Marrakech
The City of Marrakech
Marrakech Location in Morocco
Coordinates: 31°8′N 8°0′W / 31.133, -8
Country	Morocco
Region	Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz
Population (2006)
- Total	1,036,500

Marrakech or Marrakesh (مراكش Marrakesh), known as the "Red City" or "Al Hamra," is a city with a population of 1,036,500 (as of 2006) in southwestern Morocco, near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa The Atlas Mountains ( Kabyle: Idurar n leṭles جبال الأطلس) is a Mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about 2400

Name

The possible origin of its name could be from the Tamazight (Berber) words mur (n) akuch, which means Land of God. Nomenclature The term Berber has been used in Europe since at least the 17th century and is still used today (The root "mur" is now in the Berber languages used only in the feminine form "tamurt"). The same word "mur/mawr" appears in the country Mauritania, but this interpretation is still unproved to this day, and there are other possibilities that are often invoked.

Djemaa el Fna

This city is the capital of the Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz region. Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz (مراكش تانسيفت حاوز is one of the sixteen Regions of Morocco. Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has one of the busiest squares in Africa, Djemaa el Fna. A souk (سوق also sook, souq, or suq, or shuq in Hebrew שוק is a highly fashioned commercial quarter in an Arab or Berber Djemaa el Fna ( Arabic: جامع الفناء jâmiʻ al-fanâʼ) is a square and Market place in Marrakesh 's Medina quarter ^[1] The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers, and musicians by day; and food stalls by night, becoming a huge open-air restaurant.

Like many North African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech comprises both an old fortified city (the médina) and an adjacent modern city (called Gueliz). North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. A medina quarter (المدينة العتيقة is a distinct city section found in many North African cities It is served by Ménara International Airport (RAK is the code for the airport) and a rail link to Casablanca and the north. Casablanca (in Standard Arabic: الدار البيضاء ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ; Moroccan Arabic: dar beïda الدار البيضا

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

History

Main article: History of Morocco

Medina of Marrakech*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv, v
Reference	331
Region†	{{{Region}}}
Inscription history
Inscription	1985  (9th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

Marrakesh is the fourth largest city in Morocco after Casablanca, Rabat, and Fès. The Capsian culture brought Morocco into the Neolithic about 8000 BC at a time when the Maghreb was less arid than it is today A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Casablanca (in Standard Arabic: الدار البيضاء ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ; Moroccan Arabic: dar beïda الدار البيضا Rabat ( Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ) population 2 million ( 2007 estimate) is the Fes or Fez ( Arabic: فاس, French Fès is the fourth largest City in Morocco, after Casablanca, Rabat It was known to early travellers as "Morocco City. " Prior to the advent of the Almoravids in the 11th century, the area was ruled from the city of Aghmat. The Almoravids, was a Berber dynasty from the Sahara that spread over a wide area of North-Western Africa and the Iberian peninsula during Aghmāt was an important medieval Berber town in southern Morocco which is today an archaeological site known as "Joumâa Aghmat" The Almoravid leader, Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar decided Aghmat was becoming overcrowded and decided to build a new capital. The Almoravids, was a Berber dynasty from the Sahara that spread over a wide area of North-Western Africa and the Iberian peninsula during Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar (died in 1087 (أبو بكر بن عمر was an Al-Murabitoon ruler Aghmāt was an important medieval Berber town in southern Morocco which is today an archaeological site known as "Joumâa Aghmat" Being a nomad from the Sahara Desert, he decided to build it in a plain, away from the mountains and rivers, and chose the site of Marrakech as being in neutral territory between two tribes who were vying for the honor of hosting the new capital. The Sahara (الصحراء الكبرى aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-kubra, "The Great Desert" is the world's largest hot Desert and the world's second largest Work started in May 1070, but Abu-Bakr was recalled to the Sahara to put down a rebellion in January 1071, and the city was completed by his deputy and eventual successor Yusuf ibn Tashfin^[2]. Yusuf ibn Tashfin or Tashafin (reigned c 1061 - 1106 (يوسف بن تاشفين or يوسف بن تشفين was an ethnic Berber and Al-Murabitoon ruler The city experienced its greatest period under the leadership of Yacoub el Mansour, the third Almohad sultan. A number of poets and scholars entered the city during his reign, and he began the construction of the Koutoubia Mosque and a new kasbah.

Prior to the reign of Moulay Ismail, Marrakech was the capital of Morocco. Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif ( 1634? or 1645?-1727 reigned 1672-1727 (مولاي إسماعيل بن الشريف ابن النصر was the second ruler of the Moroccan Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa After his reign, his grandson moved the capital back to Marrakech from Meknès. Meknes (مكناس is a city in northern Morocco, located 130 kilometres from the capital Rabat and 60 kilometres from Fes.

For centuries Marrakesh has been known for its 'seven saints'. When sufism was at the height of its popularity, during the reign Moulay Ismail, the festival of the 'seven saints' was founded by Abu Ali al-Hassan al-Yusi at the request of the sultan. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif ( 1634? or 1645?-1727 reigned 1672-1727 (مولاي إسماعيل بن الشريف ابن النصر was the second ruler of the Moroccan Abu Ali al-Hassan ibn Masud al-Yusi ( 1631 - 1691) was a Moroccan Sufi writer The tombs of several renowned figures were moved to Marrakesh to attract pilgrims in the same way Essaouira did at that time with its Regrega festivals. Marrakesh or Marrakech ( Amazigh: Murakush, Arabic مراكش Murrakush) known as the "Red City" Essaouira (الصويرة eṣ-ṣauīrah formerly known as Mogador, its older name is a City / Wilaya and tourist resort in the western Moroccan The 'seven saints' (sebaatou rizjel) is now a firmly established institution, attracting visitors from everywhere. The seven saints include Sidi Bel Abbas (the patron saint of the city), Sidi Muhammad al-Jazuli, Sidi Abu al-Qasim Al-Suhayli, Cadi Ayyad ben Moussa and Abdallah al-Ghazwani. Sidi Bel Abbas or Sidi Ahmed abu al-Abbas al-Khazraji as-Sabti ( Ceuta 1129 - Marrakesh 1204 is the patron saint of Marrakesh and also one Sidi Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli al-Simlali (died 1465 was a Marinid Sufi leader of the Berber tribe of the Jazulah who lived in the Sidi Abu al-Qasim Abd al-Rahman b Abd Allah al-Suhayli (1114 &ndash 1185 was born in Al-Andalus, Fuengirola (formerly called Suhayl and died in Marrakesh Kadi Ayyad ben Moussa (القاضي عياض بن موسى in French transliteration Qadi Iyad) or Abu al-Fadl Ayyad ben Amer ben Moussa ben Ayyad ben Mohammed ben Abdellah Abu Mohammed Abdallah al-Ghazwani (died 1529 was a Sufi saint from Morocco in the tradition of Al-Jazuli and Ash-Shadhili.

Marrakech was dominated in the first half of the 20th century by T'hami El Glaoui, Lord of the Atlas and Pasha of Marrakech. Pasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, (paşa پاشا ( Persian: پاشا ( Armenian: Փաշա was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire The poet of the city was Mohammed Ben Brahim, his favorite place was café Al-Masraf. El Houari Mohammed Ben Brahim Assarraj was a poet from Morocco. The poems and songs of Ben Brahim are still known by heart by many Marrakshi. El Houari Mohammed Ben Brahim Assarraj was a poet from Morocco.

Demographics

Marrakech had a population of 1,036,500 in 2006.

Panoramic picture of the Djemaa el Fna square at sunset. Djemaa el Fna ( Arabic: جامع الفناء jâmiʻ al-fanâʼ) is a square and Market place in Marrakesh 's Medina quarter Koutoubia Mosque appears on the extreme left. The Koutoubia Mosque ( جامع الكتبية is the largest Mosque in Marrakech, Morocco. The souks are in the alleys behind the square

The official number of residents is one million. A souk (سوق also sook, souq, or suq, or shuq in Hebrew שוק is a highly fashioned commercial quarter in an Arab or Berber Also, there is a very large international community consisting mainly of Europeans: especially French, estimated at 10,700 people, mostly retired. Additionally there are Germans, Italians, English and Swiss.

Further information: Demographics of Morocco

Main sights in Marrakech

Main article: List of places in Marrakech

Trips from Marrakech

Many tourists take a trip from Marrakech 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. Most Moroccans are Sunni Muslims of Berber, Arab or mixed Arab-Berber stock A list of notable places in the city of Marrakech, Morocco. Religious Sites Koutoubia Mosque Ben Youssef Medrassa Ourika River (نهر أوريكا (Oued Ourika is a river in Morocco, at. Dra is also the abbreviation for the constellation Draco. The Draa (درعَا (also spelled Dra or Draâ, in older Essaouira (الصويرة eṣ-ṣauīrah formerly known as Mogador, its older name is a City / Wilaya and tourist resort in the western Moroccan

Transport

Menara International Airport serves as the main airport for the city and receives flights from Europe and neighboring Arab countries.

A toll-paying motorway connects Marrakech with Casablanca. The Casablanca-Marrakesh expressway is an expressway in Morocco. Casablanca (in Standard Arabic: الدار البيضاء ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ; Moroccan Arabic: dar beïda الدار البيضا

CTM coaches (intercity buses) and various private lines run services to most notable Moroccan towns as well as a number of European cities, from the Gare Routière on Rue Bab Doukkala in downtown Marrakech.

Marrakesh is the southern terminus of the ONCF, the Moroccan railway network, and Marrakesh is well served by trains heading to Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, and Fez. ONCF or ONCFM (in French - O ffice N ational des C hemins de F er du M aroc National Office for Railways of Tangier or Tangiers ]] ( Tanja طنجة in Berber and Arabic, Tánger in Spanish Rabat ( Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ) population 2 million ( 2007 estimate) is the The train station is located on Avenue Hassan II.

The ONCF owned "Supratours" bus company serves towns not served by the train. The bus timetable coordinates with the train timetable and the bus terminal is right beside the station.

People born in Marrakech

• Mordechai Vanunu (born October 13, 1954), Whistleblower of Israel's nuclear weapons program
• Tahar Tamsamani (born September 10, 1980), Moroccan boxer
• Ahmed Bahja : one of the best football players in Morocco

Photo Gallery

The Saadian Tombs	The Koutoubia Mosque	Djemaa el Fna square by night	A view from a hill
City hall	city gate Bab Agnaou	Djemaa el Fna at morning	Marrakech riad courtyard
Wall of Agdal Gardens

References in popular culture

• "Marrakesh Express" is a song by Crosby, Stills and Nash. Mordechai Vanunu (מרדכי ואנונו born in Marrakech, Morocco on October 13 1954 is an Israeli former nuclear Tahar Tamsamani (born September 10, 1980) is a boxer from Morocco, who participated in three Olympic tournaments Ahmed Bahja (أحمد البهجة (born 21 December 1970) is a retired Moroccan football player who played for several clubs including KAC Marrakech The Saadian tombs in Marrakech date back from the time of the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603 The Koutoubia Mosque ( جامع الكتبية is the largest Mosque in Marrakech, Morocco. Djemaa el Fna ( Arabic: جامع الفناء jâmiʻ al-fanâʼ) is a square and Market place in Marrakesh 's Medina quarter A city hall or town hall is the chief administrative building of a City or Town 's administration and usually houses the city or Bab Agnaou (Arabic باب اكناو) is one of the nineteen gates of Marrakech, Morocco. " Marrakesh Express " is a popular song by Crosby Stills and Nash, released on their 1969 self-titled debut album. Crosby Stills & Nash ( CSN) is a Folk rock / rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash
• "Marrakesh Night Market" is a song by Loreena McKennitt on her album The Mask and Mirror. Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt CM (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer composer harpist and pianist most famous for writing recording The Mask and Mirror is an album by Loreena McKennitt released in 1994
• Alfred Hitchcock filmed the opening scenes of The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) on location in Marrakech with Doris Day and James Stewart. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 The Man Who Knew Too Much ( 1956) is a suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff (born April 3, 1922) is an American Singer, actress, and animal welfare advocate known as James Maitland Stewart (20 May 1908 – 2 July 1997 popularly known as Jimmy Stewart, was an American Film and stage Actor
• "Marrakech" is a song by ATB. ATB (born André Tanneberger on February 26, 1973 in Freiberg Saxony, Germany) is a German DJ, Musician
• In the PC game Dope Wars, players are offered a bargain deal on Hashish when the "Marrakech Express" arrives
• Mentioned briefly in a conversation during the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dope Wars is a Turn-based strategy Computer game in which the player simulates the role of a Drug dealer. Raiders of the Lost Ark (also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) is a 1981 Adventure film directed by Steven
• "Marrakesh" is also a song by New Model Army. New Model Army are an English rock band. They have been variously classified as a punk band Post-punk, Folk rock
• British progressive electronica duo Hybrid feature a song titled "Marrakech" on their album Morning Sci-Fi
• Peter Kruder's debut solo album as Peace Orchestra also featured a track titled 'Marakesh'
• The "Morocco" episode of the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous is set in Marrakech. Hybrid is a British Electronic music group based in Swansea, formed around the duo of Mike Truman and Chris Healings Morning Sci-Fi (2003 is the second studio album by British Breakbeat trance producers Hybrid. Kruder & Dorfmeister, named after members Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister is an Austrian duo most known for their Downtempo - dub remixes of pop Peace Orchestra is a musical solo project from Viennese Trip-hop - dub producer Peter Kruder, best known as one half of Kruder & Dorfmeister Absolutely Fabulous (also known as Ab Fab) was a BAFTA and Emmy Award -winning British sitcom written by and starring The episode was first broadcast in February 1994.
• The Extra Glenns (John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats fame and Franklin Bruno of Nothing Painted Blue fame) have a song titled "Going to Marrakesh" on their album Martial Arts Weekend. The Extra Glenns are a band made up of Franklin Bruno of Nothing Painted Blue and John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats. John Darnielle is an American musician best known as the primary (and often solitary member of the American band The Mountain Goats, for which he is the writer composer guitarist The Mountain Goats is a band led by American Singer-songwriter John Darnielle. Franklin Bruno is an American Singer-songwriter, academic writer and blogger originally from Upland California. Nothing Painted Blue is an American Indie rock band sporadically active since the 1990s led by songwriter Franklin Bruno.
• Marrakech doubled for 1920s Egypt in the 1999 film The Mummy
• Marrakech appeared in the 2000 game-of-the-year No One Lives Forever. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Mummy is a 1999 American Adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel It appeared in the first mission in the first three stages.
• Mentioned in passing in episode 8 of The Venture Bros., Mid-Life Chrysalis as Team Venture's intended destination before being grounded. The Venture Bros (alternatively The Venture Brothers) is an American Animated television series airing as part of Adult Swim " Mid-Life Chrysalis " is the eighth episode in the first season of The Venture Bros
• The book "Hideous Kinky", as well as its movie adaptation, are for a large part situated in Marrakech in the early 70's. Hideous Kinky is an Autobiographical novel by Esther Freud, daughter of British painter Lucian Freud, and great-granddaughter
• In an episode in the third season of Family Guy, Stewie Griffin plays with his toy train and dreams about himself being a spy fighting another man on a train roof. Family Guy is an animated American television sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane that airs on Fox and regularly on other Stewart Gilligan "Stewie" Griffin, is a Fictional character in the animated series Family Guy. When winning, Stewie says the line: "You'll never make it to Marrakech".

References and notes

External links

• Explore Marrakech at imagelinka
• location appartements essaouira
• Marrakech entry in LexicOrient
• Marrakech Riad
• location appartements essaouira - Immobilier Essaouira - Riads Essaouira - hotels Essaouira
• Location Appartements Essaouira

• Marrakech travel guide from Wikitravel