Midelt
| Midelt ⵎⵉⴷⵍⵜ, ⵎⴳⴷⵍⵜ (ⵎⴴⴷⵍⵜ) |
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| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
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| Region : | Drâa-Tafilalet | ||||
| Province : | Midelt | ||||
| Coordinates | 32 ° 41 ′ N , 4 ° 44 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 55,304 (2014) | ||||
| Area : | 10.06 km² | ||||
| Population density : | 5,497 inhabitants per km² | ||||
| Height : | 1508 m | ||||
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Midelt ( Central Atlas Tamazight ⵎⵉⴷⵍⵜ , originally ⵎⴳⵍⴷⵜ Megdelt , pronounced ⵎⴴⴷⵍⵜ Megʲdelt , perceived as Meydelt , hence Midelt ; Arabic ميدلت) is a town with about 56,000 inhabitants in the Drâa-Tafilalet region in the geographical center of northern Morocco .
location
Midelt is located on the Oued Outat , a tributary of the Moulouya , in the approximately 1520 m high and rather barren depression between the southern foothills of the Middle Atlas and the northern foothills of the High Atlas . The distance to the northern city of Fès is just under 200 km (driving distance); Errachidia in the southeast is about 140 km away.
population
The population consists almost entirely of Berbers , most of whom immigrated from the surrounding mountain regions in the second half of the 20th century; around 1930 the place had only about 3000 inhabitants. Regional Berber dialects ( Central Atlas Tamazight ) and Moroccan Arabic are spoken .
economy
Midelt is the commercial, economic, training and administrative center of the region. So far, tourism has only played a minor role - foreign tourists only use the site as a resting and refreshment point; for Moroccans its importance as a summer resort is increasing. There are several orchards (apples, plums) in the area. There are two lead mines about 20 km away; the surrounding area is rich in minerals and semi-precious stones .
history
In the absence of written records , little is known about the older history of the place, which was formerly called Outat ; one can assume, however, that it functioned as the regional center of the various tribal groups of the Berber tribes resident in the area before the beginning of the French Protectorate period (1912). The French used the settlement as a garrison site.
Attractions
Midelt has no historically significant buildings etc .; The Hotel Kasbah Asmaa , located on the outskirts, was built in the style of the kasbahs of southern Morocco. Also noteworthy are the many houses with tile-covered gable roofs , which give parts of the place an almost European look.
- Surroundings
The approximately 20 km away and 3750 m high Jbel Ayachi and the approximately 3265 m high Jbel Masker can each be climbed as part of day tours from the village of Tounfite .
Web links
- Midelt, history - information (French)
- Midelt, history - information (French)
- Midelt - historical photos
- Midelt, Hotel Kasbah Asmaa - Photos
Individual evidence
- ↑ Moroccan population statistics ( Memento of the original from March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
