Marrakech City

Posted in Travel & Leisure by admin on December 31, 2007

Marrakech or Marrakesh (مراكش Marrakesh), known as the “Red City” or “Al Hamra,” is a city in southwestern Morocco in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains .

The possible origin of its name could be from the Tamazight (Berber) words mur (n) akuch, which means Land of God. (The root “mur” is nowadays 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.

The name Morocco itself derives from Murrakush. This city is the capital of the Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz region.

Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has the busiest square in the entire continent of Africa, called Djemaa el Fna. 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 comprised both an old fortified city (the médina) and an adjacent modern city (called Gueliz). It is served by Ménara International Airport (RAK is the code for the city) and a rail link to Casablanca and the north.

The city is called “Marrakech” in French, “Marrakesh” in English, and “Marrakesch” in German.

Marrakesh is the second largest city in Morocco after Casablanca, and 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 Almoravid leader, Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar decided Aghmat was becoming overcrowded and decided to build a new capital. 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.

Let’s forget about the history stuff and let’s see some pictures of the city : The new and the old city , please enjoy the show and don’t forget to add your comments .

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