An overview of the Djemaa el Fna in the morning

Djemaa el Fna (Arabic: جامع الفناء jâmiʻ al-fanâʼ) is a square and market place in Marrakesh's medina quarter (old city). The origin of its name remains unknown : it means Assembly of the dead in Arabic, but as the word djemaa also means mosque in Arabic, it could also mean place of the vanished mosque, in reference to a destroyed Almoravid mosque. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x900, 417 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Djemaa el Fna ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x900, 417 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Djemaa el Fna ... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... A marketplace is the space, actual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. ... Marrakech (مراكش marrākish), known as the Pearl of the South, is a city in southwestern Morocco in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. ... A medina quarter is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Almoravides (From Arabic المرابطون sing. ...

The place remains the main square of Marrakesh, used equally by locals and tourists. During the day it is predominantly occupied by orange juice stalls, youths with chained Barbary apes, water sellers in colourful costumes with traditional leather water-bags and brass cups, and snake charmers who will pose for photographs for tourists. As the day progresses the entertainments on offer change: the snake charmers depart, and in the afternoon and evening the square becomes more crowded, with Chleuh dancing-boys (it would be against custom for girls to provide such an entertainment), story-tellers (telling their tales in Berber or Arabic, to an audience of appreciative locals), magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines. As dark descends the square fills with dozens of food-stalls, and the crowds are at their height. Orange juice is sometimes artificially colored to match the color of orange rinds. ... Binomial name Macaca sylvanus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Barbary Ape (Macaca sylvanus) is a tail-less macaque; despite its name, it is a true monkey and not an ape. ... Kill Bill is the fourth feature film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino released in two parts: Volume 1 & Volume 2. ... Chleuh people are a Berber ethnic group, they live mainly in the Moroccos Atlas Mountains. ...

The square is edged along one side by the Marrakesh souk, the traditional North African markets which service both the common daily needs of the people of the city, and the tourist trade. On other sides are cafe terraces to escape from the noise and confusion down in the square, and on yet other sides are hotels and gardens. Narrow streets lead into the alleys of the medina quarter, the old city. The photograph illustrating this article shows the entrance to the souk at the left, cafes in the centre, and the entrance to the medina via the Street of the Olive (derb al zitoun) on the right. The souq in Marrakech, Morocco A souk (سوق, also sook, souq, or suq) is a commercial quarter in an Arab city. ... A medina quarter is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. ...

Once a bus station, the place was closed to traffic in the early 2000s. The authorities are well aware of its importance to the tourist trade, and a strong but discreet police presence ensures the safety of visitors.

The award-winning documentary "Morocco: The Past and Present of Djemma el Fna" features the storytellers, musicians, acrobats and snake charmers of this celebrated crossroads of Arab and Berber cultures, with historical commentary provided by the noted Moroccan scholar Hamid Triki.

See also

• Juan Goytisolo lives in Marrakesh and has had an important role in the categorization of Djemaa el Fna as a Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

Juan Goytisolo is a Spanish poet and novelist. ... Marrakech (مراكش marrākish), known as the Pearl of the South, is a city in southwestern Morocco in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. ... Map showing the Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage by country designation as of 2005: red (countries with 4 designations), orange (3), yellow (2) and green (1). ...

Miscellaneous

• The place, then a bus station, was featured in the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Man Who Knew Too Much
• An interesting account of the place in the 1970s can be seen in Esther Freud's novel Hideous Kinky.

This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The Man Who Knew Too Much is a 1956 suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. ... Esther Freud is a British novelist. ... Hideous Kinky is an autobiographical novel by Esther Freud, daughter of British painter Lucian Freud, and great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud. ...

References

• The Rough Guide To Morocco, 2001. Rough Guide Publishing ISBN 1-85828-601-8

Djemaa el Fna, morning Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 423 KB) Djemaa el Fna, morning File links The following pages link to this file: Djemaa el Fna Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ...

Djemaa el Fna, evening Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 558 KB) Djemaa el Fna, evening File links The following pages link to this file: Marrakech Djemaa el Fna Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ...

Panoramic Djemaa el Fna by sunset Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2437x411, 262 KB) Pics taken and stitched by me. ...

Chefs working in the Djemaa el Fna at night Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1595x1036, 366 KB) Chefs working at a food stall in the Djeema El-Fna in Marrakech, Morocco I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

Coordinates: 31°37′33″N, 7°59′22″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...