Marrakesh Marrakech! Its name conjures fire eaters, water sellers, snake charmers, crowded souks, celebrities in over-sized shades recovering from six month long hangovers. But Marrakech is more than just the recycled lyrics from a 1960s hit. Marrakech (or Marrakesh) is Morocco’s fourth largest city, home to one of the largest traditional market or souks in North Africa and to Jamaa el Fna, one of the biggest commercial squares in the world. Nestled at the foot of the snow-dusted Atlas Mountains, close to the limitless Sahara, Marrakech is the very heart of Morocco’s Berber culture, a symbol of Morocco’s exotic past and a destination that inevitably brings out the poet and super-shopper in us all. Marrakech History The Berbers are descendents of the nomadic tribes that once occupied the whole of North Africa. The word “Berber” derives from the Latin, and is etymologically related to the English word “barbarian.” In the 12th century, the Arabs invaded Morocco, bringing their language and their religion. The indigenous Berbers fled south, and the newly founded city of Marrakech became their stronghold. Marrakech’s lavish ramparts, gates, buildings, public gardens and shrines were built from locally quarried sandstone with a distinctive golden hue, giving rise to the city’s nickname, the Ochre City. Public works were constructed along the lines of the original desert encampments, lending the city, with its broad palm-lined boulevards, an almost Western feel. Marrakech was the capital of Morocco until the 17th century when Meknes supplanted it. Marrakech has deep ties with Islam’s mystical Sufi traditions. The Ochre City’s annual Festival of the Seven Saints draws pilgrims from all over the Moslem world. In the 20th century, Marrakech became a magnet for Western artists and free spirits of all sorts. Today, Marrakech is one of Morocco’s most visited destinations, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The Ochre City offers tourists timeless traditions side by side with the most modern, cosmopolitan restaurants, hotels and entertainments. What To See And Do In Marrakech A traveler could spend a year in Marrakech and not see all the city has to offer. For travelers on a shorter holiday, here are some suggestions. Visit The Jamaa El Fna No Marrakech trip would complete without a visit to the Jamaa el Fna, the large central square in the medina quarter or old city. Classic movie buffs will instantly recognize the ancient plaza, bordered on one side by the souk, and on the other by leisurely hotels, gardens and cafes, as the place in Alfred Hitchcock 1956 masterpiece “The Man Who Knew Too Much” where French agent Bernard dies in James Stewart’s arms. At all hours of the night and day, the Jamaa el Fna bustles with activity, but the type of activity changes according to the hour. In the morning, food and drink stalls predominate; come evening, comestibles are replaced by exotic entertainers like snake charmers, dancing apes, fire eaters, magicians, dancing boys and story tellers. Hot food and drinks like tea are safe to partake in, but be careful of eating or imbibing anything that has been sitting out too long under the sun. Learn To Cook Moroccan cuisine is characterized by the use of vibrant spices and fresh ingredients. Marrakech offers visitors numerous opportunities to brush up on their kitchen skills with informal lessons in Moroccan cuisine at any one of a number of traditional guesthouses called riads. The best-known traditional Moroccan dish is the tagine, a slow-cooked stew of mutton or chicken, vegetables and fruit that’s served with couscous. Several cooking schools based in Marrakech also offer more formal culinary instruction. Take A Traditional Steam Bath Hammams are the Arab world’s communal bathhouses, with separate wings for men and women. Until fairly recently, private baths were a luxury that only extremely wealthy Moroccans could afford. The common folk kept clean by patronizing hammams, where people would come to scrub, steam and catch up on local gossip. Though private bathrooms are more common now, the hammam is still a beloved Marrakech institution. Many upscale hotels and riads offer their own versions, which are more like Western-style spas than steam baths, but the traditional working class hammam survives too and most are extremely tourist-friendly. Shop Till You Drop If you enjoy bargaining, the souks of Marrakech are a wonderful place to shop. Just remember that merchants expect you to haggle, and price their items at approximately twice what they expect to get for them. You can buy unusual lamps, jewelry, hookahs and carpets, though keep in mind that you will have to figure out a way to get them home. You are not compelled to buy if you go into a carpet shop and the proprietor puts on a show. Just remember he is taking time out of his day to show you his wares, and leave him a small tip.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 22:16:43 +0000
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