Jemaa el-Fnaa - The Main Square and Market Place of Marrakech
Jemaa el-Fnaa

The Jemaa el-Fnaa is Marrakech’s main square and the most important part of the medina. Here, inhabitants and tourists gather both during the day and night to have something to eat, shop or observe the various shows taking place.

What we like most about this faboulous square, is how it transforms from dawn to dusk.

During the day

During the day the square is full of surprising sights, from monkey trainers who have trained the apes to climb all over tourists to snake charmers, as well as dentists that expose the teeth they have recently extracted.

In Jemaa el-Fnaa, you will also find numerous stands selling orange juice, spices, mint leaves and snails.

At night

At dusk, Marrakech’s main square transforms and the morning stalls disappear to give room to food stands where visitors can have dinner surrounded by Moroccan musicians playing traditional music and various other shows.

If you don’t have previous dinner plans, the food at these stands is quite tasty and very cheap.

Marrakech’s top attraction

Jemaa el-Fna is the city’s top attraction and can be visited at all hours of the day. We even recommend visiting in the morning and then returning at night to see how it has metamorphosed. Watching its various shows are also great fun! Marrakech’s main square is definitely never dull.

The square is also full of souvenir shops, bars and restaurants. We recommend finding a seat in one of the rooftops, ordering a drink for 10 dh (US$ 1) and watching the hustle and bustle of the square from a distance.