Aoujgal

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The gorge of Aoujgal on the north side of the High Atlas with its steep rock faces and the high rock reservoirs ( igoudar or tiguermin ) is one of the most spectacular natural and cultural impressions in Morocco .

location

The wedge-shaped gorge of Aoujgal is located at an altitude of approx. 1800  m, approx. 60 km southeast of Kasba Tadla and approx. 7 km south of the town of Boutferda in the province of Béni Mellal in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region, which can be reached via the P3218 provincial road . The Oued Attach ( Zentralatlas-Tamazight Assif n'Attach ) flows at the bottom of the gorge, but only carries water in winter and spring and only forms a trickle during the rest of the year, which usually falls completely dry in summer and autumn.

architecture

The forces of erosion created in the upper part of the rock walls, i.e. H. about 300 m above the valley floor, a 3–5 m deep rock recession, which was later expanded in places by human intervention. Here members of the Berber tribe of the Aït Abdi built numerous storage chambers, each assigned to a family, the side and front walls of which were mostly built up from found stones without mortar; the back wall is formed by the rock wall. Most of the chambers have roofs made of wooden beams with a reed cover weighted down by stones. The doors of the small rooms, which are only about one meter high, were probably lockable in the past - today only the side posts and the wooden lintel beams are often preserved. Many chambers have collapsed; a (partial) reconstruction is intended.

function

Like the free-standing agadirs of the Anti-Atlas and the High Atlas , the storage chambers of the Aoujgal Gorge also fulfilled a double function: On the one hand, they served as a safe place to store tools, weapons, food, etc .; On the other hand, in times of war they offered the tribesmen protection from attacks by wandering nomads or hostile neighboring villages or tribes. Due to the cramped spatial conditions, which gave the enemy no opportunity to develop his forces, and because of the food and water supplies stored here, the place could be defended for a long time.

After the beginning of the French protectorate , the situation eased, as the formerly largely isolated Berber tribes no longer fought one another; transport options also improved. All of this led to the gradual deterioration of the traditions and buildings.

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Coordinates: 32 ° 18 ′  N , 5 ° 50 ′  W