Agdz
| Agdz | |||||
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| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
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| Region : | Drâa-Tafilalet | ||||
| Province : | Zagora | ||||
| Coordinates | 30 ° 42 ′ N , 6 ° 27 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 10,681 (2014) | ||||
| Height : | 940 m | ||||
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Agdz ( Arabic اڭدز, Zentralatlas-Tamazight ⴰⴳⴷⴰⵣ ) is a small town with about 14,000 inhabitants in the province of Zagora in the Drâa-Tafilalet region in southern Morocco . The name means something like "resting place".
Location and climate
Agdz is located on the N9 leading via Marrakech to Casablanca at an altitude of about 940 m in the Drâa valley about 70 km southeast of Ouarzazate and 93 km northwest of Zagora . The climate is mostly warm and dry; Rain (approx. 105 mm / year) falls almost without exception in the winter half-year.
population
| year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 |
| Residents | 5,870 | 7,951 | 10,681 |
Well over 90% of the steadily growing population - due to the rural exodus - are immigrant Berbers from various tribes in the area. In addition to various Berber dialects, Arabic is the main language spoken.
economy
In the past, the date palm oases north and south of the city played the central role in supplying the population and the caravans. Nowadays a large part of the population lives from local and regional trade and transport; Added to this are cash transfers from men working in northern cities or in Europe. Tourism has also played an increasingly important role in the city's economic life since the 1970s.
history
Agdz was formerly an important resting place for the trade caravans traveling from Timbouktou to Marrakech via Zagora . Here humans and animals could gather strength for the arduous ascent over the Tizi n'Tinifift mountain pass, which is only about 20 km to the north but already 1660 m high . Since the pass route is still winding and stressful today, Agdz is still an important stop for buses and trucks.
Attractions
Agdz itself is a comparatively modern looking place with streets laid out at right angles and houses painted in light red and ocher colors with walls made of hollow blocks and foundations and ceilings made of concrete . The area is more interesting: the 1531 m high Jbel Kissane is on the eastern side of the Drâa; in its vicinity are the remains of two old residential castles ( Tighremts ). About 6 km south-east of Agdz, a track branches off to Tamnougalt , just 2 km to the north , which still offers a relatively unadulterated picture of a village in the Drâa valley.
Web links
- Draa valley and Agdz - photos + information
- Agdz - photos + information
- South Morocco - photos + information