Zaouiat Ahansal, Morocco.

Zaouiat Ahansal

Is a very pretty little village in the province of Azilal, leaning against a barrier of ocher cliffs overlooking the tumultuous waters of a torrent fringed with greenery.

This region is particularly known for the beauty of its landscapes.

The activity queen in Zaouiat Ahansal is hiking, not to mention climbing.

The village has three Ksars ("castle" in Arabic).

A Ksar is a fortress built in adobe, it is always located in a spectacular location, either perched on a steep promontory hanging on a rock face or raised above an oasis.

Usually combining attics and houses, they are found on foothills near oases in order to protect themselves from attacks from nomadic tribes.

A ksar is composed of cells, called ghorfas ("chambers" in Arabic), which serve to store foodstuffs in anticipation of several successive years of drought.

 The village of Zaouiat Ahansal

A zaouiat is a sanctuary where a very pious man is buried. It is recognized by its roof decorated with green ceramics.

In Ahansal, it is the tomb of Sidi Said that is preserved, a saintly man of the seventeenth century.

Every year, in summer, the inhabitants of the surrounding valleys come to celebrate, each in their turn, the marabout buried in the qoubba (mausoleum) with the green roof.