MARRAKECH THE RED CITY

              Marrakech is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco, it's the capital of the mid-southwestern region of Marrakech-Safi, it's located west of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, Marrakech is situated 580 km southwest Tangier, 327 km southwest of the Moroccan capital of Rabat, 239 km south of Casablanca and 246 km northeast of Agadir. The region has been inhabited by Berber farmers since Neolithic times and numerous stone implements have been unearthed in the area, the city was founded in 1602 by Abu Bakr Ibn Omar, a Chieftain and second cousin of the Almoravid king Yousuf Ibn Tachfin 1061-1106, under the berber dynasty of the Almoravid pious and learned warriors from the desert, as the imperial capital of the Almoravid Empire, the city was one of Morocco's four imperial cities. In the 12th century the Almoravid built many madrasas "Quranic schools" and mosques in Marrakech, developing the community into a trading center for the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Marrakech grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural and religious center, supplanting Aghmat, which has been for long the capital of Al-Haouz, Andalusian craftsmen from Cordoba and Seville built and decorated numerous palaces in the city, developing the Umayyad style characterized by carved dome and cusped arches, this Andalusian influence merged with designs from the Sahara and west Africa, creating a unique style of architecture which was fully adapted to the Marrakech environment. The Ben Youssef Mosque was the first mosque, named after Yousuf Ibn Tashfin's son, built houses, minted coins and brought gold and silver to the city in caravans, the city became the capital of the Almoravid Emirate, stretching from the shores of Senegal to the center of Spain and from the Atlantic coasts to Algiers.
Marrakech is one of the great citadels of the Muslim world, the city was fortified by Tashfin's son Ali Ibn Yousuf in 1122-1123, who built the ramparts which remain to this day and various buildings constructed in red sandstone during that period, have given the city the nickname of the Red City or Ochre City, completed further mosques and palaces, developed an underground water system in the city known as the Khuttara to irrigate his new garden. In 1125 the preacher Ibn Tumert settled in Tin-Mal in the mountains to the south of Marrakech, he preached against the Almoravids and influenced a revolt which succeeded in bringing about the fall of nearby Aghmat but stopped short of bringing down Marrakech following an unsuccessful siege in 1130. The Almohads, Masmouda tribesmen from the High Atlas mountains who practiced orthodox Islam, took the city in 1147 under leader Abd Al-Mou'min, after a long siege and killing of some 7,000 people, the last of the Almoravids were exterminated apart from those who sought exile in the Balearic Islands. As a result, almost all the city's monuments were destroyed.
The Almohads constructed a range of palaces and religious buildings including the famous Koutoubia Mosque 1184-1199 and built upon the ruins of an Almoravids palace, it was a twin of the Giralda in Seville and the unfinished Hassan Tower in Rabat, all built be the same designer, the Kasbah housed the residence of the caliph, a title borne by the Almohad rulers from the reign of Abd Al-Mou'min, rivaling the far eastern Abbasid Caliphate. The Kasbah was named after the caliph Yaqub Al-Mansur. The irrigation system was perfected to provide water for new palm groves and parks, including the Menara Garden, as a result of its cultural reputation, Marrakech attracted many writers and artists, especially from Andalusia, including the famous philosopher Averroes of Cordoba.
The death of Yusuf II in 1224 began a period of instability. Marrakech became the stronghold of the Almohad tribal sheikhs and the Ahl Addar descendants of Ibn Tumart, who sought to claw power back from the ruling Almohad family. Marrakech was taken, lost and retaken by force multiple times by a stream of caliphs and pretenders, such as during the brutal seizure of Marrakech by the Sevillan caliph Abd Al-Wahid II Al-Ma'mun in 1226, which was followed by a massacre of the Almohad tribal sheikhs and their families and a public denunciation of Ibn Tumart's doctrines by the caliph from the pulpit of the Kasbah Mosque. After Al-Ma'mun's death in 1232, his widow attempted to forcibly install her son, acquiring the support of the Almohad army chiefs and Spanish mercenaries with the promise to hand Marrakech over to them for the sack. Hearing of the terms, the people of Marrakech sought to make an agreement with the military captains and saved the city from destruction with a sizable payoff of 500,000 Dinars. In 1269, Marrakech was conquered by nomadic Zenata tribes who overran the last of the Almohads. The city then fell into a state of decline, which soon led to the loss of its status as capital to rival city Fez.


In the early 16th century, Marrakech again became the capital of the kingdom, after a period when it was the seat of the Hintata Emirs. It quickly reestablished its status, especially during the reigns of the Saadian sultans Abu Abdallah Al-Qaim and Ahmad Al-Mansur. Thanks to the wealth amassed by the Sultans, Marrakech was embellished with sumptuous palaces while its ruined monuments were restored. El Badi Palace, built by Ahmad Al-Mansur in 1578, was a replica of the Alhambra Palace, made with costly and rare materials including marble from Italy, gold dust from Sudan, porphyry from India and jade from China. The palace was intended primarily for hosting lavish receptions for ambassadors from Spain, England, and the Ottoman Empire, showcasing Saadian Morocco as a nation whose power and influence reached as far as the borders of Niger and Mali, under the Saadian dynasty, Marrakech regained its former position as a point of contact for caravan routes from the Maghreb, the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan Africa.
For centuries Marrakech has been known as the location of the tombs of Morocco's seven patron saints Sebaatou Rijel. When sufism was at the height of its popularity during the late 17th-century reign of Moulay Ismail, the festival of these saints was founded by Abu Ali Al-Hassan Al-Yusi at the request of the sultan. The tombs of several renowned figures were moved to Marrakech to attract pilgrims and the pilgrimage associated with the seven saints is now a firmly established institution. Pilgrims visit the tombs of the saints in a specific order, as follows: Sidi Yusuf Ibn Ali Sangadji 1196–1197 a leper. Kadi Ayad or Kadi of Cueta 1083–1149 a theologian and author of Ash-Shifa, treatises on the virtues of Muhammad. Sidi Bel Abbas 1130–1204 known as the patron saint of the city and most revered in the region. Sidi Muhammad Al-Jazuli 1465 a well known Sufi who founded the Djazuli brotherhood. Abdelaziz Al-Tebaa 1508 a student of Djazuli. Abdallah Al-Ghazwani 1528 known as Mawla. Sidi Abu Al-Qasim Al-Suhayli 1185, also known as Imam Al Suhyali. Until 1867, European Christians were not authorized to enter the city unless they acquired special permission from the sultan, east European Jews were permitted.
During the early 20th century, Marrakech underwent several years of unrest. After the premature death in 1900 of the grand vizier Ba Ahmed, who had been designated regent until the designated sultan Abd Al-Aziz became of age, the country was plagued by anarchy, tribal revolts, the plotting of feudal lords and European intrigues. In 1907, Marrakesh caliph Moulay Abd Al-Hafid was proclaimed sultan by the powerful tribes of the High Atlas and by Ulama scholars who denied the legitimacy of his brother, Abd Al-Aziz. It was also in 1907 that Dr. Mauchamp, a French doctor, was murdered in Marrakech, suspected of spying for his country. France used the event as a pretext for sending its troops from the eastern Moroccan town of Oujda to the major metropolitan center of Casablanca in the west. The French colonial army encountered strong resistance from Ahmed Al-Hiba, a son of Sheikh Ma Al-'Aynayn, who arrived from the Sahara accompanied by his nomadic Reguibat tribal warriors. On 30 March 1912, the French Protectorate in Morocco was established. After the Battle of Sidi Bou Othman, which saw the victory of the French Mangin column over the Al-Hiba forces in September 1912, the French seized Marrakech. The conquest was facilitated by the rallying of the Imzwarn tribes and their leaders from the powerful Glaoui family, leading to a massacre of Marrakech citizens in the resulting turmoil.
T'hami El Glaoui, known as "Lord of the Atlas", became Pasha of Marrakech, a post he held virtually throughout the 44-year duration of the Protectorate 1912–1956. Glaoui dominated the city and became famous for his collaboration with the general residence authorities, culminating in a plot to dethrone Mohammed Ben Youssef "Mohammed V" and replace him with the Sultan's cousin, Ben Arafa. Glaoui, already known for his amorous adventures and lavish lifestyle, became a symbol of Morocco's colonial order. He could not, however, subdue the rise of nationalist sentiment, nor the hostility of a growing proportion of the inhabitants. Nor could he resist pressure from France, who agreed to terminate its Moroccan Protectorate in 1956 due to the launch of the Algerian War 1954–1962 immediately following the end of the war in Indochina 1946–1954, in which Moroccans had been conscripted to fight in Vietnam on behalf of the French Army. After two successive exiles to Corsica and Madagascar, Mohammed Ben Youssef was allowed to return to Morocco in November 1955, bringing an end to the despotic rule of Glaoui over Marrakech and the surrounding region. A protocol giving independence to Morocco was then signed on 2 March 1956 between French Foreign Minister Christian Pineau and M’Barek Ben Bakkai.
Since the independence of Morocco, Marrakech has thrived as a tourist destination. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the city became a trendy "hippie mecca". It attracted numerous western rock stars and musicians, artists, film directors and actors, models and fashion divas, leading tourism revenues to double in Morocco between 1965 and 1970. Yves Saint Laurent, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jean-Paul Getty all spent significant time in the city. Laurent bought a property here and renovated the Majorelle Gardens. Expatriates, especially those from France, have invested heavily in Marrakech since the 1960s and developed many of the riads and palaces. Old buildings were renovated in the Old Medina, new residences and commuter villages were built in the suburbs and new hotels began to spring up.

United Nations agencies became active in Marrakech beginning in the 1970s, and the city's international political presence has subsequently grown. In 1985, UNESCO declared the old town area of Marrakech a UNESCO World Heritage Site, raising international awareness of the cultural heritage of the city. In the 1980s, Patrick Guerand-Hermes purchased the 30 acres Ain El Quassimou, built by the family of Leo Tolstoy. On 15 April 1994, the Marrakech Agreement was signed here to establish the World Trade Organisation and in March 1997 Marrakech served as the site of the World Water Council's first World Water Forum, which was attended by over 500 international participants.

From November 7 to 18, 2016, the city of Marrakech was host to the meeting of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC, known as the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties, or COP 22. Also known as 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference it also served as the first meeting of the governing body of the Paris Agreement, known by the acronym CMA1. The UNFCCC secretariat UN Climate Change was established in 1992 when countries adopted the UNFCCC. In recent years, the secretariat also supports the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, agreed by governments to signal that successful climate action requires strong support from a wide range of actors, including regions, cities, business, investors and all parts of civil society. Commencing six months ahead of the start of the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, construction work at the Bab Ighli site was launched. The site was composed of two zones. The “Blue Zone” placed under the authority of the United Nations and spanning 154,000 m2 and consisting notably of two plenary rooms, 30 conference and meeting rooms for negotiators and 10 meeting rooms reserved for observers. The second zone, the "Green Zone" was reserved for non-state actors, NGOs, private companies, state institutions and organizations, and local authorities within two areas civil society and innovations each measuring 12,000 m2. The area will also include spaces dedicated to exhibitions and restaurants.