Marrakech

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Marrakech
مراكش
ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ
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Marrakech (Morocco)
Marrakech (31 ° 38 ′ 7 ″ N, 8 ° 0 ′ 1 ″ W)
Marrakech
Basic data
State : MoroccoMorocco Morocco
Region : Marrakech-Safi
Prefecture : Marrakech
Coordinates 31 ° 38 ′  N , 8 ° 0 ′  W Coordinates: 31 ° 38 ′  N , 8 ° 0 ′  W
Residents : 928,850 (2014)
Area : 230 km²
Population density : 4,038 inhabitants per km²
Height : 450  m
Postal code : 40000
City administration website :
Mayor : Mohamed El Arabi Belcaid ( PJD )
The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque is the symbol of the city and the whole country
The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque is the symbol of the city and the whole country

Marrakech or Marrakech (from the mazirischen ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ Meṛṛakec , "Land of God"; Arabic مراكش, DMG Murrākuš , also Marrākuš ; In the local dialect: Mərrākəš - emphasis on the second syllable), known as "Red City", "Ocher City" or "Pearl of the South", is a city in southwest Morocco with 928,850 inhabitants (as of 2014) and the capital of the prefecture of the same name .

etymology

Marrakech is a word from the Berber language and may mean "The Land of God". Another explanation in Tamazight is “country of passage” ( mar-our-kouch , French terre de parcours ). Morocco as the name for the whole country emerged from the city name Marrakech.

location

Marrakech is located on a plain north of the High Atlas at an altitude of about 450 m above sea level. d. M. and, along with Meknes , Fès and Rabat, is one of the four royal cities of Morocco .

climate

Marrakech
Climate diagram
J F. M. A. M. J J A. S. O N D.
 
 
32
 
18th
6th
 
 
38
 
20th
8th
 
 
38
 
22nd
9
 
 
39
 
24
11
 
 
24
 
28
14th
 
 
5
 
31
16
 
 
1
 
37
20th
 
 
3
 
37
20th
 
 
6th
 
33
18th
 
 
24
 
28
15th
 
 
41
 
22nd
10
 
 
31
 
19th
7th
Temperature in ° C ,  precipitation in mm
Source: wetterkontor.de
Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Marrakech
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C ) 18.4 19.9 22.3 23.7 27.5 31.3 36.8 36.5 32.5 27.5 22.2 18.7 O 26.5
Min. Temperature (° C) 5.9 7.6 9.4 11.0 13.8 16.3 19.9 20.1 18.2 14.7 10.4 6.5 O 12.8
Precipitation ( mm ) 32 38 38 39 24 5 1 3 6th 24 41 31 Σ 282
Hours of sunshine ( h / d ) 7.1 7.4 8.0 8.5 9.3 10.5 10.8 10.2 8.8 7.9 7.1 7.1 O 8.6
Rainy days ( d ) 4th 4th 4th 4th 2 1 0 0 2 3 4th 4th Σ 32
Humidity ( % ) 65 66 61 60 58 55 47 47 52 59 62 65 O 58
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
18.4
5.9
19.9
7.6
22.3
9.4
23.7
11.0
27.5
13.8
31.3
16.3
36.8
19.9
36.5
20.1
32.5
18.2
27.5
14.7
22.2
10.4
18.7
6.5
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
N
i
e
d
e
r
s
c
h
l
a
g 		32
38
38
39
24
5
1
3
6th
24
41
31
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Source: wetterkontor.de

story

Marrakech was founded on May 7th 1070 by Abu Bakr ibn Umar to give a center to the new movement of the Almoravids . (The establishment in 1062 by Yusuf ibn Tashfin is now ascribed to a legend.) Abu Bakr's successor Yusuf ibn Tashfin (1009–1106) conquered what is now northern Morocco and Andalusia and expanded Marrakech into the capital of his empire. Under his son Ali ibn Yusuf , the city was expanded considerably and the city wall, which has been preserved to this day, was built. The Almohads , a religious movement that had formed against the Almoravids under the leadership of Ibn Tūmart , conquered northern Morocco in the 12th century under his successor Abd al-Mu'min and finally in 1147 Marrakech. They destroyed religious and secular buildings as symbols of the Almoravids. The famous Koutoubia Mosque was built under the Almohad rule .

After a civil war for power in Morocco, the Merinids took Marrakech in 1269 . The winner Abu Yusuf Yaqub finally gave up Marrakech as the capital in favor of Fez. Under the Saadians , Marrakech was temporarily again the Moroccan capital from 1554. Under the subsequent Alawid dynasty , from which the present ruling house also descends, Fez was again chosen as the seat of government.

In a terrorist attack on April 28, 2011 on a café on the lively Djemaa el Fna market square , 17 people died, many of them tourists.

The Marrakech Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for the Blind, Visually Impaired, or Other Print Disabled People was signed in 2013.

population

Population development of Marrakech
year population
1950 209,000
1960 243,000
1970 323,000
1980 416,000
1990 568,000
2000 751,000
2010 880,000
2017 963,000

Since 1950, the population has more than quadrupled due to natural growth and rural exodus.

sightseeing features

Due to the large number of architecturally significant buildings, including the Koutoubia Mosque from 1158, the Kasbah from the 12th century and the Ben Youssef Medersa from the 14th century, the old town was expanded in 1985 together with the Agdal Gardens and the Menara -Garden declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The main attraction of the city is the Djemaa el Fna ( Arabic for gathering of the dead ), the medieval market and executioner's square, today a lively place for oriental storytellers , snake charmers , monkey keepers and jugglers. The Jardin Majorelle is located in the new town , which impresses with its variety of plants and peculiar architecture.

The famous souks where vendors sell their goods are popular tourist attractions. Local souvenirs such as spices, colorful towels, leather goods and lanterns can be purchased here.

In 2016, the Austrian universal artist André Heller opened his botanical sculpture garden ANIMA on the outskirts of the city with works by, among others. Keith Haring , Auguste Rodin .

  • The Bab Agnaou , one of the 19 city gates, built around 1190

  • A patio in the Ben Youssef Medersa , built around 1570; at times the most important madrasa in the Maghreb

  • Pavilion in the Menara Gardens , laid out between 1156 and 1157

  • Minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque , inaugurated in 1158.

  • The central market square called Djemaa el Fna in the evening

  • Snake charmers on the Djemaa el Fna

  • Inner courtyard in Bahia Palace (built 1867)

  • Typical tanneries and dye works in the medina

  • Typical lantern

  • Entrance portal to the main train station

  • Alley in the "Red City"

  • The Almoravid Koubba from 1117

Economy and Infrastructure

Economically, the city lives from trade, dyeing and carpet production as well as the processing of agricultural products, mainly from tourism .

The city and the surrounding area are supplied with water from the Lalla Takerkoust dam, located 36 kilometers to the southwest . Further up in the foothills of the High Atlas is another reservoir near Ouirgane .

In recent years, a building boom has caused land prices to rise sharply because numerous wealthy Europeans and Moroccans, attracted by the tolerable climate on the edge of the high mountains, have been building magnificent first and second homes. They are mostly in the west and northwest, often on walled, guarded property.

traffic

Today, Marrakech is the capital of the prefecture and an important transport hub, which is connected to Casablanca and northern Morocco by a railway line . Since 2008 the rail connection has ended in the traditionally designed new main station.

Marrakech-Menara International Airport is not far from the center.

Urban transport in Marrakech is mainly served by buses and taxis . In addition, the Marrakech trolleybus , the only such system in Africa, has been operating in the city since September 2017 .

The private bus companies CTM, Supratours and others serve connections to cities like Essaouira , Agadir and Casablanca .

Culture

Museums

Marrakech is home to a variety of museums, including the Musée de Marrakech with his art, ceramic and coin collection, the archaeological Islamic Art Museum of Marrakech and the Dar Si Said Museum with its exhibits on the art and culture of the Berber important to the belong. Other museums include the House of Photography of Marrakech , the Museum of Telecommunications , the Palmeraie Museum of Contemporary Art, the Musée de l'Art de Vivre, the Musée Boucharouite , the Musée Tiskiwin , the Yves-Saint-Laurent Museum and the Palaces Bahia and El Badi (partial ruins). The first museum for contemporary art in Morocco, the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL), opened in Marrakech in 2018.

Sports

Kawkab Marrakech is a sports club whose football and handball teams have won numerous national titles. The football team has played its home games since the opening of the stadium in the Stade de Marrakech (45,000 seats). The games used to be played at the Stade El Harti (20,000 seats).

Since 2009, World Touring Car Championship races have been held on the temporary street circuit Marrakech Street Circuit .

The Marrakech Marathon ( Marathon International de Marrakech ) is held every January .

Regular events

The Festival national des arts populaires de Marrakech and the Festival International du Film de Marrakech take place annually.

Culture and Jet Set

Many artists and their patrons have settled in Marrakech since the 1960s. This includes in particular fashion designers such as Yves Saint Laurent , Arndt von Bohlen and Halbach , Henriette von Auersperg and others. In October 2017, Yves Saint Laurent's new museum opened near the Jardin Majorelle, where many of his famous exhibits can be seen.

religion

The Islam in Morocco under the Constitution state religion . In Marrakech there are important Islamic church buildings such as the Koutoubia Mosque and the Mosque al-Mansur .

The Christianity in Morocco is a religious minority in the country. In Marrakech itself, the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Martyrs is located on avenue Mohammed V in Guéliz, in the old European quarter near the heart of Marrakech city center. It is operated by the Franciscans (OFM) and is the only Catholic Church in the region. The English-speaking, evangelical Marrakech International Protestant Church (MIPC) also settled in Guéliz in 2004.

Personalities

sons and daughters of the town

Connected to the city

  • Juan Goytisolo (1931–2017), Spanish writer, lived in Marrakech until his death

Town twinning

  • FranceFrance Marseille , France, since 2004
  • TunisiaTunisia Sousse , Tunisia, since 1982
International cooperation

See also

literature

Fiction

Movies

  • The gardens of Marrakech. Documentary, Germany, 2008, 43 min., Script and director: Veronika Hofer, production: Straub & Pirner, Radio Bremen , arte , first broadcast: January 27, 2009 on arte, synopsis by ARD .

Web links

Wiktionary: Marrakech  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Commons : Marrakech  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikivoyage: Marrakech  Travel Guide

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Note sur les premiers résultats du Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat 2014 (reference to the first results of the general population and housing system 2014). 2014, accessed on February 18, 2016 (French, Word file; 2.5 MB; p. 8).
  2. ↑ M. B. Lagdim Soussi: Les rapports de Marrakech avec le monde rural dans le domaine de l'artisanat . In: Méditerranée . No. 4 , 1986, pp. 21 ff .
  3. ↑ The main suspect in the Marrakech attack revokes confession. Neue Zürcher Zeitung , September 22, 2011, accessed on February 19, 2016 .
  4. ^ World Urbanization Prospects - Population Division - United Nations. Retrieved July 23, 2018 .
  5. ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Medina of Marrakesh. Accessed August 21, 2017 .
  6. ↑ - ( Memento of the original dated August 2, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.anima-garden.com
  7. ↑ Experience - ANIMA - Le retour du paradis créé par André Heller. Accessed August 1, 2018 .
  8. ↑ Morocco Opens its First Museum for Contemporary Art. Retrieved February 9, 2021 .
  9. ^ Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Morocco: Homage to Color - Style. In: Spiegel Online . October 23, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Dagmar von Taube: Von Bohlen and Halbach: The queen of the wild 70s jet set. In: welt.de . August 10, 2012, accessed October 7, 2018 .
  11. ↑ https://www.derwesten.de/staedte/essen/arndt-von-bohlen-und-halbach-leben-und-sterben-eines-playboys-id6087021.html