Taliouine
| Taliouine تليوين ⵜⴰⵍⵉⵡⵉⵏ |
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| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
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| Region : | Souss-Massa | ||||
| Province : | Taroudant | ||||
| Coordinates | 30 ° 32 ′ N , 7 ° 55 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 6,727 (2014) | ||||
| Area : | 30.6 km² | ||||
| Population density : | 220 inhabitants per km² | ||||
| Height : | 1027 m | ||||
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Taliouine ( Taschelhit ⵜⴰⵍⵉⵡⵉⵏ ; Arabic تليوين, DMG Talīwīn ) is a small town with approx. 7,000 inhabitants in the province of Taroudannt in the Souss-Massa region in southern Morocco .
location
The Taliouine oasis is located on a mostly dry river valley ( oued ) at an altitude of approx. 1030 m about halfway between Agadir in the west and Ouarzazate in the northeast on the important main road N10. In addition, the R106 ends or begins here, which leads across the Anti-Atlas via Igherm and Aït Abdallah to shortly before Tafraoute . The area is characterized by a dry, scree desert-like hilly landscape, which reaches an average height of 1200 to 1600 m . The climate is mostly dry and warm; the rare rain (approx. 315 mm / year) falls almost exclusively in the winter months.
population
| year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 |
| Residents | 4,963 | 5,844 | 6,727 |
The population of the place and the rural community consists predominantly of Berbers ; we speak Berber dialects and Moroccan Arabic .
economy
For centuries, the basis of life for the population was the oasis economy ; the principle of self-sufficiency dominated , which was gradually abandoned because of the improvement in transport during and after French colonial rule . In addition, there was the greatly reduced or sometimes even completely absent rainfall since the 1970s, which made cultivation of the small fields only partially possible; many of the previously cultivated areas have been completely given up. Part of the male population emigrated to the cities of the north in order to earn some money as day laborers or small business owners. Nowadays, the main source of income for the residents of Taliouine is tourism, especially through travelers in transit, although there is also increased hiking tourism in the surrounding area. The city is known far beyond its borders for the production of saffron ; the annual production volume is - depending on the weather - between 1000 and 3000 kilograms of the precious spice. A saffron festival lasting several days has been held every year in late autumn since 2007.
Attractions
The place offers no significant sights - only interesting is the El-Glaoui - Kasbah from the beginning of the 20th century, which is partly in ruins . In early spring (February / March), short walks through the oasis fields or extensive hikes in the surrounding mountains are worthwhile. From late October to early November, the saffron crocuses bloom in the valleys between Taliouine and Jbel Sirwa .
Surroundings
Taliouine is a good starting point for excursions to the Jbel Sirwa (also Jebel Siroua ) area, where there are many hiking opportunities, especially in spring (February to April). The rock agadirs of Tizgui are among the most original structures of their kind.
Web links
- Taliouine, Saffron - Photos
- Ruins of a fortress / storage castle near Taliouine
- Andreas Conrad: Photos of Taliouine and the surrounding area