During the 11th century, the leader of the Moroccan Almoravid empire, Yusuf Ibn Tashfin, cofounded the city of Marrakesh, along with his cousin Abu Bakr Ibn Umar. It is home to a number of historic 12th century mosques such as the Koutoubia Mosque, built right after the Almohads conquered Marrakesh from the Almoravids and the Ben Youssef Mosque built by Yusuf’s son.
The beautiful old city, or medina, is known as the red city because of the beaten clay that many of its buildings are made of and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Be sure visit ElBadi Palace is the grand ruins of Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour’s once-spectacular palace, set within sunken gardens and boasting sweeping views over the medina. One of Marrakesh’s biggest attractions Jemaa el-Fna, a large square in the heart of the medina, where you will find anything from snake charmers, street entertainers and hawkers.