Tafraout

Tafraoute is a small town in Morocco with about 5000 inhabitants in the province of Tiznit ( Souss -Massa- Draâ ).

Location

Tafraoute is - in the midst of a magnificent granite landscape - at around 1000 meters altitude in the western Anti-Atlas. The distance from Agadir is approximately 160 km (R 105 on Ait Baha ) or 195 km (N 1 and R 104 via Tiznit ).

History

Is about the history of the former Berber village and its surroundings - in view of the non-literate culture of the Berbers - not known. Today the town is the commercial and tourist center in the mountains of western Anti-Atlas with several times daily bus services to the cities of the north, where many - make a significant contribution to work Berber whose transfer funds to survive the region - mostly young.

From the lack of Agadiren ( memory castles ) in the vicinity of Tafraoute, as well as in the valley of Ammeln one can conclude that the population had been settled for centuries in the comparatively fertile mountain oases. Livestock and the usual transhumance played in Morocco - unlike in only about 80 km away and comparatively arid regions east of Ait Baha and north of Aït Abdullah - only a subordinate role.

Townscape

From the formerly existing security with traditional clay building has been preserved in Tafraoute itself is nothing; instead found everywhere plastered in various shades of red ' typical ' new Berber houses with large windows, exterior walls of hollow blocks, false ceilings made ​​of concrete and satellite dishes, as they are now to be found everywhere in southern Morocco. All the houses have no gabled roof, but a roof terrace used for many purposes.

Landscape

The most striking feature of Tafraoute and its surrounding area are the many large, the forces of nature (rain and wind) round cut rock formations of granite, which ultimately point to a volcanic origin of this part of the Anti-Atlas. In this context, special mention is the Chapeau de Napoleon ( " Napoleon hat " ) in Agard Oudad.

Tafraoute was formerly a while secluded, but comparatively fertile mountain oasis, whose inhabitants lived according to the principle of self-sufficiency. However, with the zunehemnden drought since the 1970s and 1980s, the migration of part of the ( male ) population and the improvement of the infrastructure have of the high date palms as well as the medium-high almond, fig and pomegranate trees, etc. only a few copies around receive.

Environment

Among the cultural attractions in the area include the towns of Tazka and Aday with her - standing in the midst of huge blocks of granite - crumbling mud buildings ( tighremts ) and their Berber Museums ( maison berbère or maison traditional ) as well as the Valley of the Ammeln, whose name comes from a Berber tribe which its center in Tafraoute has. The most important place in the Valley of Ammeln Oumesnat is traditional with a well-maintained maison.

Blue stones

Also worth mentioning are the "Blue Stones" by Belgian artist Jean Verame who has close to the road south of Agard Oudad painted huge, round polished by erosion granite blocks with bright colorful colors. Yet larger area and also controversial art has the same artist behind in Sinai in their famous " Blue Desert ". Meanwhile, most of the stones were re- painted in Tafraoute.