History of Marrakech

History of Marrakech

Marrakech city was established back in the 11th century by the Sultan Youssef Ibn Tachfin, the first of the Moroccan Almoravide dynasty. Marrakech rapidly gained regional importance on the market trades of the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa.

Being a major starting and ending point of several camel caravans, Marrakech quickly developed and many craftsmen came from Arab Andalusia to build exquisite palaces and buildings.

Marrakech history is rich comparing to other cities in the Moroccan Kingdom. A visit to this amazing city is somehow traveling back to the past where you can explore its amazing palaces, old market streets and ancient caravanserai’s.


Street scene and old city gate of Marrakech Morocco

Throughout the history of Marrakech, the city was two times one of the historical capitals of the Arab Empire, first time between 1121 and 1269 and second time between 1554 and 1659.

Today, Marrakech represents a melting point of north-African cultures where they all combine and clash into something exotic and unique. The Medina of Marrakech belongs to UNESCO World Heritage list in Morocco since 1985 – the 2nd UNESCO site in Morocco right after the old Medina of Fez included in 1981.

A little bit more about Marrakesh in Morocco

Marrakesh is a former imperial city, so expect as many monuments as your feet can bare, wondering around the old city, and being part of it’s life, being part of a whole that melts modernity yet on a very Moroccan way, Marrakshi way to be more exact.

The imperial cities of Morocco are old capitals of one or more dynasties. Marrakech was the capital of the Saadiens dynasty, after being that of the Almohades dynasty and of the Almoravides dynasty. The probable origin of Marrakesh’s name is from the Amazigh (Berber) words mur (n) akush, meaning “Land of God”.


Photo of El Badi Palace in Marrakech. This palace is a great example of 16th century Saadian architecture. Today you can only visit the remains of a great palace built by the king Ahmad al-Mansur in 1578.




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