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Real Estate News Releases
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(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 16, 2008 ) Marrakech, Morocco - TheMoveChannel.com, the leading international property portal, announces a number of new development projects launched in Marrakech:
- Las Terrasses De Gualize (£91,000, 2 bedroom, 8% net rent guarantee, completion March 2009)
- Atlas Golf-Front Apartments (from £74,840, 5 star golf resort, 1 to 3 beds)
Properties in Morocco are unlikely to be an investment opportunity UK investors have considered in the past, so TheMoveChannel.com provides an overview of Marrakech and its sites.
Djemaa el Fna
Djemaa el Fna is a square and market place in Marrakech's medina quarter (old city).
During the day the place is bursting with orange juice sellers, entertainers with Barbary apes and snake charmers.
The square is edged along one side by the Marrakech souk, the traditional North African markets which service both the locals and the tourist trade.
As the afternoon draws in, the square becomes more crowded with healers and henna tattoo artists joining the parade.
When dark descends the crowds are at their fullest and the square fills with dozens of food stalls, 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.
The cafes around the square are ideal places to relax and observe the Gnaoua drummers, male belly dancers and Berber musicians. The softly lit food stalls create a beautifully sensuous and exotic atmosphere.
Saadian Tombs
The Saadian tombs, alongside the Kasbah Mosque, date back from the time of the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603).
The tombs had been sealed for centuries and were only discovered fairly recently (in 1917) when General Lyautey - his curiosity awakened by an aerial survey of the area - ordered a passageway to be made to the tombs, which have since been restored.
The tombs were originally the privileged burial place of the sheriff, the descendants of the Prophet Mohammed. However, nowadays the mausoleum contains the corpses of many of the Saadi Dynasty that ruled much of southern Morocco in the 16th and 17th Centuries, often successfully waging war against Portuguese invaders.
The graves are made of Italian Carrara marble and outside the building is a garden, which is the burial site for a number of soldiers and servants.
Koutoubia Mosque
One of Marrakech’s main landmarks, the Koutoubia Mosque is the largest of its kind in the city (69 metres – 221 feet in height) and its name is derived from the Arabic al-Koutoubiyyin for librarian, since it used to be surrounded by manuscript sellers.
The minaret was completed under the reign of the Almohad Caliph Yaqub al-Mansur (1184-1199) and was used as model for the Giralda of Seville and also for the Hassan Tower of Rabat.
The green tiles are a typical feature of Islamic architecture and each side of the minaret is decorated with different carved stonework panels and engravings.
It is built in a traditional Almohad style and the tower is adorned with four copper globes. Legend has it that three of the globes were gold and the fourth was added by the wife of Yacoub el-Mansour when her jewellery was melted as a penance for failing to fast during a day of Ramadan.
The Bahia Palace
Built in the late 19th Century and intended to be the greatest palace of its time, the Bahia Palace was home to the Grand Vizier of Sultan Ahmed Ibn Moussa.
Its name translates to 'The Brilliant,Â’ and as with other buildings of that period in other countries, it was intended to capture the essence of both the Islamic and Moroccan styles.
The Palace follows the patterns of typical Islamic architecture, with central courtyards and numerous rooms leading off the main entrance. Fountains and gardens are also typical features, along with the decorative stucco panels, tiled floors and polychrome zellij (mosaic) work.
Part of the palace is closed to visitors as it is still used by the Royal family and the attractive, well preserved, Harem Courtyard has featured in many big budget blockbusters.
Hammam - Bath Houses
Marrakech is awash with Hammams, presenting opulent settings and relaxing offerings.
Descended from Roman baths and a template of Turkish ones, the hammams were originally patronized by Moroccans whose homes lacked indoor plumbing.
The baths are also rooted in the Islamic ritual of ablution, where Muslims wash distinct parts of their body before their daily prayers.
The hammmas have now morphed into social soaking centres, with gleaming walls, flowing faucets, tiled rooms, exfoliating scrubs, essential oils and mud masks.
Popular bath houses include the ultramodern Les Secrets De Marrakech, in Guéliz, which is an ostentatious Art Deco villa; and the Sultana Spa, which houses magnificent marble floors and majestic archways.
Dan Johnson, Managing Director, comments:
“Move over New York; vibrant Marrakech really is the city that never sleeps, and its rich heritage and buzzing night life make it easy to see why it’s one of North Africa’s main attractions.”
For more information on Morocco Property and the market in general please visit http://morocco.themovechannel.com/
- ENDS –
Notes to editors:
TheMoveChannel.com is a property website that was founded in 1999 as an online resource for buying, selling and learning about property. It now receives as many as 300,000 visits per month and advertises over 50,000 properties in nearly 90 countries, which are listed by over 500 partner organisations.
For further information as well as images and interview possibilities, please contact:
Dan Johnson
Managing Director
www.TheMoveChannel.com
0207 952 7650
TheMoveChannel.com
Jon Moore
020 7952 7658
j.moore@themovechannel.com 
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