Marrakech, Morocco, is one of the fascinating cities in all of Africa. The city has a rich history and culture that any traveler cannot miss. If you are planning on visiting Morocco, you will probably visit Marrakech, and these facts about Marrakech will help prepare you for your trip! or you can as well read Morocco travel tips.
During our trip to Morocco, we visited Marrakech, and even though it wasn’t our favourite place to stay in Morocco, it was a fascinating one with many Maroccan landmarks. Do you wonder which place in Morocco was our favourite? It was Essaouira with incredible Medina and Ait Ben Haddou.
Facts about Marrakech
The city of Marrakech was founded in 1070 by a Berber Dynasty the religious nomads called Almoravids. It was the capital city of the Almoravid Empire.
Marrakech is often called “the red city” due to the red clay city walls built at the beginning of the 12th century.
Jemaa el-Fnaa, located within the Marrakech Medina, is the Marrakech’s largest square. It is a busy centre of tourism, entertainment and trade in the city and the most important cultural Landmark in Morocco.
Up till XX century, Morocco was known as the Kingdom of Marrakech
Marrakech has the largest concentration of traditional handcrafts in Morocco, including clothing, shoes, and pottery crafts. It’s the perfect place to buy some Moroccan Souvenirs.
Marrakech is a top travel destination in Morocco and one of the most visited cities on Earth, attracting tourists from all over Europe, Africa and North America.
Marrakech is located in northern Africa on the edge of the Sahara Desert (which is the third-largest desert in the world) and was once an important trading city with caravans travelling across North Africa stopping here before heading south to sub-Saharan countries such as Niger, Mali or Burkina Faso.
The people in the city of Marrakech speak Moroccan Arabic and Berber, and French. Plus, the sellers in Medina speak almost every language.
Marrakech’s climate ranges from hot during daytime hours to cold at night. Temperature can vary by up to 20 degrees Celsius between day and nighttime.
When you want to relax after exploring Marrakech, you should try one of the local Hamam. It’s the one and only experience you should have.
Movies shot in Marrakech
Moroccan city, Ouarzazate is the African Holywood, lots of movies were shot in Marrakech.
Starting from Alfred Hitchcock movie “the man who knew too much, Steven Spielberg “Raiders of the Lost Arc” and many others, including the comedy Sex in the city, which takes place in Abu Dhabi, was actually filmed in Marrakech.
Medina in Marrakech
The Medina and souqs of Marrakech are two other must-see places in Marrakech. The medinas is a walled quarter with narrow alleys and markets, while the Souq offers some great shopping for clothes or Moroccan souvenirs! If you want to know more facts about Morocco, check out this blog post.
Food in Marrakech
Marrakech’s cuisine and generally Moroccan food range exceptionally in flavour, but all typically contain couscous, which is made by boiling semolina flour in water until it swells up like a large grainy mass before being served as part of an elaborate meal. This nutritious dish can be flavoured with meat sauce or vegetables and Moroccan spices, depending on the region.
In the 18th century, almost half the world production of saffron came from Morroco. Now Morocco is still produced lots of saffron which you can buy among other Moroccan spices on Marrakech souq.
Landmarks of Marrakech
Jemma El-Fna Square is an ancient square at Marrakesh’s heart, where different cultures converge, creating an authentic environment that may seem like it came out of a storybook. This vast open space comes alive for sunset when stalls are laid out selling food on skewers cooked over charcoal fires, street performers, fortune tellers and snake charmers all around you.
The Jemaa El Fna square. The Djemaa, which translates as ‘Friday mosque’, as it was built next to the site of a giant mosque.
The Koutoubia Mosque was originally built in XIIth Century. The tall minaret still is one of the most visible landmarks of Marrakech. Recently, the oil painting of The Koutoubia Mosque done by Winston Churchill in 1943 was sold at auction in New York for US$ 8.5 million. It was the only oil painting Churchill painted during the 2nd War World.
Churchill was a big lover of Marrakech, that he insisted Franklin D Roosevelt US President would visit with him the city during the 2nd World War after Casablanca Conference.
Jardin Majorelle – Jardin Majorelle is a garden located in Marrakech, Morocco. It was designed by the famous French artist Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge. Yves Saint Laurent loved Morocco so much that he asked to be buried at La Palmeraie Oasis near Marrakech.
The Menara Gardens are a garden complex and water feature on the outskirts of Marrakech. They were built by Sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur during the 13th century to mark his military victory over Almería in Andalucía.