- Mayor : Mohamed Larbi BELCAID
- Region : Marrakech-Safi
- Website : www.ville-marrakech.ma
The city of Marrakech was founded in 1071 by Youssef Ibn Tachfine, at the head of the Berber empire of the Almoravids. In the past, Morocco was known in the East under the name of Marrakech. The surname of “red city” refers to the red colour of a great part of its blocks of flats and houses. Marrakech has more than a million inhabitants, spreading over a surface area of 230 square km. It is the fourth biggest city in Morocco after Casablanca, Fès and Tanger. With its arid climate, Marrakech enjoys an exceptional geographic situation: 70 km away from Mount Toubkal and 170 km from the sea.
The city is divided into two distinct areas
- The medina: the historical centre with its 10 km city wall
- The new city: its main districts are called Gueliz, Hivernage, Douar Askar, Sidi Youssef Ben Ali, Mhamid and Daoudiat
The Gueliz is today the commercial centre of the city. It was founded by the French during the protectorate. The area of the Hivernage gathers many hotel complexes. For a few years, the city grew, notably its suburban area and in the West part with the advent of new residential districts as for the region of Targa or the extension of the Mohammed VI avenue, or at the north Tamansourt. From an administrative perspective, the city of Marrakech is split in 5 district town halls: Median, Gueliz, Menara, Nakhil and Sidi Youssef Ben Ali.