About Marrakech
Marrakech (in Arabic: مراكش Murrākush), known as the Pearl of the South or Gate of the South and the Red City or Ochre City, is a city in Morocco, located inland at the foot of the Atlas Mountains.
Marrakech (in Arabic: مراكش Murrākush), known as the Pearl of the South or Gateway to the South and the Red City or Ochre City, is a city in Morocco, located inland at the foot of the Atlas Mountains.
The city was founded in 1062 by Abu Bakr Ibn Omar, King of the Almoravid dynasty. In the past, Morocco was known in the East as Marrakech (a name still used in Iran); the name Morocco itself comes from the distortion of the Spanish pronunciation of Marrakech: Marruecos.
Marrakech has approximately 1,070,000 inhabitants (2010 census) spread over an area of 230 km². The population density reaches 350 inhabitants per hectare in the Medina. It is the fourth largest city in Morocco after Casablanca, Rabat and Fez. The city is divided into two distinct parts: the Medina or historic city (ten kilometres of ramparts) and the new city, whose main districts are called: Guéliz and Hivernage. Guéliz is now the commercial city centre. It was founded by the French during the Protectorate. The Hivernage district concentrates many hotel complexes. In recent years, the city has been expanding on the outskirts, particularly to the west with the appearance of new residential areas such as the Targa region or the extension of Avenue Mohammed VI, or to the north in Tamansourt.
