Marrakesh

 
There's only one world to define it: magical... There are a thousand legends which describe its history, which began in 1070 when the Saharan Almoravid Abou Beker, the leader of a powerful army, encamped in the plain of Hauz, at the base of the upper Atlas mountains. Marrakesh, the capital of the south, has a mysterious and seductive air. Marrakesh, a name with a magical sound that evokes palm groves and caravans, oriental markets and international spies, and duels to the death in an oasis of peace. Many are the roads which lead to Marrakesh but the most famous is the P.7, which comes from Casablanca. The crossing of the plain after Ben Guerir, in all its disturbing bareness, lets you understand how Marrakesh represents a passage way to the centre of Morocco. More than any other city, it epitomizes the idea and the stereotypes of the culture and the traditions of the country. So, it is an excellent starting point for those who want to discover what Morocco can offer and most of all, what it will be in the new millennium.
 
 
 

THE CITY WALLS

 

The city walls of Marrakesh, built in the XII century and subsequently destroyed and rebuilt, is about 15 kilometres long, reddish in colour and two metres thick. It has powerful ancient ramparts, various styles and many monumental doors, among which the Bab Aguenaou stands out for its magnificence. It dates back to the era of the Almoravids and leads to the quarter of the kasbah.
 
 
 

THE KOUTOUBIA MOSQUE
The Koutoubia is one of the biggest mosques in the Western Muslim world. Its hispano-moorish style is of an apparent simplicity combined with discreet luxury. This masterpiece was built by the Almohads in one of its imperial cities. Today, it's a starting point that's not to be missed before heading out to explore the medina.
The minaret of the Koutoubia
It's a square tower made of rose-coloured sandstone ( 67.50 metres high, 12.50 metres wide ) adorned with a delicate sculptured decoration that seems just like lacework on stone. The minaret is topped by a lantern, decorated and square, as well as a ribbed cupola. The close proportion between the width and height of the minaret of the mosque bestows a perfect harmony to this masterpiece of hispano-moorish art which was taken as a model for the Giralda in Seville. According to a legend, the three orbs of golden copper which crown the cupola were made from the melted down jewellery of Yacoub-el-Mansour's wife. Yacoub-el-Mansour completed the construction of the tower began by the sultan Abd el-Moumen. Another legend about the orbs says that they are guarded by genies (jin) and that terrible misfortunes will plague those who try to steal them.Koutoubia in Arabic means "the mosque of booksellers" because once, the surrounding shops were mostly dedicated to the sale of books and antique manuscripts. ( XII -XIII centuries.)The first mosque, erected after 1147, was later destroyed because its orientation towards Mecca wasn't correct. The foundation of the first mosque is still visible today. The construction of the current mosque, built according to the instructions of Abd el-Moumen, was completed in the same year construction started, in 1158, and ordered by Yacoub el-Mansour.
This splendid work of art is subdivided into 16 naves and a wider middle nave. Here, the luxurious almoravid ornamentation and the décor of Andalusian inspiration exalt the simplicity and pureness of its lines. The 11 stalactite cupolas, capitals and moulded structures make the Koutoubia one of the finest examples of Almohad art.
 
 
 

IN THE BAZAAR...

The souk of Marrakesh is the vital heart of the medina, the old part of the city which dates back to the XII century. It is the place where age-old customs and traditions have been coming together since ancient times. Originally, souks were divided into various specific sectors with defined boundaries and with names that reflected the activities which took place there, but over time these boundaries gradually disappeared. The souk is a magical and fascinating place where it is customary to accept the tea that the vendor offers, just as how bargaining the price of any item for sale is all part of the game; a place where losing your way is a fun, yet never dangerous experience.
 
DJEMAA EL-FNA SQUARE
It's a large open space or rather, a big stage, vaguely triangular in shape, where you can see countless shows performed by jugglers, snake charmers, dancers and acrobats every day. Each one marks off his "halqa", an imaginary circle blessed by a holy man, and presents his show. It's a large square where fruit and spice merchants, basket-sellers and trinket vendors gather. The name Djemaa el-Fna has something morbid about it. In fact, it means "gathering of the dead" due to the fact that public executions took place there in the past. (!)
THE GUELIZ
The modern city of Marrakesh, built during the French protectorate, derives its name from the sandstone extracted from the quarries of the "Gueliz" hills, in the north-west outskirts. The Gueliz is connected to the medina by the avenue Mohammed V. The banks, offices, administrative institutions, shops and cafés of modern Marrakesh are concentrated on this avenue. Every morning there is a market which is found halfway between place du 16 Novembre and place Abd el-Moumen ben Ali. The stalls display fruit and vegetables as well as handicrafts produced in the region.
 
 
 

THE GARDENS OF MARRAKESH
The pride and joy of Marrakesh are its gardens which are taken care of with an age-old passion that dates back to the days of the Almoravids. The truth is that there wouldn't even be a palm tree in Marrakesh if these sovereigns hadn't started planting them. Since then, the number of parks has multiplied and no one here finds it strange that a garden, like a building, can boast antique origins. This is the case of the AGuedal o Agdal, a word that means garden, created in the XII century by the Almohad Abd el-Moumen. Much smaller and cosier, the garden of the Menara has a pavillion surrounded by cypresses which seems to have been the place where the sultan met his mistresses. As for Marrakesh's famous palm grove, which has an area of 13,000 hectares, it has no less than 100,000 trees. The fastest way to visit it is by car. A more striking way to see the grove is on a classic carriage ride, perhaps preceded by a tour of the ramparts of the hispano-moorish monumental doors.As well, we recommend a visit to the Majorelle gardens, located north-east of Gueliz. Created in the '20s by the French painter Jacques Majorelle, these unique gardens are home to bougainvilleas, coconut, banana and palm trees as well as rare and exotic plants, some of which have strange and menacing forms.