Taghjijt
| Taghjijt | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||
| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
|
||||
| Region : | Guelmim-Oued Noun | ||||
| Province : | Guelmim | ||||
| Coordinates | 29 ° 3 ′ N , 9 ° 26 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 6,700 (2014) | ||||
| Height : | 575 m | ||||
Taghjijt ( Arabic : تغجيجت, Zentralatlas-Tamazight ⵜⴰⵖⵊⵉⵊⵜ Taɣjijt ) is a small town with about 7,000 or a rural community ( commune rurale ) with a total of about 12,000 inhabitants in the province of Guelmim in the Guelmim-Oued Noun region in southern Morocco .
location
The small town of Taghjijt, at an altitude of about 575 m , is located near the southern foothills of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, about 38 km (driving distance) southeast of Bouizakarne on the N12. It is almost 210 km to Tata in a north-easterly direction. The small but worth seeing mountain oasis Amtoudi or Ametdi (sometimes just called Id Aïssa ) is located about 36 km to the northeast. After heavy or prolonged winter rainfalls, the otherwise dry river bed of the Oued Siyad temporarily fills with water. The annual rainfall in the village itself is only about 130 mm.
population
| year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 |
| Residents | k. A. | 6,983 | 6,700 |
The population consists almost exclusively of members of various Berber tribes from the area. Most of them have immigrated since the 1970s - after the lack of rain in their home villages, but also for socio-cultural reasons.
economy
In earlier centuries self-sufficiency was at the center of economic activity. Only after the completion of a dirt road from Guelmim via Akka to Tata and on to Ouarzazate during the French colonial period could the food produced in the date palm oasis be sold on regional or national markets. At the same time, new vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, etc.) came into the area and enriched the menu. Even today, the oasis economy dominates the life of most of the residents with a cultivated area of around 5000 hectares; Dates, olives, grapes, pomegranates and figs are primarily produced, but it is also possible to grow cereals (barley, wheat, corn) and vegetables (broad beans, carrots, tomatoes, etc.). In addition to agriculture, many small businesses have developed in the craft, business and service sectors.
history
As with all Berber villages, there is no written record of the history of Taghjijt. However, it can be assumed that the palm oasis was discovered by early hunters and gatherers and that a few centuries later it was permanently settled by nomads. However, the cattle (sheep, goats, chickens) could no longer roam freely, but had to be kept in pens or stables, which significantly reduced the population. In the phase of settling down , recurring and often fatal conflicts between the oasis inhabitants and roaming cattle nomads were not uncommon.
Attractions
Most of the houses in the town are built in a modern, uniform style with foundations, floors and suspended ceilings made of concrete and walls made of hollow blocks . The facades are plastered and painted in red and ocher tones. The walls of the old town center, made of rammed earth , are left to natural decay. Short walks within the oasis and further hikes (e.g. to a fortress ruin above the village) are possible.
Web links
- Taghjijt, dates - short information (French)
- Taghjijt, city and palm oasis - video
- Mountain fortress near Taghjijt - photo
- Taghjijt and surroundings - photos
- Landscape near Taghjijt - photo