Marrakech
As eternal as the snows on the highest peaks, as impressive as the Atlas
mountains, as steeped in history as the palm trees are rooted in the Earth,
Marrakech stands as the finishing touch to a picture.
The mightiest kings fought for it, a line of dynasties inherited it, sages,
craftsmen, architects, painters and sculptors of all ages built magnificent
palaces, mosques, gardens and Koranic schools. Marrakech, the imperial city
which, at the dawn of its history, gave Morocco
its name.
The Berbers and the Arabs come together here, to mingle with the nomads and the mountain people. Every imaginable commodity abounds, craftsmanship flourishes, and there are palaces, hotels, restaurants, golf courses and a casino: Marrakech is the unchallenged capital of Southern Morocco.
For all the beauty gathered here in one thousand years, for the sheer joy of the senses, you cannot miss Marrakech
Carts overflowing with oranges and roasted grains, women from the Anti-Atlas coming to sell their baskets, storytellers, musicians, dancers, public scribes with their black umbrellas, fortunetellers, potion vendors, healers and apothecaries all contribute to the unreal spectacle that in Marrakech, is commonplace
Then, as dusk approaches, the show men make way for the hot food stalls. One after another, acetylene flames spring into life. And then, in the starry night, the moon comes out to play the role it was designed for: to be the most magical of the thousand and one lanterns lighting up the Jemaa el Fna Square.
Marrakech awakens Just as it has done every morning for more than 800 years, with the same inflected intonation, the call of the mason going out from the 70 metre high Koutoubia, the spiritual beacon of Marrakech.
Sunrise over Marrakech. A multicolored crowd invades the winding streets of the media. Groups of men jostle towards the Ben Youssef mosque, nestling against the Medersa, the vast and superb Koranic school founded by the Merinide sultan Abou el-Hassan ( 1331 - 1349) and one of Marrakech's most remarkable monuments.
The sun bathes Marrakech in light. Its rays show up the pink marble of the fountains, spread across the tiled courtyards, are reflected and then bring warmth to the turquoise, greens and whites of the mosaic, to finally be lost amidst the stucco of the Bahia Palace and the Dar Si Sald, now a museum housing the finest masterpieces of Moroccan art. The legendary sun of Marrakech adds a note of accentuated contrast to the imperious splendor of the Saadian tombs. It illuminates
The remains of the Badii Palace where a shimmering mirage may reveal the wonder of these former glories to the dazzled visitor; the gold, the marble and the onyx which were traded for their weight in sugar by the most celebrated Saadian ruler, Ahmed el Mansour (1578 - ]603).
The sun sets over Marrakech Then, against a sky blazing with evening fire bounded by the eternal snows of the Atlas mountains, the perfect proportions of the Menara pavilion may be contemplated, mirrored in the quiet, still waters that stand before it.
Time has passed you by. In the copper sour perhaps, where the metal is worked by craftsmen following age-old traditions, their faces set in profound concentration. Or perhaps it was in the Laghzal Souk, home of the wool merchants. Or in el Btana with its sheepskins. Or even in the hubbub of the Zarbia sour, where carpets and caftans are sold to the highest bidder...
You are in another world. Where the smell of saffron, cumin, black pepper, ginger, verbena, cloves and orange flower enchant the nostrils. Among sacks of almonds, ground nuts and chick peas piled high like mountains, with baskets of dates, casks of olives and, on the apothecaries' shelves, pots of henna, gazelle, flasks of rose extract, jasmine, mint, khol, pieces of amber and mu sk . . .
Outside the ochre-coloured ramparts, the rhythm is broken, the colors change. The sound of the wind in the foliate chirping birds, the heady odors of jasmine and honeysuckle and the persistent perfume of the famous Marrakech roses. Here, nature is a haven of peace, beauty and contemplation. No doubt it is grateful to man for having watered it since 106 by means of an ingenious system of collecting and channeling spring water. 13 000 hectors of vegetation, 180 000 palm trees, a world class Seen from Marrakech, the vast, imposing mass of the snow-capped mountains seems unreal and unbelievable. And yet the splendor, other-wor]dliness and imposing might of the constantly changing Atlas landscape are only 20 kilo metres away. Just head out South East of Marrakech, through the friendly Berber villages of Aghmat and Dar Caid Archway. Follow the road bordered with terraced gardens along Wadi Ourika until you reach Arhbalou. From there on, the choice is simply limitless' Bear right towards Oukaimeden (2,600 m), the famous winter sports resort only 74 km from Marrakech.
Or else admire Setti Fatma and its hundred-year- old walnut trees and dive into the invigorating coolness of its seven waterfalls. Or possibly go on to Annameure, village of the At Oucheg tribe where you can hire a mule and climb up as far as Djebel Yagour, center of Moroccan prehistory which boasts over 2,000 cave paintings.
To the South, another change of scene. 47 km from Marrakech, on the road to Taroudant, in the typically Berber village of Asni, people come to barter in the sour which is held every Saturday. Towards Ouirgane, the landscape is rescent of American canyons. Magnificent gorges lead to Imlil, a charming mountain hamlet. This is the starting point for hikes through Toubkal national park: climbing to the summit (4165 m), North Africa's highest point or, at 3800 m, the Tazaghaght plateau, a stone strewn desert at such an altitude that it looks down upon the clouds.
East of Marrakech, water water, everywhere ! The Ouzoud Falls, where the water plunges for more than 100 metres. Wad I Mehasseur, spanned by the natural Imi-n-lfri bridge, the "gateway to the abyss" in Berber, which cascades through vast rock formations to end in the artificial Ait-Aadel lake surrounded by bare, red-coloured hills.
National Festival of Popular Arts
Every year, the ruins of the el Badii palace provide the grandiose setting
for the national festival of popular art. This is the showplace for music, dance
and songs, costumes, jewelry and ornaments for family or religious celebrations.
Quite enchanting !
The Treasures of the Dar Si Saed Museum
Jewellery in finely worked silver, oil lamps in Taroudannt stone,
embroidered leather, rustic pottery, marble, magnificent pots, chests, Berber
jewelry: it is like walking through a dream. Especially the favorites bedroom
with its exceptionally beautiful collection of carpets.
From its very conception, Marrakech has always been an ideal setting for a rural market, a "souk" which allowed people from the mountains to come down and buy all they needed. It should also be remembered that in the Maghreb, one of the oldest concepts of pacific conquest was the notion of commercial protection: markets and "souks" were placed under the protection of a political or religious leader who guaranteed their safety from marauders. Such places became kind of neutral ground where opponents and even enemies could meet without risk.
The name "Marrakech" would seem to be at the centre of considerable debate: the most popular hypotesis holds that the name is derived from a local Berber word which could mean "sons of Kutch". It is fascinating to speculate that this word might well link up with the Biblical word "Kutch", son of Sham and ancestor of the Kutch people who lived in the upper Egypt, Ethiopia and the southern part of Arabia.
Other experts claim that the name comes from the "Masmooda" tongue and means "Don't linger", an injunction to travellers who passed here before the city was founded since the palace was famous for the ambushes laid in this district by highways robbers.
Times have changed since then: Marrakech is now the place where you want to stay and come back to again and again.
You will be stuck by its elegance, by the impression that it radiates, by the colours and tones that centuries have enriched, and the warm sunlight that makes the blocks of pink sandstone even brighter.Certain people claim that the name comes from the words "Meeting of the Dea" a chilling reminder of the heads of murderers and ill-doers which the Sultan had displayed from the ramparts after their execution. I much prefer the translation "Court of Marvels" which is not only poetic but so much more faithfully describes this astounding esplanade. But you can judge for yourself.
At first light, shopkeepers start spreading out their wares on rush mats or even on the ground.
You will see the men who sell soup, shish-kibab on skewers and grilled sheep's head; you will find the water vendor, trotting as usual and ringing his little bell, who will doubtless offer to pour you a shining copper goblet of water from his goatskin holder and suggest you might like to take a photograph of him and his traditional costume of which he is extremely proud. You will need 5 or 6 films for the Square alone.
The centre of the square is taken up by the performers doing their acts in this open-air circus.
Acrobats from the Souss offer balancing tricks and daring acrobatics.
Nearby,
The circle of onlookers form and disperse, but the biggest one is around the "gnaouas", darkskinned dancers whose music is deafening and whose dances are frenzied, accompagnied as they are by drums and "gargabous", long castanets made of metal which beat out the rhytms.
The Square becomes an open-air restaurant in which clusters of people gather round open-fronted shops where sausages are being grilled and frying fish turn golden brown. Why not sit down yourself?
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