Every major
city in Morocco is famous
for one color: there's the blue city of Fes, the green city of Meknes.
There's the 'not so white' city of Casablanca, and the whiter city of
Rabat. And there is the red city of Marrakech. For red it is, down to
the earth-toned cobblestones, and up to the rich red-brownish tan of its
walls and houses. According to local legend, when the great Koutoubia
mosque (see picture below, hiding behind the cat) was planted in the city's
heart, it poured so much blood that all the walls, all the roads and all
the houses turned red. And so the city was baptized... "the red medina".
Red is a good base color- and the contrast with the city's other tones
is striking. Bright green djellabas, lush vegetation, rows of warm sunny
oranges. And to top it all off- a never fading blue, blue sky, shining
comforting lights upon this marvelous city.
From yesteryear's palaces, to century old mosques, to endless alleys of
orange trees, we reveled in the beauty and arts Marrakech, tasting some
of the refinement of this once royal dwelling. For Marrakech was an imperial
city- twice actually. First in the 12th century- when the Almoravides
(a dynasty or Saharan/Southern rulers) made it their capital. And again
in the 16th century, when the Saadians claimed it to rival the Wattaside
rule in Fes (a transition our dear Leo witnessed and played a modest role
in).
Follow
Maia and I through the alleys, arts and lights of Marrakech.
(for more on this city, take the
Atlas Trip)
famous
for one color: there's the blue city of Fes, the green city of Meknes.
There's the 'not so white' city of Casablanca, and the whiter city of
Rabat. And there is the red city of Marrakech. For red it is, down to
the earth-toned cobblestones, and up to the rich red-brownish tan of its
walls and houses. According to local legend, when the great Koutoubia
mosque (see picture below, hiding behind the cat) was planted in the city's
heart, it poured so much blood that all the walls, all the roads and all
the houses turned red. And so the city was baptized... "the red medina".
