An overview of Marrakech – Part 1

A mystery medieval city of that is full of drama is the best description of Marrakech. It seems to captivate anyone who steps behind the ochre-coloured walls. Once you step inside, you will be transported back in time to a place that has been stuck a point in of history. Here you will find the winding alleys of the medina and the sights and sounds of the souks, the chaos that is Djemaa el-Fna square and the Atlas Mountains towering up in the background. All these sights and sounds combine to make Marrakech the jewel in the crown of Morocco.

Marrakech was once a trading centre for the camel caravans that had been driven north through the desert and navigated over the often snow-covered Atlas Mountains. An oasis in the surrounding desert Marrakech has become Morocco’s third most important city after Rabat and Casablanca. Its wonderful palaces and palm groves offer a powerful pull to the tourists that visit the country. It has always been the place where sub-Saharan Africa meets Arab North Africa. To this very day this market town which is located on the edge of nowhere is still a compelling and exotic place to visit.

THE CITY

The city divides into two very different districts. The medina, founded nearly 1, 000 years ago by the Almoravids and a French colonial modernist section which was started in the early 20th century and is called the Ville Nouvelle. However it is the medina that most people come to see and within that it is Central Square, Djemaa el-Fna, which is the heart of the city.

Djemaa el-Fna is the very centre of Marrakchi life and really comes alive with once dusk has started to take hold. This is when a caravanasi of food vendors selling all types of Moroccan delicacies descend on the square. These are accompanied by snake charmers, storytellers, musicians and performers that lend a medieval aroma to the night air. In the north of the square are the important religious buildings and the souks, while to the south are the Imperial quarters where the palaces and monuments of past rulers can be found.

The Ville Nouvelle, which in comparison to the medina is a much more ordered, divides into the areas of Gueliz and Hivernage. Here you will find an array of civic buildings, international hotels, bars and restaurants typical of any modern European city.

Continued in part 2