marrakech medina

The people of the Medina have always ridden their motorbikes in the Medina it has always been their right to do so but if the authorities wish to encourage more and more tourists to visit the Medina,something is going to have to be done as it is becoming unbearable for older visitors and young alike. Infact shopkeepers in the Derb Debbachi and the souk Semmarine have put up no entry signs for motor cycles. More motorbike riders are now dismounting and walking with their motor bikes through crowded areas. It is a gradual process of adaption but it definitely needs to speed up.

The other aspect is one of the health: the exhaust fumes are another disincentive to visit the Medina as they linger in the streets and many Marrkechis' suffer from bronchitis and breathing conditions and the cold air from the Atlas Mountains traps the vapours so that they linger. Marrakech hasn't it seems woken up to the need for clean air

Too often now international travel writers write about the hassle of Marrakech Medina and recommend escaping to the smaller souks of Essaouira and the weekly markets outside Marrakech. The aggressive selling techniques of shop and stall owners may have suited an earlier generation when there were fewer tourists coming to Marrakech but not everyone wants to bargain and being grabbed by the arm is often a severe deterrent. It is actually impossible to look in a shop window without being assailed by the owner or his assistant in the Medina.

Marrakech's Mayor, Fatima Zahra Mansouri, has spoken of the need to preserve the rights and freedoms of the people of the Medina against the demands of the tourism industry and this is understandable but tourism is the main business of Marrakech and as has been evident over the last year, if tourists do not visit the Medina the city as a whole suffers economically. Visitors to the Medina should be allowed to walk in reasonable comfort and security.

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