Marrakech's Djemaa El Fna entices tourists from home and abroad

06/04/2007

Place Djemaa El Fna's vibrant entertainment is a continuation of the culture Marrakech has celebrated for years. It is also one of the top draws for tourists from around the world.

Text and photos by Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 06/04/2007

Marrakech's Djemaa El Fna attracts as many as 1.5 million tourists per year

Declared a World Heritage site in 2001 by UNESCO, the Djemaa El Fna is a sight in Marrakech that must not be missed. It is difficult to visit the city without making a detour to see the square, which is the true nerve centre of the medina. The charm of Djemaa El Fna comes from the multitude of street artists and food stands that attract tourists in droves to visit Marrakech, Morocco’s top tourist destination.

In Djemaa El Fna, it feels as though foreign tourists outnumber the local inhabitants. Walking in groups, they take time to savour the unique atmosphere which defines the square. Thousands of tourists from all over the world take in the sights every day, capturing the square on film and on video. In 2006, Marrakech drew one and a half million tourists out of a total of 6.6 million. This figure is expected to reach two million in 2007 and 2.5 million in 2008.

Described as Morocco’s cultural crossroads, Djemaa El Fna is home to merchants and entertainers of many kinds. One can find storytellers reminiscent of an age far pre-dating radio, television, film and telephones. Their meandering tales nevertheless bring pleasure and entertainment to the public. Although she does not understand a word of Arabic, French tourist Jacqueline Darfou is spellbound as she listens to one such storyteller. She follows his intricate gestures with fascination. This is the first time that she has visited Marrakech and she had never imagined that such a job still existed. Young people surround the storyteller who, from time to time, interrupts his tale to ask the audience for a few dirhams. The talented man tells tales from A Thousand and One Nights, enthralling the people and plunging them into a mythical world.

Gnawa entertain visitors

In 2005, the Marrakech Communal Council established an association with a fund of 400,000 Dirhams to support the traditional storytellers of Djemaa El Fna. The association provides seasoned storytellers with a monthly allowance in return for sharing their profession and their stories with young people. The association's aim is to promote inter-generational interaction and to help guarantee the survival of the storytelling profession and the oral heritage of this place.

Moving past the storytellers, several fortune tellers sit nearby, fervently calling out to passers-by and promising to reveal secrets about the future. A young woman, Karima Maati, approaches one of them, looking amused. Wearing a black djellaba and a scarf hiding half of her face, the fortune teller lays out her cards, appears to meditate and then tells Karima that she has been bewitched and will need a special talisman. Karima bursts out laughing and gives the fortune teller a few dirhams. She does not believe that fortune tellers have any special gift, but simply wanted to spend some time in this place which is so steeped in history. Each time she comes to Marrakech, this young teacher cannot keep from turning to one of the square’s fortune tellers for a little entertainment.

Foreigners explore the market stalls

As night falls, a crowd converges on Djemaa El Fna to savour the cool evening and to watch family shows. Acrobats show off their skills to the crowd. They put on an improvised show that dazzles the spectators. They play on the agility and suppleness of their bodies to move about or make pyramids. They perform their acrobatic tricks barefoot, dressed always in outfits of red and green. Their impressive show enthrals passers-by, who take photographs to capture this special moment. Samir, one of the acrobats, explains that his father has been training him since the age of four to follow this career. "He too was an acrobat in this square. He took years to teach me all the tricks of the trade," he says. Thanks to his profession, Samir can support the needs of his family. But he has noticed that over the past few years, his income has started to dwindle, despite increasing tourist numbers. "There are many people who are happy to enjoy the show and take photos, without giving anything," he says with regret.

The snake-charmers make their tamed vipers dance, to the audience's astonishment. Some of them buy their snakes, while others, like El Haj El Mahjoub, hunt and catch their own. He explains that not everyone can just become a snake hunter. One single mistake in identifying one’s prey can lead to death. "You must prove to be very professional and have great courage to do this work," he tells us. He has been hunting snakes for about thirty years. Several times a year, he wanders the mountains alone for weeks on end to hunt down a few snakes.

In the middle of the square, the water carriers and monkey trainers pose for tourists. Henna tattooists manage to attract several Moroccan and foreign customers. Samira Laattafi, a 21 year-old woman, has been doing this work for four years. She is a student, and works here in the evenings to finance her studies. Her aunt taught her the trade skills she needed beginning in her early childhood.

At night, the square becomes an open-air restaurant. Wandering sellers set up their stalls, and both Moroccans and foreigners sit down to eat. Nearly all the traditional foods of the country are on offer at reasonable prices, and Moroccans themselves do not hesitate to settle down and taste the professionally-prepared dishes. Servers who have learned a few phrases in various languages make bold efforts to communicate with the tourists who dine there. The whole setting is surrounded by a series of carts selling fresh orange juice.

Marrakech, strongly marked by Andalusian art and culture, still bears the imprints of this varied past. It is a unique space filled with entertainment that attracts visitors from the four corners of the earth. Place Djemaa El Fna remains a faithful witness to this diversity, proud of its own past.