History

The name is spelled Merrakec in the Berber Latin alphabet, Marrakech in French and Marraquech in Spanish. The common English spelling is "Marrakesh", although "Marrakech" is also widely used. The probable origin of the name is from the Berber (Amazigh) words mur (n) akush , which means "Land of God". The word mur is used now in Berber mostly in the feminine form tamurt. The same word "mur" appears in Mauretania, the North African kingdom from antiquity, although the link remains controversial as this name might also originate from μαύρος mavros, the ancient Greek word for black. In spoken Arabic the word is "Mer-reksh". The exact meaning of the name is unknown according to some, but according to Susan Searight, the town's name was first mentioned in an 11th century manuscript in the Qarawiyyin library in Fez and meant "country of the sons of Kush" in reference to the black people of the area.

Since medieval times and until around the beginning of the 20th century, the entire country of Morocco was known in English and other European literature as "Kingdom of Marrakesh" as the capital city back then was often Marrakech. The Persian and Urdu words for "Morocco" are still مراكش "Marrakech" to this day. European names of Morocco (Marruecos, Marrocos, Maroc, Marokko, etc.) are directly derived from the Berber word Murakush, and in many South Asian languages the country is in fact still known as Marrakech. Conversely, the city itself was in earlier times simply called Marocco (City) (or similar) by travelers from abroad. The name of the city and the country diverged after the Treaty of Fez placed Morocco under French influence, but the old interchangeable usage lasted widely until about the interregnum of Mohammed Ben Aarafa. The latter episode set in motion the country's return to independence, when Morocco officially became al-Mamlaka al-Maġribiyya (المملكة المغربية) ("The Maghreb Kingdom"), its name no longer referring to the city of Marrakesh. Marrakesh, also known as the "red city" and "the daughter of the desert", is the great citadel of the Islamic world which has been qualified as "a drum that beats an African identity into the complex soul of Morocco."

Yussuf ibn Tashfin

The Marrakesh area was inhabited by Berber farmers from Neolithic times, and numerous stone implements have been unearthed in the area. Marrakesh was founded in 1062 (454 in the Hijri calendar) by Abu Bakr ibn Umar, chieftain and cousin of Yusuf ibn Tashfin. 

Led by the Almoravids, pious and learned warriors from the desert, numerous mosques and madrasas (Koranic schools) were built, developing the community into a trading center for the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa. Marrakesh grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural and religious center, supplanting Aghmat which had long been the capital of Haouz. Palaces were built and decorated by Andalusian craftsmen from Cordoba and Seville, developing the Umayyad style which was characterized by carved domes and cusped arches. This Andalusian influence merged with designs from the Sahara and West Africa, creating a unique style of architecture which was fully adapted to the Marrakesh environment. Yusuf ibn Tashfin completed the mosque, built houses, minted coins and brought gold and silver to the city in caravans. The city became the capital of the Almoravid Emirate, stretching from the shores of Senegal to the center of Spain and from the Atlantic coast to Algiers.

The city was then fortified by Tashfin's son, Ali ibn Yusuf, who in 1122-1123 built the ramparts which remain to this day, completed further mosques and palaces and developed an underground water system in the city known as the rhettara to irrigate his new garden. In 1125, the preacher Ibn Tumert settled in Tin-Mal in the mountains to the south of Marrakesh. He preached against the Almoravids and successfully influenced a revolt which led to the fall of nearby Aghmat, but an unsuccessful siege in 1130 in Marrakesh to capture the city.

El Badie Palace. by Adriaen Matham 1640.

In 1147, the Almohads, who espoused orthodox Islam and stemmed from the Masmouda tribes from the High Atlas, took the city under leader Abd el-Mumen. After a long siege and the killing of some 7000 people, the last of the Almoravids were exterminated apart from those who sought exile in the Balearic Islands. As a result, almost all the city's monuments were destroyed. The Almohads built a range of palaces and religious buildings, such including the famous Koutoubia Mosque between 1184 and 1199, constructed on the ruins of an Almoravid palace. It was a twin of the Giralda in Seville and the (unfinished) Hassan Tower in Rabat, all built by the same designer. The Kasbah housed the caliphate residence (from the reign of Abd al-Mumin the Almohad ruler bore the title of caliph, rivaling the far eastern Abbasid Caliphate). The Kasbah was named after the caliph Yaqub al-Mansur. To water the palm groves and parks including the new Menara Garden, the irrigation system was perfected as a result of its cultural reputation, Marrakesh attracted many writers and artists, especially from Andalusia, including the famous philosopher Averroes of Cordoba, known for his commentaries on Aristotle.

The death of Yusuf II in 1224 began a period of instability. Marrakesh became the stronghold of the Almohad tribal sheikhs and the ahl ad-dar (descendants of Ibn Tumart), who sought to claw power back from the ruling Almohad family (the descendants of Abd al-Mu'min, who had their power base in Seville). Marrakesh was taken, lost and retaken by force multiple times by a stream of caliphs and pretenders. Among the notable events was the brutal seizure of Marrakesh by the Sevillan caliph Abd al-Wahid II al-Ma'mun in 1226, which was followed up by a massacre of the Almohad tribal sheikhs and their families and a public denunciation of Ibn Tumart's doctrines by the caliph from the pulpit of the Kasbah mosque. After al-Ma'mun's death in 1232, his widow tried to install her son, acquiring the support of the Almohad army chiefs and Spanish mercenaries with the promise to hand Marrakesh over to them for the sack. Hearing of the terms, the people of Marrakesh hurried to strike their own deal with the military captains and saved the city from destruction with a hefty cash payoff of 500,000 dinars. In 1269, Marrakesh was conquered by nomadic Zenata tribes who overran the last of the Almohads. The city then fell into a state of lethargy. Its decline soon led to the loss of its status as capital which was relinquished to its great rival, Fez.

In the early 16th century, Marrakesh again became the capital of the kingdom, after a period when it was the seat of the Hintata emirs. It quickly reestablished its status, especially during the reigns of the Saadian sultans Abu Abdallah al-Qaim and Ahmad al-Mansur. Thanks to the wealth amassed by the Sultans, Marrakesh was embellished with sumptuous palaces while its ruined monuments were restored. El Badi Palace, built by Ahmad al-Mansur in 1578, was a replica of the Alhambra Palace, made ​​with the most precious materials from Italy (marble), Sudan (gold dust), India (porphyry) and even China (jade). The palace was intended primarily for hosting lavish receptions for ambassadors from Spain, England and the Ottoman Empire, showcasing Saadian Morocco as a nation whose power and influence reached as far as the borders of the Niger and Mali. Under the Saadian dynasty, Marrakesh regained its former position as a point of contact for caravan routes from the Maghreb, the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan African. As a trading center, Marrakesh had once influenced political polarization of the western Maghreb. The Portuguese had installed trading posts in numerous Muslim towns in the south including Azemmour in 1486 and Safi in 1488 and others, later. 

For centuries Marrakesh has been known for its "seven saints". When sufism was at the height of its popularity, during the reign of Moulay Ismail, the festival of these saints was founded by Abu Ali al-Hassan al-Yusi at the request of the sultan. The tombs of several renowned figures were moved to Marrakesh to attract pilgrims in the same way Essaouira did at that time with its Regrega festivals. The seven saints (sebaatou rizjel) is now a firmly established institution. The saints include Sidi Bel Abbas (the patron saint of the city), Sidi Muhammad al-Jazuli, Sidi Abu al-Qasim Al-Suhayli, Cadi Ayyad ben Moussa, Abdelaziz al-Tebaa and Abdallah al-Ghazwani. 

Until 1867, individual Europeans were not permitted to enter the city unless they acquired special permission from the sultan. During the early 20th century, Marrakesh underwent several years of unrest. After the death in 1900 of the grand vizier Ba Ahmed, the empire's true regent until Abd al-Aziz of Morocco became of age, the country fell into the throes of anarchy, tribal revolts and plots of feudal lords, not to mention European intrigues. In 1907, Moulay Abd al-Hafid, caliph (representative of the Makhzen) of Marrakesh, was proclaimed sultan by the powerful tribes of the High Atlas and by Ulama scholars who denied the legitimacy of his brother Abd al-Aziz. It was also in 1907 that Dr. Mauchamp, a French doctor, was murdered in Marrakesh, suspected of spying for his country. France used the event as a pretext for sending its troops to Morocco from Oujda in the east to Casablanca in the west. The French colonial army nevertheless encountered strong resistance from Ahmed al-Hiba, a son of the great Sheikh Ma al-'Aynayn, who had come in from the Sahara with his nomadic warriors from the Reguibat tribes. On 30 March 1912, the French Protectorate in Morocco was established. After the Battle of Sidi Bou Othman, which saw the victory of the Mangin column over the al-Hiba forces in September 1912, the French seized Marrakesh. The conquest was facilitated by the rallying of the Imzwarn tribes and their leaders from the powerful Glaoui family and a massacre occurred here during the turmoil.

One of Imzwarn, T'hami El Glaoui, known as "Lord of the Atlas" became Pasha of Marrakesh, a post he held virtually throughout the 44 year duration of the Protectorate. Glaoui dominated the city, and became famous for his collaboration with the general residence authorities, culminating in a plot to dethrone Mohammed Ben Youssef (Mohammed V) so as to replace him with the Sultan's cousin, Ben Arafa. Thami El Glaoui, already known for his amorous adventures and lavish lifestyle, became an important symbol of Morocco's colonial order. He could not, however, subdue the rise of nationalist sentiment, nor the hostility of a growing proportion of the inhabitants. Nor could he resist pressure from France, who agreed to terminate its Moroccan Protectorate in view of the disastrous situation in Indochina and the beginning of the Algerian War. After two successive exiles (in Corsica and Madagascar), Mohammed Ben Youssef was allowed to return to Morocco in November 1955, bringing an end to the despotic rule of Glaoui over Marrakesh and the surrounding region. 

Since the independence of Morocco, Marrakesh has thrived as a tourist destination. The city became a trendy location to visit for hippies in the 1960s and early 1970s, a "hippie mecca", attracting numerous western rock stars and musicians, artists, film directors and actors, models, and fashion divas. Tourism revenues doubled in Morocco between 1965 and 1970. Yves Saint Laurent, The Beatles, The Stones and Jean-Paul Getty all spent significant time in the city; Laurent bought a property here and renovated the Majorelle Gardens. Expatriates with stylistic aspirations, especially from France, have poured investment into the city since the 1960s, and developed many of the riads and palaces. Old buildings were renovated in the Old Medina, new residences and commuter villages were built in the suburbs, and new hotels began to spring up. United Nations agencies became active in Marrakesh from the 1970s and its political presence internationally has grown with it. In 1985, UNESCO declared the old town area of Marrakesh a UNESCO World Heritage Site, raising international awareness of the cultural heritage of the city. In the 1980s, Patrick Guerand-Hermes purchased the 30 acre Ain el Quassimou, built by the Tolstoy family; which is now part of Polo Club de la Palmarie. On April 15, 1994, the Marrakesh Agreement was signed here which established the World Trade Organization, and in March 1997, the World Water Council organized its First World Water Forum in Marrakesh, attended by some 500 people internationally.

In the 21st century property and real estate development in the city has boomed, with a dramatic increase of new hotels and shopping centres, fuelled by the policies of the Moroccan King Mohamed VI who has the goal of increasing the number of tourists visiting Morocco to 20 million a year by 2020.