Editing Marrakesh (section)

==History==
{{main|History of Marrakesh|Timeline of Marrakesh}}
The Marrakesh area was inhabited by [[Berbers|Berber]] farmers from [[Neolithic]] times, and numerous stone implements have been unearthed in the area.{{sfn|Searight|1999|p=378}} Marrakesh was founded by [[Abu Bakr ibn Umar]], chieftain and second cousin of the [[Almoravid dynasty|Almoravid]] king [[Yusuf ibn Tashfin]] (c. 1061–1106).{{Sfn|Deverdun|1959|pp=59–64}}{{sfn|Gerteiny|1967|p=28}} Historical sources cite a variety of dates for this event ranging between 1062 (454 in the [[Hijri year|Hijri calendar]]), according to [[Ibn Abi Zar]] and [[Ibn Khaldun]], and 1078 (470 AH), according to [[Muhammad al-Idrisi]].{{Sfn|Deverdun|1959|p=61}} The date most commonly used by modern historians is 1070,{{Sfnm|1a1=Deverdun|1y=1959|1p=59–63|2a1=Messier|2y=2010|2p=180|3a1=Abun-Nasr|3y=1987|3p=83|4a1=Salmon|4y=2018|4p=33|5a1=Wilbaux|5y=2001|5p=208|6a1=Bennison|6y=2016|6p=22, 34|7a1=Lintz|7a2=Déléry |7a3=Tuil Leonetti|7y=2014|7p=565}} although 1062 is still cited by some writers.{{Sfnm|1a1=Bloom|1a2=Blair|1y=2009|1loc="Marrakesh"|2a1=Naylor|2y=2009|2p=90|3a1=Park|3a2=Boum|3y=2006|3p=238}} 

[[File:Almoravid dinar 1138 631905.jpg|thumb|Gold [[Almoravid dinar]] minted during the reign of [[Ali ibn Yusuf]]|left]]
The Almoravids, a Berber dynasty seeking to reform Islamic society, ruled an [[emirate]] stretching from the edge of [[Senegal]] to the centre of [[Spain]] and from the Atlantic coast to [[Algiers]].{{Sfn|Bennison|2016}} They used Marrakesh as their capital and established its first structures, including mosques and a fortified residence, the Ksar al-Hajjar, near the present-day [[Kutubiyya Mosque]].{{Sfn|Deverdun|1959|pp=56–59}} These Almoravid foundations also influenced the layout and urban organization of the city for centuries to come. For example, the present-day [[Jemaa el-Fnaa]] originated from a public square in front of the Almoravid palace gates, the ''Rahbat al-Ksar'',{{Sfn|Deverdun|1959|p=143}}<ref name="Skounti-2006">{{Cite book|last1=Skounti|first1=Ahmed|url=https://www.academia.edu/4139227|title=La Place Jemaa El Fna: patrimoine immatériel de Marrakech du Maroc et de l'humanité|last2=Tebaa|first2=Ouidad|publisher=Bureau de l’UNESCO pour le Maghreb|year=2006|location=Rabat|pages=25–27|language=fr|access-date=May 12, 2019|archive-date=November 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107093440/https://www.academia.edu/4139227|url-status=live}}</ref> and the major souks (markets) of the city developed roughly in the area between this square and the city's main mosque, where they remain today.{{Sfn|Wilbaux|2001|p=115}} The city developed the community into a trading centre for the [[Maghreb]] and sub-Saharan Africa.<ref name="International2005">{{cite journal|title=The Rotarian|journal=Rotary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DjMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14|access-date=9 October 2012|date=July 2005|publisher=Rotary International|page=14|issn=0035-838X|archive-date=26 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626185600/http://books.google.com/books?id=DjMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14|url-status=live}}</ref> It grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural and religious centre, supplanting [[Aghmat]], which had long been the capital of [[Haouz]]. [[Al-Andalus|Andalusi]] craftsmen from [[Córdoba, Andalusia|Cordoba]] and [[Seville]] built and decorated numerous monuments, importing the [[Caliphate of Córdoba|Cordoban Umayyad]] style characterised by carved domes and [[Multifoil arch|cusped arches]].{{sfn|Searight|1999|p=378}}{{sfn|Lehmann|Henss|Szerelmy|2009|p=292}} This Andalusian influence merged with designs from the Sahara and West Africa, creating a unique style of architecture which was fully adapted to the Marrakesh environment. Yusuf ibn Tashfin built houses, minted coins, and brought gold and silver to the city in caravans.{{sfn|Searight|1999|p=378}} His son and successor, [[Ali ibn Yusuf|Ali Ibn Yusuf]], built the [[Ben Youssef Mosque]], the city's main mosque, between 1120 and 1132.{{Sfn|Bloom|Blair|2009|pp=111–115}}{{Sfn|Wilbaux|2001|pp=223–224}} He also fortified the city with [[Walls of Marrakesh|city walls]] for the first time in 1126–1127 and expanded its water supply by creating the underground water system known as the [[Qanat|''khettara'']].{{Sfn|Deverdun|1959|p=85-87, 110}}{{Sfn|Wilbaux|2001|p=224}}
[[File:Review of reviews and world's work (1890) (14743799896).jpg|thumb|[[Bab Agnaou]], the [[Almohad Caliphate|Almohad]]-era gate of the [[Kasbah of Marrakesh|Kasbah]] (photo circa 1890)]]
In 1125, the preacher [[Ibn Tumart]] settled in [[Tin Mal]] in the mountains to the south of Marrakesh, founding the [[Almohad Caliphate|Almohad]] movement. This new faction, composed mainly of [[Masmuda]] tribesmen, followed a [[Almohad doctrine|doctrine of radical reform]] with Ibn Tumart as the ''[[mahdi]]'', a messianic figure. He preached against the Almoravids and influenced a revolt which succeeded in bringing about the fall of nearby [[Aghmat]], but stopped short of bringing down Marrakesh following an [[Battle of al-Buhayra|unsuccessful siege]] in 1130.{{sfn|Searight|1999|p=378}} Ibn Tumart died shortly after in the same year, but his successor [[Abd al-Mu'min]] took over the political leadership of the movement and [[Capture of Marrakesh (1147)|captured Marrakesh in 1147]] after a siege of several months.{{Sfn|Bennison|2016|p=60, 70}} The Almohads purged the Almoravid population over three days and established the city as their new capital.{{Sfn|Bennison|2016|p=307}} They went on to take over much of the Almoravids' former territory in Africa and the [[Iberian Peninsula]]. In 1147, shortly after the city's conquest, Abd al-Mu'min founded the Kutubiyya Mosque (or Koutoubia Mosque), next to the former Almoravid palace, to serve as the city's new main mosque.{{Sfn|Wilbaux|2001|p=241}} The Almoravid mosques were either demolished or abandoned as the Almohads enacted their religious reforms.{{Sfn|Bennison|2016|p=307}} Abd al-Mu'min was also responsible for establishing the [[Menara gardens|Menara Gardens]] in 1157, while his successor [[Abu Yaqub Yusuf|Abu Ya'qub Yusuf]] (r. 1163–1184) began the [[Agdal Gardens]].{{Sfn|Wilbaux|2001|p=224, 246}}<ref name="Navarro-2017">{{Cite journal|last1=Navarro|first1=Julio|last2=Garrido|first2=Fidel|last3=Almela|first3=Íñigo|date=2017|title=The Agdal of Marrakesh (Twelfth to Twentieth Centuries): An Agricultural Space for Caliphs and Sultans. Part 1: History|url=|journal=Muqarnas|volume=34|issue=1|pages=23–42|doi=10.1163/22118993_03401P003}}</ref> [[Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur|Ya'qub al-Mansur]] (r. 1184–1199), possibly on the orders of his father Abu Ya'qub Yusuf, was responsible for building the [[Kasbah of Marrakesh|Kasbah]], a citadel and palace district on the south side of the city.{{Sfn|Bennison|2016|p=321, 343}}{{Sfn|Wilbaux|2001|p=243-244}} The Kasbah housed the center of government and the residence of the [[Caliphate|caliph]], a title borne by the Almohad rulers to rival the eastern [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. In part because of these various additions, the Almohads also improved the water supply system and created water reservoirs to irrigate their gardens.{{Sfn|Wilbaux|2001|p=246-247}} Thanks to its economic, political, and cultural importance, Marrakesh hosted many writers, artists, and intellectuals, many of them from [[Al-Andalus]], including the famous philosopher [[Averroes]] of [[Cordoba, Spain|Cordoba]].{{Sfn|Bennison|2016|p=265}}<ref name="Daiber-2009">{{Cite book|last=Daiber|first=Hans|title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Three|publisher=Brill|year=2009|editor-last=Fleet|editor-first=Kate|location=|pages=|chapter=Ibn Rushd, Abū Muḥammad|issn=1873-9830|editor-last2=Krämer|editor-first2=Gudrun|editor-last3=Matringe|editor-first3=Denis|editor-last4=Nawas|editor-first4=John|editor-last5=Rowson|editor-first5=Everett}}</ref>

[[File:MoorandChristianBattle.png|thumb|Detail of the [[Cantigas de Santa Maria|''Cantiga de Santa Maria'']] #181. The cantiga #181 depicts the successful 1261–62 defence of Marrakesh by Almohad ruler [[Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada|Al-Murtada]] (with help from Christian militias) from the siege laid on by Marinid ruler [[Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq|Abu Yusuf]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://digibug.ugr.es/bitstream/handle/10481/30218/CEM-008-009.001-Art%EDculo-005.pdf;jsessionid=5F7B068A8C27E573E69C2E8561889CAF?sequence=1|journal=Cuadernos de Estudios Medievales y Ciencias y Técnicas Historiográficas|volume=8-9|pages=183–192|year=1983|first=Jesús|last=Montoya|title=El frustrado cerco de Marrakech (1261–1262)|publisher=[[University of Granada|Universidad de Granada. Servicio de Publicaciones]]|issn=1132-7553|language=es|access-date=2021-05-31|archive-date=2021-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215255/https://digibug.ugr.es/bitstream/handle/10481/30218/CEM-008-009.001-Art%EF%BF%BDculo-005.pdf%3Bjsessionid%3D5F7B068A8C27E573E69C2E8561889CAF?sequence=1|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
The death of [[Yusuf II, Almohad Caliph|Yusuf II]] in 1224 began a period of instability. Marrakesh became the stronghold of the Almohad tribal sheikhs and the ''ahl ad-dar'' (descendants of [[Ibn Tumart]]), who sought to claw power back from the ruling Almohad family. Marrakesh was taken, lost and retaken by force multiple times by a stream of caliphs and pretenders, such as during the brutal seizure of Marrakesh by the Sevillan caliph [[Abd al-Wahid II|Abd al-Wahid II al-Ma'mun]] in 1226, which was followed by a massacre of the Almohad tribal sheikhs and their families and a public denunciation of Ibn Tumart's doctrines by the caliph from the pulpit of the [[Kasbah Mosque (Marrakech)|Kasbah Mosque]].{{Sfn|de Cenival|1991|p=592}} After al-Ma'mun's death in 1232, his widow attempted to forcibly install her son, acquiring the support of the Almohad army chiefs and Spanish mercenaries with the promise to hand Marrakesh over to them for the [[looting|sack]]. Hearing of the terms, the people of Marrakesh sought to make an agreement with the military captains and saved the city from destruction with a sizable payoff of 500,000 dinars.{{Sfn|de Cenival|1991|p=592}} In 1269, Marrakesh was conquered by the Marinids, a Zenata tribe who overran the Almohads in Morocco. While Marrakesh remained a major city, it lost its capital status to Fez and underwent a period of relative decline.{{Sfn|de Cenival|1991|p=593}}

[[File:El Badi Palace 3.jpg|thumb|left|[[El Badi Palace]], built by the [[Saadi Sultanate|Saadi]] sultan [[Ahmad al-Mansur]] (16th century)]]
In the early 16th century, Marrakesh again became the capital of Morocco. After a period when it was the seat of the [[Hintata]] emirs, it reestablished its status during the reigns of the [[Saadian dynasty|Saadian]] sultans [[Abdallah al-Ghalib]] and [[Ahmad al-Mansur]].{{Sfn|Deverdun|1959|pp=358–416}}{{Sfn|Salmon|2016}} Under the Saadian dynasty, Marrakesh experienced a new golden age.{{Sfn|de Cenival|1991|p=594}}{{Sfn|Deverdun|1959|pp=460–461}} Thanks to the wealth amassed by the sultans, it was embellished with sumptuous palaces while its ruined monuments were restored. [[El Badi Palace]], begun by Ahmad al-Mansur in 1578, was made with costly materials including marble from Italy.{{Sfn|Deverdun|1959|pp=392–401}}{{sfn|Salmon|2016|pp=250–270}} The palace was intended primarily for hosting lavish receptions for ambassadors from Spain, England, and the Ottoman Empire, showcasing Saadian Morocco as a nation whose power and influence reached as far as the borders of [[Niger]] and [[Mali]].<ref name="Communications1996">{{cite journal|title=Orange Coast Magazine|journal=Orange Coast|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wP0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46|access-date=16 October 2012|date=February 1996|publisher=Emmis Communications|page=46|issn=0279-0483|archive-date=25 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525235623/http://books.google.com/books?id=wP0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46|url-status=live}}</ref> 

[[File:Le Tour du monde-01-p213.jpg|thumb|Litography depicting the city of Marrakesh, in 1860 by [[Évremond de Bérard]].]]
For centuries Marrakesh has been known as the location of the tombs of Morocco's [[Seven Saints of Marrakesh|seven patron saints]] (''sebaatou rizjel''). When [[sufism]] was at the height of its popularity during the late 17th-century reign of [[Ismail Ibn Sharif|Moulay Ismail]], the festival of these saints was founded by [[Abu Ali al-Hassan al-Yusi]] at the request of the sultan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dar-sirr.com/Patron_Saints_of_Marrakech.html|title=The Patron Saints of Marrakech|access-date=28 June 2013|publisher=Dar-Sirr.com|archive-date=5 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005051258/http://www.dar-sirr.com/Patron_Saints_of_Marrakech.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The tombs of several renowned figures were moved to Marrakesh to attract pilgrims, and the pilgrimage associated with the seven saints is now a firmly established institution. Pilgrims visit the tombs of the saints in a specific order, as follows: [[Sidi Yusuf ibn Ali Sanhaji|Sidi Yusuf Ali Sanhaji]] (1196–97), a leper; [[Cadi Ayyad ben Moussa|Qadi Iyyad]] or [[qadi]] of [[Ceuta]] (1083–1149), a theologian and author of [[Ash-Shifa bi ta'rif huquq al-mustafa|Ash-Shifa]] (treatises on the virtues of [[Muhammad]]); [[Abu al-Abbas as-Sabti|Sidi Bel Abbas]] (1130–1204), known as the patron saint of the city and most revered in the region; [[Muhammad al-Jazuli|Sidi Muhammad al-Jazuli]] (1465), a well known Sufi who founded the Jazuli brotherhood; [[Abdelaziz al-Tebaa]] (1508), a student of al-Jazuli; [[Abdallah al-Ghazwani]] (1528), known as Moulay al-Ksour; and [[Al-Suhayli|Sidi Abu al-Qasim Al-Suhayli]], (1185), also known as Imam al-Suhayli.{{sfn|de Cenival|1991|p=591}}{{Sfn|Wilbaux|2001}} Until 1867, European Christians were not authorized to enter the city unless they acquired special permission from the sultan; east European Jews were permitted.{{sfn|Gottreich|2007|p=10}}

During the early 20th century, Marrakesh underwent several years of unrest. After the premature death in 1900 of the grand vizier [[Ba Ahmed]], who had been designated regent until the designated sultan [[Abdelaziz of Morocco|Abd al-Aziz]] became of age, the country was plagued by anarchy, tribal revolts, the plotting of feudal lords, and European intrigues. In 1907, Marrakesh caliph [[Moulay Abd al-Hafid]] was proclaimed sultan by the powerful tribes of the High Atlas and by [[Ulama]] scholars who denied the legitimacy of his brother, Abd al-Aziz.{{sfn|Loizillon|2008|p=50}} It was also in 1907 that Dr. Mauchamp, a French doctor, was murdered in Marrakesh, suspected of spying for his country.<ref>Chisholm, Hugh, General Editor. Entry for 'Marrakesh'. [[1911 Encyclopædia Britannica]] (1910).</ref> France used the event as a pretext for sending its troops from the eastern Moroccan town of [[Oujda]] to the major metropolitan center of Casablanca in the west. The French colonial army encountered strong resistance from [[Ahmed al-Hiba]], a son of Sheikh [[Ma al-'Aynayn]], who arrived from the Sahara accompanied by his nomadic Reguibat tribal warriors. On 30 March 1912, the French Protectorate in Morocco was established.<ref>{{cite book|title=Bibliographic Set (2 Vol Set). International Court of Justice, Digest of Judgments and Advisory Opinions, Canon and Case Law 1946 – 2011|date=June 2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q_L23IXwnFQC&pg=PA117|access-date=7 July 2013|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers|isbn=978-90-04-23062-0|page=117|archive-date=25 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525233121/http://books.google.com/books?id=q_L23IXwnFQC&pg=PA117|url-status=live}}</ref> After the [[Battle of Sidi Bou Othman]], which saw the victory of the French Mangin column over the al-Hiba forces in September 1912, the French seized Marrakesh. The conquest was facilitated by the rallying of the Imzwarn tribes and their leaders from the powerful Glaoui family, leading to a massacre of Marrakesh citizens in the resulting turmoil.{{sfn|Barrows|2004|p=73}}

[[File:Thami El Glaoui.jpg|thumb|right|[[T'hami El Glaoui]], [[Pasha]] of Marrakesh (1912 to 1956)]]
[[T'hami El Glaoui]], known as "Lord of the Atlas", became Pasha of Marrakesh, a post he held virtually throughout the 44-year duration of the Protectorate (1912–1956).{{sfn|Lehmann|Henss|Szerelmy|2009|p=84}} Glaoui dominated the city and became famous for his collaboration with the general residence authorities, culminating in a plot to dethrone Mohammed Ben Youssef (Mohammed V) and replace him with the Sultan's cousin, [[Ben Arafa]].{{sfn|Lehmann|Henss|Szerelmy|2009|p=84}} Glaoui, already known for his amorous adventures and lavish lifestyle, became a symbol of Morocco's colonial order. He could not, however, subdue the rise of nationalist sentiment, nor the hostility of a growing proportion of the inhabitants. Nor could he resist pressure from France, who agreed to terminate its Moroccan Protectorate in 1956 due to the launch of the [[Algerian War]] (1954–1962) immediately following the end of the [[Indochina War|war]] in [[Indochina]] (1946–1954), in which Moroccans had been conscripted to fight in [[Vietnam]] on behalf of the French Army. After two successive exiles to [[Corsica]] and [[Madagascar]], Mohammed Ben Youssef was allowed to return to Morocco in November 1955, bringing an end to the despotic rule of Glaoui over Marrakesh and the surrounding region. A protocol giving independence to Morocco was then signed on 2 March 1956 between French Foreign Minister Christian Pineau and M’Barek Ben Bakkai.{{sfn|Hoisington|2004|p=109}}

[[File:Gueliz Marrakech (2844894943).jpg|thumb|left|The Gueliz district in Marrakech, was established outside the old city during the [[French protectorate in Morocco|French Protectorate]] period (after 1912)]]
Since the independence of Morocco, Marrakesh has thrived as a tourist destination. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the city became a trendy "[[Hippies|hippie]] mecca". It attracted numerous western rock stars and musicians, artists, film directors and actors, models, and fashion divas,{{sfn|Christiani|2009|p=38}} leading tourism revenues to double in Morocco between 1965 and 1970.<ref>{{cite book|title=MEED.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gthHAAAAYAAJ|page=324|access-date=8 July 2013|year=1971|publisher=Economic East Economic Digest, Limited|archive-date=26 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626185536/http://books.google.com/books?id=gthHAAAAYAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Yves Saint Laurent (designer)|Yves Saint Laurent]], [[The Beatles]], [[The Rolling Stones]] and [[Jean-Paul Getty]] all spent significant time in the city; Laurent bought a property here and renovated the Majorelle Gardens.{{Sfn|Sullivan|2006|p=8}}{{sfn|Howe|2005|p=46}} Expatriates, especially those from France, have invested heavily in Marrakesh since the 1960s and developed many of the ''[[Riad (Morocco)|riad]]s'' and palaces.{{Sfn|Sullivan|2006|p=8}} Over the following decades, the demographic importance of the historic medina declined, due to much of it being converted from residential housing to commercial properties as well as due to the general expansion of the city beyond its traditional areas. In 1984, about 51% of the city's population lived in the medina, whereas only 22% did in 2004.{{Sfn|Bigio|2012|pp=206–207}} 

[[United Nations]] agencies became active in Marrakesh beginning in the 1970s, and the city's international political presence has subsequently grown. In 1985, [[UNESCO]] declared the old town area of Marrakesh a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]], raising international awareness of the cultural heritage of the city.{{sfn|Shackley|2012|p=43}} In the 1980s, [[Patrick Guerand-Hermes]] purchased the {{Convert|30|acre}} [[Ain el Quassimou]], built by the family of [[Leo Tolstoy]].{{Sfn|Howe|2005|p=46}} On 15 April 1994, the [[Marrakesh Agreement]] was signed here to establish the [[World Trade Organization|World Trade Organisation]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://treaties.un.org/untc//Pages//doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201867/volume-1867-I-31874-English.pdf|title=Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (with final act, annexes and protocol). Concluded at Marrakesh on 15 April 1994|access-date=13 July 2013|publisher=United Nations|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512072412/http://treaties.un.org/untc/Pages/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201867/volume-1867-I-31874-English.pdf|archive-date=12 May 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and in March 1997 Marrakesh served as the site of the [[World Water Council]]'s first World Water Forum, which was attended by over 500 international participants.{{sfn|Academie de droit|2002|p=71}}

In the 21st century, property and real estate development in the city has boomed, with a dramatic increase in new hotels and shopping centres, fuelled by the policies of [[Mohammed VI of Morocco]], who aims to increase the number of tourists annually visiting Morocco to 20&nbsp;million by 2020. In 2010, a major gas explosion occurred in the city. On 28 April 2011, [[2011 Marrakesh bombing|a bomb attack took place in the Jemaa el-Fnaa square]], killing 15 people, mainly foreigners. The blast destroyed the nearby Argana Cafe.<ref name="BBC0411">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13226117|title=Morocco: Marrakesh bomb strikes Djemaa el-Fna square|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=28 April 2011|access-date=28 October 2012|archive-date=20 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520174816/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13226117|url-status=live}}</ref> Police sources arrested three suspects and claimed the chief suspect was loyal to [[Al-Qaeda]], although [[Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]] denied involvement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-morocco-attack-qaeda-idUSTRE7462FB20110507|title=Qaeda denies involvement in Morocco cafe bomb attack|date=7 May 2011|access-date=29 June 2013|publisher=Reuters|archive-date=18 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318080655/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-morocco-attack-qaeda-idUSTRE7462FB20110507|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2016 the city hosted the [[2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference]].<ref name="UN.org">{{cite web|date=13 November 2016|title=MARRAKECH: Dozens of heads of State and Government to attend UN climate conference|url=https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/11/marrakech-dozens-of-heads-of-state-and-government-to-attend-un-climate-conference/|access-date=14 May 2019|publisher=[[United Nations]]|archive-date=6 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706212431/https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/11/marrakech-dozens-of-heads-of-state-and-government-to-attend-un-climate-conference/|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2023, the city was affected by [[2023 Marrakesh-Safi earthquake|a deadly earthquake]].<ref>{{cite news |date=9 September 2023 |title=Deadliest quake in decades leaves thousands dead in Morocco |url=https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20230909-at-least-296-people-killed-in-morocco-powerful-earthquake |work=France 24 |access-date=9 September 2023 |archive-date=9 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909093919/https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20230909-at-least-296-people-killed-in-morocco-powerful-earthquake |url-status=live }}</ref> From October 9 to October 15, 2023, the city hosted the [[Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=IMF, World Bank hold meetings in Morocco weeks after devastating quake |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/9/imf-world-bank-hold-meetings-in-morocco-weeks-after-devastating-quake |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010160148/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/9/imf-world-bank-hold-meetings-in-morocco-weeks-after-devastating-quake |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-07 |title=IMF Managing Director Arrives in Marrakech for Annual Meetings |url=https://en.hespress.com/72283-imf-managing-director-arrives-in-marrakech-for-annual-meetings.html |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=HESPRESS English - Morocco News |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015164943/https://en.hespress.com/72283-imf-managing-director-arrives-in-marrakech-for-annual-meetings.html |url-status=live }}</ref>