Marrakesh, which accounts for most of Morocco's tourist activity, should have infrastructures capable of handling the flow of tourists properly.
Marrakech, living there or simply spending a holiday there
Do we still need to introduce the “Red City” ?.
A former imperial city with a turbulent past
Marrakech was the first of the Moroccan imperial cities. In fact, it gave its name to the country.
Somewhat abandoned after the departure of the Merinid sultans to Fez, it was reborn in the 17th century with the Saadi sultanate, it remained prosperous, because of the agricultural wealth of the region and the proximity of the city to Essaouira, the commercial gateway to foreign countries. There is a high quality craft industry, particularly in the field of leather: morocco was, at the beginning, a skin worked in Marrakesh!
At the beginning of the 20th century, part of its population was hostile to foreigners. The assassination of Doctor Mauchamps was one of the events that led to the intervention of France and the establishment of the protectorate.
Things have changed a lot since then!
The capital of Moroccan tourism
It has an image of a city of leisure, of luxury too, with riads and the jet-set who flock there for events like the International Film Festival. One of the golf capitals of Morocco, with numerous courses located in the Palmeraie, the Marrakech of the 21st century has nothing to do with the one described by Elias Canetti in “Marrakesch voices“. It has very clearly lost in “authenticity”, but it has gained in richness, and its heritage has been preserved thanks to tourism.
For a European to choose to settle in Marrakech is to make the choice to work in tourism or real estate (or in related services).
The city has no other important industry or activity. The tourism crisis has made things difficult, and even more so the coronavirus crisis. Marrakech is struggling to get back to its level of activity, the record-breaking heat of summer 2022 will probably happen again next year.
When the tourist isn’t there, Jemaa Fna falls silent and Marrakesh becomes an empty and somewhat sad city because of it. But there are still its surroundings, superb as soon as you go a few kilometres away.
A few days after the earthquake, life goes on in Marrakesh, but is now the right time to go on holiday? Here are some things to think about, depending on what you had planned.
Every year, Marrakesh plays host to a large number of wedding parties, many of them tourists happy to treat themselves to an oriental and exotic wedding in the ochre city.
Today, Majorelle blue is one of the 'hallmarks' of Moroccan decoration, in the same way as Berber carpets and pottery. But what makes this ultramarine blue so special?
Will 35,000 extra beds and a new convention centre be enough to boost Marrakesh's sluggish tourist industry?
There are the gardens and the Villa Majorelle, and the 'other' private Villa Majorelle, which you can discover virtually when it comes up for sale.
Marrakesh will host a major sale of art from the 19th to the 21st century related to Morocco and Africa. You can discover them at the Mamounia a few days before the sale.
Living in Morocco is all very well, but you still have to earn a living (unless you're retired or an expat sent by your company). But be warned: here's a list of four ideas for activities that should be thrown out as soon as they surface. Some of them 'worked' but it's too late, others never worked at all - here's why.
Are Marrakesh and Jemaa Fna Square, as Sanofi claims, a breeding ground for tourista that tourists should fear? Beyond a rather funny advert, we take a look at the hygienic measures to be respected.
The Bahia Palace is one of Marrakesh's most visited monuments. The meticulously crafted painted woodwork that adorns the interior is matched by the moucharabiehs and painted doors that open onto the inner courtyards.
Marrakesh has already been the target of terrorist attacks. Should you cancel your holiday when Daesh is calling on its supporters to kill French people?
How much does it cost for an expat to live in large cities in Morocco? What are the main budget items? The unavoidable costs?
You take a French entrepreneur “who has seen it all”, a bit of a hard-headed…
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After Casablanca, Marrakesh was plunged into mourning when a bomb exploded on 28 April 2011 in the Argana café on Place Jemaa El Fna.
The souks of Marrakesh are overflowing with rugs from almost all over Morocco. Berber rugs from the Haouz and Atlas regions take pride of place here, and you can spend hours admiring them.
