Gateway to Sahara - Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou 444; Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices 01509
What and Why
The ksar (Arabic: قصر, qṣar) of Aït Ben Haddou (Tamazight: ⴰⵢⵜ ⴱⴻⵏⵃⴰⴷⴷⵓ) is fortified village along the former caravan trade route between the Sahara (Arabic: الصحراء الكبرى) and Marrakesh (ⴰⵎⵓⵔⴰⴽⵓⵛ, Amurakuš), as blogged in Marrakesh (ⴰⵎⵓⵔⴰⴽⵓⵛ). There are a handful of families still living in the ancient village. Inside the walls of the ksar are half a dozen kasbahs, or merchants' houses. Ksar Aït Ben Haddou is a remarkable example of earthen-clay, or adobe, architecture of Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib) and its importance is recognised as being the main gateway to Sahara.
Aït Ben Haddou was likely established in the 11th century CE as a strategic sentinel along the ancient trans-Saharan trade route that connected Marrakesh with the rest of North Africa and the sub-Saharan regions. This route facilitated the movement of goods such as salt, gold, spices, and slaves, contributing to the prosperity of the region. As a result, Aït Ben Haddou grew into an important commercial and cultural centre, where traders and travellers from diverse backgrounds would meet, exchange goods, and share ideas.
The site was part of a network of fortified villages built to offer protection against invaders, ensuring the safety of both inhabitants and goods.
Toponymy
The word 'ksar' means 'a fort' and is borrowed from Arabic word 'قصر'. The name Aït Ben Haddou is the founder of this fort.
See
Aït Ben Haddou (ⴰⵢⵜ ⴱⴻⵏⵃⴰⴷⴷⵓ)
The fort itself is a minimalist beauty, using the river as both a moat and a source of irrigation. There is one bridge to reach the ksar from the village, but a more venturous way is to cross the river using the stones on the Ounila (ⵓⵓⵏⵉⵍⴰ) river, which was what we did. The architecture of the fort is one of its most remarkable features, representing a traditional form of construction that reflects the ingenuity of the Berber people. The ksar is characterised by earthen structures, constructed with mud bricks, earth, and clay. These materials are ideal for the hot, arid climate, as they provide natural insulation and help to maintain cooler temperatures inside the buildings.
While it does look like a single building, the fort is in fact made up of a cluster of kasbahs and individual dwellings, each surrounded by high defensive walls adorned with corner towers. The architecture is distinguished by decorative motifs and intricate geometric patterns carved into the walls, showcasing the craftsmanship of the local builders. The towers served as lookout points to protect the village against potential threats, emphasising the defensive nature of the site.
The ksar has several facilities still in place, in spite of the small number of inhabitants. In addition to the ancient mosque and the Quranic school, the palace also houses a congregation area where the current inhabitants meet during family and religious events and two cemeteries, one Muslim and the other Jewish. At the top of the plateau is the grain store. There is also a small coffee shop inside, and fortunately it is not a Starbucks.
The fort complex buildings' earthy tones blend seamlessly with the reddish-brown hills of the surrounding landscape, giving the ksar its characteristic appearance. This integration symbolises, possibly unintentionally, the community’s close connexion to the natural environment and its adaptation to the challenges of the desert climate.
The picture below shows the mazy alleys inside the fort complex. The narrow, winding alleys of Aït Ben Haddou are part of its charm, reflecting the traditional layout of a Berber village. The communal granary was used to store food supplies and served as an essential resource in times of scarcity, demonstrating the importance of shared facilities in traditional Berber communities.
The stalls inside the ksar. Once inside the ksar you can only walk or climb, and to explore the entire ksar, it does take a bit of effort and energy, especially under the scorching sun.
The ksar does look a bit complicated to explore. Having said that the surrealistic architecture and the beauty of the surrounding nature make it one of the best places to visit in Morocco. This is attested by the large number of television dramas and movies using this as a set, including the Game of Thrones, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Gladiator.
The ksar is a testament to a communal lifestyle that highlights cooperation and mutual support. Inhabitants of Aït Ben Haddou lived in a tightly knit community where neighbours relied on each other for security, resources, and social interaction. The inhabitants of Aït Ben Haddou maintained traditional agricultural practices, cultivating crops and raising livestock in the fertile lands surrounding the ksar. The Ounila River plays a crucial role in irrigation, enabling the community to grow food despite the arid climate.
Eat and Drink
Medjool (المجهول)
One of the Arabic staples is the palm date, which is a culture that has lasted for thousands of years. Dates are consumed because they provide sufficient amount of sugar for the long travel across the desert. Dates are traditionally the first foods consumed for Iftar (Arabic: فطور, fuṭūr) during Ramadan (Arabic: رَمَضَان, Ramaḍān), as it emulates Muhammad (Arabic: مُحَمَّد, né مُحَمَّد بنِ عَبْد ٱللَّٰه, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh), who broke his fast in this manner.
Date preparation and consumption has such a long important cultural history in the whole of Middle-East that it is now inscribed as a UNESCO ICH.
The consumption of date palms holds great significance in Abrahamic religions. In the Quran (Arabic: القرآن, Al-Qurʾān), Allah (Arabic: الله, Allāh) instructs Maryam (Arabic: مريم, née مريم بنت عمران, Maryām Bin Imran), Virgin Mary (Aramaic: מרים, Maryām), to eat dates during labour when she gives birth to Isa (Arabic: عِيسَى, né عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ,ʿĪsā ibn Maryām), more commonly known as Jesus (Hebrew: יהושע, Yəhōšūaʿ). Date palms are one of the seven species of native plants of Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Yīsraʾel) revered in Judaism (Hebrew: יַהֲדוּת, Yahăḏūṯ). The date palm has historically been considered a symbol of Jewish people, and is on the coat of arms of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: العربية السعودية, Al-ʿArabiyya As-Suʿūdiyya).
The date of the region is the palm date Medjool (تمر المجهول, al-majhūl) which grows in the Eastern part of Morocco where the oases are. The Medjool carries a soothing taste and is lighter compared to other dates, but it is larger in size. These dates are sold everywhere in Aït Ben Haddou as this is one of the closest sentinel to the Sahara.
Stay
We did not stay in Aït Ben Haddou, but drove all the way from Marrakesh. We stayed in Kenzi Club Agbal Medina (ⴽⴻⵏⵣⵉ ⴽⵍⵓⴱ ⴰⴳⴰⴱⴰⵍ ⵎⵉⴷⵉⵏⴰ), a Club Med type chain hotel with all activities and board all included during the stay. Extremely good value for money and the stay was very enjoyable. There is a free Moroccan belly dance show at the evening in the club.
Getting There and Around
Ait Ben Haddou is around 200 km or four-hour-mountain drive away from Marrakesh. Most people stop-by at Ouarzazate (ⵡⴰⵔⵣⴰⵣⴰⵜ), which is 10 km away, to explore before heading into the ksar. Ouarzazate has two famous international movie studios worth visiting. Good for a one or two-day trip. While technically the ksar is free, the fortress has been placed with a number of toll-gates by the locals for an entry charge of MAD 10Dh.
UNESCO Inscriptions
The ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. The houses crowd together within the defensive walls, which are reinforced by corner towers. Ait-Ben-Haddou, in Ouarzazate province, is a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco.
The date palm has been connected to the regional population of the submitting States for centuries, serving both as the source of numerous associated crafts, professions and social and cultural traditions, customs and practices, and as a key form of nutrition. The date palm is an evergreen plant typically associated with dry climates, where the roots of the plant penetrate deeply into the earth in search of humidity. Bearers and practitioners include date palm farm owners, farmers who plant, nurture and irrigate the date palm offshoots, craftspeople who produce traditional products using various parts of the palm tree, date traders, creative individuals and performers of associated folkloric tales and poems. The Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices have played a pivotal role in strengthening the connection between people and the land in the Arab region, helping them face the challenges of the harsh desert environment. This historic relationship in the region and the element has produced a rich cultural heritage of related practices between people in the region, knowledge and skills maintained to this day. The cultural relevance and proliferation of the element over the centuries prove how committed the local communities are to sustaining it; this is achieved through collective participation in multiple date-palm related activities and numerous festive rituals, traditions and customs.
References
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