| Marrakech مراكش | ||
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Flag  | ||
| State | Morocco | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | High Atlas | |
| Altitude | 466 m a.s.l. | |
| Inhabitants | 1 036 500 (2006) | |
| Prefix tel | 212 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 40000 | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Marrakech is a city ofHigh Atlas Moroccan.
To know
Imperial city, like Meknes, Fez is Rabat
Background
Marrakesch was founded in 1071 by the Almoravid ruler Yūsuf ibn Tāshfīn and his wife Zaynab Nefzaouia, both of Berber origin. Very quickly, many mosques and madrasas (Koranic theological schools) arose, as well as a commercial center that absorbed traffic between the western Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa, supplanting the caravan centers of Aghmat and Sijilmassa. The palaces of Marrakech were also built and decorated with the use of Andalusian workers from Cordoba and Seville, who introduced the Umayyad style characterized by chiseled domes and multiple arches.
Yaqūb al-Manṣūr, of the Almohad dynasty enriched Marrakesh with a fortified kasbah, qissariat (covered markets) and had the Koutoubia mosque built as well as erecting a triumphal arch (Bab Agnaou). The next dynasty of the Merenides abandoned Marrakech for Meknes is Fes.
At the beginning of the 16th century, Marrakech became the capital of the Saadian Empire. With the proceeds of the sugar trade, Sultan Moulay Abdullah rebuilt the Almoravid Ali ben Youssef mosque and the Medersa. The Jewish quarter (mellah) also arose under him. His successor, Ahmed el-Mansour Eddahbi had the Badi Palace built, a replica of the Alhambra of Granada, made with the most precious materials of the three continents of the Old World (marble from Italy, granite from Ireland, gold from West Africa, porphyry from India, jade from China, etc.). El Badi Palace also impressed contemporaries with its Kubbat al Jujjaj, its translucent crystal "glass dome" and other technical singularities that evoke Nero's Golden House in Rome. But all the decorative elements of El Badi were subsequently dismantled by order of Sultan Moulay Ismail around 1695 to be reused in the great imperial palaces of Meknes. Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur also had mausoleums called Sa'diane tombs built.
At the end of the 17th century, the Alaouite dynasty succeeded the Saadians. The capital was moved to Fez and then to Meknes. Sultan Mohammed III (1757-1790) chose Marrakech as his residence, given the proximity of the port of Mogador (current city of Essaouira) which he had built on a project by the French architect Théodore Cornut. It was in Marrakech that the first friendship treaty between Morocco and the United States was concluded in 1787. In 1792, Marrakech became the residence of a son of Mohammed III, Moulay Hicham, who was recognized as a sultan by part of the country, while his brother Moulay Sulayman was recognized as a legitimate sultan in Fes from the ulema and from the northern provinces of the Oum Errabiaa river. A war between the two brothers ensued, which ended with the defeat of Hicham in 1796, despite the support of the King of Spain Charles IV.
Since the early twentieth century, Marrakech has seen various turmoil. After the death of Grand Vizier Ba Ahmed in 1900, regent during the minority of Sultan Abd al-Aziz, Marrakesch and Morocco were prey to anarchy, tribal revolts, the plots of the great feudal lords, not to mention European intrigues . In 1907, Moulay Abd al-Hafid, khalifa (representative of the makhzen) in Marrakech was proclaimed sultan by the powerful tribes of the High Atlas and some ulema who denied legitimacy to his brother Abd al-Aziz. It was also in 1907 that a French doctor installed in Marrakech, Dr Émile Mauchamp, was murdered, suspected of spying for the benefit of his country. The episode provided the pretext for France to take over the city. However, the French colonial army encountered strong resistance led by Ahmed al-Hiba, son of the great Sheikh Ma El Ainin, who came from the Sahara with his nomadic warriors from the Reguibat tribes. After the battle of Sidi Bou Othmane, which saw the victory of the Mangin column over the forces of al-Hiba (September 1912), the French entered Marrakech which was thus part of the French protectorate of Morocco established in 1912. The conquest was facilitated by the gathering of the Imzwarn tribes and their leaders belonging to the powerful Glaouis clan. A clan exponent, Thami El Glaoui, became Pasha of Marrakech, thanks to the appointment by Sultan Moulay Youssef and the approval of the French Marshal Lyautey. El Glaoui remained in office for the entire duration of the protectorate (forty-four years). The Pasha distinguished himself for his collaboration with the French authorities, for his friendship with Winston Churchill and for his sumptuous lifestyle.
After the war, Marrakech established itself as a tourist destination thanks to hippies and concerts by famous bands such as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Then it was the turn of Parisian high fashion: Yves St Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier and several top models chose Marrakesch to spend their holidays.
How to orient yourself
Marrakech - Jamaâ El Fna: full screen map.Medina - The medina of Marrakech is very extensive. In fact, it covers an area of 600 hectares. Jamaâ El Fna is the name of its central square, vast and world famous for the shows offered by acrobats, snake charmers and monkey trainers. The square comes alive when the sun goes down and bustles with activity until the first light of dawn. The originality of the shows is such that in 2001 theUNESCO arranged to include Jamaâ El Fna square in the list of Oral Heritage of Humanity. The square was the first to enter the UNESCO list.
The medina of Marrakech began to form in the 11th century around a military camp, the "Qsar El Hajar".
In the following century a kasbah was added to defend it from the incursions of the Berber tribes. The walls were enlarged several times and equipped with monumental doors.
The particular architecture of the traditional houses of the medina, known as riads, aroused the interest of wealthy visitors from 1970 onwards, including big names in the "Haute Couture" of the time and with a gay lifestyle. They could not resist the temptation to buy an old house gathered around a central courtyard. Later they restored them to perfection using the most famous European architects. The consequence is that today the houses in the medina have prices that are not affordable for most.
Despite this, the medina has not lost its original character. If its inhabitants have gone to live in modern neighborhoods, there remains a large number of craft shops that are able to give it a picturesque character and act as an attraction for a large number of visitors, even penniless young people.
Among the districts of the medina, the "Mellah", an Arabic term that roughly corresponds to the Italian word" ghetto "and to the Castilian word for" Juderia ". In fact, the Jews lived there between the 16th and 19th centuries. Taroudant which boasted the oldest colony of Jews in the territory of present-day Morocco. In the early 19th century, Sultan Suleiman forced the Jews to move to coastal towns, a Rabat, Salt, Mogador is Tetouan. With the formation of the new state of Israel, many preferred to migrate and very few Jews remained in the medina of Marrakech. The Mellah extends around the royal palace, in the southern area of the medina.
The Ville Nouvelle - Leaving Jamaâ El Fna square you pass by the side of the Koutoubia mosque and its famous minaret. Then take Viale Mohammed V and cross the Bab Nkob you enter the place de la Liberté, which marks the beginning of the new city built in the colonial period following European urban canons. There are two tourist districts of the Ville Nouvelle: Gueliz is Hivernages. The first is a district of banks but also of boutiques that line Viale Mohammed V. The second boasts superior category hotels but apart from this both districts are rather banal, a thousand miles away from the vital charm of the nearby medina.
How to get
By plane
- 1 Menara Airport. Menara Airport is 6 km from the center. If you do not have a lot of luggage, you can take the bus line 19 which stops in front of the major hotels.
- The companies that in 2021 operated direct flights from Italian airports were the following two:
- Other companies:
On the train
- 2 Railway station (Gare de Marrakech). The train station is located at the intersection of Hassan II & Blvd Mohammed VI avenues in the Gueliz district. Trains from Casablanca (3 h), Rabat (4 h.) Meknes (6 1/2 hours) e Fez (7 h).
- From Tangier there is a daily service of night trains with couchettes.
By bus
- 3 Suburban bus station. The main suburban bus station is located just outside the walls, near the gate (Bab) Doukkala. The station building has a left-luggage office. The bus lines stop there CTM coming from Madrid is Paris as well as from the main cities of the Morocco.
How to get around
Many hotels, including budget hotels, offer a bicycle rental service.
One of the main city bus terminus is in Foucauld square, in the new city but a short distance from the Djemaa el-Fna
What see
Medina
- 1 Bab Doukkala.
- 2 Madresa Ali ben Youssef. Koranic school in the Arab-Andalusian style named after the Almoravid Emir Ali ibn Yusuf (1106 to 1142).
- 3 Koutoubia Mosque, Place Abdel Moumen.
Entry prohibited for non-Muslims. Erected in the 12th century, the Koutoubia mosque is famous for its minaret reminiscent of the Giralda of Seville and stands from the top of its 69 meters on the medina indicating the way to follow to those coming from Gueliz.
Entry prohibited for non-Muslims. Erected in the 12th century, the Koutoubia mosque is famous for its minaret reminiscent of the Giralda of 
- 4 La Bahia Palace. Built in the second half of the 19th century, the palace was commissioned by the grand vizier Ahmed ben Moussa and is considered a masterpiece of the time. It boasts gardens, patios and rich interior decorations. The 150 rooms of the palace housed the 4 wives of the vizier and his much more numerous concubines. Restoration works are expected to begin in 2011
- 5 Sa'didi Tombs. The tombs are one of the major tourist attractions of Marrakesh, thanks to the beauty of their decorations. They were discovered in 1917, and later restored by the Moroccan Ministry of Fine Arts. They date back to the time of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur al-Dahabi (1578-1603).
- 6 Dar Si Said Museum.
- 7 Musée de Marrakech.
- 8 El Badi Palace.
New Town
- 9 Jardin Majorelle.
- 10 Gardens of the Menara (Close to the airport). They surround an artificial lake whose waters reflect a pavilion among olive trees.
Mellah
- 11 Salat Al Azama Synagogue.
- Jewish cemetery (miaâra).
- Maison Tiskiwin.
Events and parties
- Marrakesh marathon.
- Contemporary dance festival.
- Musical encounters.
- Folklore Festival.
- International Film Festival.
What to do
- Turkish baths
- Hammam Dar el-Bacha.
- Hammam Bab Doukkala.
- Spa treatments
- The Maison Arabe.
- Bains de Marrakech.
Shopping
Lovers of spices, the infamous argan oil, perfumes, essential oils, cosmetics and traditional medicine at a decidedly very low price should go to Herboristerie Silane (https://www.facebook.com/ErbeNaturaliEdOliEssenziale?ref=hl) which is located inside the Mellah (the Jewish quarter) instead for chandeliers and carpets in the square of the Ferblantiers.
How to have fun
Western-style nightclubs are concentrated in the Guéliz area and in particular on the Mohammed V boulevard and Abdel Moumen ben Ali square. Almost all the superior category hotels have discos frequented by both tourists and locals.
In clubs outside the big hotels, the clientele is almost exclusively male, which could be boring if not downright depressing.
Avenue is the discotheque of the Meridien hotel, Cotton Club that of the Tropicana hotel. Also renowned Diamant Noir inside the hotel Le Marrakech.
Outside the center it is to be reported New Feeling inside the Palmeraie Golf Palace,
Where to eat
Where stay
Moderate prices
- Atlas Hotel, 50 Derb Sidi Bouloukat, ☎ 212 524 391 05. Opened in 2002, the Atlas hotel is a popular economy class hotel near the famous Djemaa El-Fna square. It has single, double, triple and quadruple rooms. Only some rooms are equipped with air conditioning for which, however, you pay a separate price.
- Central Palace Hotel, 59, Sidi Bouloukate (In the vicinity of Djemaa El-Fna), ☎ 212 24 44 02 35. A few steps from the previous one and therefore well located, the Central Palace has rooms with shared bathroom. If the rooms are impeccable from the point of view of cleanliness, the same cannot be said of the bathrooms. The staff is indifferent to customer requests but for the price paid you can not ask for more. Among the advantages of the hotel is the terrace which offers beautiful views of the medina.
- Essaouira hotels, 3 Derb Sidi Bouloukat, ☎ 212 524 443 805. On the same road as the previous ones, the Essaouira hotel also offers single rooms at reasonable prices. The bathroom is shared and the hot water flows for a few minutes.
- [link not working]Ali Hotel, Rue Moulay Ismail.
- Hotel el-Ward, 65 derb Sidi Bouloukat, ☎ 212 524 443 354, @[email protected].
- Smara Hotel, 77 sidi Bouloukat (Near Djemaa El-Fna), ☎ 212 524 445 568.
DH 50 singles, DH 80 doubles.. - Palm Plaza Hotel and Spa (Located in Agdal, a new residential district), ☎ 30 210 6449384.
- [link previously not working]Riad Lyla (In Laksour district, 2 minutes from Djemaa El-Fna).
- [link not working]Riad Rahba.
DH 50 singles, DH 80 doubles..Hostels
- Heart of the Medina Backpackers Hostel, 46 - 47 Derb Ben Aissa, Dabachi (Medina), ☎ 44 20 7806 0790. Before choosing this one like other hostels in Marrakech, read the reviews of those who have already been there. It may not be for you.
Average prices
High prices
- The Maison Arabe, 1 Derb Assehbe, Bab Doukkala, Medina.
- La Mamounia, Avenue Bab Jedid, Medina.
- [link not working]Hotel Palmeraie Golf Palace & Spa.
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- East
- 1 Azilal - In the Atlas Mountains about 165 km from Marrakech, Azilal it is easily reachable by bus. From here you can reach the nearby towns by taxi 2 Ouzoud waterfalls. If you want you can stay overnight in one of the hotels near the falls or even camp. Also from Azilal you can reach "Imi'n'Ifri", other waterfalls between heavily eroded rocks and imaginative shapes.
- southeast
- 3 Ourika Valley - is a valley in the High Atlas crossed by the river of the same name. It is located about 30 km from Marrakech and is essentially populated by Berbers who speak Shilha. Despite its proximity to Marrakech, the valley is still little influenced by tourism and the natives have been able to maintain their traditional way of life.
- South
- 4 Amizmiz (55 km) -
