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The Imperial Cities  :   Fez   Marrakesh   Rabat   Meknes

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Capital of the Moroccan South, Imperial City whose name stands for Morocco.

Of charming magic, deeply rooted in history, the city is confined by the snow covered peaks of the Atlas mountains and surrounded by thick walls and century old palm trees.

Marrakesh, the splendid and mysterious, offers visitors fairy tale impressions with her blue gardens, her multicoloured Souks, nimble artisans and an everlasting atmosphere of feasting, transmitted by the musicians, dancers and snake charmers who abound on the famous Djema El Fnâa place.

Her National Festival of Popular Arts, which takes place every year in July, in the midst of the ruins of El Badi Palace, is the greatest festival of maghrebine popular arts. An amazing occasion to let the harmony of music, dances, traditional costumes and jewellery, religious celebrations and popular songs lure your spirit to a journey into culture.

Marrakesh, the cradle of civilisations; great kings disputed her, dynasties followed on each other; scientists, artists, architects, painters, sculptors of all times sew the essence of their creativity to build palaces, mosques and medersas.

Marrakesh the Imperial, with her sumptuous palaces, El Bahia, El Badi ornamented with gold, marble and onyx  or Dar Si Said. Built at the end of the 19^th century by Si Said, as a private residence, this palace was made a museum in 1932.

It so well reflects the way of life and abilities of the artisans from the Atlas mountains and the pre-Sahara regions and houses countless master pieces of traditional arts, in its collections of costumes, adorned doors, carpets, chests, weapons and Berber jewellery.

Marrakesh, the mystical, for her mosques of which the most famous, the Koutoubia, built in the 12th century with a 230 feet high minaret, which dominates the whole Haouz plain.   In the morning breeze, after day rise, the tollebs (religious students) jostle at the doorsteps of the gigantic Medersa (coranic school), which was founded by the Merinide sultan Abou El Hassan (who reigned 1331-1349), in front of the Ben Youssef mosque, the heart of the Medina.

Beyond the ochre ramparts, everything is changed ; sounds, colours and scents, in wilder scenery of natural landscapes, fascinating and contradictory, yet harmonious.

At the horizon, the majestic sky-line of the High Atlas, guardian of the Marrakesh and bless to the numerous typically Berber villages, where traditions are still followed, such as Aghmat and Dar Caid Archway.

Eternal, imposing, surprising, mystic and mythic, Marrakesh is also a source of inspiration and haven of peace for many great creators, among them Jean Genet, Yves Saint Laurent and many more. Marrakesh, unique in the World, brings a final touch to a maghrebine picture of immovable beauty.