Marrakesh Travel Guide, Morocco: Tourism

Marrakesh Travel Guide, Morocco. Tourism. It is a place full of surprises ! Marrakech is a soaring metropolis steeped in history and culture, fabulous and exciting, a mixture of old and new with a charm of an exotic city. Marrakech, also called the red city is the fourth largest city of Morocco after Casablanca, Fez and Tangier. It remains the tourist capital of the country. More than a city, Marrakech is a pearl polished by the history and taste of hospitality, knowing how to welcome its guests with open arms for centuries. The ancient section of the city, known as the medina, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. Surrounded by a vast palm grove, the medina in Marrakech is called the "red city" because of its buildings and ramparts of beaten clay, which were built during the residence of the Almohads. The heart of the medina is Jamaa el-Fna square, a vibrant marketplace. Nearby is the 12th-century Kutubiyyah (Koutoubia) Mosque with its 253-foot (77-metre) minaret, built by Spanish captives. The 16th-century Saʿdī Mausoleum, the 18th-century Dar el-Beïda Palace (now a hospital), and the 19th-century Bahia royal residence reflect the city's historical growth. Much of the medina is still surrounded by 12th-century walls; among the surviving gates to the medina, the stone Bab Agnaou is particularly notable. Gueliz, and Hivernage are the two modern quarter.