Marrakech
Overview
Imperial cities of Morocco
The imperial cities of Morocco are old capitals of one or more dynasties. such as Fes, which was the capital of Morocco several times, Marrakech that was the capital of the Saadiens, after being that of the Almohades and of the Almoravides, Meknes was at one time capital of the Alaouite dynasty...
in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
's history. The city of Marrakesh is the capital of the mid-southwestern economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
, being also the fourth largest city in Morocco according to the 2004 census.
Like many Moroccan cities, the city of Marrakech comprises both an old fortified city (the médina
Medina quarter
A medina quarter is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. The medina is typically walled, contains many narrow and maze-like streets...
) and modern neighborhoods, the most prominent of which is Gueliz, for a total population of 794,620 and 1,063,415 in the metropolitan area (2004 census).
