This morning, we said good bye to the Agafay Desert and Mustapha drove us through the Atlas Mountains to Ait Ben Haddou. Our tour guide Nur Aldiyn was waiting for us. BTW, Ait Ben Haddou means Tribe of the Son of Haddou and Nur Aldiyn's name means Light of Religion. Interesting way to learn Arabic, one word or phrase at a time, though it is pointed out frequently that Arabic and Amazigh (the language of the Berbers) are not the same language. Nur Aldiyn, for instance, grew up learning Arabic and French in school and then learned Amazigh as an adult. Plus Italian, plus English, plus German. He has been an extra in at least 12 Hollywood production that were filmed here, including Gladiator, King of Persia, Game of Thrones, to name a few. Very pleasant man, sweet and helpful.
While we were with him, our luggage was taken by mule to the Kasbah Tebi where we spent the night. I'm telling you, Shauna does nothing halfway.
Nur Aldiyn showed us around the old city, through which a salt water river flows(!) He said there is a salt mine nearby but I was unable to find anything about it on the internet. He pointed out the tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica) The leaves have a salty taste and are used in salads and the wood is used in construction. The houses date primarily from the 17th century and are made with hand built bricks, a layer of clay mixed with straw, and painted to match the color of the original city. This is another UNESCO location. The city began in the 11th century, a fortified village called a ksar to serve as a stop on the trans-Saharan trade route between the Sahara and Marrakech. An earthquake in 2023 demolished part of it and most of the residents moved out into the new city adjacent to it, where there is running water and electricity. It is very dusty and windy here, the men wear long robes that zip up the front, with hoodies to protect against aforementioned wind/dust. I want one.
I am writing this by candlelight at the Kasbah Tebi and it has very little electricity. The power is dying on my computer so this may end abruptly.