Marrakech Medina and Djemaa el-Fna

The UNESCO-listed medina of Marrakech, founded in 1070 by the Almoravid dynasty, is a labyrinth of 9,000 streets containing the largest traditional market in Africa -- with separate souks for leather tanners, spice merchants, metalworkers, and carpet weavers organized by guild as they have been for 950 years. Djemaa el-Fna, the central square that fills each evening with snake charmers, storytellers, musicians, and food stalls, was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2001 as the world's most important example of living folk culture. Compared to Fes el-Bali Medina, the Marrakech Medina offers a more vibrant nightlife but covers a smaller area, drawing over 3 million visitors annually, 25% more than the typical Moroccan medina.