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| City Guide - Marrakech - City Overview | ||
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City Overview The very name of Marrakech conjures up images of magic carpets and snake charmers and not without reason. After dark, the central square in the medina, Djemmaa-el-Fna, comes to life and puts on a show little changed since medieval times. Sitting at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, on the edge of the Sahara, Marrakech, one of Morocco's four Imperial Cities, is also known as the 'Pink City' because of the rose colour of its walls. It has long been an important crossroads for the Arabic, Berber and Sudanese civilisations and is seen as the 'beginning of the south'. Contrary to general misconception, the Berbers, the indigenous population of the mountains, make up over half of the population; and only about 10% of residents can claim to be 'pure' Arabs. Founded around 1070 by the Berber Almoravids, Marrakech soon became the capital of an Islamic empire that reached from central Spain to West Africa. The Almoravid conquest of southern Spain led to an exchange of culture investing this remote desert enclave with the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Andalucia, something that it has retained a feel for, despite the later destruction of the city when it fell to the Arab Almohads. The architectural influence of the Almohads was the strongest - many of the city's best-known landmarks, such as the mosques Koutabia and El Mansour, date from their conquest. In the twentieth century, again, Marrakech has been subject to conquest - this time, by the French, under whose rule the new town of Guéliz, located within modern Marrakech, was built. Yet perhaps the most significant legacy of this colonial rule is the French language, which is still spoken by all educated Moroccans. Despite the European influences, Marrakech is an Islamic city and can at first glance seem like a very male-dominated society. However, far more women adopt Western dress and work in jobs alongside men than take the veil. It is one of the more liberal Muslim countries and the government is keen to promote Morocco as a progressive State. The biggest problem to any tourist in Marrakech comes from the harassment from hustlers. But escapes are possible to any of the numerous gardens surrounding the city. The stunning backdrop of the Atlas Mountains, an abundance of rivers and streams and a profusion of greenery provide the true character of Marrakech - as an oasis city on the edge of the desert. |
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