Jemaa el Fna square One of the most famous historical spaces in Morocco, it has for centuries stored expressions of popular culture and open spectacle in the face of visitors from all over the world, as well as the commercial and economic importance of the place.
Jemaa el Fna square
Place Jemaa el fnaa dates back to the founding era of the city of Marrakesh, as it was built during the Almoravid state during the fifteenth century, but its importance increased after the construction of the Al-Koutoubia Mosque nearly a century later, and this Jemaa El Fna Square was the nucleus of shopping at the time.
The kings used the square as a large courtyard to display their armies and stand up to the preparations of their forces prior to the launch of the battles to unite cities and countries and the wars of independence, and since that date, it is one of the most important tourist places in Marrakesh, and a symbol of the city that is proud of its vitality and attractiveness to Arab and foreign tourists.
Jamaâ el Fna square Location
Jemaa El Fna Square is located in the centre of the old city of Marrakesh, the capital of the Almoravids, and the city with historical weight and cultural and tourist radiation.
It’s close to the ancient Koutoubia Mosque, and the Jemaa El Fna square is the home of commercial traffic and a crossing to the various joints of the red city.
The 4 best activities in Jemaa El Fna Square
- You can watch the exciting performances of snake tamers, and musical performances as well as watch storytellers and riddles, watch acrobats, dancers, animal models, henna tattoos and many other aspects of popular spectacle that summarize a rich and unique heritage.
- You can also tour the various nearby markets to buy local goods as souvenirs. You can also visit the souks and shops of handicraftsmen to learn about the culture of this wonderful city.
- One of the most important activities that you should not miss is taking pictures during sunset over the roof of one of the cafes next to Jemaa El Fna Square and having a cup of coffee
- and the last thing that you can do during your visit to Jemaa el Fna square is take some of the best Moroccan dishes in some of the restaurants located in the heart of this square.
Cultural and tourism activity
Jemaa El Fna Square has become a registered tourist mark that attracts visitors all over the world. It is one of the most famous open human spaces in its era.
Jemaa El Fna Square stores the secrets and legacy of ancient times through the arts of watching suggested by practitioners who professionalize various forms of artistic communication with people, either folk singing or sports and acrobatic performances, or classes from heritage tales or the arts of taming snakes and monkeys and other shows that attract visitors according to their whims.
In parallel with this non-stop activity from the square, throughout the day and until late at night, traditional professions such as henna engraving and serving the popular traditional food for which the region and the various regions of Morocco are famous.
If you are interested in a private tour to place Jemaa el fnaa to explore this wonderful square, check out this Viator trip for a reasonable price and good service.
In general, the place Jemaa el fnaa performances, which are organized in the form of circular gatherings around the narrator, artist or stuntman (called the helka), is an opportunity to learn about the richness and diversity of the Moroccan folk cultural heritage in its Arab, Berber, Saharan and African dimensions.
According to the Spanish writer Goytisolo, the Jamaâ el Fna square is “unparalleled across the world,” and if it was possible to eliminate it by an administrative decision, it is impossible to establish a similar arena by a decision of this kind.
The Jamaâ el Fna square has inspired many poets and novelists, texts that immortalized this space and immortalized it. Jemaa El Fna Square was ranked second in the top ten international squares, by adioso.com, a site that specialized in tourism and travel.
Jamaâ el Fna square Date
Historical sources link the emergence of place Jemaa el fnaa with the founding of Marrakesh in 1071 AD by the Almoravids. Its commercial role grained before it give other dimensions after the build of the Koutoubia Mosque next to it, which gave it the greatest standing.
There are those who link its name to the Jemaa El Fna square in relation to the courtyard of the house, which is the open courtyard, and there are those who adopt the “fna” with the opening, and they associate it with the courtyard claiming that it was the scene of executions in ancient times, but there is a consensus that the square formed over centuries a place for armies to parade on their way to military campaigns.
Some sources say that the Jamaâ El Fna Square was the gathering place of the army during the era of the Almoravid state before launching military campaigns in various directions, including the campaign of Yusuf bin Tashfin on Andalusia, which culminated in his victory in the famous battle of “Zalaqah” over the Spaniards.
Despite confirming its existence and vital location in the Almoravid era, some historians link the name “Al-Fna” to the courtyard of the Great Mosque, which was built by the Saadians in the Rawd al-Zaytoun neighbourhood in the sixteenth century AD.
Since ancient times, the arena has gained so much fame that it has served as a venue for many films, including Arabic ones.
Its classification in 2001 on the UNESCO World Heritage List constituted the most important turning point in the life of the place, as global recognition of its cultural value, and a celebration of the pioneers of the arts of folk spectacle that bear the secrets of an ancient human heritage, and an oral memory immortalized by inheritance between generations.
The famous Spanish writer Juan Goytisolo, who chose to settle in Marrakech in the seventies, played an important role in mobilizing support for this international recognition of the United Nations to protect space, support the continuity of his activities and help its astronauts withstand the vicissitudes of modern life.
