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Marrakech

Marrakesh
Meṛṛakec /مراكش / ⴰⵎⵓⵔⴰⴽⵓⵛ
Marrakech
Prefecture-level city
Clockwise, from top: Djamâa el Fna, Saadian wall, Musicians on Djamâa el Fna, Local handicraft, Bab Agnaou, Saadian tombs, Ben Youssef Medersa, Koutoubia Mosque.
Clockwise, from top: Djamâa el Fna, Saadian wall, Musicians on Djamâa el Fna, Local handicraft, Bab Agnaou, Saadian tombs, Ben Youssef Medersa, Koutoubia Mosque.
Map of Marrakesh
Map of Marrakesh
Marrakesh is located in Morocco
Marrakesh
Marrakesh
Location in Morocco
Coordinates: 31°37′48″N 8°0′32″W / 31.63000°N 8.00889°W / 31.63000; -8.00889Coordinates: 31°37′48″N 8°0′32″W / 31.63000°N 8.00889°W / 31.63000; -8.00889
Country  Morocco
Region Marrakech-Safi
Prefecture Marrakesh
Established 1062
Founded by Abu Bakr ibn Umar
Government
 • Mayor Mohamed Larbi Belcaid
Elevation 466 m (1,529 ft)
Population (2014)
 • Prefecture-level city 928,850
 • Rank 4th
 • Metro 1,063,415
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
 • Summer (DST) WEST (UTC+1)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Medina of Marrakesh
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Jemaa el-Fnaa place
Location Morocco
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iv, v
Reference 331
UNESCO region Arab States
Inscription history
Inscription 1985 (9th Session)

Marrakesh, also known by the French spelling Marrakech (/məˈrækɛʃ/ or /ˌmærəˈkɛʃ/;Arabic: مراكش‎‎, Murrākuš; Berber: Meṛṛakec, ⴰⵎⵓⵔⴰⴽⵓⵛ), is a major city of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is the fourth largest city in the country, after Casablanca, Fes and Tangier. It is the capital city of the mid-southwestern region of Marrakesh-Safi. Located to the north of the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, Marrakesh is located 580 km (360 mi) southwest of Tangier, 327 km (203 mi) southwest of the Moroccan capital of Rabat, 239 km (149 mi) south of Casablanca, and 246 km (153 mi) northeast of Agadir.

Marrakesh is possibly the most important of Morocco's four former imperial cities (cities that were built by Moroccan Berber empires). The region has been inhabited by Berber farmers since Neolithic times, but the actual city was founded in 1062 by Abu Bakr ibn Umar, chieftain and cousin of Almoravid king Yusuf ibn Tashfin. In the 12th century, the Almoravids built many madrasas (Koranic schools) and mosques in Marrakesh that bear Andalusian influences. The red walls of the city, built by Ali ibn Yusuf in 1122–1123, and various buildings constructed in red sandstone during this period, have given the city the nickname of the "Red City" or "Ochre City". Marrakesh grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural, religious, and trading centre for the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa; Jemaa el-Fnaa is the busiest square in Africa.


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