Marrakesh is served by Ménara International Airport and by Marrakesh railway station, which connects the city to Casablanca and northern Morocco. Marrakesh has several universities and schools, including Cadi Ayyad University. A number of Moroccan football clubs are here, including Najm de Marrakech, KAC Marrakech, Mouloudia de Marrakech and Chez Ali Club de Marrakech. The Marrakesh Street Circuit hosts the World Touring Car Championship, Auto GP and FIA Formula Two Championship races.
By road, Marrakesh is 580 kilometres (360 mi) southwest of Tangier, 327 kilometres (203 mi) southwest of the Moroccan capital of Rabat, 239 kilometres (149 mi) southwest of Casablanca, 196 kilometres (122 mi) southwest of Beni Mellal, 177 kilometres (110 mi) east of Essaouira, and 246 kilometres (153 mi) northeast of Agadir.[76] The city has expanded north from the old centre with suburbs such as Daoudiat, Diour El Massakine, Sidi Abbad, Sakar and Amerchich, to the southeast with Sidi Youssef Ben Ali, to the west with Massira and Targa, and southwest to M'hamid beyond the airport.[76] On the P2017 road leading south out of the city are large villages such as Douar Lahna, Touggana, Lagouassem, and Lahebichate, leading eventually through desert to the town of Tahnaout at the edge of the High Atlas, the highest mountainous barrier in North Africa.[76] The average elevation of the snow-covered High Atlas lies above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). It is mainly composed of Jurassic limestone. The mountain range runs along the Atlantic coast, then rises to the east of Agadir and extends northeast into Algeria before disappearing into Tunisia.[77]
Marrakech: The famed Red City in North Africa
The medina has at least eight main historic gates: Bab Doukkala, Bab el-Khemis, Bab ad-Debbagh, Bab Aylan, Bab Aghmat, Bab er-Robb, Bab el-Makhzen and Bab el-'Arissa. These date back to the 12th century during the Almoravid period and many have them have been modified since.[137][59] Bab Doukkala (in the northwestern part of the city wall) is in general more massive and less ornamented than the other gates; it takes its name from Doukkala area on the Atlantic coast, well to the north of Marrakesh.[138] Bab el-Khemis is in the medina's northeastern corner and is named for the open-air Thursday market (Souq el Khemis).[59][137] It is one of the city's main gates and features a man-made spring.[139] Bab ad-Debbagh, to the east, has one of the most complex layouts of any gate, with an interior passage that turns multiple times.[137] Bab Aylan is located slightly further south of it.[137] Bab Aghmat is one of the city's main southern gates, located east of the Jewish and Muslim cemeteries and near the tomb of Ali ibn Yusuf.[140] Bab er Robb is the other main southern exit from the city, located near Bab Agnaou. It has a curious position and layout which may be the result of multiple modifications to the surrounding area over the years.[137][59] It provides access to roads leading to the mountain towns of Amizmiz and Asni.
Located in the northern part of Marrakech, the Palm Grove is a space that hides a unique history. According to legend, this oasis was born by chance. The founder of the city, Youssef Ben Tachfine, decided to camp with his army in a large plain protected by mountains.
Palmeraie is a palm oasis west of Marrakech, with hundreds of thousands of palm trees. "The Palmeraie" refers to the entire territory north of the city, between the Route de Fes and the Route de Casablanca, measuring 8 kilometres in length and 140 square kilometres in area. Although tradition has it that this Palmeraie was built from date seeds thrown by Arab troops centuries ago, it was actually built utilising a khettara network during the Almoravid period. Over 100,000 date palms, as well as olive and fruit plants, have been planted. Irrigation is now provided by local reservoirs and artesian wells. Buildings were not permitted to be erected to heights higher than palm trees due to town planning regulations in the 1920s, and as a result, palm trees have grown on pavements as well.
One of the most popular is the Gnaoua World Music Festival, which draws festival-goers to the laid-back coastal city of Essaouira for four days of open-air concerts featuring the hypnotic rhythms of gnaoua, a musical and spiritual tradition brought north by sub-Saharan slaves in the 16th century. Casablanca plays host to Jazzablanca, which mixes up well-known and up-and-coming artists from Morocco and around the globe.
Without a doubt, Chefchaouen, nicknamed the "blue pearl of Morocco", can be included in the list of the world's most Instagrammable destination for its gorgeous blue alleyways and blue-washed buildings. Nestled in the dramatic Rif Mountains of northern Morocco, the city boasts one of the country's most charming medinas. Every alley has been painted with all shades of blue, which offers a nice backdrop for tourists to pose in influencer-perfect shots.
Located in the northern part of Marrakesh, the Palm Grove is an area with a unique history. According to legend, this oasis came into being by chance. The founder of the city, Youssef Ben Tachfine, decided to camp with his army on a large plain protected by mountains. 2ff7e9595c
Comments