Marrakech in Morocco

Marrakech is one of the most spectacular cities in Morocco. The old city is so distinctive that it seems to be a portal to the distant past. Exoticism is found at every step here. Sometimes it seems that this is not a city at all, but a bright set for the filming of a movie in the genre of “fantasy”. However, everything here is real – from the terracotta fortress to the trained snakes in Jemaa al-Fna Square.

At the foot of the atlas mountains :

The Kingdom of Morocco is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Mediterranean Sea in the north. On the coast, the temperature does not rise above 30 degrees, there is a lot of greenery and flowers, and in the center of the country you can feel the hot breath of the Sahara. Marrakech is the fourth largest city in the country. It is located inland, at the foot of the Atlas Mountains.

From the window of an airplane coming in for a landing, the city appears as if in the palm of your hand. There is no color other than terracotta. This is also the color of the land and mountains. For this reason, Marrakech fits perfectly into the local landscape. There are no high-rise buildings in the city. Two- and three-story buildings prevail. It is surrounded on all sides by farmland, where mandarins, oranges, wheat, potatoes, beets, and beans are grown. Agriculture employs 40 percent of the country’s population.

Oranges and mandarins are Morocco’s national treasure :

There are mountains on the south side. They are not impregnable, however, there is snow on the peaks, which indicates a high altitude. The record holder is considered to be the mountain Jbel Tishka, 3,240 meters high. Marrakech is spread out on a plain that is 450 meters above sea level. From Marrakech to the capital Rabat is 330 km, to the coastal city of Essaouira 180 km.

The best time to explore the city is from September to December and from April to May. There is no exhausting heat, and ripe mandarins can be picked directly from the trees. Summer temperatures top 40 degrees and the city receives no more than five millimetres of rainfall per month! It rains the most in winter, but even then the precipitation does not exceed 30 millimeters.

Imperial capital :

The native inhabitants of Morocco are considered Berbers. More than two thousand years ago, the Phoenicians landed on the coast, founded colonies and gradually pushed the natives into the interior of the continent. The Phoenicians were succeeded by the Carthaginians, then the Romans and Byzantines. In 682 came the long period of Arab rule. A true “golden age” was the reign of Sultan Ahmed al-Mansure al-Zahabi.

However, the riches of the ancient Maghreb were not to be missed by many. First the pirates of the sea firmly established themselves there, and then began a period of colonization – the Portuguese, the Spaniards and the French came to the African lands. As a result, most of Morocco became a colony of France and remained so until independence in 1956.

The current King Mohammed VI has ruled Morocco since 1999. Huge portraits of the king can be seen in all the cities of the country. His father, Hassan II, enjoyed great prestige all over the world. It was he who achieved the independence of Morocco from France. The great merit of Hassan II is that he succeeded in bringing the Arab and European worlds much closer together.

Marrakech was founded in 1060 by Sultan Abu Bakrom ibn Umar. Its heyday was at the end of XII century. At that time the city played the role of the capital. It was then that the Kutubiya mosque and the palaces of the rulers appeared. Several times Marrakech gave capital functions to the city of Fez. Rabat ended up being the capital. And Marrakech became the largest cultural and tourist center of Morocco.

Wonderland city :

The main and greatest attraction of Marrakech is the Old City, which in the East is called the Medina. This is a real ethnographic museum in the open air. The Medina is surrounded by a high fortress wall, the total length of which is just under 20 kilometers! Behind the wall there is something that resembles a giant anthill. The entire space is filled with thousands of buildings, superstructures, additions; it is pierced with innumerable passages.

It is said that there are several thousand streets in the Old City. However, there are hardly any names or numbers on the walls. If there are any, they are in Arabic. For foreigners, it’s easy to get lost here. One thing helps: wherever you go, you’re sure to come to the fortress wall and along it you get to the nearest gate. One of the saving signposts is Qutubiya – an ancient mosque with a seventy-meter minaret, decorated with four copper spheres. The minaret can be seen from afar.

Marrakech Jamaa El Fna :

For foreign tourists, local cab drivers immediately offer to take them to the “souk”, as they call the market in the East. In Marrakech, it is Jemaa el-Fna Square. You will not find a more exotic place in the city. There are snake charmers with cobras and huge sleeping pythons, and shamanic paraphernalia – goat hooves, horned skulls, bundles of grass, porcupine needles. Black to blue members of the Gnahua tribe dance mystical dances. Women willingly set up their hands for tattoos using henna. Sometimes it all seems like a dream.

Along the perimeter of the square there are market stalls. And each of them is a little museum. What’s there to see! There are rows of fossils – huge ammonites and trilobites, which in normal life can be seen only in geological museums. There is a huge choice of tazhenovs, teapots, trays and other Oriental tableware. The fine embossing on the copper dishes fascinates the eye. Handmade metal star-shaped lamps attract attention. Many craftsmen work directly in the shops and it is a real show. You can walk around Jemaa el-Fna endlessly.

In the evening, the square is transformed into an open-air national restaurant. In an instant, tables with white tablecloths, roasters, and all sorts of snacks-meat, seafood, fish-appear. All the food is raw. All you have to do is point your finger at the head of a sheep and it will be cooked immediately. Well, you can be satisfied with cactus fruits and fruit mixes. In any case, it is worth even just to see what and how the Moroccans eat. Here at Jamaa El Fna, you can find many travel agencies that offer the 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Fes that’s in case you want to enjoy the experience of camel trekking and camping at Berber tents in the Sahara desert of Merzouga.

Goose in Marrakech :

Among the city’s museums, the Dar Si Said Ethnographic Center is very popular. There are also museums of photography, Orientalism, Dar El Bach and modern African art. Marrakech boasts such architectural monuments as the Bahia Palace, Ben Yusuf Madrassah and the Saadite dynasty burial complex. To increase the degree of exoticism, it is worth a visit to the public hammam.

Active Menus :

It would seem that snow and Africa are incompatible concepts. But in Morocco it is possible. The Ucaymeden ski resort is located 75 kilometers southeast of Marrakech in the Toubkal National Park. It is located at an altitude of 2600 meters. Snow cover lies in the mountains from mid-December to mid-April. The temperature rises to +25-30 degrees in summer, falling to minus three degrees in winter.

Slopes are about 1000 meters long. Seven elevators provide service to these slopes. You can rent skis or snowboards. You can go skiing, cross-country skiing, archery, bobsleigh, mountain climbing, and hiking in the mountains. There are three hotel complexes, swimming pool, solarium, health center, cafes and restaurants of national cuisine. We hope we can help you organize your Morocco tours at Marrakech visiting these beautiful places.

Marrakech in Morocco

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