The "Pearl of the South". It reflects the diversity of Oriental life, even in its stark dichotomy. In the north of the city, adjacent to the Palmeraie are the quarters of the wealthy, to the west in Hivernage is the hotel district, and in the Medina you will find magnificent palaces and ruins of glorious times. In no other city can experience the contrasts so close.
Here we encounter rich, elegantly dressed Moroccans, young girl in mini skirt, jeans or caftan, beggars, jugglers, self-appointed leaders, Barker, craftsmen, water sellers and nomads from the desert next to kamerabehängten tourist groups. In the Heat of the inner city is full of life, from the city spread magnificent landscapes.
history
Marrakech was of old Arab chroniclers Mraksch, ie "the city" called. Earlier Marrakech was only a caravan storage area. Only Abou Bakr the leader of the Almoravids, recognized this place as an excellent camp for his troops. His cousin Youssef Ibn Tashfin built the first mosque and houses (1062) and planted the giant Dattelpalmenhaine - the Palmeraie - that you still can now admire in the northeast of the city. From Marrakech Youssef Ibn Tachfin broke on to conquer the whole country. He even met prior to Andalusia. Marrakech was the capital of the empire. Gradually the city from the Almoravids and Almohads under the following Abd el Moumen was (12C.) And later expanded Abou Yakoub Youssuff and Yakoub el Mansour. From Almoravidenzeit only 9 km long city wall was preserved.
From the time of the Almohads there are also remains only as subsequent sultans had the character to destroy the palaces of their predecessors and to build their own. Among the most impressive Almohadenbauten include the city gates and the famous minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque. The next dynasty of Meriniden remained only briefly in the city and chose Fes as their capital. It was only in the 16th c., As under the Saadi Ahmed El Araj came to power, the royal court returned to Marrakech. From this time many buildings are still standing. The best and most elaborate the Saadian tombs are their main entrance of Moulay Ismail Alouitensultan was walled up, and was only rediscovered in 1917. The huge Royal Palace Dar el Badi, the Sultan Ahmed el Mansour had built ed Dehbi, was destroyed and removed by Moulay Ismail. He used the stones for the construction of his palaces in Meknes.
During the colonial period Marrakech was dominated by the french friendly Pasha Glaoui EI in 1912 with this worked after the French invasion and numerous advantages procured by these compounds.
When King Mohammed V. ascended the throne in 1956, he was with his power.
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Sehenswürdigkeiten
Djemaa el Fna "Square of the Beheaded" is undoubtedly the main attraction of the city. In the late afternoon of this square is dominated by the performances of acrobats, dancers, snake charmers, storytellers and musicians. The square is lined with all sorts of exotic objects. At one booth dried lizards, toads, feet, skins and various indefinable brews are sold, they are a miracle cure for everything from infertility of women to the niggles of an old man. The next it smells like rose water and all sorts of ointments and mouth. Through this maze of people drowned the sound of the bells of the water sellers who shape the image of the place.
The souks of Marrakech are the largest in the country. You start out as on the north side of the Place Djemaa el Fna. From here you can reach the first Töpfersouks. It passes through the main gate of the market on the Rue Souk Smarine (Textilsouks), the splits after the Place Rahba Kedima in the Rue Souk Attarine and in the Rue Souk el Kebir V-shaped. Left Hand of Rue Souk Attarine are the souks of coppersmiths and just north of it the Wollfärbersouk and the Souk Chouari (woodcarvers). The Ironforge Between the Souk Attarine and the Souk el Kebir with their workshops and leather goods and the market (souk Cherratine). Law of the Souk-el-Kebir Street we come to the jewelery and carpet market. When Rahba-Kedima-place there was the old slave market, where for centuries black slaves were auctioned. Now here the spice merchants, and quacks have settled.
The actual tanning district lies on the northern outskirts at Bab Debbarh. Is tanned beef, camel and goat, sheep and goat leather. Near the wool dyers quarter, you meet the Fontaine el Mouassine, an ornate fountain from the 16th century. Next to it is the end of the 16th century. Built EI Mouassine Mosque, which was built by Moulay Abdallah Saaditensultan. In the north of the souks you reach the Fontaine Echroub-ou Chouf, a fountain with gorgeous carved facade, Kufi ornaments and a stalactite canopy. From here to get to the mosque of Ben Youssef Medersa and the same. The Koran school dates from the 14th century., Was renovated for the Saadierzeit and was once the largest Islamic school in the Maghreb.
From the Ben Youssef Mosque can be reached via the Rue Assouel to Bab el Khemis, a city gate from the Almoravidenzeit. Of conditions here west to reach the tombs of two saints, Sidi Bel Abbes the Founder and Sidi Ben Slimane. The Zaouia of Sidi Bel Abbes was built in the early 17th century. And is considered a place of pilgrimage. The Zaouia of Sidi Ben Slimane dates from the 16th century.
The Southern Medina The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque is a landmark of Marrakech and clearly visible from afar. It is the most important monument of the city and is situated in the east of the Djemaa el-Fna square. The mosque was built in 1158, the minaret but only at the end of the 12th century. With the Hassan Tower in Rabat and the Giralda in Seville, which served as a model of the Koutoubia, the minaret still models Moroccan architecture.
South of the Place Djemaa el Fna is reached by the Rue Bab Agnaou Bab Agnaou and to the neighboring Bab er Robb from the 12th century. Much like the Djemaa el Fna square also the heads of the executed were impaled. Of the Koutoubia Mosque is best running on the Rue Ibn Chaldoun to Place Youssef BenTachfine, and continue along the wall to the Bab Agenaou. By this leads to the Kasbah district, the old Almohadenstadt. The Kasbah Mosque was built (late 12th c.) In this period. South of it are the Saadian Tombs, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city.
The El Badi Palace was one of the most magnificent palaces of the Maghreb. The existing foundations give an idea of the former dimensions. Everywhere on the remains of nesting storks. In the dark vaults can see where the prisoners were chained, but you can sense their suffering only in its infancy. In EI-Badi Palace every year is held the Folklore Festival in June, where involved in the country's history the various ethnic dances and songs to show off.
At the EI Badi Palace, the Royal Palace Dar el Makhzen follows, which is also now the King for stays in Marrakech still used. Between the EI-Badi Palace and Palais de la Bahia is the Mellah, which was founded in the 16th century. And until the 20th century. The largest of Morocco. There are also some brass and silver, the finished pretty vessels, lamps and jewelry. It is worth visiting the synagogue and the Jewish cemetery. The Palais de la Bahia was built in 1900. Here resided the viziers Rahman, Hassan and Aziz, the well-known Pasha Glaoui EI and the French collaborators settled here shortly.
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the Gardens
The Aguedal gardens in the south of the city outside the walls are pure olive gardens. Recovery also offer the Menara fruit plantations from the 19th century. With ponds and palaces as well as the 150 km2 large Palmeraie (Dattelpalmenkulturen) north of the city. Here, young people or families meet for lunch picnic, students also pack your books and learn outdoors. The best of all gardens is the Jardin Majorelle at Av. Yacoub el Mansour in the Neustadt. He was of the French painter Majorelle (1859-1926) created and bought sometime in the last years of Pierre Berge & Yves Saint-Laurent. They set up in the former studio of the painter a small museum (Musee 'Art Islamique), where works of the painter Majorelle are issued. The garden with many tropical plants, including Giant cacti and trees planted, which are provided with tablets on which the Latin name and the area of origin is. The buildings are brightly painted blue with yellow and white framed windows and fringed by purple bougainvillea - a feast for the eyes
