Three years after the earthquake, Marrakech’s medina is rebuilding, stone by stone

The tremor

On 13 September 2023, the Ministry of the Interior put the toll at 2,946 dead and 5,674 injured. On 27 September, the government spokesman announced 2,960 deaths. In the prefecture of Marrakech, the ministry had recorded 18 deaths as of 11 September 2023.

Its magnitude depends on which agency is measuring it: 6.8 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), 7.0 according to Morocco’s National Institute of Geophysics. The epicentre lay in the province of Al Haouz, which gave the earthquake its name.

What the medina lost

• The ramparts. According to UNESCO’s 2024 report, seven sections collapsed, some of which had already been restored, “probably using inadequate materials or techniques”.

• The mosques. Thirty-four were affected, according to the report submitted by the State in November 2025. The minaret of the Kharbouch mosque, on Jemaa el-Fna square, was almost entirely destroyed. The Koutoubia’s minaret showed cracks.
• The monuments. Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace, the Saadian Tombs: closures, shoring, then restoration work.
• The houses. In the Mellah and elsewhere, dwellings in danger of collapse had to be demolished. According to the state of conservation report published by UNESCO in 2024, a scientific commission reviewed 929 total demolition orders and amended 76 of them, whose historic character was recognised.

Reconstruction, by the official figures

The reconstruction programme, announced in a Royal Cabinet communiqué on 20 September 2023, provides for a budget of 120 billion dirhams over five years for the six affected provinces and prefecture, including Marrakech.

In Marrakech, according to local authorities quoted by the MAP news agency in September 2025, some 2,620 homes had been built or rehabilitated, and more than 2,300 collapsed houses cleared. The aid on offer: 2,500 dirhams a month for rehousing, followed by 140,000 or 80,000 dirhams depending on the extent of the damage.

Where the monuments stand

The State’s report submitted to UNESCO on 30 November 2025 gave the following rates of progress:

Five mosques were undergoing works commissioned by the Ministry of Habous (religious endowments), including the Koutoubia and the Ben Youssef mosque. For the ramparts, the State’s November 2025 report details three sections, at Bab Aghmat, Bab Doukkala and Bab Debbagh. According to the state of conservation report published by UNESCO in 2026, the three damaged sections have undergone restoration work.

UNESCO’s view

In July 2026, the World Heritage Committee noted “with appreciation” the progress made (decision 48 COM 7B.6). It nonetheless requests comprehensive technical documentation of the restoration work, “such as for Koutoubia Mosque”, and an updated report by 1 December 2027. It also encourages the State to draw up a sustainable tourism management plan “as soon as possible”.

The earthquake was a reminder of a simple truth: in a medina, beauty rests on walls. Restoring them properly, with the right materials, is the precondition for everything else.