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Marrakech is considered one of Morocco's historic cities, with a population of roughly 600,000. Its famous mosques and colorful souks, many palm lined streets, and location at the foot of the Atlas Mountains - snow capped in winter - give it a unique charm and austere beauty. It was founded by the Almoravids in 1062, and was taken over by the Almohads in 1147, from which they ruled their extensive empire which included most of the Iberian peninsula. Today it is major magnet for tourists.
Beautiful spring flowers bloom in the desert by the highway between Casablanca and Marrakech. |
The Ave Mohammed V is the principal boulevard through Marrakech. |
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Typical scenes (left, above) in the souks of Marrakech. These are organized so that each street or square is dedicated to a particular product. |
Much of Marrakech looks like this - weathered buildings of stucco turned the same shade of red as the soil of the surrounding desert. |
The entrance to El Badi Palace, built by Sultan Ahmed al Mansur Ad-Dahbi between 1578 and 1593. |
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| Two views (above) of the El Bahia Palace, which is next to the El Badi Palace. It was built in the late 19C by Vizier Ahmed Ben Moussa, and is modeled on much earlier Andalusian designs. It was badly damaged at Ben Moussa's death in 1900. | |
Marrakech is surrounded by massive walls which date mostly from the Almoravid period. In all, they extend for nearly 16km. |
At some of the entrances to the old town through the city walls there are "camel jockeys" waiting to ply their trade with the many tourists. |
The role of Marrakech as an oasis in the desert is most evident at sunset. |
The foothills of the High Atlas begin just south of Marrakech. Shown here is typical Berber village. |
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| Two views (above) of the Talat-n-Yacoub Kasbah, the ruined ancestral home of a wealthy family near Ijoukak dating from the 13C. The right photo shows the view out over the Nfiss Valley. | |
Two views (above, right) of the mosque at Tin Mal, a small village roughly 100km southwest of Marrakech. The mosque dates from 1154, and has recently been restored for use. |
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| Two views (above) of the village of Tin Mal. Current modest appearances notwithstanding, it was a holy city of the Almohad Dynasty in the 12C. | |
Scenery of the High Atlas (above, right). Almond trees were blooming in spots along the banks of the river when I visited.
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| Celebrating former King Hassan's birthday at a small town on the road from Marrakech with horse races and other amusements (above). | |
Horsemanship has deep roots among these people, many of whom are presumably Berber in origin. |
Map courtesy of Lonely Planet. |
