| Imlil;
the tourist village :
Imlil is a small village in the high
Atlas Mountains of Morocco .It is a good starting point
for a trekking holiday or for climbing Mt Toubkal the
second highest mountain in Africa .Imlil village has
a variety of shops and "pensions" as well
as being a base for guides and trekking parties. The
route to Toubkal starts in the village. Its a progressive
community and monies from tourism go into a variety
of projects organised by the Village associations such
as litter collection and disposal and a new Hammam due
to open in November 2004 and other projects in the way.
The
ait mizane Valley: At
the foot of Morocco's highest mountain, Jbel Toubkal
(13,167'), a valley in the High Atlas mountains opens
before us. This area is called Imlil (pronounced IM-leel)
and it is about 55 miles south of Marrakech and just
one mile high in elevation. Imlil is home to a small
Berber tribe, the Ait Mizane, or "people of the
Mizane," which is the name of the stream in the
bottom of the valley. Imlil is a collection of several
small villages composing about 2500 people in all. They
are installed on the northern slope of the High Western
Atlas. Their field extends to the plain from Marrakech.
Their manpower is approximately 1500 people living between
1600 m and 2900 m of altitude. Aït Mizane set up
an interdependent group which maintains the bonds privileged
with Sidi Chamharouch, a local saint considered as the
king of the genious. It is eternally alive; the place
of pilgrimage is a cave with the load of Aït Mizane.
The pilgrims come there to cure female sterility or
rheumatisms. The tribe is divided into
fractions. Each fraction endeavours to mark its difference
compared to another fraction. In each village is a village
assembly. Each village organizes the prayer of Aïd
el Kebir, has its ritual cycle and has a ritual meadow.
Where to sleep?
Leaving the stress and insanity of
Marrakech for this little mountain village and surroundings
is a good idea, even just for a day or two. You can
pitch a tent in a grassy clearing beside the guest House.
Imlil also has several pensions in the village area:
If you want really a good accommodation the Imi
N’Ouassif Guest house above the village will
provide wonderful accommodation. There is Moulay Ali
who can help with reservations or see contact us . One
of the great delights of the area is to sit on the House
roof eating lunch or taking tea and watching the next
villages Arghen, Ait souka, Tamatert, Targa Imoula,
and the subtle changes of colour of the surrounding
mountains as the sun moves.
Each village has:
its own cultures (its members divide the same irrigation
canal, the courses of transhumance are identical).
its place of prayer (mosque).
The village shelters several families
of various origins. The hearth is the place where the
kitchen is made but it is also the unit which is under
the single authority of elder group. The wide family
allows a distribution between the men and the women.
The woman takes part in all the tasks. If the father
dies, the mother remains with the head of the family.
If it is the mother who dies and that the widower takes
again a wife.
The principal
activities of Aït Mizane: are Agriculture
with the cereal culture, the breeding of bovines and
caprine and arboriculture (walnut trees, fruit trees),
and Tourism (Mountain guides, Hébergeurs, Muletiers
and cooks...). The culture is carried out on irrigated
terraces. In the arid zones of mountain, the water which
comes from the torrents and the sources is stored in
the basins. The dairy production is very weak (3 to
4 L per cow). The cows can be had in association. The
borrower ensures the food of the animal but guard butter
and milk. At the time of the sale of the animal, the
sum is divided into two, the owner recovers the price
starting and a half of the animal. The company of Aït
Mizane practises the marriage within their tribe, they
consolidate economic bonds thus.
The owners of plain have interest has
to have animals of mountain on their grounds, that allows
them:
to have partners who ensure the reception, a protection
and lodging at the time of the great pilgrimages.
That a woman can move, it will be dealt with and will
be protected,
to carry out exchanges of goods.
To have labour during the harvests and of the harvest
of fruits.
The pastoral activity is more appraisal
than the agricultural activity. The livestock is a good
which makes it possible to have money and to conclude
from matrimonial alliances. The statute of the shepherd
is devalued. If each couple has a room in the family
house, which of the shepherd is on the floor of the
animals, i.e. on low the floor. Very often, the shepherd
does not take part in the daily meals because it leaves
early and returns late.
...............
|
At
Imlil, you can stay at the imi N’ouassif guest house. It offers
6 rooms with good quality beds, a sitting room and dinning room,
camping mattresses and blankets, Toilets , hot water in the showers.
You don’t have to bring your own sleeping bag, because the
house offers you There's a kitchen, we will also prepare meals on
request and can help you organize the ascent. the house has now
become the town's first ranked hotel and has a good reputation with
travellers.