Maps and plans of Tiznit, Guelmim and Tata provinces

Region general presentation

The places presented here are located in Tiznit, Guelmim and Tata provinces. On one side Tiznit is in the heart of a coastal plain, on the other side Amtoudi, Ayt Ouabelli, Tiskmoudine and Tissint are characteristic localities of the Jbel Bani Mountain, on the south hillside of the Anti-Atlas. This ancient massif is criss-crossed in its south side by a multitude more or less durable watercourses, flowing on hundreds of meters, or kilometers, who eroded the rock perpendicularly to the massif, creating the typical landscape of cluse. These water sources helped human societies to establish themselves since millenaries, and to arrange palm groves. On the opposite to big oasis of Tafilalet or Draâ, here is organized a string of little oasis in the middle of dark rocks.

Tiznit, from villages to town, from Sultanian city to Province capital.

The ramparts of Tiznit town have been build from 1882 to 1886 to surround several hamlets and a part of the gardens. The population was estimated only to a few thousands people. During almost a century, the population stays limited and confined inside the walls, and wasn't higher than 10.000 inhabitants until the end of the 1960’s. In 1975, Tiznit became capital city of the province, and since has experienced an extremely quick demographic growth, by multiplicating its population by 7 in 40 years, reaching 74.000 inhabitants in 2014.  The medina garden city is densified, and new extra-muros districts have been build. The palm grove is also heavily affected, a part of the water dedicated to the irrigation have been used for urban usage for a decade. The historical sites are now highlighted, even if the agglomeration is still in fast growing.

Amtoudi

Two villages at the bottom of a gorge: a shore change.
Amtoudi is composed by two communities separated since a violent conflict. The upstream village, Agelouy, and the downstream village, Id Aïssa, on the north shore. They share the same water source, and developed along the oued a long palm grove on terraces. Each village was able to store in its own fortified attic their crops and value goods. During the second part of 20th century, the populations emigrate ever more towards big Moroccan and European metropoles. The attics are shut down, and opened to tourists. Then emigrants began to build new houses on the south shore. Others invest their pension in farms on collective parcels in the flood spreading zones of the oued. Today, the ancient houses of the historical villages are replaced by urban multi-storey houses because of the gorge narrowness.

Tissint

A slight shift to the east.
Implanted on a cluse, the community of Tissint has available a permanent and abundant water source, allowing the development of an important palm grove. The population is grouped in a fortified village with round path, and a ksar, on the oued's shore. During the colonial period, some administrative structures and a new souk are raised. New houses are build, including inside the ksar with inner courtyard houses. 
Then the demographic growth and the asphalt roads led to the set up of new buildings, in the urban form of storey-houses.

Tissekmoudine

From the heart of the palm grove until the road.
The Tiskmoudine village is historically established in the heart of a palm grove, around a collective attic strongly fortified, surrounded by a round path. Next to it a mosque, and a collection of also fortified houses. But with the demographic growth and the emigration, progressively the families moved outside of the palm grove, to avoid constructing on irrigated ground, and also to get nearer from the road. They build new houses with inner courtyard, or even sometimes small villas, reconciling new lifestyles with the agricultural activities.

Ayt Ouabelli

Composed by 3 hamlets, the Ayt Ouabelli village implement a little palm grove prolonged by a flood spreading zone. The historical hamlets are located whether on heights, sheltered on flood, or for the downstream in the suburbs of the flood spreading zone. The demographic growth led to the construction of new houses with inner courtyard nearer from the road, without obeying to a particular design in absence of urban planning. Thus, the new constructions extend over almost 3 km.