Marrakesh, Morocco, is also nicknamed “ocher city” or “Pearl of the South”. Elf Studio / stock.adobe.com
This imperial city, still nicknamed “Pearl of the South“, holds many secrets.
Nickname “ocher city», Mecca of Moroccan tourism, Marrakech was hit by a strong earthquake on the night of Friday to Saturday, claiming at least 1,037 lives, mainly in the mountainous and difficult-to-access rural hinterland. Here are five things you should know about this imperial city, still nicknamed “Pearl of the South».
Tourist center
Marrakech is located in the southern center of the country and, with around one million inhabitants (number from a 2020 census), is one of the five cities with the largest population in the kingdom, behind Casablanca and Tangier. But above all, it is the leading tourist destination in Morocco: every year it welcomes more than two million tourists who visit the city and its surroundings, but also explore the neighboring Atlas Mountains.
The medina or old town is one of the largest in North Africa: it covers 700 hectares. It contains architectural treasures such as the Koutoubia Mosque and its 77-meter-high minaret. This medina has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
Famous Jemaa el-Fna square
With its monkey trainers, traders and fruit juice sellers, Djemaa el-Fna square is the beating heart of Marrakech: thousands of tourists normally pass through there every day. This place, hit by an attack in 2011, is known for welcoming street storytellers, dancers, Arabic or Berber singers throughout the day and part of the night.
Djemaa el-Fna dates back to the 11th century and is located at the entrance to Marrakesh. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2001. Hundreds of people flocked to this square to spend the night. From Friday to Saturday z According to an – correspondent, they are afraid of aftershocks from the earthquake.
Huge palm grove
The Marrakech palm grove, one of the oldest in the country (11th century), is another major tourist attraction. Located in the north of the city, it consists of more than 100,000 palm trees, covers 16,000 hectares and is irrigated by a complex system of wells and canals.
Yves Saint Laurent Museum
The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech commemorates the French stylist’s attachment to the ocher city, where he and Pierre Bergé bought the Oasis villa in 1980, the gardens of which belonged to the French orientalist painter Jacques Majorelle. This museum with modern architecture was inaugurated in 2017 near the Majorelle Garden, which was Saint Laurent’s residence in Morocco.
Race to Riads
Inspired by Yves Saint Laurent and other celebrities who vacationed in the city, many Europeans, especially French, invested in riads, these traditional houses with a central patio or interior garden, in the old town of Marrakech, starting in the early 2000s.
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