Figuig
| Figuig فجيج ⵉⴼⵉⵢⵢⵉⵢ |
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| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
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| Region : | Oriental | ||||
| Province : | Figuig | ||||
| Coordinates | 32 ° 7 ′ N , 1 ° 14 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 10,872 (2014) | ||||
| Area : | 15.3 km² | ||||
| Population density : | 711 inhabitants per km² | ||||
| Height : | 900 m | ||||
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Figuig ( Arabic فجيج, DMG Fijīj , Tamazight : ⵉⴼⵉⵢⵢⵉⵢ) is an oasis consisting of the capital and several ksour with a total of almost 11,000 inhabitants in the province of the same name in the Oriental region in the extreme south-east of northern Morocco .
location
The Figuig oasis is located - far from any major city - at an altitude of around 850 to 950 m in the south-east corner of northern Morocco, right on the border with Algeria in a landscape surrounded by mountains. The currently (2018) closed border describes an arc of 180 degrees around the city, which follows the river valley of the Oued Zousfana . The closest major city is Oujda (approx. 370 km north); the provincial capital Bouarfa is about 110 km to the northwest. The climate in Figuig is hot and dry; Especially in winter and on clear nights, the thermometer can drop to below 0 ° C due to the altitude. Rain (approx. 135 mm / year) falls almost without exception in the winter months.
population
| year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 |
| Residents | 14,245 | 12,577 | 10,872 |
The majority of the inhabitants are of Berber origin and speak both the regional Berber dialect and Moroccan Arabic .
economy
Agriculture
The ecologically sensitive oasis organism can only maintain the balance of water ( Artesian springs ), people and plants for centuries thanks to a sophisticated irrigation system operated with competence, discipline, community spirit and solidarity to this day. The economic basis of the people was and is predominantly self-sufficient agriculture, which also included a little livestock. The date palms , d. H. Both the fruits and the use of their leaves for mats, baskets, ropes etc. and their trunks for construction and firewood formed the focus of the oasis economy; In the oasis gardens of Figuig alone, around 190,000 of them are irrigated - in the past using underground channels ( foggaras ), now with pumps. The cultivation takes place on three vegetation levels: At the very top, the date palm protects the various fruit trees below (fig tree, pomegranate tree, almond tree). These in turn give the crops growing at the bottom (grain, potatoes, vegetables, herbs, etc.) pleasant shade. In the past, the self-preserving date fruits were negotiated by means of camel caravans in the cities of the north; today this is done by truck.
In addition to work in the fields and in the palm groves, cattle breeding (cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, chickens) plays a subordinate role - oasis farming and livestock farming (nomadism) are difficult to reconcile.
In the last few years the palms have been endangered by a fungus ( Fusarium oxysporum ) that works its way from the roots to the inside of the trunk. After a few years, this inevitably leads to the death of the plant. In addition, rainfall has been lower since the 1970s and 1980s - although there can be a downpour every few years.
Craft, trade, administration
The inhabitants have preserved and perfected their traditional craftsmanship from the time of their ancestors. In many families, women still do handicrafts such as weaving, knitting, crocheting and embroidery on carpets, djellabas, sweaters, burnusses and tablecloths - all of them home work which, despite their low income, continues as a female livelihood.
The domains of men are classic trades such as tailor, shoemaker, butcher, tanner, dyer, potter, carpenter and turner as well as the filigree work of art and coppersmiths. In addition, the retail trade is almost entirely in the hands of men. When it comes to office work in administration and banks, women have caught up in recent years, although management positions are still predominantly held by men.
history
The area around the city looks back on a long past. Thousands of years old animal engravings carved into the rock as well as abstract paintings with rows of dots etc. testify that the creation of Figuig has been shaped by immigration and emigration of numerous tribes ( hunters and gatherers , nomads ) since prehistoric times . Today, however, these are so fused together that none of the seven ksour ( Hammam Foukani, Hammam Tathani, Laâbidat, La Maiz, Oudaghir, Ouled Slimane and Zenaga ) can be assigned to a typical origin.
The name Figuig has been attested in historical documents since the 13th century; The octagonal minaret of Oudaghir , built of adobe bricks, also dates from this period . After that, all Moroccan powers stretched their feelers into this area, in some cases even as far as Algeria. The merger of the seven Ksour to the municipality of Figuig did not take place until 1959. Since Algeria made territorial claims in 1963, there were armed conflicts.
Attractions
- Figuig impresses with its location and the almost endless palm groves.
- The ruins of abandoned adobe buildings ( tighremts ) of earlier times are scattered around the oasis .
- The rock carvings near Figuig can only be discovered with a local guide .
- The octagonal minaret of Oudaghir is only a few kilometers north ( 32 ° 6 ′ 36 ″ N , 1 ° 14 ′ 0 ″ W ).
Sons and daughters of the oasis
- Abderrahman Machraoui (* 1948), German physician of Moroccan origin
literature
- Herbert Popp (Ed.): Geographical research in the Saharian oasis of Figuig. Passauer Schriften zur Geographie, Issue 10. Passavia Universitätsverlag, Passau 1991, ISBN 3-922016-99-5
- Ingeborg Lehmann, Rita Henss and others: Morocco. Baedeker-Verlag, Ostfildern 2010, pp. 273f ISBN 978-3-8297-1251-4
