Marrakesh - Marrakesh in Morocco is not only one of the most exhilarating cities in Africa - for many it is the most attractive place in the entire continent. The Atlantic Ocean may be 150 kilometres away, but the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains are less than 50 kilometres distant. For the "caravanserai" or caravans which once halted here after an arduous trek across the Sahara, the sight of this settlement after weeks of privation must have been a revelation.
Modern tourists who approach Marrakesh from the barren south of Morocco can appreciate what it was must have felt like to be confronted with such a city of contrasts. They will also find themselves captivated by the atmosphere of Oriental magic, especially in the historic medina.
Withered trees line the arid fields, farmers plough the cracked earth with their donkeys and many of the houses in the villages hereabouts are simple, rectangular mud huts with flat roofs. Young Moroccans in these rural areas have little to look forward to and the sight of these dreary villages makes it plain why.
A growing number of young people feel drawn to the bright lights of cities such as Casablanca, Morocco's boom-town and the focus of a conurbation with 6 million people. Marrakesh is the second, most popular tourist destination after Agadir and has a population of more than 900,000 people.
A huge cement factory dominates the approach to the city - no sign of the 1001 Arabian Nights here. The blocks of flats are bristling with satellite dishes, a McDonald's fast-food restaurant occupies one corner and a "Pizza Hut" the next.
Marrakesh is the centre of the southern part of the country, both geographically and economically. Not that that the city is devoid of poverty. The roadsides are peopled by unemployed day-labourers who eke out a livelihood by driving goods into town.
Marrakesh is actually famous for the old quarter of town, the old-fortified city or medina, and for its souks where the haggling goes on from dawn to dusk. These are the largest markets of their kind in Morocco, invariably crowded and exhausting for the unaccustomed.
A typical snapshot would show cocks and other feathered creatures scurrying past the stalls with their arrays of mirrors, brass vessels and hanging lamps. Beyond that is a vegetable market where pea pods nestle next to aubergines. Cratefuls of fruit are spread out on blankets, while a merchant nearby sells snails from water-filled dishes.
Those who plunge into the souk usually end up at Djemaa el Fna Square which has been described as the most exuberant marketplace in the whole of North Africa. In olden times the heads of executed criminals were impaled on stakes here for all to see and the location once served as a bus station. Today it is the city's best-known public which also holds many a few pitfalls for unwary tourists.
Watching the entertainment here or taking photographs costs money and the young lads with the chained performing apes expect to be paid as promptly as the assorted acrobats, dancing-boys, snake charmers and water sellers.
From "Jugglers' Square", the view extends to one of Marrakesh's most celebrated sights, the Koutoubia mosque in the northern part of the old quarter. Even better known is the Ben Youssef Madrasa mosque which is open to non-Muslims.
For centuries, the Ben Youssef Madrasa was the largest and most handsome of all the Muslim houses of worship in the Maghreb states, a mixture of church and college for Islamic law and theology. The exterior of the building is not much to look at which makes the interior all the more impressive. A water basin forms the centre piece of the courtyard which is richly carved in cedar, marble and stucco with calligraphic, floral and geometric motifs.
A completely different side of Marrakesh is revealed in the "Jardin Majorelle" botanical gardens. Jacques Majorelle was a Frenchman with a foible for Morocco and a talent for garden architecture.
He bought the property in the 1920s during the colonial period when Morocco was a protectorate of France and it has been open to the public regularly since 1947. For a while, the gardens belonged to fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent who died earlier this year.
Green is the dominant colour here, apart from the many flower pots in vibrant yellow and cobalt blue. There is a museum dedicated to Moroccan art and the courtyard also houses a cafe. It's a tranquil spot and watching the toads hopping across the water lilies is a pleasant way to pass the time.
Could this be a garden straight from the pages of the 1001 Arabian Nights?Not really, but it does come pretty close. Internet: www.morocco.com
