World

Muslim city named world’s best city by Trip Advisor

Known as the “Jewel of the Desert,” the bustling city climbed five places to claim bragging rights to the top spot

Afp March 25, 2015

PHOTO: MOROCCO-DISCOVERY

SAN FRANCISCO: The Moroccan city of Marrakech, home to some of the world’s most beautiful mosques, has been named the world’s best city by Trip Advisor.

Known as the “Jewel of the Desert,” the bustling city climbed five places to claim bragging rights to the top spot.

Award winners are determined using an algorithm that takes into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants, and attractions in destinations worldwide over a 12-month period.

A market seller selling snails in Jemaa el-Fnaa. PHOTO: IBRIZ SHEIKH

Alongside the cacophony of the city’s marketplaces and souks, the Medina — a Unesco World Heritage Site — teleports visitors to the Middle Ages with its cobblestone streets, ramparts, labyrinthine alleys and courtyards, while the Jardin Majorelle serves as a mid-city respite.

Jardin Majorelle discovered by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1966. PHOTO: IBRIZ SHEIKH

After Marrakech, TripAdvisor users were most enamored with Siem Reap, Cambodia, and Istanbul, Turkey, which round out the top three spots.

“These world-class destinations chosen by our community are rich in history, culture and beauty and offer endless sights to explore,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer.

Other notable movers on the list include Cape Town, Africa, which leapfrogged nine places to crack the top 10 list, as well as Siem Reap, which jumped seven spots to take second place.

Lamp shops can be found in abundance in Jemaa el-Fnaa. PHOTO: IBRIZ SHEIKH

Meanwhile, Rome seems to have lost its luster as the popular tourism hotspot was the biggest loser, falling five places from 2014.

This year, TripAdvisor has also compiled travel and shopping guides for top-ranked destinations along with hotel suggestions.

Traditional Moroccan goods sold in Jemaa el-Fnaa. PHOTO: IBRIZ SHEIKH

The most popular, top-scoring hotel for Marrakech is the Riad Noir d’Ivoire, a boutique hotel hidden within the Medina, decorated in sumptuous Middle Eastern colors and fabrics.

Handmade crafts being sold at the top of the Atlas Mountains. PHOTO: IBRIZ SHEIKH

Here are the top 10 destinations for 2015, according to TripAdvisor users:

1 Marrakech, Morocco

2 Siem Reap, Cambodia

3 Istanbul, Turkey

4 Hanoi, Vietnam

5 Prague, Czech Republic

6 London, England

7 Rome, Italy

8 Buenos Aires, Argentina

9 Paris, France

10 Cape Town, South Africa

COMMENTS (13)

hindukush | 9 years ago | Reply @Ck: Boss when a country can be made for religion.... why not cities.......well the question is will it survive !!!! Only history wil lsay that in future... perhaps 100 years from now..... hisotry of civilizations will be rewritten when failed theories and failed concepts will be discussed in classes and some of teh well known religion centered cities, countires and concepts will make people laugh out loud !!!!

Ck | 9 years ago | Reply Only after reading the headlines have I realised that even cities have a religion. All these days I thought only individuals have a religion

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

bahaha | 9 years ago | Reply @Shahid: perhaps the editor of ET should have read it as well- Dont copy without reading it

DM | 9 years ago | Reply The title is the all problem plaguing pakistan nation. Good news though.

pak47 | 9 years ago | Reply I have been there before and its truly beautiful city and country.

Schabboo Khan | 9 years ago | Reply Two Muslim, two Buddhist and SIX Christian make the top ten best cities to visit .. so there!

Falcon | 9 years ago | Reply Regardless of ET"s intent, truth is it the headline was able to attract many fence sitters to read the content. Therefore, ET & AFP have sort of managed to achieve their objective :)

Patriotic Pakistani | 9 years ago | Reply I can see some people got.. OUCH...

AB | 9 years ago | Reply @KhalidS: @S!D: @U Saifi: Gentlemen, I agree with you all but, to give ET the benefit of the doubt, I think they are trying to say that not everything from Muslim world is chaotic and disturbing. There are positives in there especially when it comes to tourism and civilization when, in today's day and age, general thinking is that Muslim world has been historically chaotic, illiterate with no civilization. As a student of history, I found it exact opposite. I guess, along, those lines, I agree with ET to "emphasize" that even though Muslim world is riddled with conflicts and bad news today, there have been many contributions and achievements in the past in many respects. But yes, there should not be any promotion regarding "Muslims vs the world". I don't think that was ET's intent here.

Shahid | 9 years ago | Reply @U Saifi: Its not ET, it has been reported by AFP. First read than criticize.

KhalidS | 9 years ago | Reply Yeah, agree with both, The title should say, African city named best city in the world.

S!D | 9 years ago | Reply @U Saifi: Totally agree with you. ET itself promoting Muslims vs the world mindset. Judge people or places based on their qualities and not religion.

U Saifi | 9 years ago | Reply What a stupid title for otherwise interesting article. If it was Rome, would you title it Christian city? Please do not ridicule yourself with such titles.

Replying to X