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"WORLD TRAVEL: Africa's Beating Heart; Marrakech, No Longer a Hippy Paradise, Is Still a Vital Centre of Economy and Culture in Morocco." The Birmingham Post (England). MGN Ltd. 2006. HighBeam Research. 29 Mar. 2015 <http://www.highbeam.com>.
"WORLD TRAVEL: Africa's Beating Heart; Marrakech, No Longer a Hippy Paradise, Is Still a Vital Centre of Economy and Culture in Morocco." The Birmingham Post (England). 2006. HighBeam Research. (March 29, 2015). http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-150780063.html
"WORLD TRAVEL: Africa's Beating Heart; Marrakech, No Longer a Hippy Paradise, Is Still a Vital Centre of Economy and Culture in Morocco." The Birmingham Post (England). MGN Ltd. 2006. Retrieved March 29, 2015 from HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-150780063.html
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Byline: By STEFAN KUCHARCZYK
Stranded at the tip of Africa, hovering on the periphery of Europe and standing as the western extremity of the Muslim world, the cities of Morocco offer travellers a forgotten glimpse of the exotic.
Marrakech - meaning "City of Morocco" - is unmistakably the African heart of the nation. But whilst its heady days as a hippy paradise are long over, it still retains its esoteric allure.
Situated 160 miles from the Atlantic coast, within touching distance of the Atlas Mountains and on the northern tip of the Sahara desert, with a population of more than a million, Marrakech has always been a vital centre of economy and culture in Morocco.
Founded in 1062 AD by sultan Youssef bin Tachfin, the city flirted with importance under the control of the powerful Almoravid, Almo-had and Saadi dynasties - it was briefly made the capital of Morocco in the 16th century.
However, the beautiful and vibrant city came into its own with the arrival of the French in the 19th Century, who developed the ville nouvelle - new town - and subsequently transformed Marrakech into a centre of national importance.
As is characteristic with most North African cities, Marrakech is divided into two distinct halves: the ville nouvelle, and the Medina. Separated physically and aesthetically from the medieval Medina, the two entities could not be more remote. Serving as a modern business district, with its wide, European boulevards lined with palm trees, the new town of Marrakech is oddly reminiscent of Los Angeles. …
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