Errachidia

Errachidia ( He also wrote Rachidia; Arabic: لرشيدية; Tamazight ⵉ ⵎ ⵜ ⵖ ⴻ ⵔ ⵏ Imtghern; old name Ksar Es Souk ) is the capital of the eponymous province in the Moroccan region of Meknès- Tafilalet.

Location

Errachidia is located at the Oued Ziz in about 1030 m height above sea level. inst in the historically significant region of Tafilalet oasis in south-eastern Morocco. Distances to Fez and Meknes be about 340 330 km, respectively. The more important touristic towns of Erfoud and Rissani are 78 km and 95 km south of Errachidia.

Economy

Errachidia is the intersection of the North -South connection Fès- Rissani (N13 ) and the west - east connection Ouarzazate Figuig (N10 ). The inhabitants live mainly from retail, from small craft, as well as of the garrison.

History

The already long existing and situated on the major caravan route between Fez and Sijilmassa small oasis settlement Ksar Es Souk was built in 1916 by the French colonialists to a garrison town and is provided with a network of rectilinear streets. Towards the end of the Second World War, the French taught here a POW camp for 1,500 German officers. 1976, twenty years after the independence of Morocco in 1956, the city of King Hassan II in honor of Moulay Rachids, the younger brother of the designated heir to the throne Prince Mohammed VI. Was renamed " He Rachidia ".

Townscape

The colonial road network Errachidias was further expanded by the Moroccan independence and lined with rotverputzten houses made of hollow blocks and concrete stairs and roofs. Most houses have two floors and have a roof terrace; the ground floor serves in many cases as " garage " or storage area and as a small business - frequently also chickens are kept.

Attractions

The city itself offers - except the somewhat hidden and unspoilt old Ksar with its partially covered paths - only few tourist attractions: to call in the first place is the Sijilmassa Museum ( Musée Sijilmassa ) with photos of the old caravan city, textiles, utensils and a beautiful collection of carved wooden doors of the Berber. Just a few kilometers north of Errachidia are fed by the Oued Ziz a reservoir and the delightful oasis landscape with the impressive gorge of the Oued Ziz ( Gorges du Ziz ). About 15 km east of the city is the "Blue source of Meski " ( source bleue de Meski ) with a small, during the colonial period created for the soldiers of the Foreign Legion swimming pool, which is now visited primarily by Moroccans.