A CLOSE SHAVE IN THE DJEMAA EL FNA, MARRAKECH
May 15 '02 (Updated May 09 '05)
The Bottom Line There are tourists and there are travellers. Here only one ventures.
" No charge, no charge for snake show."
The snake charmer had an interesting sales pitch which is what drew us to him over his competition. It was simple he said. To look at the snakes, no charge. To take pictures of him and his snakes, again no charge. He even offered to place several around my neck so my traveling companions could take pictures, again no charge.
I should have seen it coming. After he had draped three large and hopefully harmless snakes around me, he hit us with his sales pitch. To remove the snakes, now that would cost $10.00 US. I usually consider myself pretty good at bargaining, but he did have me at a distinct disadvantage this time. I sheepishly paid up and moved elsewhere through the large square, poorer but wiser.
If Marrakech is the centre of Morocco, then the Djemaa El Fna is the centre of Marrakech. No one is quite sure of the origins of this large open square in the centre of the old city, it just seem to have always been there. It is a market, a meeting place, a place of and for entertainment and so much more.
No one even knows exactly what the name means. The most common translation is "Assembly of the Dead" which is suitably dramatic for such a unique place. The word Djemaa can mean either Mosque or Assembly in Moroccan Arabic.
The Djemaa is located almost in the exact centre of the Medina or old Arabic quarter of Marrakech, between the ancient Kasbah and winding alleys of the Souks. It is easily located as it is nearby the towering Minaret of the Koutoubia, the tallest structure in the city. A short taxi ride will take you there from the modern hotels of the nearby Ville Nouvelle, the modern section of Marrakesh.
By day the Djemma is filled with local merchants, either in the numerous small shops that line the sides of the square, or those who have set up shop in the middle of the square itself. Their wares are laid out on display on rugs and carpets.
Anything and everything imaginable is for sale here and always has been. Herbal medicines, food, rugs, brass plates and some things that even defy description. Some articles are of course no longer bought or sold anymore. It was only a few years past that slave caravans also used to end their journey here.
Not only goods are for sale, but all manner of services too. Old woman will approach you with offers to tell your fortune, or adorn you with henna tattoos. There are acrobats, musicians and storytellers, each surrounded by their own rapt audiences.
Water sellers in colourful red costumes wander around posing for photos and making more from this then they ever did selling cups of water. There are boxing matches, and healers, holy men who demonstrate their faith by pouring boiling water on themselves. Even dentists plying their trade for appreciative audiences and less enthusiastic patients.
Then there are the animals. Camels, monkeys and of course snakes abound. Their owners all eager to solicit your money. Some by any means willing or unwilling.
At dusk the Djemaa really comes into its own. As soon as the sun sets, the busloads of tourists depart for the air-conditioned hotels of the Ville Nouvelle. Almost instantly hundreds of small food stalls appear.
Set up in the centre of the square, the smells and sounds are intoxicating. The numbers of vendors and entertainers, rather then diminish actually increases. The cities residents arrive en masse to enjoy an evening meal and some entertainment.
The best way to experience the Djemaa El Fna is to totally immerse yourself in it, the sights, smells and sounds. Wander around day or night, watching the shows, sampling the food or even bargaining for the perfect souvenir. Perhaps the most noticeable thing about the Djemaa are the sounds. The shouts of the vendors, the general noise of the crowds and animals and over it all the almost hypnotic music that seems to come from everywhere at once.
If your senses become too overwhelmed, then it is easy to take a quick break. There are several restaurants along the edges of the square where you can enjoy a pot of Moroccan tea or a quick meal. Some of the larger ones have second floor balconies where you can sit and overlook the thriving mass of humanity below you. Alternately you can grab a table on the ground level and watch the show pass before you.
For the men, one way to relax and enjoy the show is from one of the tiny barber shops which are at the north end. A relaxing shave and a haircut and you're soon ready to plunge back in to the square.
The Djemaa belongs to a time long past, but it is also timeless. In 1956 the Moroccan Government considered moving the merchants to a new market place and turning it into a parking lot. The public outcry that ensued from this suggestion ensured that this would never came to pass.
The entertainers will continue to perform daily. The food stalls will magically appear at dusk. The merchants will continue to lay out their wares on the square as they always have.
Nowadays the goods for sale more often include manufactured clothing and electronic toys than hand made items. The haunting ever present music is more likely to come from cassettes and speakers than from live musicians. This slight intrusion though will not end the Djemaa's existence, but rather seems to insure its immortality.
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