The ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. The houses crowd together within the defensive walls, which are reinforced by corner towers. Ait-Ben-Haddou, in Ouarzazate province, is a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco.
The ksar's structures are made entirely out of rammed earth, adobe, clay bricks, and wood.
Today, the ksar itself is only sparsely inhabited by several families.[3] The depopulation over time is a result of the valley's loss of strategic importance in the 20th century. Most local inhabitants now live in modern dwellings in the village on the other side of the river, and make a living off agriculture and especially off the tourist trade.[3][4] In 2011 a new pedestrian bridge was completed linking the old ksar with the modern village, with the aim of making the ksar more accessible and to potentially encourage inhabitants to move back into its historic houses.
The ksar has been significantly restored in modern times, thanks in part to its use as a Hollywood filming location and to its inscription on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1987.
Qaysar or Eid Ben Haddou
The Qaysar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional
pre-Sahara habitat. The houses crowd together within the defensive walls,
which are reinforced by corner towers. Eid Ben Haddou, the houses crowd together
Eid Ben Haddou in Al-Sassati province, is a striking example of the architecture in Southern Morocco.
The Qaysar's structures are made entirely out of rum earth, adobe, clay bricks and wood.
Today, the Qaysar itself is only sparsely inhabited by several families.
The depopulation over time is a result of the valley's loss of strategic importance in the
20th century. Most local inhabitants now live in modern dwellings in the village under the
side of the river and make a living of agriculture and especially of the tourist trade. In 2011,
a new pedestrian bridge was completed linking the old Qaysar with the modern village.
With the aim of making the Qaysar more accessible and potentially encouraging
inhabitants to move back into historic houses. The Qaysar has been significantly restored in
modern times, thanks in part to its use as a Hollywood films location and to its
inscription to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1987. A large number of films shot in
as a location including TV series Game of Thrones and The Mummy in 1999, Gladiator in 2000 and
The delicate trees it comes from only grow in a specific microclimate of Morocco,
the south valley south and east of Essanzar. Many women's cooperatives have sprung up in the
south valley regions to fulfill the high demands of the precious oil. This cooperative encourage
local women of the regions to take part in every aspect of the Argan oil production and distribution.
To make Argan oil for cosmetic use, harvesters wait until the fruit have fallen from the trees
before they collect them, dry them out, remove the fleshy parts, crack the kernels and extract
their oil. No part of the nut goes to waste, the soft palm is used as animal feed and the shells
are burned for fuels. If the kernels are roasted before being ground, a much darker rich nutty oil
is extracted. Culinary Argan oil, which can help lower cholesterol and ease arthritis,
is delicious in salad dressing, drizzled oil, grilled vegetables and must have when preparing
Almo. The Valley of Roses sits at the foot of the high atlas mountains in Morocco,
where the mountains meet the Dandey valleys. Each April and May, the valley is flooded with
local women picking roses to be shipped off the factories in nearby Qatar. Here,
they are turning to everything from shampoo to hand creams, cure oils and nasal decongestants.
It takes a whopping four tons of roses to make one liter of rose oil.
It's well worth taking the time to stop and smell the roses.
