The historic Moroccan city of Marrakesh suffered extensive damage during a powerful earthquake that killed at least 820 people.
Here are five things you need to know about the ocher city, so named for the color of its brickwork.
Top tourist destination
Located at the foot of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, the 11th-century city of palms and elegant palaces is Morocco’s top tourist attraction, welcoming more than two million visitors a year.
The labyrinthine medina, or old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the largest in North Africa.
The narrow alleys are usually packed with visitors haggling with traders over the prices of everything from leather slippers to spices, or admiring the beautiful riads (palaces) with their beautiful zellige tiles, central courtyards and fountains.
Storytellers and snake charmers
The beating heart of Marrakech is the vast Jemaa el-Fna square, which comes alive every evening with dancers, storytellers, snake charmers and dozens of food stalls packed with traditional Moroccan dishes.
The minaret of the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque looms above the square.
In 2011, a popular café on Jemaa el-Fna was targeted by a bomb attack that killed seventeen people, mostly foreign tourists. Police said the attackers were admirers of the al-Qaeda terror network.
Giant oasis
One of Marrakech’s other major attractions is a gigantic oasis of tens of thousands of palms, as old as the city itself.
In addition to providing coolness when baking, the palm is a major supplier of dates, a key ingredient in Moroccan cuisine.
Conservationists have warned that urbanization and mass tourism operators led by Club Med have built resorts with golf courses among the palms, shrinking the oasis.
Yves Saint Laurent
Legendary French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent visited Marrakech in 1966 and immediately fell in love.
The city had a major influence on his work, especially on his use of color.
Saint Laurent, who died in 2008, spent time there every year with his longtime partner Pierre Berge while designing his collections.
In 2017, a museum dedicated to his designs was opened in the city, one of the last tributes to the Berge designer who died that year.
Film festival
Every November, Hollywood stars come to Marrakech for the International Film Festival, with some screenings taking place under the stars at the Jemaa el-Fna.
Sharon Stone, Martin Scorsese, Sigourney Weaver and Robert de Niro are among those who have walked the red carpet in a country that has long been a favorite location for international film shoots.
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