Page 264 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Morocco

262  MOROC C O REGION B Y REGION

who wish to can visit the tent
of the adouls (lawyers) and sign
a betrothal agreement. These
unions are often engineered
by the respective families ahead
of the moussem.
The event, which for some
years has attracted crowds of
tourists, has lost some of its
authenticity. The presentation
and parade of the couples and
the evenings of folk dance and
song are but a superficial aspect
of what is a great commercial
and religious gathering.
The colourful tents of the great
Lake Tiselit, on the Plateau des Lacs, near Imilchil souk spread out across the wide
plateau. Traders sell basketry,
0 Imilchil Although Imilchil is remote, cooking utensils, blankets and
its claim to fame is the annual handwoven carpets, metalware,
Road Map D3. Accessible via Kasba
Tadla (on road N8) and El-Ksiba (on Marriage Fair, a moussem at clothing, basic foodstuffs, and
road R317). ( Sat. which women may choose a other items. On the hillside, herds
fiancé and many pilgrims and of cows and camels and flocks of
On its eastern end, the chain of traders from the mountains sheep await buyers.
the High Atlas descends as if it gather. It takes place at the The Plateau des Lacs can
had been crushed, forming a end of September at a spot be reached either by following
desert plateau surrounded known as Aït Haddou a long track that runs from
by rolling mountains. Ameur, some 20 km El-Ksiba, crossing narrow
Imilchil is at the heart of (13 miles) from Imilchil. gorges and undulating passes,
this sparsely populated Arriving on foot, by or on a surfaced road via Rich,
region – the territory of truck or by mule, all the further east. This mineral-rich
the Aït Haddidou. tribes of the area flock environment, at an altitude of
This group of semi- to this great yearly 2,000– 3,500 m (6,500–11,500 ft),
nomadic shepherds commercial, social and is dotted with isolated tighremts,
came originally religious gathering. and a splash of colour is provided
from Boumalne du Chimney with “cooking pot” The pilgrims throng by the emerald waters of
Dadès, located in finial, Imilchil around the pisé walls lakes Tiselit and Iseli. In summer,
the high Dadès of the shrine of Sidi sheep are brought to the lush
valley, where some of them Ahmed ou Mghanni, a venerated pasture here.
still live. They arrived in holy man, to present
Morocco during the centuries their offerings.
immediately after the The origin of the
introduction of Islam, and Marriage Fair goes
there is evidence of their back to the story of
presence in the Boumalne du two lovers, Hadda and
Dadès region durng the 11th Moha, members of
century. For several years they rival tribes who were
were in conflict with the kept apart by their
powerful Aït Atta tribe in parents. Their tears
disputes over pasture, then created two lakes,
settled in the Assif Melloul Iseli, “the fiancé”, and
valley in the 17th century. Tiselit, “the fiancée”, on
The village of Imilchil is the Plateau des Lacs
dominated by a sumptuously (see below). Ever since,
decorated kasbah. Its towers young girls who
have a curious feature: the come to the moussem
angles of the crenellation are with their family may
set with finials resembling converse freely with
inverted cooking pots. This men from other
decorative device is also related tribes, although
to superstitious belief, as it gives they must be
protection against lightning accompanied by
and the “evil eye” and is a a sister or a female
symbol of prosperity. friend. Young couples A couple at the Imilchil Marriage Fair
For hotels and restaurants see p312 and pp328–9

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm