Marrakech Guide: The Red City is the most popular and visited city in Morocco. Yves Saint Laurent once said, “A visit to Marrakech was a great shock to me. This city taught me color.” 

History Of Marrakech

Marrakech was founded in 1062 by Yusuf ibn Tashfin and his wife Zeinab, he was the leader of the Moroccan Almoravid empire, Marrakech became the capital of the Almoravid dominion under his watch the city grow, houses and mosques were established.

In 1147  the city was captured by the Almohads, a religious movement from the High Atlas that sprawled through Spain and Africa, during this period the dynasty made many major constructions from the fortified walls of the kasbahs surrounding the city to the beautiful gardens and the Koutoubia mosque that is still the until now the largest mosque in Marrakech.

In the middle of the 13th century, a new dynasty took over the red city, the Merenids that took Fez as capital, and Marrakech was forgotten at this period. And 1522 The Saadians took over Morocco, declaring Marrakech the capital in 1551 And began to restore it and built the Badii Palace, At this period Marrakech grew and became the most influential city in the whole of Morocco.

In 1669 the Allaouite dynasty also known as The Sharifs which is descendants of the Prophet Muhammed’s cousin Ali and his daughter Fatima ( The current royal family)  Captured Morocco and moved the capital back to Fez.

Marrakech, today, is an important provincial city. combining the history and traditions that you can see in the old town “the Medina” and the new town showing the European influence that the  French occupation brought.

Things to do and see in Marrakech The red city

Koutoubia Mosque

The Koutoubia mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakech and the city’s most famous landmark with its central and magical location in the medina less than 200 meters from the famous Jeema el Fna Square, with its 77 meters high minaret (at the highest point of the spire) you can’t miss the mosque during any walk in the medina or the new town as it is visible from the main boulevards of Marrakech, it is also the sight of the tourists from the terraces of the Riads, hotels, and restaurants rooftops of the Medina.

Majorelle Garden

Majorelle garden is One of the most visited sites in Marrakech also known as Yves Saint Laurent gardens, it took French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) forty years of passion and dedication to create this enchanting garden in the heart of the “Ochre City”, During his travels, he brings back plants from all over the world or exchanges with correspondents like him passionate about botany, hundreds of plants : bamboos, cacti, coconut trees, willows, palm trees, thuyas, jasmines, water lilies, agaves, carob trees, bougainvilleas, daturas, cypress trees, ferns ….

Bahia Palace

the writer Edith Wharton. She described the palace this way: “They came, they built the Bahia, and it remains the loveliest and most fantastic of Moroccan palaces. Court within court, garden beyond the garden, reception halls, private apartments, slaves’ quarters, sunny prophets’ chambers on the roofs, and baths in vaulted crypts, the labyrinth of passages and rooms stretches away over several acres of ground.” Read More Bahia Palace

Things to do in Marrakech

SOUKS

the term souks mean simply markets, and it is an unmissable attraction even if you’re not into shopping, the souks are still a site that’s well worth experiencing.the unique and chaotic atmosphere, the haggle, the smell of spices, the magic light lamps, traditional clothes, fabric, and street food. The souks add them to unique travel experiences in Morocco’s red city. Read More

Badii Palace

El Badi Palace’s name means ‘the incomparable’ as the descendants of the prophet, the successors to the Almoravides, the Almohads, and Merinids, had to demonstrate their majesty. They aimed to make a semblance of paradise there. The palace dates back to the late 1570s, It was built on the order of Ahmed el Mansour, a Saadi sultan who came to power in 1578.

Things to do in Marrakech

Saadian Tombs

The Saadian tombs are located in the Almohad Kasbah district, near Bab Agnaou, and the famous  Kasbah Mosque known also as the Mansouria Mosque or Mosque of Moulay al-Yazid, is one of the most important historical mosques in Marrakech, the city was the capital during the Saadian era. This admirable funerary complex that house the remains of important figures from the Saadi Dynasty, which ruled Morocco from 1549 to 1659, is a must-see attraction for travelers visiting the red city.

Things to do and see in Marrakech