Debdou
| Debdou ⴷⴱⴷⵓ |
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| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
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| Region : | Oriental | ||||
| Province : | Taourirt | ||||
| Coordinates | 33 ° 59 ′ N , 3 ° 2 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 4,960 (2014) | ||||
| Area : | 2.94 km² | ||||
| Population density : | 1,687 inhabitants per km² | ||||
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Debdou ( Central Atlas Tamazight ⴷⴱⴷⵓ Debdu ) is a city with about 5,000 inhabitants in the Taourirt province in the Oriental region of eastern Morocco .
Location and climate
Debdou is located in a semi-desert environment at an altitude of approx. 990 m, about 160 km (driving distance) south of the Mediterranean coastal city of Nador . The climate is steppe-like; Rain (approx. 270 mm / year) falls almost exclusively in the winter half-year.
population
| year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 |
| Residents | 4,477 | 4,596 | 4,960 |
The city's population is essentially a mix of Berbers and Arabs ; we speak Berber dialects and Moroccan Arabic .
economy
Farming is possible in the valleys; herds of sheep and goats are grazed in the surrounding mountains.
history
In the 13./14. In the 19th century Debdou suffered from attacks by the Abdalwadids residing in Tlemcen , who fought over the border with the Merinids who ruled Morocco . The city was virtually re-founded by Sephardic Jews in the 15th century and formed the center of an independent principality that extended as far as Taza into the 16th century . Debdou was an important Jewish center until the beginning of the 20th century (in 1910 the city had around 1,300 Jews compared to around 1,200 Muslims).
Attractions
- The old town center with its winding streets is well worth seeing.
- The old clay fortress ( kasbah ) is largely in ruins.
Web links
- Debdou, newspaper article - photos + information (French)
- Debdou, Encyclopedie Berbere - information (French)