Marrakech, or the “Morocco City” as early travellers called it, has always been the central place for Berber villagers to bring their goods to sell, spend the money they make, and enjoy some entertainment. At the heart of Marrakech is an open space called Jemaa el Fna – where our Marrakech tour starts from – and this space is filled with acrobats, comedians, dancers, drummers, pipe players and storytellers. The city is also full of architectural attractions as well such as the ruins of the El Badi Palace, the Koutoubia Minaret and the delicate carvings in the Saadian Tombs.
If you do take a tour of Marrakech then you will soon realise how it came to get the nickname of the “Red City” – as the natural red pigment that covers its buildings and walls is hard to miss. As with most Moroccon cities, it is a city of two halves – the colonial Ville Nouvelle which was built by the French in the 20th Century and the ancient walled Medina that was founded in the Middle Ages and each of these areas has its own delights to explore. The Ville Nouvelle has its pavement cafes, boulevards and chic gardens while the Medina showcases a more traditional way of life with its ancient mansions and labyrinth of souks.
A brief history of Marrakech
Marrakech was founded around 1062 to 1070 by the first Almoravid dynasty ruler Youssef Ben Tachfine. It is likely that at first it would have taken the form of a camp or market, and then gradually developed into a fortified town. The first circuit of walls was raised in 1126 replacing the earlier thorn bushes, but these walls have also been rebuilt many times since then using the same red mud of the plains (known as Tabia) mixed with lime.
Although the walls remain, most of the rest of the Almoravid’s building works have been removed as the dynasty that replaced them, the Almohad, ransacked the city as soon as they took possession of it in 1147.
When the third Almohad Sultan came to the throne in 1184, Marrakech entered what some consider to be its greatest period. A new kasbah was built, the Souk was constructed and a stream of poets and scholars arrived at court. Yacoub el Mansour also oversaw the construction of the stunning Kautoubia Mosque and minaret.
However, this golden era didn’t last and by 1220, a series of civil wars meant that the Medina fell into a cycle of pillage and ruination followed by rebuilding. Marrakech even lost its status as the capital city in 1269 when the Merenids took power but the Saadians provided a last burst of imperial splendour with the building of the El Badi Palace by Ahmed el Mansour as well as the Saadian tombs in 1521.
Since independence, Marrakech has undergone a considerable amount of change, with many people emigrating from the Atlas Mountains and beyond, and the development of the sizable tourist industry. Marrakech is Morrocco’s second largest city, after Casablanca, with over a million inhabitants (and that number continues to rise). It is the most important administrative and market centre of Morocco due to its thriving industrial area – so it is no wonder it features in so many Morrocco tours!
Marrakech Accommodation
If you want to stay in Marrakech then you will find that most of the value for money hotels tend to be centred around The Medina, and specifically the Jemaa el Fnaa. This area is also home to most of Marrakech’s Riads, which you will usually stumble across in some back street. The mid-range hotels tend to be located in the French era area of Gueliz, which is great for transport links, while high-end hotels tend to be located in Hivernage or Semlalia. Easter and Christmas are busy times in Marrakech, so book early if you want to avoid disappointment.
Marrakech Food & Drink
Again, the Medina is the place to head to experience a wide range of Moroccon food, from small inexpensive cafes to high-end restaurants. Or you can head to the Gueliz district for French-style bistros and cafes.
Morrocco’s most famous dish is Tagine, or tanjia as the Moroccan’s call it. This is usually beef based, but you can sometimes get lamb as well. The word Tagine applies to the actual dish or jug it is cooked in, rather than the dish itself, because the traditional way it was made was to add meat and spices to your tagine and then take it to the hammam to cook among the embers of the bathhouse furnace.
Most restaurants in Marrakech will offer a tagine dish as do the cheaper stalls that line the Medina, but it is a dish that is best ordered in advance as it takes a while to cook.
Marrakech Entertainment & Nightlife
Entertainment and nightlife in Marrakech tend to focus around the Jemma el Fna as well, although the choice of places to get an alcoholic drink are fairly limited. For more variety, head over to the Ville Nouvelle.
You can have some fun times in the nightclubs in Marrakech, although some of the top end ones will frown upon you if you try to get in wearing jeans and trainers – so dress to impress. Many of them don’t open until midnight and only stay open until around 3 or 4 am.
Marrakech Events & Festivals
The country’s biggest folklore and music festival takes place in June or July every year, it is called Festival National des Arts Populaires and it lasts for two weeks, with dancers and musicians coming from all over Morrocco. Shows start at around 9pm, and are preceded by a fantastic display by Berber Horsemen at full gallop firing guns in the air – a real sight to be seen.
Hopefully this article has whetted your appetite and persuaded you that you should book a Marrakech tour or even a Marrakech to Fez tour – so, contact us today to begin your adventure!
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