Marrakech's Djemaa El Fna entices tourists from home and abroad
2007-04-06
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.
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amar Posted 2007-04-07
Good, I want to be with you...
nesyou Posted 2007-05-05
that's really very poor
moun Posted 2007-05-05
very good
hiha Posted 2007-05-10
Thank you for everything. This is good for everyone. Bye.
س Posted 2007-05-15
Excellent
koko Posted 2007-05-16
The best thing I read I wish more things that inform us about Morocco
Anonymous Posted 2007-05-17
it's ok not very good
reda Posted 2007-05-18
Too excellent, thanks
imane Posted 2007-05-18
This is so cool. Thank you so much. This really helped me with my research. I also got a really good grade on it. KISSESS to everyone who worked on this. AWESOOOOOOOOOME
monia Posted 2007-05-27
Very good and thank you
سعاد Posted 2007-05-28
Excellent and thank you, I wish you continuity
فتيحة Posted 2007-05-28
This is the truth Morocco is the best country in its hospitality and send a modest letter to nesyou, if you don't like Morocco just bang your head against the wall.
aissam Posted 2007-05-29
This is very good.
adil Posted 2007-06-04
I am so happy.
مونية Posted 2007-08-06
Even if I have never before seen the city of Marrakech, I hear that it's great like other Moroccan cities. I live in Germany, but by God, I feel that breathe air only in my beloved country.
عبد الرحمان وديع Posted 2007-08-06
Morocco is nice and Marrakech is nicer.
لمياء Posted 2007-09-10
The Town Square Djemaa El Fna is great. It is why so many tourists come to Marrakech.
wahid Posted 2007-11-01
thaanks for all
اياد هاشم اليوزبكي Posted 2007-11-16
Thank you very much for this report so that tourists get to know better the green Tunisia.
MED Posted 2007-12-24
This is great, sirs and madams.
mouad mecharti Posted 2008-02-06
Thank you.
Anonymous Posted 2008-02-09
A very good article that is interesting for all readers. Thanks to everyone who contributed to bringing it into being. My greetings to everyone.
sohaib Posted 2008-02-10
Thank you infinitely for this project. It has helped me to do my research in Arabic class.
yousra Posted 2008-02-10
May God reward you with good.
zineb Posted 2008-02-20
This is very nice and I hope that this profits everyone.
ahmed Posted 2008-02-21
Thank you very much. This is nice, may God reward you with good, God grant success.
حمزة Posted 2008-02-22
This is good.
امال محمد الصويب Posted 2008-02-24
I love Morocco and mainly Marrakech so much.
abdo Posted 2008-03-04
This site was of great help to me in my research.
أحمد الحسين Posted 2008-03-04
Why was it called El Fna square???
king Posted 2008-03-09
Very nice.
محمد خضير Posted 2008-03-26
Honestly, I was happy to visit the square in Marrakech. It is a heritage in which you see a flavour from the nice past which we have missed it is like Al Hussein street in Egypt. My greetings.
najat Posted 2008-03-27
The nicest city is Marrakech.
يسرا Posted 2008-05-04
A great topic with wishes of success, God willing, and more action.
fatima Posted 2008-05-06
This is nice but the topic isn't complete. You missed many information Sara, but not bad.
فاطمة الزهراء ضلع Posted 2008-05-07
Thank you very much for this topic. This site is interesting and nice. Thank you
مهدي Posted 2008-05-11
This is nice, but can you translate it into French and English. Thank you
محمد 21 08 2008 Posted 2008-06-21
The nicest cities are Marrakesh and Tangier.
sofia Posted 2 days ago
Oh, this is very pretty. Morocco is beautiful.
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