Agadir Tasguent
The Agadir Tasguent (also Tisguimt ) in the province of Taroudannt in the region of Souss-Massa is one of the oldest and best preserved agadirs (storage castles ) in the Anti-Atlas and in all of Morocco .
location
From Tafraoute it is about 36 km on paved roads to the northeastern town of Aït Abdallah and another 12 km to Tiguermine ; From there it is another 11 km over slopes - also passable with normal cars - to Agadir Tasguent, which sits enthroned on the top of a 1450 m high hill, completely isolated.
history
Statements about the exact age of the structure built and used jointly by several villages ( douars ) - one speaks of approx. 800 years - are ultimately in the area of speculation, because all Agadirs in the Anti-Atlas were built over centuries, which is precisely what the Agadir Tasguent did can be clearly seen in its nested corridors and small courtyards. However, the same techniques - which have been handed down for centuries - were always used for all extensions and repair work, so that individual construction phases cannot be distinguished. Dendrochronological methods for the woods used in construction ( argan and almond wood branches ) have not yet been developed, but even these would - in view of the repairs carried out in the past - only lead to vague results. Some parts of the wall were plastered in the 20th century.
architecture
As with most of the Agadirs in the Anti-Atlas area, the entire structure of larger and smaller stones is perfectly handcrafted and put together without the use of mortar - just a little clay; the (intermediate) blankets consist of crooked argan branches with a layer of reeds and earth. However, the Agadir Tasguent differs from other - usually linear - storage castles in its nested and asymmetrical floor plan. Due to the adaptation of its components to the terrain formation, there are undulating curved outer walls that continue inside the structure.
An entrance gate leads to a forecourt with a small house for the guard (s). The actual entrance to the interior of the warehouse castle leads past the stone benches on the opposite side, which can be found in many Agadiren. A passage covered by storage chambers leads to the rear area, where the individual chambers are arranged one above the other on up to five floors. In total there are more than 300 approx. 1.70 m high storage chambers that can be reached via stepping stones protruding from the quarry stone masonry .
The narrow, nested and confusing construction method is probably not only due to the history of the building, but also had many advantages in the event of a defense, since an attacker was almost disoriented in the confined space of the building and could not develop his strength. The security team, on the other hand, was very familiar with the structural conditions and was able to retreat via the stepping stones to the roof, from where they could keep the enemy at bay for a long time.
Doors
The Agadir Tasguent still has some of the original, approximately 1.50 m high storage chamber doors; these are mostly made of hewn (later sawn) boards - which are rare in Morocco - and provided with geometric ornaments (triangles, diamonds, keyhole windows, etc.), which originally probably had an ominous ( apotropaic ) meaning. Most of these doors, however, were dismantled in the second half of the 20th century and ended up on antique markets or in museums (e.g. Dar Si Said Museum , Marrakech ). One of the originally numerous wooden door locks is still on display.
Prayer room
Like some other agadirs (see Imchiguegueln ), the Agadir Tasguent also has a small prayer room. In addition, it is mentioned in some popular reports that the building was also used as the burial place of several 'holy men' (and women) (cf. Timit ). Such traditions are not verifiable, but make clear the respect and respect of the population for these buildings.
meaning
Like all agadirs of southern Morocco, the Agadir Tasguent comes from a time when the Berber population was not yet completely settled and - at least in part - had to move their cattle (sheep, goats) to higher mountain regions in the summer months. There was therefore a constant need to defend the food and other valuables produced on the barren soils and laboriously against wandering nomads and, in the event of feuds and famine, against neighboring tribes.
Surroundings
The agadirs of Itourhaine (also Aït Ourhain ) and Dou Tagadirt are only about 5 to 10 km northeast.
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.
- 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 .
Web links
- Photos Agadir Tasguent
- Agadires of Amtoudi, Imchiguegueln, Inoumar and Tasguent - photos
- Andreas Conrad: Photos Agadir Tasguent and others in the Anti-Atlas and Jbel Siroua
Coordinates: 29 ° 54 ′ 49 " N , 8 ° 44 ′ 44" W.