If you're as excited for Shabby Apple's light and airy Marrakech Summer Collection as I am, you're probably equally as eager to devour the history and culture of one of the world's most diverse and eclectic cities. Simply saying the name of this world-renowned city conjures up visions of silks, spices and saturated colours of all stripes exploding in a stunning array of beauty and old-world charm. What would it be like to call Marrakech home, even if just for a day?

The fourth largest city in Morocco, Marrakech rests at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in northern Africa. This exotic city has long attracted artists from a variety of disciplines, including the designer Yves Saint Laurent (whose ashes are scattered in the Majorelle Garden, one of his favourite places on earth) and the writer George Orwell. With its vibrant culture, it's no wonder that Marrakech is a massive tourist draw for people from all over the world. 

For residents of Marrakech, everyday life is varied. For many, the call to prayer from the muezzins atop of minarets throughout the city starts their day. The city's largest mosque, the Koutoubia Mosque, is where many members of Marrakech's large Muslim community gather to pray. 

Marrakech, like many of the diverse cities in Morocco, is made up of an old fortified city that contains a number of vendors. These cities-within-cities are called medinas and house many of the stalls that locals frequent to purchase everyday wares, such as rugs, tea pots and other household needs. Marrakech boasts a gloriously extensive medina, maze-like in its sprawling splendour. 

Food is purchased in the largest Berber market in Morocco, called a souk. The souk, like the medina, is a massive expanse of vendors selling everything from spices to potatoes, dates to dried flowers. The explosions of colour so often associated with Marrakech can be found in droves in the souk. It is rare to find a set price in a souk - rather, sellers and buyers bargain with each other before settling on a final price.

Many Marrakech residents are employed in the burgeoning hospitality industry, whether it be at a hotel, spa or as a tour guide. Others work in the souks as artisans and craftspeople, applying their talents to pottery, copperwares and the creation of leather goods.

In Marrakech, the average number of days in a year that rain will fall is 58. That means most days can be spent outside in relative comfort, with the exception of the summer months where temperatures can soar to 37C/99F. Many of the locals opt for breezy and light clothing, particularly during the hottest months of July and August. Shabby Apple's Marrakech Summer Collection was designed with these sensibilities in mind--think vintage silhouettes with a modern twist that provide maximum comfort and style, no matter how high the mercury rises.

This post is brought to you by Shabby Apple Guest Blogger, Jasmin Bollman.

Notes:

Photo 1: http://www.kenzi-hotels.com/d/kenzimenarapalace/media/Rooms/__thumbs_1600_930_crop/atlas_mountains2.jpg

Photo 2: https://pleasurephoto.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/yves-saint-laurent-frere-yves-chillin_-in-marrakech.jpg

Photo 3: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYadp0VKMN8/Txishj8oIfI/AAAAAAAAdhI/SEHMFp5UtGQ/s1600/IMG_6037_8_9_fused.jpg

Photo 4: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/45386080.jpg

Photo 5: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Souks_Marrakech_095.JPG