bab du kala mosques appear to have been originally designed to anchor the development of new neighborhoods after the relocation of the jewish district from this area to the new mela near the casbah tomb's one of the most famous funerary monuments in the city is the saudian tombs which were built in the 16th century as a royal necropolis for the saudian dynasty it is located next to the south wall of the kasbah mosque the necropolis contains the tombs of many saudi and rulers including muhammad al-shaikh abdallah al-ghalib and ahmad al-mansour as well as various family members and later sultans it consists of two main structures each with several rooms standing within a garden enclosure the most important graves are marked by horizontal tombstones of finely carved marble while others are merely covered in colorful zelig tiles almanseer's mausoleum chamber is especially rich in decoration with a roof of carved and painted cedar wood supported on 12 columns of carrara marble and with walls decorated with geometric patterns in zelig tile work and vegetal motifs in carved stucco the chamber next to it originally a prayer room equipped with a mirror was later repurposed as a mausoleum for members of the alawite dynasty the city also holds the tombs of many sufi figures of these there are seven patron saints of the city which are visited every year by pilgrims during the seven-day ziera pilgrimage during this time pilgrims visit the tombs in the following order sidi yusuf ibn ali sanhaji sidi al-qadi ayat al-yasubi sidi bella and lastly sidi abdaram and al-suhaili many of these mausoleums also serve as the focus of their own zawiyas including the zawiyah and mosque of sidi bel abes the zawi of al jazuli the zawi of sidi abdelaziz the zawiyah of sidi yusuf ibn ali and the zawi of sidi al-ghazwani mela the mela of marrakesh is the old jewish quarter of the city located as in the cosby area of the city's medina east of place day for blanteers it was created in 1558 by the saudians at the site where the sultan stables were at the time the jewish community consisted of a large portion of the city's bankers jewelers metal workers tailors and sugar traders during the 16th century the mello had its own fountains gardens synagogues and souks until the arrival of the french in 1912 jews could not own property outside of the mela all growth was consequently contained within the limits of the neighborhood resulting in narrow streets small shops and higher residential buildings the mela today reconfigured as a mainly residential zone renamed hayes currently occupies an area smaller than its historic limits and has an almost entirely muslim population the slat alazama synagogue built around a central courtyard is in the mela the jewish cemetery here is the largest of its kind in morocco characterized by whitewashed tombs and sandy graves the cemetery is within the medina on land adjacent to the mela according to the world jewish congress there were only 250 moroccan jews remaining in marrakech hotels is one of the principal tourist cities in africa marrakech has over 400 hotels mammoonia hotel is a five-star hotel in the art deco moroccan fusion style built in 1925 by henri prostinay marshes it is considered the most eminent hotel of the city and has been described as the grand dame of marrakech hotels the hotel has hosted numerous internationally renowned people including winston churchill prince charles of wales and mick jagger churchill used to relax within the gardens of the hotel and paint there the 231-room hotel which contains a casino was refurbished in 1986 and again in 2007 by french designer jacques garcia other hotels include eden andalu hotel hotel marrakech sofitel marrakech palm plaza hotel and spa royal mirage hotel pacina del hotel and palmere palace at the palmere rattana resort in march 2012 a corps opened its first pullman branded hotel in marrakech pullman marrakech palmere resort and spa set in a 17 hectares olive grove at la palmare the hotel has 252 rooms 16 suites six restaurants and a 535 square meters conference room culture museum's marrakesh museum the marrakesh museum housed in the dharmanebi palace in the old city center was built at the beginning of the 20th century by mehdi mineby the palace was carefully restored by the omar benjaloon foundation and converted into a museum in 1997.
the house itself represents an example of classical andalusian architecture with fountains in the central courtyard traditional seating areas a hammam and intricate tile work and carvings it has been cited as having an orgy of stalactite stucco work which drips from the ceiling and combines with a mind-boggling excess of zellage work the museum holds exhibits of both modern and traditional moroccan art together with fine examples of historical books coins and pottery produced by moroccan jewish berber and arab peoples darcy said museum darcy said museum also known as the museum of moroccan arts is to the north of the bahia palace it was the mansion of si said brother to grand vizier ba ahmad and was constructed at the same time as ahmad's own bahia palace the collection of the museum is considered to be one of the finest in morocco with jewelry from the high atlas the anti-atlas and the extreme south carpets from the haus and the high atlas oil lamps from tarudent blue pottery from saffy and green pottery from tame grout and leatherwork from marrakesh among its oldest and most significant artifacts is an early 11th century marble basin from the late californ period of cordoba spain berber museum the former home and villa of jacques majerle a blue colored building within the majorelle gardens was converted into the berber museum in 2011 after previously serving as a museum of islamic art it exhibits a variety of objects of amazing culture from across different regions of morocco other museums the house of photography of marrakesh opened by patrick manak and hamad murgani in 2009 holds exhibits of vintage moroccan photography from the 1870s to 1950s it is housed in a renovated traditional house in the medina the mlasi museum by the same owners consists of a historic 16th 17th century house in the mwasi neighborhood formerly inhabited by the family of painter abdulhai melik which was opened as a museum and cultural venue in 2014 and since 2020 has also served a museum of moroccan music in addition to hosting musical performances elsewhere in the medina the dar el baka hosts the musee de confluences which opened in 2017. the museum holds temporary exhibits highlighting different facets of moroccan culture as well as various art objects from different cultures across the world the tiscan museum is housed in another restored medina mansion and features a collection of artifacts from across the former the trans-saharan trade routes that were connected to the city various other small and often privately owned museums also exist in the medina such as the musee boacheroyte and the perfume museum darba large an art center located in a former mansion next to the ben youssef mosque also occasionally hosts art exhibits a number of art galleries and museums are also found outside the medina in gelis and its surrounding districts in the new city the museum of art and culture of marrakech opened in 2016 houses a collection of moroccan art objects and photography from the 1870s to 1970s since 2019 its collection of orientalist paintings are now housed at its sister museum the orientalist museum in the medina the museum of african contemporary art almaden is a non-profit art gallery that exhibits contemporary moroccan and african art the eve son laurent museum opened in 2017 in a new building near the jardin majorelle displays a collection of work spanning the career of french fashion designer yves son laurent it is a sister museum to the eve son laurent museum in paris music theatre and dance two types of music are traditionally associated with marrakesh berber music is influenced by andalusian classical music and typified by its owed accompaniment by contrast nawa music is loud and funky with a sound reminiscent of the blues it is performed on handmade instruments such as castanets rybabs and defs nawa music's rhythm and crescendo take the audience into a mood of trance the style is said to have emerged in marrakesh in asura as a ritual of deliverance from slavery more recently several marrakesh female music groups have also risen to popularity the tayatra royal de marakesh the institute francais and dar sharifah are major performing arts institutions in the city the tayata royal built by tunisian architect charles bakara puts on theatrical performances of comedy opera and dance in french and arabic a greater number of theatrical troupes perform outdoors and entertain tourists on the main square in the streets especially at night crafts the arts and crafts of marrakech have had a wide and enduring impact on moroccan handicrafts to the present day riyad decor is widely used in carpets and textiles ceramics woodwork metal work and zealage carpets and textiles are weaved sewn or embroidered sometimes used for upholstering moroccan women who practice craftsmanship are known as maleums and make such fine products as berber carpets and shawls made of sabra ceramics are in monochrome berber style only a limited tradition depicting bold forms and decorations woodcrafts are generally made of cedar including the riyadh doors and palace ceilings orangewood is used for making ladles known as harira thuya craft products are made of caramel colored thuya a conifer indigenous to morocco since this species is almost extinct these trees are being replanted and promoted by the artist's cooperative femmes de marakesh metal work made in marrakesh includes brass lamps iron lanterns candle holders made from recycled sardine tins and engraved brass teapots and tea trays used in the traditional serving of tea contemporary art includes sculpture and figurative paintings blue veiled tuareg figurines and calligraphy paintings are also popular festivals festivals both national and islamic are celebrated in marrakech and throughout the country and some of them are observed as national holidays cultural festivals of note held in marrakech include the national folklore festival the marrakech festival of popular arts international folklore festival marrakech folklore days and the berber festival the international film festival of marrakech which aspires to be the north african version of the cannes film festival was established in 2001. the festival which showcases over 100 films from around the world annually has attracted hollywood stars such as martin scorsese francis ford coppola susan sarandon jeremy irons roman polanski and many european arabic and indian film stars the marrakech biennial was established in 2004 by vanessa branson as a cultural festival in various disciplines including visual arts cinema video literature performing arts and architecture food surrounded by lemon orange and olive groves the city's culinary characteristics are rich and heavily spiced but not hot using various preparations of raw cell hannu a blend of dozens of spices which include ash berries chili cinnamon grains of paradise monk's pepper nutmeg and turmeric a specialty of the city and the symbol of its cuisine is tangie moraxia affectionately referred to as bint ar remed a local meal prepared with beef meat spices and smen and slow cooked in a ceramic pot in traditional oven in hot ashes tagines can be prepared with chicken lamb beef or fish adding fruit olives and preserved lemon vegetables and spices including cumin peppers saffron turmeric and ross elhanu the meal is prepared in a tagine pot and slow cooked with steam another version of tagine includes vegetables and chickpeas seasoned with flour petals tagines may also be basted with smen moroccan ghee that has a flavor similar to blue cheese shrimp chicken and lemon filled brewats are another traditional specialty of marrakesh rice is cooked with saffron raisins spices and almonds while couscous may have added vegetables a pastilla is a phyllo wrapped pie stuffed with minced chicken or pigeon that has been prepared with almonds cinnamon spices and sugar herrera soup in marrakech typically includes lamb with a blend of chickpeas lentils vermicelli and tomato paste seasoned with coriander spices and parsley kefta liver and craponet merguez and tripe stew are commonly sold at the stalls of jamaa lfna the desserts of marrakesh include chabakia tartlets of phyllo dough with dried fruit or cheesecake with dates the moroccan tea culture is practiced in marrakech green tea with mint is served with sugar from a curved teapot spout into small glasses another popular non-alcoholic drink is orange juice under the almiravids alcohol consumption was common historically hundreds of jews produced and sold alcohol in the city in the present day alcohol is sold in some hotel bars and restaurants education marrakech has several universities and schools including caddy ayad university and its component the echol nationale day sciences appliques de marrakesh which was created in 2000 by the ministry of higher education and specializes in engineering and scientific research and the faculty des sciences at techniques gelly's which known to be number one in morocco in its kind of faculties caddy ayad university was established in 1978 and operates 13 institutions in the marrakesh tenceft elhos and abdadukala regions of morocco in four main cities including kala of shragna asura and safi in addition to marrakesh supta county marrakech also known as the eccles superior de commerce de marakesh is a private four-year college that was founded in 1987 by ahmed benes the school is affiliated with the eccles superior de commerce of toulouse france since 1995 the school has built partnership programs with numerous american universities including the university of delaware university of saint thomas oklahoma state university national lewis university and temple university ben youssef madrassa the ben youssef madrassa north of the medina was an islamic college in marrakech named after the al-muravid sultan ali ibn yusuf who expanded the city and its influence considerably it is the largest madrasa in all of morocco and was one of the largest theological colleges in north africa at one time housing as many as 900 students the college which was affiliated with the neighboring ben youssef mosque was founded during the marinade dynasty in the 14th century by sultan abu al-hassan this education complex specialized in quranic law and was linked to similar institutions in fez taza saleh and mekhnas the madrasa was reconstructed by the saudi and sultan abdullah al-ghalib in 1564 as the largest and most prestigious madrasa in morocco the construction ordered by abdallah al-ghalib was completed in 1565 as attested by the inscription in the prayer room its 130 student dormitory cells cluster around a courtyard richly carved in cedar marble and stucco in accordance with islam the carvings contain no representation of humans or animals consisting entirely of inscriptions and geometric patterns one of the school's best-known teachers was muhammad al-ifrani after a temporary closure beginning in 1960 the building was refurbished and reopened to the public as a historical site in 1982.
sports football clubs based in marrakech include najam de marakesh kac marrakesh muludia de marrakesh and shea alley club de marrakesh the city contains the circuit international automobile mule el hasana race track which hosts the world touring car championship and from 2017 fia formula e the marrakesh marathon is also held here roughly 5 000 runners turn out for the event annually also here takes place grand prix hassan 2 tennis tournament part of atp world tour series golf is a popular sport in marrakech the city has three golf courses just outside the city limits and played almost through the year the three main courses are the gulf demilikeys on the road to oraza's eight the palmere gulf palace near the palmere and the royal golf club the oldest of the three courses transport rail the marrakesh railway station is linked by several trains running daily to other major cities in morocco such as casablanca tangiers fez meknez and robot the casablanca tangier high-speed rail line opened in november 2018. in 2015 a tramway was proposed wrote the main road network within and around marrakesh is well paved the major highway connecting marrakech with casablanca to the south is a 7 atoll expressway 210 kilometers in length the road from marrakesh to setat a 146 km stretch was inaugurated by king mohammed vi in april 2007 completing the 558 kilometers highway to tangiers highway a7 connects also marrakesh to agadir 233 kilometers to the southwest air the marrakesh manara airport is three kilometers southwest of the city center it is an international facility that receives several european flights as well as flights from casablanca and several arab nations the airport is at an elevation of 471 metres at 31 degrees 36 minutes 25 seconds north oo8 degree o2 11 w it has two formal passenger terminals these are more or less combined into one large terminal a third terminal is being built the existing t1 and t2 terminals offer a space of 42 000 square meters and have a capacity of 4.5 million passengers per year the blacktop runway is 4.5 kilometers long and 45 meters wide the airport has parking space for 14 boeing 737 and four boeing 747 aircraft the separate freight terminal has 340 square meters of covered space healthcare marrakech has long been an important center for healthcare in morocco and the regional rural and urban populations alike are reliant upon hospitals in the city the psychiatric hospital installed by the marinade calif jacob al mansour in the 16th century was described by the historian abit al-waft al-marakushi as one of the greatest in the world at the time a strong andalusian influence was evident in the hospital and many of the physicians to the caliphs came from places such as seville zaragoza and denia in eastern spain a severe strain has been placed upon the healthcare facilities of the city in the last decade as the city population has grown dramatically eben toefl university hospital is one of the major hospitals of the city in february 2001 the moroccan government signed a loan agreement worth 8 million u.s dollars with the opec fund for international development to help improve medical services in and around marrakech which led to expansions of the ibben toefl and ibn nafas hospitals seven new buildings were constructed with a total floor area of 43 000 square meters new radiotherapy and medical equipment was provided and 29 000 square meters of existing hospital space was rehabilitated in 2009 king mohammed vi inaugurated a regional psychiatric hospital in marrakech built by the muhammad v foundation for solidarity costing 22 million deer homes the hospital has 194 beds covering an area of three hectares muhammad vi has also announced plans for the construction of a 450 million dirham military hospital in marrakech you
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