Marrakesh: "Red City" - PHOTO REPORT

Marrakesh. 10 July. REPORT.AZ/ Marrakesh - a city that gave the name to the state of Morocco itself, is located in the heart of the country, in picturesque valleys near the Atlas Mountains. This city is the historical cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco, the city of peace of mind and spirit of the Moroccan people.

Marrakech, also called "red city" will not leave any of its guests indifferent. it is called like this because all without exception buildings in the city, including newly built ones are red. If earlier red stones were used for building now most of them are paint.

Jemaa el Fna

The most important square of the city is called Jemaa el Fna. Included in 2001 to the UNESCO World Heritage list, the square will charm any person who visits it. It feels like a few centuries ago, as if he found himself in a fairy tale "1000 and one night”. Infinite shops, Berbers selling water in colorful garments, the smell of spices and Moroccan dishes, the intricate streets of the old city, is a true standard of the eastern city.

Kutubiyya Mosque

And of course, no Moroccan city can be imagined without its large mosque. In Marrakech, this is the mosque of Al-Kutubiya (which means "bookseller mosque"). It is located near the Jemaa el Fna square and famous for its 69-meter high minaret. The name of the mosque comes either from the library near it, or from booksellers whose trays formerly occupied the site near the mosque. The minaret is crowned with four copper balls. Staircase inside was built wide so that the muezzin can ride it on a horse.

City drowning in gardens

The person who visited the city at first can hardly believe that there are so many gardens in this rather arid region. However, due to its location near the Atlas Mountains, there is a lot of precipitation here, which makes the city literally buried in the gardens.

The most famous one is the garden of Menara. They were laid back in 1130 during the reign of Abd al-Mumin. The gardens of Menara are a park of about 100 hectares in which olive trees, palm trees and fruits planted.

At the entrance to the park there is a swimming pool, followed by a 16th century pavilion with a pyramidal roof.

In addition to the Menara garden in Marrakech, there are several large gardens named after the current and former monarchs, as well as their wives. Such an abundance of gardens adds charm to the city.

Place for filming Hollywood movies

Marrakech is the center of the cinematography of Morocco. Film festivals are regularly held here, and scenes from such films as "Gladiator", "Mummy", "The Last Temptation of Christ", "The Games of Thrones", etc., were shot in the town of Ouarzazate, located about 190 km from Marrakech.

In addition to cultural significance, Marrakesh, thanks to the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, gained political importance in the world. Various events of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a number of regional organizations were held here, but the most important event was the UN Climate Change Conference in 2016. The conference raised serious issues of human influence on the environment, serious decisions were made.

Thus, Marrakesh, despite the passage of so many years from the day of its foundation, not only did not lose its greatness and significance, but also exaggerated it.