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Marrakesh

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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.
Medina of Marrakesh
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Koutiubia Mosque
CriteriaCultural: i, ii, iv, v
Reference331
Inscription1985 (9th Session)

Marrakech or Marakesh (مراكش Murrakush), known as the "Red City or Al Hamra," is a city in southwestern Morocco in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.

Name

File:Planomarrakech.jpg
Marrakech location

The possible origin of its name could be from the Tamazight (Berber) words mur (n) akuch, which means Land of God. (The root "mur" is nowadays in the Berber languages only used in the feminine form "tamurt"). The same word "mur/mawr" appears in the country Mauritania, but this interpretation is still unproven to this day, and there are other possibilities which are often invoked.

File:002 31A.JPG
Marrakech

The name Morocco itself derives from Murrakush. This city is the capital of the Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz region.

Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has the busiest square in the entire continent of Africa, called Djemaa el Fna.[1]

Like many North African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech has two main divisions: the old city (médina) and the modern city.

Marrakech is served by Ménara International Airport- RAK is the code for the city.

The city is called "Marrakech" in French, "Marrakesh" in English, and "Marrakesch" in German.

Demographics

The official number of residents is one million; however, the population is estimated to be around two million. The largest part of the population of Marrakech is of Berber origin. Also, there is a very large international community consisted of mainly Europeans: especially French, estimated to 3,700 people: mostly retired. Also Germans, Italians, English and Swiss.

Further information: [[:Demographics of Morocco]]

History

Main article: History of Morocco

Yusuf ibn Tashfin, member of the Almoravides dynasty, founded the city in 1062.

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.

Sites

Template:List to prose (section)


Areas and neighbourhoods

Mosques, medrassas, synagogues and zaouias

Palaces, dars and villas

Cemeteries, koubbas and mausolea

Handicrafts and business

The Souks
  • Souks
    • Souk Kimakhin (stringed instruments)
    • Souk el Bradiia (pitchers)
    • Souk Hadaddine (metalwork)
    • Souk Chouari (basketry, woodturning)
    • Dyers' Souk, Wool Souk
    • Souk Smarine (clothing)
    • Rahba Quedima ("Old Square")
    • Souk el Kebir (leatherwork)
      • Kissarias
      • Souk el Batna (skins)
      • Souk el Maazi (goatskin)
    • Souk Zrabia (Criée Berbère, Carpet Souk)
    • Souk Fakharina
    • Souk Siyyaghin (jewelry)
    • Souk Smata (slippers, belts)
    • Souk aux tenturiers
    • Cherratine Souk
    • Attarine Souk
  • Tanneries
  • Hôtel la Mamounia
  • Handicraft center
  • Gidel Building
  • Renaissance Café
  • Société Générale
  • Marjane hypermarket

Museums

City walls and gates

Places and squares

Gardens and parks

Other structures

Trips from Marrakech

Many tourists take a trip from Marrakesh 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.

People born in Marrakech

Famous contemporary Marrakechis

There are many cultured personnalities in Marrakech, includung singers and actors...

  • Abd Alah Farkous, Moroccan comedy actor, he recently appeared in "مول الطاكسي ,(Moul Taxi),the taxi driver" with Abd el Khalik Fahim.
  • Mohamed Ben Ibrahim, a famous poet, also called "شاعر الحمراء’(chaair al hamra), poet of the red(Marrakech)".
  • Hamid Zahir, Popular singer. His songs include "lalla fatima", "ahoua lik"
  • Abd El Jabar Lousir, comedy actor.

More images on Tim Fearn's Flickr site: [1]

Miki Alcalde's images from Marrakech: www.mikialcalde.com

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marrakech.

References and notes

  1. ^ Ready for the masses? - Daily Telegraph

31°37′60″N 8°0′0″W / 31.63333°N 8.00000°W / 31.63333; -8.00000 Coordinates: latitude seconds >= 60
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