Quick Introduction to Marrakesh History:

Founded in 1062, the city of Marrakech has known glory and downfall. Its tumultuous history explains its splendor. Marrakesh is located at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains and close to the Sahara. From the ancient time, Marrakesh has enjoyed a strategic location which attracted Berbers & Taouregs, Arabs, nomads and mountaineers to trade, Marrakech is a market place where the southern tribesmen and Berbers bring in their goods, spend their money and make from a Marrakesh a place for entertainment. Today, Marrakesh is the heart of Morocco, it is considered to be the centre of Morocco and “A Must” for every visitor coming to Morocco. The word “Marrakesh” is famous & known than “Morocco” itself.

Marrakesh History: Almoravid Dynasty

Marrakesh was founded in 1062 by the Almoravid sovereign Youssef Ben Tachfine. A restless military leader who conquered northern Morocco within 2 years and then turning his attention towards Spain to bring Andalucia under his rule after he defeated all Christian kings. Youssef Ben Tachfine have maintained Fez and Marrakesh as two strategic bases for his empire until his son Ali Ben Youssef came who took Marrakesh as the important and dominant centre. Youssef Ben Tachfine, the leader of Almoravid dynasty, has left some traces which are still omnipresent in Marrakesh city such as: Ben Youssef mosque, Ali Ben youssef Palace and the ruins of the Kasbah, the Bab (gate) Aylan and especially the splendid palm plantation remains evidence to the wisdom of the Almoravid sovereigns.

Marrakesh History: Almohad Dynasty

The dynasty who replaced them – the orthodox and reforming Almohads, sacked the city for three days after taking possession of it 1147. They took Marrakesh as the pre-eminent capital. The Almoravid heritage was sublimated to completely renovate and inspire Marrakech with a new prosperity. The Sultan Al Abdelmoumen Mouahidi controls the construction of the Koutoubia Mosque. When his grandson, the third Almohad sultan; Yacoub El Mansour; accessed to the throne on 1184, he added to the Koutoubia mosque, the minaret which is around 77m high, today’s symbol of Marrakesh city. The Almohads have also bequeathed to Marrakech a vast system of irrigation, khettaras, based on a number of tanks that allowed the harmonious development of the city of Marrakesh. The Marrakech city have entered it’s great period under the Yakob El Mansour rule, many commercial centers called “Kissariat” were built, a new Kasbah as well. Many poets and scholars arrived to the city and among them the most distinguished of Arabic medieval philosophers who was born in Cordoba and died in Marrakech in 1198.

Marrakesh History: Merenid & Saadian Dynasties

By the 1220s, the empire was beginning to fragment amid a series of factional civil wars and Marrakesh fell into the familiar pattern of pillage, ruination and rebuilding and Marrakech declined by more than two centuries. It revived for a time to form the basis of an Independent Kingdom called “Merenid”, The Merenids conquest Marrakesh in 1269. Followed immediately by the Saadians in the early sixteenth century (1510-1659), under their reign, Marrakesh was devastated by famine in 1521 and Fez in 1546. Marrakech also was the center of an explosion of a highly refined art which preserved the heritage consisted by the Saadian tombs and some fountains of the Medina. From their sumptuous palaces, the Palais El Badii, who was long regarded as the wonder of the Muslim world, the largest and greatest building project in Marrakech at that time, today there remain only a few vestiges. The first Saadian sultan, Ahmed el Mansour, regained the Atlantic coast which had been extensively colonized by the Portuguese, he also led a conquest to Mali, exactly to Timbuktu to maintain control over the most lucrative caravan routes in Africa and defeated the Portuguese at the battle of 3 kings.

Marrakesh History: Alaouite Dynasty, French Protectorate and Independence

Subsequent history under the Alaouites dynasty perpetuated today by King Hassan, who undertook the restoration of city walls and the Kasbah, ordered the construction of new buildings and mosques. Marrakesh remained an imperial capital and the need to maintain a southern base against the rebellion tribes ensured the regular, alternating residence of it Sultans. During the last decades prior to the French protectorate, Marrakech city’s fortunes revived somewhat as it enjoyed return to faouvor with the Shereefian court. Both Moulay Hassan and moulay Abdelaziz rn their governments from here in a bizarre closing epoch of the old ways, accompanied by a final bout of frantic palace building. On the arrival of the French, Marrakech gave rise to a short-lived pretender, the religious leader of El Hiba and for most of the colonial period it was run as a virtual fiefdom of its Pasha, Thami Glaoui.
Since the independence, Marrakech city has undergone considerable change, with rural emigration from the Atlas Mountains and beyond from the Sahara. Marrakesh has known a huge development in tourism industry and agriculture on the Haouz plains. Until today these two sectors have made from Marrakesh city the most growing and known city of Morocco.

Marrakesh Today:

The heritage of these dynasties is still pervasive in the Medina of Marrakech. It helps to give Marrakech a world-renowned city and targeted destination by visitors from all over the world. Marrakesh is known to everyone, if someone did not visit Marrakesh yet his family or best friends have been there. Writers, poets, musicians, politicians, and celebreties visit Marrakesh and even lived in Marrakesh, Geore Orwell stayed 5 months under the shinning sun of Marrakesh before he died, the serie "Sex & the City was filmed in Marrakesh" Shakira recently went on a shoping tour inside the souks of Marrakesh medina.