Agadir (warehouse castle)
The Agadir ( taschelhit , pl .: ⵉⴳⵓⴷⴰⵔ igoudar ) is a castle-like warehouse and storage building in the joint ownership of a tribal subgroup ( clan ) of the Berbers in the south of Morocco . In the south of Tunisia and in the west of Libya , buildings with a similar function but a different appearance are known as ksour .
Word meaning
Agadir , correspondingly translated as "Speicherburg" ( French grenier-citadelle or grenier-fortifié / English fortified granary ) originally has the meaning of "wall" or "fortress"; later also from "Schatzhaus" or "Bank". The word comes from the Taschelhit , the language of the Schlöh- Berber, and has also found its way into other Berber languages. The word is derived from the Phoenician root gdr (spoken probably gadir ; meaning: "fence", "enclosure", "fortress"). In Central Atlas Tamazight , which is spoken in large parts of the High Atlas , these buildings are often referred to as igherm or tighremt .
There is also the feminine diminutive form ⵜⴰⴳⴰⴷⵉⵔⵜ tagadirt (pl .: ⵜⵉⴳⵓⵉⴷⴰⵔ tiguidar ), which is mainly used in smaller buildings of this type.
history
It is currently not clearly verifiable where the regionally different building types of storage castles originated. Due to the number of preserved buildings alone, two regions would come into question: the south of Tunisia or the west of Libya ( ksour / ghorfas ) or the area of the western anti-Atlas in southern Morocco (igoudar / tiguermin) . Most of the inhabitants of both regions lived as semi-nomads ( transhumants ) for centuries . Sometimes black African origins ( Mali ) are also brought into play, but in the buildings there, the storage aspect is clearly in the foreground over the defense aspect. One thing is certain, however: in the more fertile regions of the Maghreb with a predominantly sedentary population, no agadirs arose.
An exact dating of the preserved buildings is (so far) not possible; the oldest are likely to be around 500 to 800 years old, the youngest only around 150 to 200 years old. Almost nothing is known about any previous buildings; a few agadirs in the High Atlas and in the Jbel Siroua area are, however, in or under protective rock walls - possibly an early form.
function
Every farming culture of earlier times had to develop techniques to protect the laboriously produced food from predation (nomads) and the forces of nature (animal damage, fungal attack due to moisture). The Berber storage castles in the south of Tunisia and in the south of Morocco (Anti-Atlas, High Atlas, Jbel Siroua) are among the most original and impressive things that humans have developed and created in this regard. Another impressive example is the so-called Ksar Draa in the central Algerian sand desert.
The cell agadirs of Morocco, located in the inaccessible mountain regions, originally had a double function: on the one hand, they served the semi-nomadic tribes as a safe haven ("storage facility") for their valuables (food, household items, tools, family documents) during the annual migration with the herds of cattle (sheep, goats) in the higher mountain regions. During this time the agadirs were defended by a guard. On the other hand, in times of attacks by other Berber tribes (feuds, raids) they were a last refuge ("castle") for the village or tribal community. But even in times of peace they functioned as a central, inviolable place for communal life - almost every Agadir has two rows of banks opposite in the entrance area, where the village or tribal elders can consult and make decisions, sometimes even court judgments.
In some of the Agadirs a simple prayer room (without a minaret ) has been preserved; even a small prison cell can sometimes still be seen. In the immediate vicinity of the agadirs there are often vaulted cisterns (matfiyas) that not only secure the water supply for the guards, but - in times of crisis or dryness - for the entire village. With all of this, however, it is very likely that it is not the original but rather later tasks.
Many of the mostly towerless storage castles ( ksour ) of southern Tunisia and western Libya, whose vaulted chambers (ghorfas) are built on two to four floors around spacious inner courtyards, also served as trading posts and caravanserais . Due to their location on important trade routes and in open, easily accessible terrain, it can be assumed that these functions were already part of the design at the time of their planning.
architecture
All agadirs are local community buildings and in a living environment based on the principles of individual self-sufficiency and self -responsibility.
Anti Atlas
The larger agadirs in the Anti-Atlas - often standing individually on hills - were built and used by several villages or by an entire tribal association, while the smaller agadirs - mostly standing on the edge or in the middle of a village - were jointly owned by the families of this village. Many Agadirs were built over centuries. If necessary, they have been expanded, which can be clearly seen from the modular construction used: A component usually consists of three chambers lying one above the other with their own outer walls; a completely new building wing could also be added to an existing Agadir. Due to their function as defensive structures, almost all agadirs of the Anti-Atlas have an enclosure wall, one or more free-standing or leaning defense towers with a square cross-section and high, windowless outer walls (with ventilation openings or loopholes in the upper storage chambers). The walls were erected from smaller and larger stones, as can be found in masses everywhere in the area, perfectly handcrafted without the use of mortar. In the 20th century, some components were given an external plaster to protect them from being washed out and thus stabilize them.
While the agadirs of the western Anti-Atlas, which with a few exceptions stand east of the Biougra - Tafraoute road , almost without exception have straight corridors, this is the case with the further east ( Agadir Tasguent ) or further south (Agadir Agellouy near Amtoudi ) This is rarely the case - here irregular shapes predominate, which resulted from their exposed position on rock spurs or hill tops; Round or square storage castles (“Hofagadire”) can also be found in flat terrain.
The interior of the row agadirs (e.g. Agadir Tasguent , Agadir von Imchiguegueln ) is characterized by one or more ravine-like corridors with many chambers that can be reached on both sides via stepping stones (asekfel ; pl .: isoukfal) , which are usually arranged in three superimposed levels are - two or four floors are also possible. In the case of the court agadirs , which are rather rare in Morocco (e.g. Agadir Id Aissa near Amtoudi or the Agadir from Aït Kine ; one group is located in the vicinity of Igherm and Tleta Tagmoute ), the chambers are usually arranged around a large inner courtyard Accessible via relocatable ladders or notched tree or palm trunks. The chambers are approx. 6 to 8 m deep, approx. 1.50 to 2 m wide and only approx. 1.60 m high. The chambers on the ground floor often have an approx. 20 cm high platform to protect against rising damp. The ceilings or floors of the upper cells consist of crooked but extremely durable argan branches covered with reeds and earth.
The small, only 1.20 to 1.40 m high doors - previously secured with complicated wooden locks - were made of hewn (later sawn) argan or almond wood beams and boards and often with geometric ornaments (diamonds, triangles, etc.) decorated, which originally had an apotropaic (disaster-warding) meaning; some particularly richly decorated specimens are shown in Moroccan museums, while others are sold in antique shops. Halfway up next to the door frame, you can often see a hole in the masonry that was used to unlock the door locks that were formerly inside - but through which cats could also get into the chambers to kill mice.
High Atlas
The storage castles of the Eastern Anti-Atlas (e.g. in Aït Kine ) and the High Atlas, on the other hand, are mostly self-contained structures that do not allow any extensions. Against the background of special climatic and material framework conditions, other construction methods have established themselves here: The building, which is usually made of rammed earth - mixed with small stones and plant remains - rises above a rocky or stone base zone . A separate surrounding wall, a large inner courtyard and cisterns are missing; the towers are - as with the Tighremts - integrated into the structure or are missing entirely (as in Ibakliwin or in the Anergui valley ); Loopholes, which also had a function as ventilation openings, are usually present. The storage chambers inside were originally not accessible via stepping stones or stairs, but rather via movable wooden or palm trunks with notched steps and via circumferential corridors. Since no argan trees or date palms grow in the High Atlas, branches made of almond, walnut or poplar wood usually form the basis for the ceilings or floors. Impressive special cases are the storage chambers in the Aoujgal Gorge, built under the protection of a high rock face and difficult to reach, and the cave storage facilities at Tazlaft in the Ounila Valley .
Jbel Sirwa
Also in the remote areas of Jbel Sirwa (or Jbel Siroua ) there are numerous, but mostly badly destroyed agadirs. A few almost windowless storage structures were built under rocky outcrops (Tizgui, Ifri), which was of great advantage for both climatic and defense reasons. The buildings, made up of small stones, are in a very good state of preservation.
meaning
In view of the lack of written records, the Agadire of Southern Morocco and the Ksour of Southern Tunisia provide unique insights into other times and living conditions that have been characteristic and formative for many Berbers over the centuries. Given their central functions in the community life of a village or tribe, they were seen as sacred and inviolable places. At least one Agadir in the High Atlas is closely connected to the grave of a local saint ( marabout ) who is venerated to this day : Agadir Sidi Moussa , located on a hilltop near Timit in the Aït Bougoumez Valley . Such a constellation is also occasionally mentioned in the Agadir Tasguent . However, the truthfulness of such statements cannot be verified - these are mostly legends, which nevertheless illustrate the centuries-old respect that people have for these buildings.
Current condition
In earlier times, damage to the storage castles was always repaired immediately, but the pacification of the Berber tribes and the general modernization of living conditions during and after the protectorate period have rendered these buildings, which were once so characteristic of the Berber culture, inoperable. As a result of the forces of nature (rain, storms) and the aging of the wood, some chambers have collapsed, which inevitably leads to further damage. Many of the buildings have already fallen into disrepair (e.g. Agadir Guimst ).
Regional distribution
In the Anti Atlas , most of Morocco's agadirs - and probably also the oldest - are located east of Aït Baha ( Agadir Inoumar , Agadir Imi'm Korn , Imchiguegueln ) and north of Aït Abdallah ( Agadir Tasguent , Agadir Itourhaine ). Further storage castles can be found a little further south-east near Igherm ( Aït Kine ) and in the area of Jbel Sirwa ( Tizgui ). A small, but highly interesting group is located near Amtoudi .
In the High Atlas there are only single agadirs like in Igherm n'Ougdal ; The buildings in the Aït Bougoumez valley ( Timit , Ibakliwin ), in the Anergui valley and in the Ahansal valley also form smaller groups . The rock granaries of Aoujgal are very original .
The vast majority of the Ksour of southern Tunisia ( Ksar Ouled Soltane , Ksar Haddada , Ksar Ouled Debbab , Gattoufa , Metameur ) with their arched storage chambers ( ghorfas ) can be found in the near and far vicinity of the cities of Medenine and Tataouine . The architecturally very similarly constructed Ksour western Libya ( Nalut , Qasr al-Hadj , Cabao and Qasr Bou Neran ) are located northeast of Ghadames .
There were also similar buildings in the Algerian Aurès Mountains , but all but a few remains have disappeared. The "Ksar Draa" near Timimoun , built in the middle of a sandy desert, is made of rubble stones .
See also
literature
- D. Jacques-Meunié: Les greniers collectifs au Maroc. Paris 1944.
- D. Jacques-Meunié: Greniers-citadelles au Maroc. Paris 1951.
- Salima Naji: Greniers collectifs de l'Atlas. Paris 2006, ISBN 978-9981-896-89-5 .
- Herbert Popp, Mohamed Ait Hamza, Brahim El Fasskaoui: Les agadirs de l'Anti-Atlas occidental. Atlas illustré d'un patrimoine culturel du Sud marocain. Natural Science Society, Bayreuth 2011, ISBN 978-3-939146-07-0 .
- Herbert Popp, Abdelfettah Kassah: Les ksour du Sud tunesien. Natural Science Society, Bayreuth 2010, ISBN 978-3-939146-04-9 .
- Arnold Betten: Morocco. Antiquity, Berber Traditions and Islam - History, Art and Culture in the Maghreb. DuMont, Ostfildern 2012, ISBN 978-3-7701-3935-4 , pp. 119ff.
Web links
- Arnold Betten: Agadire - Speicherburgen - Igoudars
- Andreas Conrad: Agadire etc. in the Anti Atlas and Jbel Siroua
- Michel Grenier: Les Greniers d'Amtoudi (Photos)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Zuzana Malášková, Václav Blažek: Phoenician / Punic loans in Berber languages and their role in chronology of Berber. Abstract to Rethinking Africa's transcontinental continuities in pre-and protohistory (Leiden, 2012). Archived copy ( Memento of December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive )