Jemaa el-Fnaa
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| Jemaa el-Fna by night |
The Jemaa el-Fnaa or Djemaa el Fna, is one of the most famous
squares in all of Africa and is the centre of city activity and trade. It has
been part of the UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985. The name roughly means "the assembly of
trespassers" or malefactors. Jemaa el-Fnaa was renovated along with much of the Marrakech city,
whose walls were extended by Abu
Yaqub Yusuf and particularly by Yaqub al-Mansur in 1147-1158. The surrounding mosque, palace, hospital, parade
ground and gardens around the edges of the marketplace were also overhauled,
and the Kasbah was fortified. Subsequently, with the fortunes of the city, Jemaa
el-Fnaa saw periods of decline and also renewal.
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| Snake charmers in Jemaa el-Fna |
Historically
this square was used for public executions and decapitations by the rulers to
maintain their power by frightening the people. The square attracted dwellers
from the surrounding desert and mountains to trade here and stalls were set up
on the square from early in its history. The square attracted tradesmen in
foods, animal forage and domestic items, snake charmers ("wild, dark,
frenzied men with long disheveled hair falling over their naked
shoulders"), Berber women in long robes, camels and donkeys, dancing boys
of the Chleuh Atlas tribe, and shrieking musicians with pipes, tambourines and African drums. Richard Hamilton said that Jemaa el-Fnaa once "reeked of
Berber particularism, of backward-looking, ill-educated countrymen, rather than
the reformist, pan-Arab internationalism and command economy that were the
imagined future." Today the square
attracts people from a diversity of social and ethnic backgrounds and tourists
from all around the world. Snake charmers, acrobats, magicians, mystics,
musicians, monkey trainers, herb sellers, story-tellers, dentists, pickpockets,
and entertainers in medieval garb still populate the square. It has been described as a "world-famous
square", "a metaphorical urban icon, a bridge between the past and
the present, the place where (spectacularized) Moroccan tradition encounters
modernity."
Souks
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| Souk Semmarine |
Marrakesh
has the largest traditional Berber market in Morocco and the image of the city
is closely associated with its souks. Paul Sullivan cites the souks as the principal
shopping attraction in the city, describing it as "a honeycomb of
intricately connected alleyways, this fundamental section of the old city is a
micro-medina in itself, comprising a dizzying number of stalls and shops that
range from itsy kiosks no bigger than an elf's wardrobe to scruffy store-fronts
that morph into glittering Aladdin's
Caves once you're inside." Historically the souks of Marrakesh were
divided into areas of retail, including leather, carpets, metalwork, pottery,
etc. The areas are still roughly ordered but there is significant overlap
today. Many of the souks sell
items such as carpets and rugs, traditional Muslim attire, leather bags, and
lanterns etc. Haggling is still a very important part of trade in the souks.
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| Souk Semmarine |
One
of the largest souks is Souk
Semmarine selling anything from brightly coloured bejewelled sandals and
slippers and leather pouffes to jewellery and kaftans. Souk Ableuh contains stalls which specialize in the retail
of olives, a variety of types and colours including green, red, and black
olives, lemons, chilis, capers, and pickles and mint, a common ingredient of Moroccan
cuisine and tea. Similarly, Souk
Kchacha specializes in dried fruit and nuts, including dates and figs, walnuts, cashews and apricots. Rahba Qedima contains stalls selling hand-woven
baskets, natural perfumes, knitted hats, scarves and t shirts, Ramadan
tea, ginseng, and alligator and iguana skins. Criee Berbiere, to the northeast of this market, is noted for its
dark Berber carpets and rugs. Souk
Siyyaghin is noted for its
jewellery, and Souk
Smata nearby is noted for its extensive collection of babouches and belts. Souk Cherratine specializes in leatherware, and Souk Belaarif
sells modern consumer goods. Souk
Haddadine specializes in ironware and lanterns.
Ensemble
Artisanal is a government-run complex of small arts and crafts which has a
reasonable range of goods dealing with leather, textiles and carpets. In the
workshop at the back of this shop young people are taught a range of crafts.
City
walls and gates
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| Agnaou Gate |
The
ramparts stretch for some 19 kilometres (12 mi) around the medina of the
city. They were built by the Almoravids in the 12th
century to fortify the city. Made of a distinct orange-red clay and chalk which
gives the city its nickname as the "red city", the walls, which stand
up to 19 feet (5.8 m) high, have some 20 gates and 200 towers along it. Bab Agnaou was built in the 12th century in the time of the
Almohad dynasty. The name Agnaou, like Gnaoua, in Berber refers to black people (cf. Akal-n-iguinawen - land of the black).
The gate was called Bab al Kohl (also referring to black people) or Bab al Qsar
(palace gate) in some historical sources. The corner-pieces are decorated with
floral decorations extending around a shell. This ornamentation is framed by
three panels and on these panels is an inscription from the Quran in Maghribi, foliated Kufic letters, which were also used in Al-Andalus. Bab Agnaou was renovated and its opening
reduced in size, during the rule of sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah. Bab Aghmat - Bab Aghmat is located east of the Jewish and
Muslim cemeteries, and is near the tomb of Ali ibn Yusuf. Bab
Berrima with its "solid towers" stands near the Badi Palace. Bab er Robb (meaning Lord's gate)
is a southern gate exit to the city, near Bab Agnaou. Built in the 1100s, it
leads to the roads up to the mountain towns of Amizmiz and Asni. Bab el Khémis is one of the city's
main gates, situated in the medina's northeastern corner and has a man-made
spring.
Gardens
The Menara
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| The Menara |
The Menara gardens are gardens located to the west of the city, at
the gates of the Atlas Mountains. They were built in the 12th century (c. 1130)
by the Almohad ruler Abd
al-Mu'min. The name menara derives from the pavilion with its small green pyramid roof (menzeh).
The pavilion was built during the 16th century Saadi dynasty and renovated in 1869 by sultan Abderrahmane of Morocco, who used to stay here in summertime. The pavilion and basin (an artificial lake) are surrounded by orchards and olive groves.
The intention of the basin was to irrigate the surrounding gardens and orchards using a
sophisticated system of underground channels called a qanat. The basin is supplied with water thanks to an
old hydraulic system which conveys water from the mountains located approximately 30
kilometres (19 mi) away from Marrakech. There is also a small amphitheater
and a symmetrical pool, where 3D fils of old
battles are screened. Carp fish can be seen in the pond.
The Majorelle Garden
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| Majorelle Gardens |
The Majorelle Garden, on Av Yacoub el Mansour, was at one time the
home of the landscape painter, Jacques
Majorelle. The designer, Yves Saint Laurent, bought and restored the property, which
features a stele erected in his memory, and the Museum of Islamic Art, which is housed in a dark blue
building. The garden, open to the
public since 1947, has a large collection of plants of five continents. All the
plants have descriptive signs and the commonly seen plants are cacti, palms and bamboo. It is very well laid out with pools with
lilies, and pathways.
Agdal gardens
The
Agdal Gardens are located south of the medina. Also built in the 12th
century, they are royal orchards surrounded by pise walls. Measuring 400 hectares (990 acres) in size, the
gardens feature citrus, apricot, pomegranate, olive and cypress trees. It
contains another basin, this one filled with carp, retention ponds, working
orchards, and flower paths. Sultan Moulay Hassan's
harem resided at the Dar al Baida pavilion, which was situated with Agdal
Gardens. Apart from the pavilions
the place is known for a swimming pool used by soldiers; a Sultan is also
reported to have drowned here.
The Koutoubia Gardens
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| Koutobia Gardens |
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| Panorama |
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