Merzouga
| Merzouga مرزوقة ⵎⴰⵔⵣⵓⴳⴰ |
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| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
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| Region : | Drâa-Tafilalet | ||||
| Province : | Errachidia | ||||
| Coordinates | 31 ° 6 ′ N , 4 ° 1 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 500 | ||||
| Height : | 700 m | ||||
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Merzouga ( Arabic مرزوقة; Central Atlas Tamazight ⵎⴰⵔⵣⵓⴳⴰ ) is a small desert town with about 500 inhabitants in the province of Errachidia ( Drâa-Tafilalet region ) in south-east Morocco .
location
Merzouga lies at the foot of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes at an altitude of around 700 meters above sea level. d. M. The nearest larger town is Erfoud (about 45 kilometers further north); Rissani is not much closer (about 40 kilometers). The rock paintings and tumuli outside of Taouz, 20 km to the south, are rarely visited .
Townscape
The sprawling place is completely built using clay ( rammed earth ), although most of the buildings (hotels, restaurants, shops, etc.) are more recent and were only built in the years after 1980.
economy
The inhabitants of Merzouga and other nearby villages ( Tanamoust , Hassilabied etc.) lived for centuries from growing grain ( barley ) and vegetables ( broad beans etc.) on their oasis fields ( oasis farming ). The fields were supplied with the necessary water through traditional underground irrigation channels ( foggaras / khettaras ), which has collected over centuries in large depots below the dunes. Livestock farming was also possible to a small extent, with the animals also being fed with the plant waste.
tourism
You won't find traditional village life in Merzouga; on the other hand, the tourist infrastructure is well developed: some larger hotels even have a pool. The hotels arrange - in cooperation with local agencies - one or more day desert trips with camels or jeeps.
Surroundings
The N 13 continues to Taouz, about 25 kilometers away and directly on the Algerian border . There are rock carvings and several stone tumuli, the age and function of which are unclear.
To the west of Merzouga, after heavy rains in winter, a lake forms, the Dayet Sri ; Flamingos can be found within a few days.
Others
After a violent nocturnal storm on the night of May 26-27, 2006, floods caused severe damage to buildings, cars and the traditional irrigation system. The flood made many people homeless, three were killed. Animals also died in their collapsed stables.
On December 16, 2006, Jean Michel Jarre held the Water for Life concert in the dunes in front of Merzouga for the benefit of UNESCO , with which he advocated a more responsible use of drinking water.
literature
- Arnold Betten: Morocco. Antiquity, Berber Traditions and Islam - History, Art and Culture in the Maghreb. DuMont-Verlag, Ostfildern 2012, p. 313ff ISBN 978-3-7701-3935-4
