Marrakech << muh RAH kehsh or `mar` uh KEHSH >> (pop. 928,850), also spelled Marrakesh, is a city in west-central Morocco, a country in the northwestern corner of Africa. Marrakech is an important cultural and religious center of Morocco and one of its traditional capitals. Marrakech is famous for its gardens, religious sites, and suqs (markets), and for the many winding streets of its medina (old Arab quarter).
Marrakech lies south of the Tensift River near the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. The city is some 180 miles (290 kilometers) southwest of Rabat, the Moroccan capital. Marrakech is the capital of the region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz. Regions are the main administrative units of Morocco. Marrakech is a bustling commercial center noted for its flour milling and leather and textile manufacturing. An airport, railroads, and highways connect Marrakech with a number of other cities. The city’s Cadi Ayyad University is one of Morocco’s largest. Many of the city’s buildings are colored with pinkish-brown ocher, earning Marrakech the nickname “the Red City.” Ocher consists of iron oxide, clay, and sand.
Most of the people of Marrakech are Arabs or Berbers. Most people live and work in the city’s Ville Nouvelle (new city) neighborhood, an area of wide avenues and modern residential and industrial buildings. The Ville Nouvelle was developed largely during the French occupation of Morocco from 1912 to 1956. The avenues of the Ville Nouvelle radiate out from Guéliz, the city’s commercial center.
Marrakech is a popular tourist destination. The city has vibrant nightlife as well as peaceful gardens and hammams (bath complexes). The gardens include native fig, olive, orange, and pomegranate trees. Palm groves and the famous Menara Gardens sit just beyond the city walls. The boisterous Jemaa el-Fna plaza lies at the heart of the city’s medina. The maze of nearby alleyways teems with suqs, madrasahs (Islamic schools), fountains, and mosques. The Medina of Marrakech became a World Heritage Site in 1985. Such sites are designated places of unique cultural or natural importance by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Berber ruler Yūsuf ibn Tāshfīn of the Almoravid dynasty (series of rulers from the same family) founded Marrakech in 1062. The settlement grew quickly and thrived as a center of commerce, government, and learning. In 1147, armies of the Almohad conquered Marrakech and destroyed most of the city. The Almohads rebuilt Marrakech, however, and made it their capital. A number of landmarks remain from the earliest days of Almohad rule. The city’s famous Kutubiyya (also spelled Koutoubia) Mosque, the citadel, ramparts, and other structures date from the late 1100’s. An irrigation system from that era continues to provide water for the city’s gardens and palm groves.
Marrakech declined under the rulers of the Marīnid dynasty in the late 1200’s. The city returned to prominence, however, as the capital of the Sa’dian (also spelled Saadian) dynasty in the 1500’s. Sa’dian ruler Ahmad al-Mansūr began constructing the city’s elaborate El Badi Palace in 1578. Members of the dynasty—including al-Mansūr—rest in the city’s famous Sa’dian Tombs. Since the early 1700’s, the city has prospered mostly under the rule of the Alawite dynasty.
