Marrakesh (Morocco)

Marrakesh or Marrakech (Arabic: مراكش; Berber language: ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh-Safi region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The city was founded circa 1070 by Abu Bakr ibn Umar as the capital of the Almoravid dynasty. The Almoravids established the first major structures in the city and shaped its layout for centuries to come. The red walls of the city are built by Ali ibn Yusuf in 1122–1123. Thanks to various buildings constructed in red sandstone afterwards, it has the nickname of the “Red City” or “Ochre City”. Marrakesh grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural, religious, and trading centre for the Maghreb. After a period of decline, Marrakesh regained its status in the early 16th century as the capital of the Saadian dynasty, with sultans Abdallah al-Ghalib and Ahmad al-Mansur embellishing the city with an array of sumptuous monuments. Beginning in the 17th century, the city became popular among Sufi pilgrims for its seven patron saints who are buried here. In 1912, the French Protectorate in Morocco was established and T’hami El Glaoui became Pasha of Marrakesh and generally held this position until the independence of Morocco and the reestablishment of the monarchy in 1956. Marrakesh comprises an old fortified city packed with vendors and their stalls. This medina quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains the Jemaa el-Fnaa square, a large number of souks (markets), the Kutubiyya Mosque, and many other historic and cultural sites. The city serves as a major economic centre and tourist destination. Property and hotel development in Marrakesh have grown dramatically in the 21st century. Marrakesh is particularly popular with the French, and numerous French celebrities own property in the city. The city is served by Marrakesh Menara Airport and by Marrakesh railway station, which connects the city to Casablanca and northern Morocco. It has several universities and schools, including Cadi Ayyad University. The city has become a major destination for tourism. 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 Almoravid king Yusuf ibn Tashfin (c. 1061–1106). Historical sources cite a variety of dates for this event ranging between 1062 (454 in the Hijri calendar), according to Ibn Abi Zar and Ibn Khaldun, and 1078 (470 AH), according to Muhammad al-Idrisi. The date most commonly used by modern historians is 1070, although 1062 is still cited by some writers. Imperial capital The Almoravids, a Berber dynasty seeking to reform Islamic society, ruled an emirate stretching from the edge of Senegal to the centre of Spain and from the Atlantic coast to Algiers. They used Marrakesh as their capital and established its first structures, including mosques and a fortified residence, the Ksar al-Hajjar, near the present-day Kutubiyya Mosque. The city developed the community into a trading centre for the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa. It grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural and religious centre, supplanting Aghmat, which had long been the capital of Haouz. Andalusi craftsmen from Cordoba and Seville built and decorated numerous monuments, importing the Cordoban Umayyad style characterised by carved domes and cusped arches. In 1125, the Almohad movement, led by Ibn Tumart, emerged, preaching radical reform. After Ibn Tumart’s death, Abd al-Mu’min captured Marrakesh in 1147, purged the Almoravids, and made it the Almohad capital. He founded the Kutubiyya Mosque, while later rulers added the Menara and Agdal Gardens and the Kasbah citadel. Marrakesh flourished as a center for intellectuals, including Averroes. After Yusuf II’s death in 1224, instability led to repeated violent takeovers, including a brutal seizure in 1226. In 1269, the Marinids conquered Marrakesh, moving the capital to Fez, causing the city’s relative decline. Saadi period In the early 16th century, Marrakesh again became Morocco’s capital under the Saadian dynasty, entering a new golden age. Sultans Abdallah al-Ghalib and Ahmad al-Mansur restored ruined monuments and built sumptuous palaces, including the lavish El Badi Palace (begun 1578), which featured Italian marble and hosted ambassadors from Spain, England, and the Ottoman Empire. Marrakesh also became known for the tombs of Morocco’s seven patron saints, a pilgrimage tradition formalized under Sultan Moulay Ismail in the late 17th century at the request of Sufi scholar Abu Ali al-Hassan al-Yusi. The saints include Sidi Bel Abbas (the city’s patron), Qadi Iyyad, Muhammad al-Jazuli, and others. Pilgrims visit their tombs in a fixed order. Until 1867, European Christians required special sultanic permission to enter the city, while Eastern European Jews were permitted. Contemporary In the early 20th century, Marrakesh faced unrest amid Moroccan anarchy and European intrigues. After the 1906 Algeciras Conference, southern aristocrats and Amazigh leaders pledged allegiance to Moulay Abd al-Hafid over his brother in 1907, sparking the Hafidiya. The murder of a French physician that same year gave France a pretext to invade from Algeria, leading to the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1912. French forces seized Marrakesh after the Battle of Sidi Bou Othman, aided by the Glaoui family. T’hami El Glaoui became Pasha of Marrakesh, collaborating with colonial authorities and plotting to dethrone Sultan Mohammed V. However, rising nationalism and French pressure following the Algerian War led to Morocco’s independence in 1956, ending Glaoui’s rule. Since independence, Marrakesh has thrived as a tourist destination. In the 1960s and early 1970s, it became a “hippie mecca,” attracting rock stars, artists, and fashion icons such as Yves Saint Laurent, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Expatriates, especially from France, invested heavily in riads and palaces. The medina’s residential population declined from 51% in 1984 to 22% in 2004 as the city expanded. In 1985, UNESCO declared the old town a World Heritage Site. The 1994 Marrakesh Agreement established the World Trade Organisation, and in 1997 the city hosted the first World Water Forum. In the 21st century, property development boomed, though a 2011 bomb attack in Jemaa el-Fnaa square killed 15 people. The city hosted the 2016 UN Climate Change Conference. In September 2023, a deadly earthquake affected Marrakesh. From October 9 to 15, 2023, the city hosted the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, reaffirming its global political and economic importance. GITEX Africa is an annual technology exhibition held in Morocco. The first edition took place in Marrakesh from 31 May to 2 June 2023 and was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch. Best attractions (20) Jemaa el-Fnaa Jemaa el-Fnaa or Djemaa el Fna (ساحة جامع الفناء) is the central square of Marrakesh’s medina and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985. The name likely means “ruined mosque,” referring to an unfinished 16th-century mosque on the site. Originally a market space beside the Almoravid palace (founded 1070), the square remained active after the Almohads abandoned that palace. Historically, it was used for public executions to intimidate the population. Traders from the desert and mountains set up stalls selling food, animal forage, and domestic goods. Today, the square attracts diverse social groups and global tourists. Snake charmers, acrobats, magicians, musicians, monkey trainers, herb sellers, storytellers and medieval-garbed entertainers still populate it. Described as a “world-famous square,” it serves as “a metaphorical urban icon, a bridge between the past and the present, where Moroccan tradition encounters modernity.” Souks Marrakech has the largest traditional markets in Morocco, and the city’s image is closely tied to its souks—a mix of Berber and Arab heritage. The souks form “a honeycomb of intricately connected alleyways” within the medina. Historically divided into specialized retail areas (leather, carpets, metalwork, pottery), these zones still roughly exist but now overlap. Permanent souks occupy established streets, while temporary souks appear daily or weekly, such as the flea market outside Bab el-Khemis. Major souks include Souk Semmarine (selling sandals, slippers, jewellery, kaftans), which branches into Souk el-Kebir and Souk el-Attarine (the Spice Market). City walls and gates The ramparts of Marrakesh stretch about 19 kilometers around the medina. Built by the Almoravids in the 12th century, these orange-red clay and chalk walls give the city its nickname as the “red city.” They stand up to 5.8 meters high and feature 20 gates and 200 towers. One of the best-known gates is Bab Agnaou, built in the late 12th century by the Almohad caliph Ya’qub al-Mansur as the main public entrance to the Kasbah. Its Berber name refers to Sub-Saharan African people. The gate features floral decorations and Quranic inscriptions in Maghrebi script with foliated Kufic letters. It was later renovated by Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah, who reduced its opening. The medina contains at least eight main historic gates, most dating from the 12th-century Almoravid period but modified since. Doukkala gate (Bab Doukkala) is massive but less ornamented. El-Khemis, in the northeastern corner, is named for the Thursday market and features a man-made spring. Bab ad-Debbagh has a complex interior passage that turns multiple times. Bab Aghmat is a main southern gate near cemeteries and the tomb of Ali ibn Yusuf. The Robb gate (Bab er Robb), the other main southern exit, has an unusual position and layout resulting from modifications over time. Badi Palace The El Badi Palace lies north of the Royal Palace. Saadian Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur built it after his 1578 victory over the Portuguese at the Battle of the Three Kings. The lavish palace took about 25 years to complete, funded by Portuguese ransoms, sugar cane revenues, and trans-Saharan trade profits. Carrara marble was imported from Italy, with other materials from France, Spain, and India. Its symmetrical courtyard layout with two monumental pavilions reflects Andalusian-Moorish style, similar to the Alhambra’s Court of the Lions. After the Saadian dynasty fell, the Alaouite sultan Moulay Isma’il systematically looted the palace for its valuable marble. Today the preserved ruins are a tourist attraction, and the Marrakech Folklore Festival is held there each spring. Bahia palace The Bahia Palace was built in the late 19th century by Grand Vizier Si Musa and his son Ba Ahmed. Its name means “brilliance.” Ba Ahmed employed hundreds of Fez craftsmen for wood, stucco, and zellij decoration. Features included a hammam, stables, and a mosque, with a vast eastern garden reached by a bridge. After Ba Ahmed’s death, Sultan Abdel Aziz seized the palace for the state. Today it occasionally hosts foreign dignitaries but is otherwise open to the public. Koutoubia Mosque The Koutoubia Mosque (Kutubiyya Mosque, Jami’ al-Kutubiyah or Kutubiyyin Mosque), Marrakech’s largest mosque, stands southwest of Jemaa el-Fna square. Founded by Almohad Caliph Abd al-Mu’min in 1147 and completed by Yaqub al-Mansur in 1195, its 77-metre sandstone minaret is among the most famous in the western Islamic world, alongside Seville’s Giralda and Rabat’s Hassan Tower. The red stone and brick mosque features a hypostyle prayer hall with over 100 columns supporting horseshoe-shaped arches. The minaret originally had pink plaster, removed in the 1990s to expose the original stone. Its spire features gilded copper balls decreasing in size toward the top, a traditional Moroccan style. Ben Youssef Mosque The Ben Youssef Mosque (or Bin Yusuf Mosque), Marrakech’s oldest, was originally built in the 12th century by Almoravid Sultan Ali ibn Yusuf. Abandoned during the Almohad period, it was rebuilt by Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib (1560s) and again by Alaouite sultan Moulay Sliman (early 19th century). The current mosque bears no trace of the original. Ben Youssef Madrasa The Ibn Yusuf Madrasa, named after the adjacent Ben Youssef Mosque, was commissioned by Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib in 1564–65 CE. It was the largest Islamic college in the Maghreb at its height and is widely recognized as a pinnacle of Saadian and Moroccan architecture. A Marinid madrasa existed on the site earlier, built by Sultan Abu al-Hasan (r. 1331–1348). Closed in 1960, the building was refurbished and reopened as a historical site in 1982, then closed for restoration again from November 2018 to April 2022. The madrasa occupies a nearly square space (40 by 43 meters). A narrow corridor leads from the street entrance to a vestibule, then into a central courtyard with a large reflective pool. At the southeastern end is a prayer hall with a richly decorated mihrab. The building contains 130 student rooms arranged around the courtyard and six small secondary courtyards, housing up to 800 students. Ornamentation includes zellij tilework, carved stucco, cedar wood, and muqarnas vaults, following Marinid traditions with Saadian motifs like pine cones. Notable features include bronze-plated doors, Quranic inscriptions, and an 11th-century carved marble basin from Cordoba (crafted between 1002–1007), now displayed in the prayer hall. Saadian Tombs The Saadian Tombs, built in the 16th century, are a royal necropolis for Saadian sultans and their families, located next to the south wall of the Kasbah Mosque. Lost for many years, the tombs were rediscovered by the French in 1917 using aerial photographs. The mausoleum contains the remains of about sixty members of the Saadi Dynasty, which originated in the Draa River valley. Al-Mansur’s own mausoleum is richly embellished, modeled on the Nasrid mausoleum in Granada’s Alhambra. It features a roof of carved and painted cedar wood supported by twelve Carrara marble columns. The largest, originally a prayer room with a mihrab, was later repurposed as a mausoleum for members of the Alaouite dynasty. Dar Si Said Dar Si Said is a historic late 19th-century palace and present-day museum. It currently houses the National Museum of Weaving and Carpets. The museum collections includes a wide variety of objects, many of them from the southern regions of Morocco. Menara Gardens The Menara Gardens are a garden-orchard located to the west of the old city, centered around a large water reservoir. The reservoir and gardens were originally created in the 12th century by the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu’min, but were restored and replanted in later centuries. The iconic pavilion structure at the edge of the lake, often pictured against the backdrop of the Atlas Mountains to the south, dates from 1870 under the reign of Sultan Muhammad IV, although an earlier Saadian pavilion is believed to have existed on the same site before. Majorelle Garden The Majorelle Garden, on Avenue Yacoub el Mansour, was at one time the home of the landscape painter, Jacques Majorelle. The designer, Yves Saint Laurent, bought and restored the property, which features a stele erected in his memory, and the Berber Museum, which is housed in a dark blue building. The garden, open to the public since 1947, has a large collection of plants and “floral exotica” (acquired since the 1920s) of five Continents. All the plants have descriptive signs and the commonly seen plants are cacti, palms and bamboo. It is very well laid out with pools with lilies, and pathways. Jemaa el-Fna Intangible Heritage Museum The former Bank Al-Maghrib building houses a museum dedicated to the intangible heritage of the square. The exhibition covers the history of Jemaa el-Fna Square and its inhabitants. The museum features a numismatic collection, painting, and photography. Works by renowned Moroccan artists are also on display. Yves Saint Laurent Museum The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech, opened in October 2017, honors the fashion designer’s deep connection to Morocco. Located on Yves Saint Laurent Street near the Majorelle Garden, the 4,000 m² museum was designed by Studio KO. It features an exhibition hall with over 7,000 garments and 30,000 accessories, a library with 5,000 volumes, an auditorium, a café, and a shop. The museum won a Wallpaper Design Award in 2018. It is one of two YSL museums, the other in Paris. Mellah The old Jewish Quarter is situated in the kasbah area of the city’s medina, east of Place des Ferblantiers. It was created in 1558 by the Saadians at the site where the sultan’s stables had previously been situated. At the time, the Jewish community consisted of a large portion of the city’s bankers, jewelers, metalworkers, tailors, and sugar traders. The Al-Azama Synagogue is built around a courtyard. The blue-and-white building also contains a community center, Talmud Torah school, and soup kitchen. Marrakech Museum The Marrakech Museum is located in the old centre, housed in the Dar Menebhi Palace, built at the beginning of the 20th century by Mehdi Menebhi. The palace was carefully restored by the Omar Benjelloun 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 tilework and carvings. The museum holds exhibits of both modern and traditional Moroccan art together with fine examples of historical books, coins and pottery of Moroccan Jewish, Berber and Arab cultures. Jardin Secret The Secret Garden of Marrakech is an oasis of tranquility in the heart of the medina. It combines history, traditional architecture, and natural beauty. The garden is built according to Islamic design principles and adorned with exotic elements. Royal Theatre The Theatre is located in the modern Gueliz district, opposite Marrakesh’s train station, and is one of the city’s most famous buildings. Planning for the theater began in the 1970s. On September 19, 2001, His Majesty King Mohammed VI inaugurated the 1,200-seat amphitheater. It also serves as a reception hall. House of Photography The House of Photography of Marrakech, opened by Patrick Menac’h and Hamid Mergani in 2009, holds exhibits of vintage Moroccan photography from the 1870s to 1950s. The Mouassine Museum, by the same owners, consists of a historic 16th–17th-century house in the Mouassine neighbourhood which has been opened as a museum and cultural venue. Transport Marrakesh-Menara Airport The Marrakesh-Menara Airport (RAK) is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) southwest from the city centre. It is an international facility that receives several European flights as well as flights from Casablanca and some of the Arab world nations. The airport ramp can accommodate up to 14 Boeing 737-sized aircraft and four Boeing 747-sized aircraft. Marrakesh Railway Station The Marrakesh Railway Station (or Gare de Marrakech) was first built in 1923 during the French Protectorate, but the current building was opened in 2008 to replace the old one. Its design was inspired by the monumental gateways typical of historic Moroccan architecture. Approximately every hour, a commuter train departs to Fez (and sometimes to Tangier), passing through Casablanca and Rabat. This makes the train service very convenient for both tourists and locals. It is recommended to purchase tickets at the train ticket office. A ticket to Casablanca costs 160 dirhams, and to Rabat 200 (less than €20). Road The major highway connecting Marrakesh with Casablanca to the north is the A7, a toll expressway, 210 km (130 mi) in length. Highway A7 connects also Marrakesh to Agadir, 233 km (145 mi) to the south-west. Main information Region: Marrakesh-Safi Elevation: 466 m (1,529 ft) Area: 230 km² Coordinates: 31°37’34.3″N 7°59’19.0″W Languages: Arabic, Berber, French Population: 1,002,697 Currency: Moroccan dirham (MAD) Visa: Moroccan Time: UTC+1 (CET) See here Catalonia travel guide See here Pyrenees travel guide See here France travel guide See here Spain travel guideThe post Marrakesh (Morocco) first appeared on All PYRENEES.