Draft:Megdaz
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Megdaz
ⵎⴳⴷⴰⵣ Megdez | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Megdaz | |
| Coordinates: 31°23′29″N 6°47′31″W / 31.3913°N 6.7919°W | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Region | Marrakesh-Safi |
| Province | Azilal Province |
| Elevation | 1,900 m (6,200 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | (est.) small rural community |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (WEST) |
Megdaz (also spelled Magdaz or Megdaz) is a traditional Amazigh (Berber) village in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, in the upper Tessaout Valley at roughly 1,900–2,000 metres above sea level.[1][2] It is noted in academic and travel literature for vernacular earthen architecture and collective granaries (ighrem).[3] The Independent has described Megdaz as “perhaps the best” of the many beautiful Berber villages in the Atlas.[4]
Geography
[edit]Megdaz lies on steep slopes in the upper Tessaout basin of the central High Atlas, a remote area of terraced fields, irrigation channels and red-clay cliffs. The village forms part of the high valleys landscape used for mixed agro-pastoral livelihoods and is a common stop on trekking routes in the M’Goun region.[5][6]
Architecture and built heritage
[edit]Dwellings in Megdaz typically use rammed earth, stone and timber, arranged in compact multi-storey clusters along the mountainside. The site is particularly noted for fortified communal granaries (ighrem)—multi-storey structures historically used to store grain and valuables and to provide refuge—along with watchtowers and defensive walls.[7] Recent scholarship has analysed the spatial organisation of the Megdaz house, village and landscape within Amazigh vernacular traditions.[8][9]
Culture
[edit]Megdaz is an Amazigh-speaking community (Tachelhit). It is cited as the birthplace of the celebrated Amazigh poet-singer Mririda n’Aït Attik, whose songs from the Tessaout and Azilal markets were collected and translated in the early 20th century.[10]
Economy and tourism
[edit]Household economies combine irrigated terrace agriculture (notably walnuts, almonds and cereals), pastoralism and seasonal migration. Traditional gravity-fed channels (seguia/targa) distribute water to terrace systems across High Atlas valleys, including the Tessaout.[11][12] Trekking in the M’Goun area regularly features Megdaz as a stage village and viewpoint over the “red valley” of the Tessaout.[13][14] Civil-society projects have highlighted Megdaz’s heritage and small-scale agriculture within the rural commune of Aït Tamlil (Azilal Province).[15] Small guesthouses operate in Megdaz to serve trekkers and cultural visitors, with accommodation commonly listed on major booking platforms.[16]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "Megdaz". Guide du Routard (in French). Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Megdaz, quand le patrimoine fait vivre les territoires". Tetraktys (in French). 30 March 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ Baouab, Younès; Malek, Nouzha (2020). "Dry Stone Public Granaries in Megdez, High-Atlas Morocco". International Journal of Civil Engineering (IASET). Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ Knight, Richard (26 February 2000). "Mountain walking: The complete guide to the Moroccan Atlas Mountains". The Independent. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Megdaz". Guide du Routard (in French). Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "High Atlas, Morocco". University of Kassel – Landscape Chains. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ Baouab, Younès; Malek, Nouzha (2020). "Dry Stone Public Granaries in Megdez, High-Atlas Morocco". International Journal of Civil Engineering (IASET). Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ Costa, Miguel Reimão; Batista, Desidério (2024). "Le paysage, le peuplement et l'architecture de Magdaz et de la vallée de la Tassaout dans le contexte montagneux du Haut Atlas au Maroc". Al-Sabîl (in French). Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ Costa, Miguel Reimão; Batista, Desidério (January 2024). "Le paysage, le peuplement et l'architecture de Magdaz…". Academia.edu (in French). Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ Simour, Lhoussain (2021). "Colonial Encounters in Gendered Settings: Reflections on Mrīrīda nʾait ʿAtiq, a Moroccan Amazīgh Courtesan and Singing Poet". Narratives of Violence (PDF). Edizioni Ca’ Foscari. pp. 15–32. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "High Atlas, Morocco". University of Kassel – Landscape Chains. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ Costa, Miguel Reimão; Batista, Desidério (2024). "Le paysage, le peuplement et l'architecture de Magdaz…". Al-Sabîl (in French). Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Megdaz". Guide du Routard (in French). Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ Knight, Richard (26 February 2000). "Mountain walking: The complete guide to the Moroccan Atlas Mountains". The Independent. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Megdaz, quand le patrimoine fait vivre les territoires". Tetraktys (in French). 30 March 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Hotels in Megdaz". Booking.com. Retrieved 19 August 2025.