West News Wire: Buildings in the Old City of Marrakech and a portion of its ancient walls have been harmed by a devastating earthquake that struck Morocco.
The hunt for survivors at the UNESCO world heritage monument continued on Saturday, but the entire amount of the damage from the earthquake on Friday night is not yet fully understood.
Some of the Old City’s buildings appear to have sustained significant damage, according to early reports and social media posts.
In the renowned Jemaa el-Fnaa square in the centre of Marrakech’s Old City, a portion of a small mosque’s minaret collapsed, injuring people and causing damage to neighbouring property.
Online video captured the earthquake with the minaret emitting dust.
But the well-known Kutubiyya mosque from the Middle Ages, which faces over the Jemaa el-Fnaa square, is still standing.
Also entirely unscathed was the Piazza, a well-known tourist destination filled with bustling marketplaces, street vendors, and plants.
According to state-run Al Aoula TV, some of the famed red earth walls of the Old City were damaged.
The 1070-founded city of Marrakech has a rich heritage and includes famous sites like the Kutubiyya mosque and the Saadian Tombs.
Due to its cultural importance, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in 1985.
Marrakech has been hailed as a “living testimony to a historic civilisation” by Unesco, praising the city’s distinctive fusion of architecture and culture that draws millions of visitors each year.
The 6.8-magnitude quake struck a mountainous area 72km southwest of Marrakech at 11.11pm local time (10.11pm GMT) on Friday, the US Geological Survey reported.
