Tioulite
Tioulit ( Zentralatlas-Tamazight ⵜⵉⵡⵍⵉⵜ Tiwlit ) is an abandoned Berber village ( ksar ) in the western Anti-Atlas Mountains in the province of Chtouka-Aït Baha in the Souss-Massa region in southern Morocco . The Berber village of Tizourgane is about 10 km south - despite their completely different appearance, both places are often confused with one another.
location
Tioulit lies at an altitude of about 1000 m on a rock plateau that slopes steeply on three sides, about 500 m west of the road from Aït Baha to Tafraoute (R105).
Population, Economy and History
The population of the formerly extremely remote village consisted exclusively of Berbers. These lived as a self-sufficient source of livestock (sheep, goats, chickens) and a little agriculture (barley, beans, onions, vegetables) on the terraced fields on the mountainside or in the valleys. The grain was threshed on circular threshing areas lined with stone slabs with the help of donkeys running over them. The supplies produced in hard labor had to be defended against hostile neighboring villages or against predatory nomadic tribes . This situation changed fundamentally only in the French protectorate period (1912–1956); During this time, the winding road from Aït Baha to Tafraoute was also built - with the involvement of older cattle grazing. In the 1970s and 1980s, the village was gradually abandoned by its residents as a result of decreasing or even no rainfall at all.
architecture
The ruins of the village lie on a rock plateau that slopes steeply on three sides and are only accessible from the east side; this side of the entrance was secured by a wall. The houses were built from small to medium-sized stones in accordance with the regional architecture, which were laid on top of one another and wedged together without mortar (only with a little clay in between). The floor slabs and the flat roof consisted of longer tree trunks and crooked argan branches with a cover made of reed and earth, which had to be replaced every few years. There was no mosque or minaret ; there was probably only a small prayer room.
The rain that fell in the winter months was collected in cisterns , which were sunk in the stone-interspersed earth under the houses and lined with waterproof plaster.
Surroundings
From Tioulit, the mountain village of Tizourgane , which is located on a nearby hilltop and also largely deserted, can be reached on a hike (approx. 10 km). You can drive to the Agadirs of Imchiguegueln , Imi m'Korn , Guimst and Imhilene .
