Marrakesh
Description
Marrakesh or Marrakech
(Amazigh: Murakush, Arabic مراكش Murrakush), known as the "Red
City", is a city / wilaya with a population of 1,036,500 (as of 2006), the capital of the mid-southwestern Moroccan economic
region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz (#11), near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.
Name
The
probable origin of its name is from the Amazigh (Berber) words mur (n) akush, which means "Land of God". (The root "mur" is used now in
the Berber languages mostly in the feminine form "tamurt"). The same word "mur" appears in the country Mauritania, but this interpretation is still unproven to this
day.
This
city is the capital of the Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz region.
Until
a few decades ago, Morocco was known as Kingdom of Marrakesh by Arabs, Persians and
Europeans. European names of Morocco,
Marruecos, Maroc, Marokko..etc are directly derived from the Berber word Murakush.
Marrakesh city has the largest
traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has one of the busiest squares
in Africa and the world, Djemaa el Fna. The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers, and musicians,
as well as drug lords by day; By night, the square turns into food stalls, becoming a huge open-air restaurant with busy life
that include the infamous Ladies of the Night (prostitutes).
Like
many North African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech comprises 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 airport) and a rail link
to Casablanca and the north.
The
city is spelled "Marrakech" in French, "Marrakesh" in English,
"Marrakesch" in German and "Marakeş" in Turkish.
History
Marrakesh is the third largest
city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat. It was known to early travelers 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
chose to build a new capital. Being a nomad from the Sahara Desert, he decided to build it in the plains, away from the mountains
and rivers. He chose the site of Marrakech, because it was in neutral territory between two tribes who were vying for the
honor of hosting the new capital. Work started in May 1070, but Abu-Bakr was recalled to the Sahara
to put down a rebellion in January 1071 and the city was completed by his deputy and eventual successor Yusuf ibn Tashfin.
The city experienced its greatest period under the leadership of Yacoub el Mansour, the third Almohad sultan. A number of
poets and scholars entered the city during his reign and he began the construction of the Koutoubia Mosque and a new Kasbah.
Prior
to the reign of Moulay Ismail, Marrakech was the capital of Morocco. After his reign, his grandson moved the capital back
to Marrakech from Meknès.
For
centuries Marrakesh has been known for its 'seven saints.'
When sufism was at the height of its popularity, during the reign of Moulay Ismail, the festival of the 'seven saints' was
founded by Abu Ali al-Hassan al-Yusi at the request of the sultan. The tombs of several renowned figures were moved to Marrakesh
to attract pilgrims in the same way Essaouira did at that time with its Regrega festivals. The 'seven saints' (sebaatou rizjel)
is now a firmly established institution, attracting visitors from everywhere. The seven saints include Sidi Bel Abbas (the
patron saint of the city), Sidi Muhammad al-Jazuli, Sidi Abu al-Qasim Al-Suhayli, Cadi Ayyad ben Moussa, Abdelaziz al-Tebaa
and Abdallah al-Ghazwani.
Marrakech
was dominated in the first half of the 20th century by T'hami El Glaoui, Lord of the Atlas and Pasha of Marrakech. The poet
of the city was Mohammed Ben Brahim, his favorite place was café Al-Masraf. The poems and songs of Ben Brahim are still known
by heart by many Marrakshi.
