Errachidia
| Errachidia الرشيدية ⵉⵎⵜⵖⵔⵏ |
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| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
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| Region : | Drâa-Tafilalet | ||||
| Province : | Errachidia | ||||
| Coordinates | 31 ° 56 ′ N , 4 ° 25 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 92,374 (2014) | ||||
| Area : | 27.79 km² | ||||
| Population density : | 3,324 inhabitants per km² | ||||
| Height : | 1030 m | ||||
| City administration website : | |||||
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Errachidia (also written Er Rachidia ; Arabic الرشيدية, DMG ar-Rašīdīya , Central Atlas Tamazight ⵉⵎⵜⵖⵔⵏ Imetɣern ; old name Ksar Es-Souk Arabic قصر السوق, DMG Qaṣr as-sūq ) is the capital of the province of the same name in the Moroccan region of Drâa-Tafilalet .
location
Errachidia is located south of the mountains of the High Atlas on the Oued Ziz at approx. 1030 m in the historically significant oasis region of the Tafilalet in south-east Morocco. The distances to Fès and Meknes are about 340 and 330 km respectively; the more important tourist cities of Erfoud and Rissani are about 78 km and 95 km south of Errachidia, respectively. The climate is dry and warm; Rain (approx. 125 mm / year) falls almost exclusively in the winter months.
population
| year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 |
| Residents | 62,542 | 76,759 | 92,374 |
The city's population grew enormously in the second half of the 20th century due to immigration from the surrounding mountain and desert regions. Moroccan Arabic and Tarifit are usually spoken .
economy
Errachidia is the intersection of the north-south connection Fès – Rissani (N13) and the west-east connection Ouarzazate - Figuig (N10). The inhabitants live mainly from retail trade, handicrafts and services and from the garrison.
history
The small oasis settlement Ksar Es-Souk , which has existed for a long time and is located on the important caravan route between Sijilmassa and Fès, was expanded into a garrison town by the French colonial rulers in 1916 and provided with a network of straight roads. Towards the end of World War II, the French set up a prisoner-of-war camp here for 1,500 German NCOs. In 1976, twenty years after Morocco gained independence in 1956, the city was named by King Hassan II in honor of Moulay Rachids , the younger brother of the designated heir to the throne, Prince Mohammed VI. , renamed "Er Rachidia" .
Townscape
The colonial street network of Errachidia was further expanded after Moroccan independence and lined with red-plastered houses made of hollow blocks and concrete stairs and ceilings. Most of the houses are two-story and have a roof terrace; In many cases, the ground floor serves as a “garage” or storage room and as a small shop - it is not uncommon for chickens to be kept here.
Attractions
The city itself offers - apart from the somewhat hidden old Ksar with its partly built-up paths - only a few tourist attractions: First and foremost, the Sijilmassa Museum ( Musée Sijilmassa ) with photos of the old caravan town, textiles, everyday objects and a beautiful collection should be mentioned of Berber carved wooden doors. Only a few kilometers north of Errachidia are a reservoir fed by the Oued Ziz and the charming oasis landscape with the impressive gorge of the Oued Ziz ( Gorges du Ziz ). About 15 km east of the city is the "Blue Spring of Meski" ( Source bleue de Meski ) with a small swimming pool that was built during the colonial days for soldiers of the Foreign Legion and is now mainly used by Moroccans.
sons and daughters of the town
- Abdelaati Iguider (* 1987), Moroccan middle-distance runner
Web links
- Street in the Ksar of Errachidia - photo
- Oasis at Oued Ziz - photo
- Oasis at Oued Ziz - photo
- Reservoir - photos
- Source bleue de Meski - photos