Add a review about Jema el-Fna Square

Jemaa el-Fnaa is the soul of Marrakech, the main landmarks of which are Cafe du France and the building of the mosque, from where all excursions around the city begin. The unforgettable atmosphere has become a magnet for millions of tourists from all over the world, the guests of Morocco.

The name of the square Jema El Fna came from the "jam" - "the cathedral mosque" and "fna" - "death" or "the place where death rules." It is also called "the area of ​​severed heads" because of the terrible past. In the 10th century, brigands and criminals were executed here (hacked).

These executions were very cruel. Sentenced a week before lynching committed terrible torture, until the poking eyes, and only then, mutilated to the uttermost, beheaded. Sometimes on the day of execution up to fifty people, and their heads hung out on city gates. Later, the execution was simplified, the criminals were not tortured, but they were immediately chopped off.

"Showcase of traditional Morocco" - this is still the area of ​​Djema El Fna, where a shocking and attractive atmosphere prevails and where time is not noticeable.

Today, the Djema El Fna square is the city in the city, the busiest place in Marrakech. In the morning and in the afternoon it can hardly be distinguished from other Moroccan squares. In a huge space under the hot sun - the shops of spice merchants, a few vans selling orange fresh, sellers of greens and fruits, traditional water-carriers in colorful dresses are photographed with all comers, sometimes cobras tamers - that's almost all that can be seen here in the daytime.

Jemaa el-Fnaa - Marrakech

But at sunset the real life starts for the minaret of Kutubia. Noise, din, bandy rhythms (tambourines) and the clanking of metal castanets, in some places the crowd is such that it is impossible to get through.

Rows of fresh from oranges, grapefruits, pineapples, mangoes (optional), sweets shops (baklava, lukum, tea and coffee, etc.), fish and meat cafes, where all the passers-by are prepared, fried, immediately eaten by customers. All delicious, fresh and at low prices.
A little further the theater begins under the open sky. Here you can see whole views of tamers of cobras, dancers of Gnaua (descendants of black slaves from Guinea), building living pyramids and performing amazing pirouettes and jumping to the wild ecstasy of hundreds of gapers, acrobats from Amesmiz, swordsmen, belly dancers, scorpion fights and much more. - just do not list.

The place of such shows is a human circle, in the center of which the action takes place, having looked at which, it is necessary to pay, for which the impresario of artists is closely watched.

Therefore, it is advisable to take a little more with you, in view of the fact that it is not possible to get the big bills from you.

Tired of the actors' views, you can relax at a small wooden table on the terrace of one of the inns or cafes beckoning with acetylene lamps and try the harira for 1 MAD or a piece of kefta for 2 MAD or taste Moroccan tea while watching the bubbling, steaming, colorful eastern life on Jem El-Fna.

The area of ​​Djema El Fna, together with the Medina of Marrakech in 1985, became the object of UNESCO's care.

"Showcase of traditional Morocco" - is still called the area of ​​Djema El Fna, where a shocking and attractive atmosphere dominates and where the flow of time is not noticeable. This is a delightful, amazing, mystical place, which for many centuries was the center of Marrakech and a symbol of its unique, completely disordered architecture, and has not become a logically complete ensemble.