Marrakech, The capital of the South of Morocco,
has undergone tremendous changes throughout its history of nine
long centuries. An amalgam of splendid moments and glory accompanied
with long somber years. The greatest kings as well as the dynasties
of all eras that succeeded one another fought for it. Marrakech
was founded in 1070 by the Almoravid Youssef Ibn Tachfine. Under
the reign of the Almoahad sovereigns, the city witnessed a new
prosperity era. The Koutoubia mosque was constructed by Abdelmoumen
Almowahidi on the ruins of the Almoravid foundations. The successors
of he Almowahads carried out the real renovations of the capital.
The decline of Marrakech was triggered by the conquest of the
city by the Marinids in 1269. The renaissance of the capital under
the Saadian sovereigns led to a new artistic boom witnessed by
the ruins of Albadii Palace and the Saadian Tombs. With the arrival
of the Alaouit and the great Moulay Hassan the first, proclaimed
king in 1879, the city regained all its prestige with the restoration
of the Kasbah the ramparts and the construction of new mosques.
