Ourika valley

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Ourika valley
Ourika river
Stone-mud houses of the Berbers in the Ourika Valley
Stone-mud houses of the Berbers in the Ourika Valley
Hotel Kasbah in the Ourika Valley

The Ourika Valley is the Oued Ourika by flossenes mountain valley on the north side of the High Atlas in the province of Al Haouz in the region Marrakech-Safi in Morocco .

location

The Ourika valley, which is about 1400 m to 1500 m high, begins about 30 km south-east of Marrakech at Souk Tnine de l'Ourika and stretches for another 25 km in a southerly direction to Asgaour and Setti Fatma ; this is followed by a few mountain villages, which can only be reached on hikes. The Ourika river rises on the slopes of the Toubkal massif and seeps into the Marrakech plain.

history

Despite the lack of written records, it can be assumed that the high valley has been inhabited for centuries, although in earlier centuries there must have been a constant conflict between migrating cattle nomads and settled farmers about food resources, which was certainly often only resolved by force. In the early 20th century, the residents were still largely cut off from the outside world - a situation that only changed with improved transport options and increasing tourism. However, in many respects the valley is still quite pristine. In 1995, after heavy rains, there were heavy floods, which destroyed many houses, especially in Setti Fatma.

Attractions

Like the Aït Bougoumez valley (cf. Timit ), the Ourika valley offers, in addition to its scenic beauties, diverse impressions of the life and culture of the Berbers of the High Atlas.

  • In the area around Setti Fadma there are six - depending on the weather, seven - smaller waterfalls that can be visited as part of a trekking tour lasting several hours.
  • In the Jardin de Timalizene , aromatic plants typical of the mountain region were planted.
  • The Safranière de l'Ourika is a farm that is entirely dedicated to the extraction of saffron . A visit at the time of the saffron harvest from late October to mid-November is particularly worthwhile.
  • The Écomusée berbère de la vallée de l'Ourika in a traditional house in the middle of the village of Tafza offers an interesting cross-section of the handicrafts of the Berbers (pottery, weaving products, silver jewelry with semi-precious stones, etc.).
  • Anima, the paradisiacal garden of the Austrian universal artist André Heller

Trekking

Various hikes and trekking tours are possible from Setti Fatma. The longest is a three-day tour to Imlil , from where it is possible to climb the Toubkal and / or the Jbel Ouanoukrim . Another tour leads to the winter sports resort of Oukaïmeden and to the rock carvings in the Jebel Yagour area .

Web links

Commons : Ourika Valley  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Homepage Anima-Projekt by André Heller; Sculpture park, gallery
  2. ↑ Anima Garden

Coordinates: 31 ° 13 ′ 38 "  N , 7 ° 40 ′ 21"  W.