Marrakesh
Imperial City Marrakesh, the Fabulous, the Glorious, is the unofficial capital of the south and justly known as one of the most legendary cities in the world. It has a different atmosphere from the other cities, more African, more Berber, more Moroccan, with a kaleidoscopic beauty and wildness that not only draws people from the surrounding plains and the desert but thousands from all over, backpackers, poets, celebrities and everyday tourists all of whom have succumbed to its spell. Most find what they seek, the hint of adventure, excitement, peace, certainly the sheer joy of different races, age groups, languages, rich and poor, mixing with ease in a magic environment. It works the miracle of being a city thronged by people, yet remaining a sun-blessed oasis of vibrant colour, birdsong, leafy surroundings and fragrant aromas.
From the Saharan tents of desert warriors sprung the garden city founded in 1062. Today it is centered in an oasis, 13,000 hectares of palms, the enchanting Palmeraie, that tradition claims is the legacy of the date-eating soldiers who first garrisoned there.
The superb Medina, now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is girdled by seven miles of rose pink ramparts more than 1,000 years old, punctuated by 200 towers and ten gates through which Moorish troops once galloped to conquer Spain. The imperial city of the Almoravid and Almohad sultans, in their time, acknowledged leaders of Western Islam, has a backdrop that seems designed by a celestial artist, the snow-capped mountains of the Atlas, soaring to 13,000 ft. If Fez seems to guard the inner nature of Morocco, Marrakesh presents its extrovert face.
Marrakesh understandably draws the major portion of tourists but it is also a place of commerce and entertainment for Berbers from the mountains, Blue men from the desert and the dark-skinned Senegalese from beyond. Even the name Morocco is derived from Marrakesh.
At the centre of the Medina is a stunning maze of covered souks, some of the best in Morocco, selling everything from cheaper wares to the finest silks, textiles, spices, herbs and perfumes and the exquisite works of master craftsmen of jewellery, silver and gold, leather, wood and metals.
