Ait M'Hamed

Aït M'hamed (also Aït Mhammed written; Arabic: أيت محمد ) is a comprehensive villages about 45 and about 300 km ² large rural municipality ( commune Rurale ) in the province of Azilal in the region of Tadla- Azilal, Morocco.

Geography

Location

The place Aït M'hamed lies on the north side of the High Atlas in about 1700 m height above sea level. inst and about 20 km southeast of Azilal on the road to Ait Bougoumez Valley or the Ahansal Valley.

Landscape

The area is mountainous with altitudes 1400-1800 m; Parts of the slopes are forested but the vast majority of the municipal territory consists of bare slopes where only some grazing is possible. The villages are mostly on the sheltered slopes and were never built on fertile soils.

Climate

The winter months are cold, but during the day with appropriate sunlight usually achieved plus degrees that make the fallen snow ( about 20 to 40 cm per year) normally defrost quickly. In summer, the average daytime temperatures are about 28 ° C, at night it can - depending on the sky - cool 5 to 15 ° C.

Population

The approximately 20,000 inhabitants of the area excessively large community are almost 100 % Berber descent. Except for the approximately 2,000 residents of the borough Aït M'hamed they live in small villages. It Berber dialects are spoken in most cases.

Economy

Most families in the region live from the field economy that brings forth in valleys and slopes acceptable yields (barley ); Vegetables are grown only to a limited extent, since it needs to be watered. Also livestock (sheep, goats, chickens ) is operated. Since the completion of the road, farmers can also produce for the markets in Azilal that were previously almost unattainable. Many men work all year or part of the year as day laborers, craftsmen, traders or small businesses in the cities of the North. Tourism plays no role.

History

Although in the Berber areas of the Maghreb no written records exist, some basic things can be noted: For centuries existed in the Berber regions of a permanent conflict between sedentary and (partially) nomadic tribes, which led not infrequently in feuds and violent clashes. This situation changed somewhat with the improved transport and living conditions during the colonial period. Added to this was the presence of a relatively strong central power with their control and security mechanisms that had not been there earlier in the Berber regions. After the independence of Morocco (1956 ), who in the 1970s due to lack of rainfall and other socio- cultural changes progressive rural exodus, but in particular to - since King Mohammed VI came to power. (1999) reinforced - development of infrastructure (roads, electricity and water supply, national mobile network) the coexistence of tribes has improved significantly.

Attractions

Many Berber places in the landscape quite diverse region still consist of the primeval acting storey Stein-/Lehmbauten, but - unlike the past - have more than one window. In the larger towns and here are only gradually becoming mostly two-story new construction set with concrete ceilings and walls by hollow block bricks. Minarets are not seen in the traditional villages; they originated - if at all - all in the second half of the 20th century. In some places of the High Atlas to military and granaries find ( Agadire ), here fail often like a tower (see Ibakliwin in Aït Bougoumez Valley ) and differ significantly in their compact appearance of the memory castles of the Anti-Atlas.