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). 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 Moroccan earthen-clay, or adobe, architecture and its importance is recognised as being the main gateway to Sahara.
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
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 river.
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.
The mazy alleys inside the fort complex.
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 and Gladiator.
Eat and Drink
Medjool (المجهول)
One of the Arabic staples is the 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), the 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), commonly known as Jesus (Hebrew: יהושע, Yəhōšūaʿ). Date palms are one of the seven species of native Israeli plants revered in Judaism. The date palm has historically been considered a symbol of Jewish people, and is on the coat of arms of Saudi Arabia.
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, a Club Med type of chain hotel with all activities and board all included during the stay. Extremely good value for money and the stay is 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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