UNESCO Cultural Space Jemaa el Fna
Jemaa el Fna is one of the main cultural spaces of Marrakech, a vast square at the Medina entrance, surrounded by low-rise terracotta buildings housing shops and cafes. During daylight hours, visitors can have henna tattoos painted on their hands - a symbol of good luck in the Berber culture or stop for a glass of freshly squeezed blood orange juice while browsing leather goods, clothing and rugs.
Break for lunch at one of the many street food stalls. The vendors serve everything imaginable from traditional ‘harira’ vegetable soup to grilled merguez sausage, fried fish and a whole host of unusual Moroccan delicacies.
As day turns to night, Jemaa el Fna transforms into an exotic and chaotic, action-packed venue. The alluring aroma of barbecue food lingers in the air as hawkers vie for trade and medicine men tempt passers by with potions to cure all ailments. On the pavement, men wearing colourful headgear sit cross-legged playing ‘pungi’s’ to charm snakes, and tarot readers lay cards on tables. If things get a little too hectic, retreat and enjoy the spectacle of Jemaa el Fna from a rooftop terrace, while sipping sweet mint tea and feasting on mezze.
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