Marrakech

Marrakech The Most Popular City In Morocco

Marrakech (Arabic: مُرَاكُش, murrākuš; Berber: ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, Meṛṛakc), is a city located in central Morocco at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. Marrakech is nicknamed « the red city » N 1 or the « ocher city » in reference to the red color of a large part of its buildings and houses.

Marrakech and its urban area have just over one million inhabitants in 2020N 2. By population, the city is the third largest agglomeration in the country, tied with its historical rival, Fez, and behind Casablanca and Rabat. Imperial city, along with Meknes, Fez and Rabat, Marrakech was the capital of Morocco for nearly 350 years, under the Almoravid dynasties (11th – 12th centuries),

Almohad (12th–13th centuries), Saadian (16th–17th centuries), as well as under the reign of Mohammed ben Abdallah of the current Alaouite dynasty (reigning from 1757 to 1790).

Marrakech is home to a vast medina of 600 hectares, the most populated in North Africa, and classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Thanks to the vitality of its 900-year-old medina, its world-class hotel infrastructure and its sunny climate, Marrakech has established itself as the undisputed capital of tourism in Morocco. Served by the country’s second largest airport in terms of traffic, Marrakech – Menara Airport, the city welcomed nearly 3 million visitors in 2019.

Etymology
Origin of the name

Several hypotheses coexist as to the origin of the name of the city. The most widespread among historians considers that the name of Marrakech is a contraction of the Berber Amur n’Akush. Amur means « country » and Akouch, or Yakouch means « God », resulting in « the land of God ».

Arabic-speaking medieval sources [Which?] have been numerous to suggest Arabic origins for the name of Marrakesh. Louis Deroy and Marianne Mulon, authors of the Dictionary of Place Names, take up the idea that the name comes from the Arabic Marruquch « the well adorned » from رقش « to adorn, to embellish ».

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