Morocco: Crowded Jamaa el Fna square

Join me for five minutes on the Jamaa El Fna Square in Marrakech, Morocco. It's one of the busiest places I've ever been. At the entrance of the Medina (the old city) of Marrakech, the Jamaa El Fna Square forms the hot-spot of the city for tourist planning to go shopping, dining, or riding a horse carriage.

Groups of musicians play traditional Gnaoua music, there are a lot of stands with food, orange juice, olives, and motor scooters try to navigate their way through the crowd. Children are running around, even late at night. The smell and the smoke of the grills is surrounding us.

We leave the square and head south, away from the music but into a very busy street where lots of people try to sell their goods. T-shirts, djellabas, mobile phones and leather bags. We make our way through the crowd and enter a small alley and walk towards the hotel, followed by some other tourists. It's been a busy day.

Comments

[Sndr]

Funny, I made the same walk across the square!
Great atmosphere. :)

[laurensmp]

i've been on that square too, last october, during Ramadan. Strange atmosphere at that place, certainly when we got lost in this fucking maze called the Souq. But we managed to escape, using no more then just this horrible Lonely Planet...

[admin]

I know Laurens, the Souq is a maze. And there are always little boys who want to help you find your way to the "big square" for some money. Good you got out by yourself!