Jemaa el-Fna
MédinaArts & CultureMédina
The beating heart of Marrakech — a square with two entirely different faces, by day and by night.
About
Jemaa el-Fna is the great square at the foot of the medina, and the landmark every visit to Marrakech orbits. By day it belongs to the orange-juice sellers, the water carriers and the spice stalls; as dusk falls the food carts roll in and the square fills with storytellers, Gnaoua musicians and circles of onlookers.
UNESCO inscribed it in 2001 on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, in recognition of that living oral tradition — a rare distinction for a public space rather than a monument.
Access is free and the square never closes. The best vantage point is a café terrace on its edge, an hour before sunset.
Good for
PlacePatrimoine UNESCOStreet food
