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MOROCCAN WOODCRAFT


Woodcraft has for centuries occupied a very important place in Morocco's architectural and furniture-making traditions. Various techniques are used (including sculpture, engraving, turning, carving, painting, illumination, marquetry, inlay, leather covering, stud-work, and others), and each discipline employs specialized craftsmen: joiners, wood sculptors, wood turners and painters, marquetry workers, wooden-chest makers, and so on.

During the Idrissid period (late VIIIth century – early Xth century), wood was used in Fez for monuments, for works of art, and for technical purposes. During the era of the Merinides (mid-XIIIth to mid-XVth centuries), the use of wood saw considerable development. The Merinides were great builders who left the city with a number of important religious and civic buildings. The art of making furniture out of wood can be dated back at least to the Xth century, with the famous pulpit (minbar) of the Andalusian mosque in Fez (the pulpit's panels date back to 369 (Hegira)/980 AD, while the back of the piece dates to 375 (Hegira)/983 AD). The motifs and decorative techniques used for this pulpit would form the models for many later works of art. (Amahan, 1990, 188-190)

In architecture, just as in furniture-making, the cedar of the mid-Atlas forest region, which is fragrant and does not rot, and is now very rare, used to be the wood most frequently used, especially in Fez. Thuja (âarar), which is also a fragrant wood, was also used, especially in the area around Rabat.

Among the most beautiful works produced by this art form we find many sculpted-wood pieces, architectural supports, and ornamental details, such as brackets, canopy columns, lintels, corbels, inscribed friezes, etc. In sculpture, we should also include the decorative illustrations featured on many doors and ceilings and done in a sober, multi-colored style (Amahan, 1990, 200-201).

In urban furniture, chests, boxes, shelves, and bookcases are the most striking examples of the art. The sculptured designs that adorn these pieces combine, as in earlier times, extensive use of the floral motif (palms and palmettes, floral tracery, etc. . .), and of geometry (tracery using straight lines, chevrons, stars, etc. . .). Their motifs sometimes derive from architecture (arcatures) and are often inspired by liturgical furnishing. Among the forms typically found in rural communities, we might note the beautiful sculpted and painted doors of the High Atlas region, and the carefully executed Rif chests, which are generally decorated in a very ancient geometrical style that strongly reflects Morocco's Mediterranean heritage.

The skillful style of carpentry known as moucharabieh (darbuz), very popular under the Merinides, was used for the grills of finely wrought wood seen in the madrasas (colleges), in the lower or protective patio galleries of private homes, and in interior upper courtyard galleries. It can also be seen in window-level balustrades. The most beautiful grills, made from carved wood or displaying grouped or painted balusters, cut into cubes and turned in a spiral design, and used in panels of various kinds, date from the XIVth century (Paccard, 1979, 2). They derive from a work of Fasi origin: the Umayyad back-piece of the minbar of the Andalusian Mosque at Fez.

In Fasi architecture, these open-work grills were gradually supplanted, during the XIXth and XXth centuries, by grills of wrought iron, which were less expensive, could be made more quickly, and were sturdier. Thus did this art form develop, at the expense of beauty and of tradition, in pursuit of an ideal based on the notion of commodity. And yet, the furniture being made today of turned cedar, with skilled hands, and with traditional tools, is much prized. The modern craftsmen use the same techniques and the same expertise as in earlier times.

Marquetry and inlay, which were very common in Essaouira (Mogador) and in Fez, are used to enhance wooden furniture and various other artifacts, including

Geography and population

Morocco, located in the north-west of the African continent, has a total area¹ of 446 500 km² It is bordered in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, in the north by the Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast by Algeria and in the south-east and south by Mauritania.

The country can be divided into four physiographic units:

The Coastal Plains, that extend along the entire Moroccan coastline. They are narrow on the Mediterranean Coast and wide on the Atlantic Coast. These plains are crossed by the majority of the rivers and valleys of the country;
The Northern Hills, that run parallel to the Mediterranean Sea and are called the El-Reef Mountains with their peak reaching 2 456 metres above sea level;
The Central Hills, that run along the middle of the country and extend from north-east to southwest. They consist of the mountain ranges of the Central, Upper and Lower Atlas, which run almost parallel to one another. The peak is in the Upper Atlas at 4 165 metres above sea level;
The Desert Hills, that are extensions of the southern slopes of the Upper and Lower Atlas Mountains.
The cultivable area has been estimated at 8 million hectares, which is 18% of the total area. In 1993, the total cultivated area was 7.23 million ha, of which 6.57 million ha consisted of annual crops and 0.66 million ha consisted of permanent crops.

The total population is 27 million (1995), of which 52% is rural. The average population density is 61 inhabitants/km, but on the coastal areas the population density is highest. It is low in the mountain and desert zones, where it is concentrated around the oases. In 1993, agriculture, including forestry and fisheries, accounted for 14.3% of GDP, employing about 47% of the labour force. The irrigated areas represent 17% of the cultivated areas, but contribute about 45% to agricultural earnings.



Climate and water resources
Climate
Average annual rainfall is 340 mm, but varies from more than 450 mm in the north, where rainfed agriculture is possible? to less than 150 mm towards the south-east, where irrigation is absolutely necessary. Over 50% of the precipitation is concentrated on only 15% of the country's area.

Water resources
The water resources have been evaluated at 30 km³/year, out of which 16 km³ of surface water and 5 km³ of groundwater are considered to represent water development potential. The most important rivers are equipped with dams, allowing surface water to be stored for use during the dry seasons. In 1990, 34 dams were operational, with a total dam capacity of 11 km³. Of these dams, 13 were used in the schemes operated by the regional agricultural development offices (ORMVA or Office Regional de Mise en Valeur Agricole).

Water withdrawal
In 1992, water withdrawal was estimated at about 11 km³, of which 92.2 % for agricultural purposes (4.9% is withdrawn for domestic use and 2.9% for industrial use). Of this total of 11 km³, 7.5 km³ was surface water and 3.5 km³ groundwater. In 1990, 236 000 water points were counted in the rural areas (91 % wells, 8% springs, 1% surface water points), which was equal to about 1 water point to 50 inhabitants, of which 16% were operated by mechanical or motorized water extraction techniques. A health survey showed that 84% of water points delivered non potable water. About 10% of the rural population receives water in a more or less satisfactory way through collective systems and 8% benefits from a water distribution network, which leads to a water supply coverage of 18% in rural areas. A major effort is being undertaken, starting in 1996, to increase this percentage within the next eight years. Hydro-electricity produced 1500 GWh in 1991, or 30% of the total energy production of the country. In 1990, 230 million m³ of water were used for hydropower and 150 million m³ for environmental protection (wadis).



Irrigation and drainage development
Irrigation is a strategic sector in Morocco. The water managed areas, in total about 1.26 million ha, represent only 17% of the cultivated area, but 76% of the irrigation potential area estimated at 1.65 million ha. Spate irrigation covers 165 000 ha, the remaining 1.09 million ha being full or partial control irrigation schemes, of which about two-thirds are irrigated by surface water. In 1995, about 7 000 ha were estimated to be irrigated by untreated wastewater, using about 60 million m³/year. Surface irrigation is the principal irrigation technique, sprinkler irrigation being practiced only on a few large schemes. Cereals are the major irrigated crops.

Large schemes
Since the 1960s emphasis has been put on the construction of dams and on the development of large schemes (referred to as 'grande hydraulique'). The schemes (with areas > 30 000 ha) are managed in a decentralized manner by the ORMVA. In total there are nine schemes over a total area of 431 650 ha in 1989 and 496 000 ha in 1993. Sprinkler irrigation is practiced on 23.5% of the ORMVA schemes.

The agricultural investments code of 1969 (currently under revision) defines the contribution of the farmers to the costs of the equipment and to the operation and maintenance charges of the irrigation network. The annual operation costs of the large schemes vary from $US 6 to 12/ha, and the maintenance cost of the external equipment from $US 6 to 17/ha. Energy costs represent a large part of the total costs. Sprinkler irrigation has an extra cost of $US 144/ha due to the energy needed.

Medium and small schemes
In addition to the above areas covered by the large schemes, there are about 826 550 ha of medium and small schemes (referred to as 'petite et moyenne hydraulique'), including the spate irrigation area. Out of this total area, 416 550 ha are located within the zones managed by the ORMVA. About 397 000 ha are irrigated by perennial water, 265 000 ha by seasonal water and 165 000 ha by spate water. The schemes in the mountains mostly use springwater, distributed by gravity.

In all schemes, the water distribution is based on rotating turns. The measurement unit most frequently used in surface irrigation is the 'farm stream', which corresponds to a discharge of 30 litres/sec. This unit also forms the basis for the dimensions of the canals in the large schemes.



Institutional environment
The Superior Council of Water and Climate (Conseil supérieur de l'eau et du climat) is the principal institution involved in the water resources management subsector. It has the mandate to coordinate the development of the water resources by examining the development policies of the sector, approving the regional master plans related to the development of the water resources (prepared by the Directorate of Rural Equipment), resolving conflicts over the allocation of the water resources and establishing policies for water quality conservation. The General Directorate for Hydraulics (DGH or Direction générale de l'hydraulique) is in charge of the secretariat of the Council and brings together the main services concerned in this sector, elected representatives, socioprofessional organizations, local authorities and representatives of the different types of water users.

The main organizations involved in the drinking water supply subsector are:

The DGH, which is part of the Ministry of Public Works. It is in charge of water supply at basin level and is responsible for research and the exploitation of the water resources;
The National Office for Drinking Water (ONEP or Office national de l'eau potable), which is placed under the Ministry of Public Works. It is in charge of water distribution control in urban areas and in some rural municipalities. It plans, builds and operates the installations for treatment and transport from the primary sources, i.e. reservoirs and primary canals;
16 autonomous, inter-communal state-owned water companies, which are placed under the Ministry of Interior and supervised by the Directorate for state-owned companies and services conceded by this Ministry. They are in charge of water distibution in the municipalities;
The Ministry of Public Health (MSP or Minstère de la santé publique) which, together with ONEP, is in charge of quality control for water resources for drinking water supply networks in the towns and villages to which it provides water.
The main organizations involved in the irrigated agriculture sector are:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Development (MAMVA or Ministère de ['agriculture et de la mise en valeur agricole), which is in charge of the supervision of new investments, in particular the extension, rehabilitation and maintenance of all the large and medium schemes;
The DGH, which is in charge of providing irrigation water for the large schemes. It constructs and maintains the large hydraulic structures like dams, river diversion structures and projects for the exploitation of groundwater;
The Agricultural Engineering Service (AGR or Administration du génie rural), which is responsible for the management of the irrigation schemes:
The ORMVA, which are public but financially autonomous entities placed under the MAMVA, and which are responsible for the planning and management of the water resources for agriculture and the design, construction and management of the large schemes. They are also responsible for the small and medium schemes within their geographical jurisdiction;
Outside the areas controlled by the ORMVA, the provincial Directorates for Agriculture are in charge of the promotion and management of the small and medium irrigation schemes, in reality mainly limited to extension activities.
On the 20 September 1995, a new Water Law became effective.



Trends in water resources management
The surface water resources are limited and must be saved in order to be able to satisfy the water needs for drinking, industrial and agricultural purposes in the 21st century. While globally the water demand is satisfied, certain regions already suffer from water scarcity, especially during dry years.

The multiplication of the number of dams is one way chosen to increase water availability. Siltation of dams is a problem, at present estimated at 50 million m³ per year. The capacity already lost in 1990 was estimated at 800 million m³, which is 7% of total capacity. A programme for the protection of dams against siltation has been set up. Another way chosen to increase water availability is increasing groundwater extraction. However the cost of groundwater extraction is very high and a number of aquifers are already over-exploited. Government policies are moving towards demand management.

A National Irrigation Programme for the year 2000 (PNI 2000 or Programme national d'irrigation en 2000) was adopted in 1992, with the following objectives:

to equip by the year 2000 the whole area controlled by existing dams and dams under construction (about 250 000 ha);
to improve the performances of the old irrigation schemes through modernization and/or rehabilitation of equipment (about 200 000 ha);
Land ownership, which is characterized by very small properties (< 5 ha), land fragmentation, the absence of land ownership deeds and security, is being reviewed together with its implications for schemes and resources management.

Er Rachidia. Night life of the south


Er Rachidia is more of a base, or a stop over, than a destination in itself. Located in the Ziz valley, and north of the Tafilalt valley, and the central town of Erfoud, there are a couple great one-day excursions that can be made while you stay the nights in Er Rachidia.
Except for the majestic qasr, Er Rachidia has little to offer tourists coming for sites. But the city is well known for its pleasant atmosphere, and high level of activity in the streets at evenings, when all seem to join the crowd (women are returning home some hours before the men).
The city's best offer for tourists is therefore the people, and getting in contact with locals is easy and almost always highly rewarding. As a foreigner, you will soon find yourself surrounded by genuinely curious and friendly people, but language can be more of a barrier here than in more central parts of Morocco.

Climbing dunes is one way to explore the Sahara, but by far the best is to book your passage on one of the ships of the desert – the camel. As you drive into Merzouga over the rattling hammada, herds of camels loiter round the edges of the desert, looking dour and almost surprised to be there, and there's no shortage of offers of camel treks from hopeful locals once you roll into town. We booked a two-day trip on our arrival, and settled in to wait for our ships to disembark.

It was at this point that the strange stirrings in my stomach reminded me that whenever I head off for a short break in sunny climes, the local bacteria always club together to welcome me to their lovely country. It happened when I visited Sumatra for a two-week holiday, and Morocco wasn't going to be an exception, but I figured that being ill in the desert wouldn't be that much of a problem; after all, the biggest problem with an upset intestine is finding the toilet, and when a whole dune system is available for your ablutions, it can't be that bad. I certainly wasn't going to miss out on a voyage through the beauty of the Sahara for want of a few unscheduled stops.


On the trail with Hamid and his camels
I'd forgotten about the most bizarre aspect of camel trekking, though: the awesome power of the camel's digestion system. Camels regurgitate their cud and chew it again and again, and the size of a camel's stomach belies the fact that it's a huge sack of rotting grass and methane, but in the Sahara I drew the short straw, for as soon as we'd met our guide, Hamid, and mounted our camels, he tied my camel behind Peta's and led us into the dunes. This meant that for the whole two hours into the dunes I was party to a perfect backside view of Peta's camel crapping, pissing and farting right into my path. Add in the back-and-forth rocking of the ride that feels just like a slow-motion bucking bronco, and you've got all the ingredients for an intestinal cocktail thrown into the mixer. I was shaken and things stirred.

But I'm not going to let this account of the Sahara slide into obsessive musings on being ill abroad, for the desert is stunning even when your experience of the dunes is a little more intimate that you'd hope for. We rode out through the ergs (the Arabic name for sand dunes) in the direction of Algeria, and after a couple of hours of bumping and grinding our way past peach dunes while the sun sank to the horizon, we arrived at our camp for the night, tucked around the back of one of the large mountains of sand that characterise the Moroccan Sahara.


Wrapping your face in a turban is the only way to keep the sand out of your eyes, ears, mouth and nose
Here Hamid and the nomad who looked after the tents entertained us with tricks and half-mimed stories about the Algerians while the sun dipped below the horizons and the stars came out. The moon was no more than an Islamic crescent and had soon disappeared behind the dunes, and the sky was simply incredible; there were so many stars that the familiar constellations were impossible to pick out for someone who's used to seeing no more that a handful of the brightest stars in the sky, and the milky way produced enough light to see by.

Hamid showed us how the nomads used the stars to navigate to Algeria, Marrakech and Timbuktu – an impressive feat considering his command of French was about as paltry as ours – and he also explained how the border with Algeria was closed and policed by soldiers, but this didn't stop the Algerians nipping into Morocco to steal the camels for food. We could see into Algeria from our camp – it was only a few kilometres away, closer even than in M'Hamid – and it all seemed rather tranquil for such a screwed up area of the world. Then again, as Hamid said, 'Morocco is good. Algeria is bad.'


Our desert camp at dawn
We slept under the stars after a meal of meat and veg cooked in a tagine (which I did little more than poke at), despite the scarab beetles scurrying around the camp, who were presumably more interested in collecting camel dung than biting the tourists' toes. It was surprisingly relaxing, and we were up with the sun for breakfast, some hard-selling from Hamid who had brought along some polished fossils just for us to barter over, and the return journey to Merzouga.

This time things had taken a turn for the worse, and all I can remember of the lolloping journey back to the hotel was a lot of clenching of teeth and other parts of my anatomy, followed by huge relief at our arrival back home. En route we crossed vehicle tracks that Hamid said were left by the Paris-Dakar rally, and despite it being the wrong time of year for the rally, one of the water pumps that supply Merzouga with water from beneath the dunes had 'Fuck ze Paris-Dakar' graffitied on the side in surprisingly phonetic vernacular. By this stage all I could think of was how much wind the ships of the desert had in their sails as they crossed the dunes, and it was all I could do to get back to the hotel without collapsing.

The Sahara really is something else, though...

Overview

Travelling between Ouarzazate and Erfoud along the southern side of the High Atlas Mountains you will pass through Boumalne du Dades and Tinerhir. From the oasis of Tinerhir a road leads to the Todra Gorge. Todra is sometimes written Todgha.

Climbing in the Todra Gorge is an unforgettable experience. According to the locals there are over 400 routes on 40 Sectors at Todra. The actual number may be somewhat smaller but the quality and variety is unsurpassed in such a small area.

The intrance of the Gorge is immensely impressive, even climbers experienced in stunning rock-architecture gasp at first sight: The Todra Gorge is stunning, it is a fault in the plateau and feels as if the earth has split open. the brown limestone walls rise 300 metres above the stream, the echoes of jeeps and mules and excited children reverberate around the walls, the tall green palm trees at the mouth of the gorge dwarfed by the towering gateway, it all makes for an impressive spectacle.

If you walk up as far as you can, it feels like you are entering another world, passing through smaller gorges and Berber villages.






Getting There

Next airport : Ouarzazate

Next station : Marrakech. From Marrakech to Ouarzazate by the road : 204 km over Tichka Collar (4-5 hours) The road from Marrakech over the Tichka pass (traditionally the strategic key to the interior) is dramatic purely for the rapidly changing environment. The palmeries are left behind, olive groves and goats appear then disappear before the prevailing orange of the country takes hold south of the pass.

From Ouarzazate, 169 km to Tinerhir (4 hours).Tinerhir is the launch pad to the Gorge 12 km (no 4 X4 necessary to this point). If you climb further into the mountains direction the berber village of Tamtattouchte a four-wheel drive is necessary






Red Tape and Advices

To get to the Gorge, a car is not necessary. Toll to access to the Gorge : 5 Dh (0,5 $)

Always haggle over the price, in the hotels, restaurants, rent-a-cars.

Be careful with false guides, carpet sailers.
Don't give anything to the begging children, don't visit the oasis of Tinerhir with them.

In the Gorge, there is a water spring between the hotels Les Roches and Mansour on the opposite side of the river. Don't never drink the water of the river or the tap water in the hotels.

When To Climb

Spring and autumn are best; summer is just bonkers hot. Nevertheless, it is always possible to find a climbing wall in the shade.






Climbing Sectors

1) Plage Mansour : on the left as you enter the gorge, all a stone's throw from the climbers doss spot Hotel Mansour, One minute from the track, right at the start of the gorge. Avoid the river by crossing it at its shallowest point and traverse leftwards along a small ledge above the water's edge.The first bolts are visible up high.

2) Pilier du Couchant. This is the most compelling line in the Gorge. Two beautiful routes are recommended here. Climbed one after the other they make for a great day's outing:

- AIGUILLE DU GUE : Voie du Defilè
- AIGUILLE DE GABRE : Pilier du Guetteur

3) Satanicos and Hollandaise. These sectors on the right hand side of the gorge are not a place to escape the tourists.

4) De Meuk, the first of the hardcore sectors.

5) Les Jardins. Park by Hotel Jasmina or Les Roches and continue within the gorge. Turn right at the end and follow the dry river bed to reach the crag. good views and amenable routes.

6) Can Güllich : impressive barrel-shaped wall. A stony slog up the hill (10-15 minutes) deposits you on the ledge beneath the smaller-than-it looks crag. Recommended route : Requiem pour le cobra (6c) A must.-On the same side of the valley is the huge

7) Trainee Blanche. On the same side as Can Güllich, this sector was only recently developed and is loaded with stacks of potential.

8) Chaos, a solitary river bed boulder. A fine and varied little crag with some pleasant bouldering nearby, this makes a nice afternoon venue.

9) Petite Gorge, approximately 20 minutes from the hotels. A combination of fine rock, fine routes, fine views and relative solitude.






Accomodation

The hotels within the gorge offer a cheap and characteristic solution. Those more fortunate can reside in the more luxurious Hotel Bougafer at Tinerhir. Food and accommodation is generally very cheap, even if the most spartan accommodation is not recommended to those not used to this type of lodging

In the Gorge :
- Hotel Les Roches
- Hotel Yasmina

At the entrance :
- Hotel La Vallée

In Tinerhir :
- Hotel Kenzi Bougafer

Campings :
- Camping Le Soleil
- Camping l' Auberge Atlas

Mountain Conditions

Most routes in the Todra Gorge are bolt-equipped but the multi-pitch routes need natural gear (nuts & friends).
A 100m rope is recommended as many of the single pitch routes are extremely long; a dozen quickdraws, a rope bag, plenty of chalk and sun lotion are also essentials. Optional extras include a sleeping bag for roof-top sleeping, a camera, baggy trousers, sandals and a grasp of French...


Books

Book "Escalade au Maroc -Todra" from Guy Albert, only in french. Contact with the author : Guy.Abert@wanadoo.fr.

The Italian Mountain Guide Nicolò Berzi (Guide Alpine Milano) organises climbing trips to Todra in autumn and spring for beginners and intermediates.For more information contact +39 0335/6535349 ornicolobe@tiscalinet.it

Morocco is a great destination with wonderful trails, wild mountains, fascinating people and a dozen summits over 4000 metres high - they're not called the High Atlas for nothing! Lower elevation treks are available too. English speaking guide(s) cook your meals, and mules carry all the essentials so you can enjoy travelling light and spend your day exploring ancient villages, pastoral valleys and hidden passes that lead to panoramic ridges. Far above dramatic stark crags and rocky trails contrast with terraced village gardens and ruined kasbahs. You can wander at will and perhaps bag a few peaks

In company of Mohamed , mountain guide highly recommanded by lonelyplanet Morocco2005, graduate and qualified and his group of friends(guides,cooks , muleteers...) having traversed during 10 years these mountains and these deserts, ensures you the serious one, the effectiveness and the quality of the service. I promise you beautiful excursions adapted to your tastes and your desires, you are welcome to discover this authentic country to live unforgettable splendid moments. I organise walking holidays in the Moroccan atlas mountain and desert region . In particular ; Toubkal , Mgoun ,sirwa ,saghro ,draa ,dadaes ,.... The walks are guided by experienced local guides who have extensive knowledge of the area and its flora and fauna. We cater for all levels of experience, from their enthusiastic amateur to the experienced high mountain walker. more on :

Will tourism save the ksars and kasbahs of the valleys and oases of southern Morocco? Perched on rocky crags, these fortified buildings made of compacted earth mixed with water and chopped straw are a draw for foreign tourists in search of unusual architectural sites. One jumping-off point to see them is Ouarzazate in the Atlas Mountains, 200 kilometres south of Marrakesh. This remote and ancient little town has become a busy tourist centre. With a total 5,502 beds in its officially-approved hotels, it attracts more than 450,000 overnight visits every year.
The Ouarzazate region contains 300 of the thousand or so kasbahs that have been identified in Morocco. These structures, which come in all sizes, are notable for the beauty of their architecture and their imaginative use of space. But they are also fragile and many of them are extremely dilapidated.
Single-family dwellings in fortified villages or ksars, into which there is a single entrance, kasbahs are remarkable for their defensive architecture, usually featuring towers atop each of their four corners. The upper parts of some of these two- or three-storey buildings, which have roof-terraces resting on beams made from the trunks of palm-trees, are lavishly decorated.

Fragile and dilapidated
The earthen building material of these fragile constructions does not stand up well to the ravages of time and the weather. A ksar only remains intact for about two centuries. In the past, its occupants would then leave and build another ksar nearby. But social and economic changes in Morocco and the region at large in recent decades has dealt a heavy blow to the constant renewal of the ksars.
The end of the trans-Saharan caravan trade, the disappearance of insecurity, the emergence of a centralized nation-state and the spread of television (reception dishes seem to sprout from all the dwellings) have all helped to overturn the traditional way of life in oasis societies. Nowadays, communities whose members have not emigrated to more prosperous regions use cinder blocks to build small houses outside the old walls and mosques made of stronger material. These buildings are too hot in summer and too cold in winter, but some of them have basic amenities such as water and electricity.
However, recent events in the village of Aït Ben Haddou, a village about 35 kilometres from Ouarzazate, show there is still hope for the ksars. Thought to have been founded in the 11th century, Aït Ben Haddou has six kasbahs and some 50 houses, all in ruins. Its inhabitants have moved out and over to the other side of the wadi (river), nearer to the main road. Today 84 families live in this modern settlement.
A masterpiece of architecture and landscape, the old village of Aït Ben Haddou was included on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1987. It was the first ksar to be preserved under a state-sponsored scheme to save the kasbahs of southern Morocco. The programme, launched a decade ago by the ministry of culture and backed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization (WTO), aims to foster tourism in the region as well as saving endangered items of cultural heritage.

Mixed results
The job has turned out to be an arduous one. Standard restoration methods are little use because the original building materials are not very strong. They can only prolong the life of an earthen building for a few years at most. The only effective way to preserve a ksar like Aït Ben Haddou is to persuade the villagers to return to live in it and care for it on a day-to-day basis. To make it habitable, the ministry of culture has asked other ministries for help. As a result, the public works ministry has looked into how to improve access to the village, which is difficult when the river is in full spate. The education ministry has approved the building of a Koranic school inside the ksar until there are enough children to justify opening a primary school. The national electricity board has agreed to install solar energy equipment.
But the number of people involved and the maze of bureaucracy have meant only some of the goals have so far been achieved. Cleaning and preservation work has been started, architectural surveys of the village houses have been made and a provisional overall plan has been drawn up. The narrow streets have been paved, the banks of the wadi strengthened and a footbridge built to provide access to the ksar when the water level rises. Restoration and renovation work has been done on some covered passageways, the façades of houses, the mosque and the most lavishly-decorated buildings.
But the village has not yet come back to life. Its only inhabitants are three families which never went away because they were too poor. Developments that might lure residents of the new village outside the walls to move back into the old one–such as building an access road and a proper bridge over the wadi and providing drinking water and electricity–are a long way off.
There are several reasons for this. The ministries of culture, housing and tourism are not co-ordinating their efforts. There is also a shortage of funds because of a general decision to cut public spending. Finally, legal tangles are holding up work on restoring the houses because the owners of the kasbahs–several heirs who are mostly joint owners–now live elsewhere in the country or even abroad.
Because of these problems, the authorities have officially dropped plans to include Aït Ben Haddou and the kasbahs of the south in the list of local tourist “products”. They are deemed too fragile and precious to be able to stand up to mass tourism.
But the inhabitants of the village have not given up hope of getting some income from tourism and have taken up where the government has left off. Several foreign films have been made on the site and the paving of the access track has spawned a modest tourist infrastructure. Twenty-five bazaars and souvenir shops have been opened, eight of them in the old village, as well as four café-restaurants which also offer lodging.
Some emigrants who have returned from abroad have even taken a chance by building a couple of small hotels. Many organized excursions from Marrakesh and Ouarzazate now include a stop at Aït Ben Haddou, which is attracting around 400 visitors a day. The money from this has helped the inhabitants of the new village to do up their houses and buy an electricity generator.
Restoration work inside the ksar is slowly going ahead, and the local people have set up the Aït Aïssa Association for Culture and Development, which keeps a close eye on the restoration work and takes part in meetings about it. Aït Ben Haddou even seems to have started a trend. In a number of other villages people have recently started restoring kasbahs and converting them into small hotels.

It could be your ultimate test of endurance or your worst nightmare, or both. The Marathon des Sables is one of the world's most brutal foot racing events--a six-day, 145-mile run through the Sahara Desert in southern Morocco!

Who would be crazy enough to sign up for this torture test? Evidently, lots of people. Last year, 683 brave men and women from roughly thirty countries stepped up to the challenge (581 of them actually finished). Competitors in the Marathon have ranged in age from 14 to 76 years old, and have included former gold medal Olympians, polar explorers, executives, scientists, high school students, housewives and a yogi.

Participants are required to be totally self-sufficient during the Marathon. They must carry a lightweight backpack with all the clothing, food and supplies they need for the week. Marathon organizers supply the runners with a measly nine liter ration of water for each day. At night, participants sleep on the ground in communal Berber tents.

The actual course of the race remains a secret until the day before the Marathon begins. Typically, it takes place in the stunningly-beautiful desert to the east or south of the town of Ouarzazate. This arid terrain offers an ankle-wrenching variety of landscapes, including rocky hills, palm groves, dried mud flats and sand dunes. Daytime temperatures have been known to climb to a scorching 125 degrees and sandstorms are common.

Each day of the Marathon is an adventure unto its own, as each of the six "stages" ranges from 20 to 60 kilometers (12 to 37 miles) in length. An extensive road book is given to the competitors before the race begins. Stage Four is considered the most grueling, a double marathon segment which begins long before sunrise. The racing is tightly monitored, with all participants required to check in at numerous "control points" along the way.

The Marathon is littered with stories of survival. Take Mauro Prosperi, a police officer from Rome, who got lost in a sandstorm during the 1994 race. He wandered several hundred kilometers off course and survived for the next nine days on boiled urine and dead bats. Mauro lost over 30 pounds during his ordeal but he has returned to Morocco to race two more times. Surprisingly, only one person has died while participating in the Marathon.

Everyone will be keeping his eyes on Mohamed and Lachen Ahansal, the twenty-something Moroccan brothers from the nearby desert outpost of Zagora. They have each participated several times in the event. Lachen won first prize in 2000, 1999 and 1997, and Mohamed won first prize in 1998 (and came in second in 2000). And when the race is over, all participants head back to Ouarzazate for an elaborate dinner and awards ceremony.

The Marathon was founded in 1986 by a Frenchman named Patrick Bauer. Two years earlier he had taken a 200-mile trek through the Algerian Sahara, and his desire to share this experience evolved into today's race. It costs about US$2,600 to participate in the Marathon des Sables (the winner receives about US$4,500). You'll also need a medical certificate from your physician and results from an EKG test. When you fill out the entry form, pay special attention to the section concerning the "corpse repatriation fee." And during the race, if you become severely dehydrated and require an IV more than once, you'll be disqualified. What are you waiting for?

Safety in Morocco
Morocco is a safe country, safer than all European Mediterranean countries. Crime rates are low, and violence uncommon. There is also little to worry about from nature's side. Low temperatures in the winter, strong sun in the summer, undercurrents at certain Atlantic beaches are keywords for what to be careful about.
But unfortunate things can come your way here as well. Carrying small amounts of money, holding your camera close to your body, and be careful when you're in crowds. You should also shun all Moroccans fitting this description: Young man, in ordinary clothes, speaking several languages, and coming up to you warning you about the dangers of this and that. If they say they're students, they're most likely lying. But if they say they're guides, and offer to show you around the old city or something, at a certain price, there is less reason to be suspicious. But even in this case you should prepare to spend some time inside shops selling carpets or leather ware. If you run into somebody showing any kind of aggression in the beginning, call for the police. Not because your life is in danger, but because the police is the only ones who can get these people off your neck.
But the best advice is: With a smile and easygoing friendliness, even the worst hustlers won't do you any harm. When somebody run into real problems in Morocco, it's very likely that they pay a just and fair price for the racism that they or somebody around them carry in their harts or in their acts. Moroccans are first class judges of character. But, not even the friendliest person should not stop looking well after his possesions.

Is it safe for a woman to travel alone in Morocco?
Traveling around Morocco as a single woman involves no greater risk than in most other countries in the world. However, any woman, particularly a tourist traveling alone, will be faced with some unwanted attention from Moroccan men. Here's a few tips on how to deal with that.

Don't respond
Moroccan men tend to hiss, whistle and make remarks at women, whether they are local women or foreigners. The thing to remember is that this is a habit pretty much like spitting on the floor. They don't expect you to actually respond, and would be quite taken aback if you did.

Moroccan women have developed a good strategy in response to all the "Ah, gazelle!" and other remarks made at them. They simply look into the distance, nose up high and walk on. This "camel look" is the reaction men will expect from you. Stick to it, no matter how fed up you are with all their attention.

Dress discreetly
Morocco is an islamic culture. The role of women is in the background. You don't have to agree with that, but if you want to enjoy your holiday, you'd better adapt to it.

Mini skirts, short pants, tank tops and tight shirts will definitely attract a lot more attention than you would feel comfortable with. Don't wear them in the streets. Long and loose fitting clothes will shield you from a lot of hassles - and from the Moroccan heat.

There is no need to overdo your dress code. It is unnecessary to wear a scarve or a veil.