Marrakech

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Image:Planomarrakech.jpg

Image:Panoramic Marakesh square Djemaa el Fna.jpg

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. One of 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. The name Morocco itself derives from Murrakush. This city is located at 31°37′60″N, 8°0′0″W and 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.

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.

1 Demographics
2 History
3 Sites
4 Trips from Marrakech
5 Marrakech in Popular Culture
6 Born in Marrakech
7 Famous contemporary Marrakechis
8 Photo Gallery
9 External links

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Morocco

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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Sites

[edit] Areas and neighbourhoods

Médina
- Casbah
- Hey Assalam
Modern city

[edit] Mosques, medrassas, synagogues and zaouias

[edit] Palaces, dars and villas

El Badi Palace
Royal Palace (Dar el Makhzen) and méchouars
Bahia Palace
Dar Si Saïd Museum
Maison Tiskiwin
Dar el Glaoui
Villa Majorelle at the Majorelle Garden

[edit] Cemeteries, koubbas and mausolea

Saadian Tombs
- Mausoleum of Ahmed el-Mansour
- Second mausoleum
Koubba of Fatima Zohra and Koutoubia Mosque cemetery
Koubba el Baâdiyin
Koubba Cadi Ayyad
Jewish cemetery
Sidi Abd el Aziz
Sidi es Souheyli

[edit] Handicrafts and business

Souks
- Souk Kimakhin (stringed instruments)
- Souk el Bradiia (pitchers)
- Souk Hadaddine (metalwork)
  - Souk Nahhassine (brass, copper)
- 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

[edit] Museums

Dar Si Saïd Museum
Marrakech Museum
Bert Flint Museum at Maison Tiskiwin
Islamic Art Museum at the Majorelle Garden

[edit] City walls and gates

[edit] Places and squares

Place Djemaâ el Fna
Square Charles de Foucauld
Place de la Liberté
Place du 16 Novembre
Place des Ferblantiers
Place Youssef Ben Tachfine
Place Mourabiten
square Bir Anzaran

[edit] Gardens and parks

Palm Grove
Majorelle Garden
Menara gardens and olive grove
Agdal Garden
Koutoubia Mosque park at Square de Foucauld
oasiria aquatic park 4km Amzmiz road

[edit] Other structures

Chrob ou Chouf Fountain
Convention Center (Palais des Congres)
Opera House
Cadi Ayyad University

[edit] 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.

[edit] Marrakech in Popular Culture

Song Marrakesh Express by Crosby Stills and Nash
Marrakech by André Tanneberger
Marrakesh by New Model Army
Marrakech by George Orwell
Marrakech by German techno group Scooter
The Hardy Boys #54 The Mysterious Caravan
Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles includes passages set in Marrakech
Song Marrakech by Filipina-British jazz artist Mishka Adams
Song Marrakech by BWO
Song Marrakesh Night Market by Loreena McKennitt
Hideous Kinky starring Kate Winslett, set in Marakesh and Morroco in 1973
BBC television series Absolutely Fabulous; in episode "Morocco" (1994) Edina, Patsy, and Saffron head to Marrakech for a photo-shoot
William S. Burroughs mentions the city of Marrakesh in his novel Naked Lunch: "A friend of mine found himself naked in a Marrakech hotel room second floor..."

[edit] Born in Marrakech

Tahar Tamsamani (born September 10, 1980), Moroccan boxer

[edit] 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.

[edit] Photo Gallery

The Saadian Tombs	The Koutoubia Mosque	Djemaa el Fna square by night	Food being served at Djemaa el Fna
A view from a hill	City hall	Selling of carpets in the souks of Marrakech	Tanneries of Marrakech
Bab Agnaou door	Djemaa el Fna at morning	Marrakech riad courtyard