Jemaa el-Fnaa facts for kids
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Jemaa el-Fnaa (Arabic: ساحة جامع الفناء saaHat jamaaʻ al-fanâʼ, also Jemaa el-Fna, Djema el-Fna or Djemaa el-Fnaa) is a square and market place in Marrakesh's medina quarter (old city). It remains the main square of Marrakesh, used by locals and tourists.
Contents
Name
The origin of its name is unclear: Jamaa means "congregation" in Arabic, probably referring to a destroyed Almoravid mosque. el Fnaʼ or finâʼ can mean "death" or "a courtyard, space in front of a building". "finâʼ in arabic commonly means "open area", straight translation would be "the gathering/congregation area". Other meanings could be "The assembly of death," or "The Mosque at the End of the World". Another explanation is that it refers to a mosque with a distinctive courtyard or square in front of it. A third translation is "assembly of the dead", referring to public executions on the plaza around 1050 AD.
History
Marrakesh was founded by the Almorabits 1070-1072. After a destructive struggle, it fell to the Almohads in 1147. Following this, Jamaa el-Fna was renovated along with much of the city. The surrounding mosque, palace, hospital, parade ground and gardens around the edges of the marketplace were also overhauled, and the kasbah was fortified. Subsequently, with the fortunes of the city, Jamaa el Fnaa saw periods of decline and also renewal.
The Square
During the day it is predominantly occupied by orange juice stalls, water sellers with traditional leather water-bags and brass cups, youths with chained Barbary apes and snake charmers despite the protected status of these species under Moroccan law.
As the day progresses, the entertainment on offer changes: the snake charmers depart, and late in the day the square becomes more crowded, with Chleuh dancing-boys (it would be against custom for girls to provide such entertainment), story-tellers (telling their tales in Berber or Arabic, to an audience of locals), magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines. As darkness falls, the square fills with dozens of food-stalls as the number of people on the square peaks.
The square is edged along one side by the Marrakesh souk, a traditional North African market catering both for the common daily needs of the locals, and for the tourist trade. On other sides are hotels and gardens and cafe terraces, and narrow streets lead into the alleys of the medina quarter.
Once a bus station, the place was closed to vehicle traffic in the early 2000s. The authorities are well aware of its importance to the tourist trade, and a strong but discreet police presence ensures the safety of visitors.
Images for kids
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Aerial view of the Jemaa el-Fnaa in 1930-1931; the large rectangular enclosure visible in the center right may be the ruins of the unfinished Saadian mosque which gave the square its present name
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Steam rising from food stalls
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Café Argana the day after bombing
See also
In Spanish: Plaza de Yamaa el Fna para niños
