The Berber Granaries of Morocco should be World Heritage!

The fortified Berber Granaries of Morocco were traditionally used to store grains and family valuables. We believe these should be World Heritage listed.

Once we saw one agadir, we went searching for more igoudar

The Berber granaries, or igoudar (singular: agadir) as the Berbers call them, are an important part of the history and culture of Morocco. Berbers, or Imazighen (singular: Amazigh), are probably the original inhabitants of North-West Africa. But we do wonder why their granaries are not listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As you may have noticed, we use the World Heritage list as a substitute guide book, checking constantly if there is something listed anywhere near our current roadtrip route . We discovered the granaries from a chance mention on a caption of a photo in our guidebook . Juergen then found another mention on a blog. This started our search for more information.

Unfortunately, googling ‘agadir’ only brings masses of travel information for the resort city of Agadir, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Our first, simple understanding was that they were fortified granaries; somewhere to keep their precious food supply safe from any marauders. But somehow that didn’t seem to be the whole story. Juergen found them on OsmAnd, one of our navigating apps , and we started looking for them along the way, in the real world. Later we found that googling ‘Berber granaries’ brought more information, but usually in blogs, written by fellow travellers. Most had found it equally hard to retrieve information.

The granaries of the Southern Atlas in Morocco: here an unnamed Agadir on a hill next to the road. You can see the typical two watch towers on either end of the structure.

At our second stop, we got a perfect explanation from the key-holder, Hassan, who spoke quite good English. His first statement: “It’s a bank”. Every Berber tribe would have its own granary, and each family in the tribe had its own box in the agadir. They didn’t just store their grain there, but all their valuables and important documents – in chambers that are really big ‘safety deposit boxes’. The granary had a guardian (amar), elected by the tribe, who lived on the premises with his family. It was also guarded by tribe members taking turns, day and night. The current key-holder is often called the guardian, but doesn’t seem to live on the premises these days.

We believe that the granaries of Morocco need some sort of heritage protection, best would be a combined World Heritage listing. Otherwise they might have the same fate as this Ksar – falling into ruins.

Berber Granaries between Taroudant & Tafraout

Here are 10 igoudar that we either visited, attempted to visit, or photographed from the outside at a distance. I’ve included the GPS readings because we had so much difficulty finding out exactly where some of them were.

They are all accessible from roads between Taroudant and Tafraout, and are listed in the order that we encountered them. We left Taroudant and drove south-west until we reached the R105, the main road from Agadir to Ait Baha, and on to Tafraout.

1. Agadir Imchguiguilne

Agadir Imchguiguilne: Our first sight of a Berber agadir, and we are unable to go inside. This is an excellent example of the watchtower, which is a feature of all granaries.

By mistake, we visited this Berber granary first, passing by the turn-off from the R105 to Ikounka. It wasn’t difficult to find, as it sits on top of the hill in its village. But it was difficult to find the way up to it, from where we had parked. While looking for a path up to the structure, I met a man who explained that the agadir was ‘ferme’. It took me some time to understand that it was not open for visitors at all. That the police had closed it. (Later Hassan explained that it’s closed because of some dispute between the villagers – we couldn’t find out more.)

We found a path up to the building and took some exterior photos, but were very disappointed not to be able to enter. It was a shame, as we could see from the outside that it had been restored in many places.

Agadir Imchguiguilne: Notice how this Berber granary has been restored, with new stonework among old. This is the front door, which is unfortunately locked. No visitors allowed at this time.

 Location of Agadir Imchguiguilne 30:05:39.82, -9:09:51.91

2. Agadir Ikounka

Agadir Ikounka: Unlike most igoudar, this one is in the middle of the village rather than on top of a hill. This is the the part that fronts the road.

We backtracked to Ikounka – it wasn’t far. This one doesn’t stand on top of a hill, but our GPS devices knew where it was. As we arrived, a number of children and a man appeared – as they do. The man beckoned us in. We thought we were in luck. It turned out that, although the door in the outer wall was open, the actual agadir was padlocked and he didn’t have a key.

We were really disappointed by not being able to get inside this one either, and were almost ready to give up. I still wanted to know what these things were. We knew they stored grain and that they were heavily fortified for their time, but that was about the limit of our knowledge.

We sat in the truck, looking at various possibilities to park for the night. Suddenly a car came up and parked across from the entrance. A man got out and rushed across the road, picking up some rubbish in front of the building, and then disappeared. Juergen went after him to see if he was perhaps the one who had the key. Yes, he did have the key. He was here to open up for the local area governor and his wife, who were about to arrive for a visit.

His name is Hassan and he is the guardian of the granary – the one responsible for it, although we couldn’t completely understand the system in place. He spoke English well enough to communicate, and explained that we could come in but we would have to wait until the governor had gone – maybe 20 minutes. So we went back to the truck to sit and wait. It was quite a long wait – probably creeping up toward an hour.

When the governor finally left, we were taken inside. There was a bit of a zig-zag path to the second entrance, from where a long, low passageway leads into the agadir. When we stepped inside, we were both totally overawed, turning around and saying wow! There is a long passageway, lined with the storage chambers.

Juergen started taking photos and Hassan started explaining.

The chambers in this one are all the same size (probably around 7-8 meters long, a little over 2m wide and just under 2m high), because everyone in the tribe is equal. There are 3 tiers with huge, flat, stone steps to reach the second and third levels. These stones need to be strong, and well-fixed in the wall, to support a man carrying a bag of grain – up or down. There are 147 chambers. It is at least 400 years old – Hassan couldn’t give us a more exact time frame. They are a Berber tradition and existed in all parts of Morocco, where the Imazighen were.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

 Location of Agadir Ikounka 30:06:49.65, -9:12:03.73

3. Agadir Inoumar

At the time we didn’t find the Agadir Inoumar. This Berber granary is so large that it has 4 watchtowers. [photo credit ]

We were very disappointed not to be able to find this Berber granary. It is in easy reach of the city of Agadir and there are tourist trips available from there.

According to Google Maps, it should have been very near to Ait Baha, and quite close to where we had parked for the night. But, when we arrived at the coordinates given, there was no sign of it. So we moved on toward our next location, following a side road off the R105, just outside Ait Baha.

A couple of days later we found the correct location, but it was too late to go back. Thanks Google maps…

 Location of Agadir Inoumar [link to website] 30:09:46.74, -9:06:32.07

4. Agadir Imazene

Agadir Imazene: many of the igoudar are not in the best condition. This is a clear indication that this heritage should be protected, so that finance might be more available to restore and maintain this important part of the Berber culture in Morocco.

The road winds up and down and then up again. As we got closer we could see the agadir above, on top of a hill. When we arrived in the village, we drove as far as we thought we could, and then got out to try to find the walking path. It wasn’t clearly defined, so we followed what was on our navigating app. As we were heading up something that didn’t really look like a path, a young man appeared. I asked, “Agadir?” He beckoned and said: “come, come”. So we followed him up and up until we could see that we were on the right path. He was so much faster over the rocky terrain, but he made sure we were following.

When we arrived, he was sitting with an old man under a rough shelter. He took us up to the entrance and there we waited for the old man. He was dressed in very ragged clothes and looked somewhat frail. It turned out that he was the guardian and had the all-important keys to the place.

Agadir Imazene: The front entrance of this granary. The old man sitting under the shelter is the key-holder or guardian of the agadir. He will let you in and point out interesting features of the place.

There was no zig-zag between the outer and inner doors in this one; the inner door was straight ahead as you entered the outer door.

He opened up and we went inside. He kept pointing things out to us that might be of interest, or that we might miss. It wasn’t in as good condition inside as Ikounka, but it was enormous in comparison – I think there are 3 inter-connected passageways of chambers, 3 storeys high. There were many rock falls to climb around and over to be able to see the extent of it. We stayed as long as we liked taking photos, and then headed outside.

The young man – also Hassan – then beckoned us to follow him down a narrow path between a ‘forest’ of prickly cactus. The ground was rough and rocky, and far too precarious for Juergen to manage. So, with continued encouragement from Hassan, I followed. He told me it was very beautiful and I must come. I’m glad I did. We walked right around to the other side of the granary and discovered the guard tower. There was an amazing view to the surrounding countryside. Then he led me up some difficult steps to a platform on the side of the tower, where we could see even further.
We finally made our way back to where Juergen and the old man waited near the entrance.

We had come without change to tip the old man. Hassan took our 200 Dirham down to the village and brought back change. We always have some doubts about people who want to help, because they are often looking for money or gifts. Hassan appreciated the 20Dh tip we gave him, but he was more interested in being able to connect with us on Facebook and Instagram . He tried very hard to explain things and answer questions, even though he didn’t always understand us. We also gave him a lift into Ait Baha when we left the village.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

 Location of Agadir Imazene 30:06:15.62, -9:06:44.74

Our highly recommended guidebook for people who are looking for valuable information about Morocco: the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Morocco ! This book is for travellers who are more interested in the sights than recommendations for restaurants or hotels.

Our alternative recommendation: the MOON Guide Morocco (on Amazon).

 

5. Agadir Imhailen

Agadir Imhailen: A view from the village to the agadir. There was a paved path leading down into the valley and up to the granary.

After we dropped off Hassan, we continued along the R105. It was 30 Km to the next agadir that we knew about. The road gained altitude – up to around 1300m – and was very scenic. The landscape, cliffs and rocky outcrops, a deep river valley, villages, other ruins, and barely another vehicle on the road.

We arrived in the village of Imhailen (or Imhilin or Imhiln or…), and found a flat area to park. An old man sat nearby, seemingly ignoring us. When I caught him looking, I asked, “Agadir?” He jumped up and pointed and seemed very excited that we should go where he was indicating. When we complied, he followed us, and then went on ahead. He didn’t seem to be able to speak well and was not particularly able-bodied at first look. But he rushed on ahead of us and had to stop, now and then, to check we were following. To reach the granary we had to go down into a valley and up again, as it was on the next hill over from today’s village. It was surrounded by ruins of houses. It must have been quite a sight in its day! Someone had created quite a nice path to follow, although some of the steps were a little high and the stone paving was uneven.

As we approached the ruined building, he popped his head out of a doorway and beckoned. We followed to find an unlocked outer door. We entered and found him unlocking the main door to the granary building. We were finally inside. By the outside appearance, we had expected something like the one in Imazene, but we were totally surprised when we entered. It was in almost as good condition as Ikounka. And most of the chambers had padlocks; some very old and strange-looking; some like you can buy down the corner shop these days. We surmised that people were still using this place to lock up their valuables. By the dust and rust on most of the locks, they didn’t come to check on their possessions very often. I asked permission – non-verbally – to open an unlocked door. I thought it would be empty and wanted to see how big the chambers were here. It had several bags of grains inside.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

Agadir Imhailen: After the the state of the surrounding buildings, we were totally surprised at the the integrity of this agadir. We were also surprised to find that it is still in use.

When we were done, we thanked him, tipped him and said goodbye. He waited until we left, and then locked up and followed us back to the village – probably to wait for the next visitors to his precious agadir.

The Agadir Imhailen as seen from the main road. If you’re coming from Ait Baha the turn-off to the village is before this vista.

 Location of Agadir Imhailen 29:54:53.74, -9:00:07.47

6. Kasbah Tizourgane

Kasbah Tizourgane: It makes an impressive sight from the road. It was even better to be able to walk around the inside.

Back on the R105, we found the Kasbah Tizourgane, not too far down the road. It was getting late so we decided to find a place to park for the night, and visit that site the next day. Next morning, when we arrived at the parking lot, it looked like it was locked up with nobody there. We wandered around the road to the delivery entrance and that also looked closed up.

Just as we were deciding where to go next, 2 cars arrived. They were two French couples in hire cars, but one had a guide. We told the guide that it appeared to be closed. He said it was just necessary to ring the bell and someone would let you in – we could follow him up. Another stroke of luck or we would have driven off and missed this.

It was 20 Dh each to enter, and we could pretty much wander around as we liked, although you shouldn’t try to enter any parts that weren’t obviously open. It’s a really well-preserved Kasbah. Part of it is taken up with a hotel , which funds the restoration and renovation necessary. The young guy, who let us in, spoke some English. He was happy to answer questions, although I’m guessing he was supposed to be somewhere else working – in the kitchen, by the check pants he was wearing…

There is an agadir in the complex, but it is still in use by the family who are the owners of the Kasbah, and therefore not open to the public. He pointed out where it was and mentioned it was like a village in there, with places for animals as well.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

 Location of Kasbah Tizourgane 29:53:12.54, -9:00:05.63

7. Agadir Ait Oughain (Itoghayn)

Agadir Ait Oughain: many Berber granaries are protected by difficult access as well as their fortifications. This one is on the top of a very rocky hill, which is very difficult to quickly climb.

After our visit to Kasbah Tizourgane, we drove on down the R105, until we reached the R106. It was quite a long drive, but the scenery along the winding road was once again quite spectacular. You have to turn off the R106 onto a smaller road, P1723.

When we arrived in the village of Itoghayn, again there was a man who just turned up. He took out his phone and, after a short while, the guardian with the key was there. He headed up the rocky incline like a mountain goat! It’s the worst type of terrain for Juergen to climb. Eventually, the guardian stopped and looked around, and realised we weren’t really keeping up. So he waited and tried to indicate the best path to take.

He unlocked the outer door, took us through the normal labyrinth to the inner wall door, opened it, and invited us inside. Once in, he took care to point out things that were interesting despite the lack of a common language…

This one was also in use and most of the chambers were padlocked.

Agadir Ait Oughain: The entrance to this agadir is quite impressive, and is relatively well-preserved compared to others we have visited.

Agadir Ait Oughain: A passageway of the Berber granary, with 3 tiers of storage chambers – open to the sky – in fairly good condition.

 Location of Agadir Ait Oughain 29:59:21.93, -8:43:18.70

8. Agadir Doutgadirt (or Dou Tgadirt)

Agadir Doutgadirt: We just can’t look at everything – and this one, in a village where we parked for the night, we only photographed from the outside.

Leaving Itoghayn, we retraced our steps on the P1723 about 10Km, to Doutgadirt, where we overnighted. It also has its own granary. Juergen walked up in the morning, but just close enough to take some pictures of the outside.

 Location of Agadir Doutgadirt 29:56:27.51, -8:43:09.61

9. Agadir Tasguent (or Tisguimt)

Agadir Tasguent: We didn’t turn off to visit this one, but it is quite a popular and well-known Berber granary, compared with some we saw.

This one is also off the P1723. Juergen had seen some photos online, but didn’t find it that interesting. However, as we saw the agadir from the road in the distance, it did look somewhat interesting. We had to zoom in to photograph it. And, in hindsight, we kind of wish we had taken the time to check it out.

But, as we keep reminding ourselves, we just can’t see everything.

 Location of Agadir Tasguent 29:54:49.31, -8:44:43.58

10. Agadir Amzouar

Agadir Amzouar can be clearly seen as you drive along the R106. It is an impressive sight.

Back on the R106, we spotted this one in the valley below the road. It might also we worth a look if you are passing. But by then, we were intent on reaching Tafraout in time to do some much needed shopping. So we also passed this one by.

 Location of Agadir Amzouar 29:49:40.94, -8:44:56.00

Berber Granaries in the South of Morocco

While searching information about the Berber granaries, Juergen came across a video of A drone flight over the recently restored Agadir Id Aissa in Amtoudi . We were determined to go and see it for ourselves. When we left Tafraout to travel further south, we visited this granary, and now add an 11^th Berber agadir to our list. There is a second agadir near Amtoudi, which we didn’t visit: Agadir Aguellouy. This one is a little further up the valley and was restored around the same time as Id Aissa.

11. Agadir Id Aissa at Amtoudi

As you approach the town, you will see a rugged, rocky outcrop on the top of a hill. Closer, you will realise you are looking at the Agadir Id Aissa. It was at this point that we thought twice about wanting to climb up and see it!

Our first sight of Agadir Id Aissa, high above Amtoudi. It’s nearly impossible to make out the man-made structure on top of the mountain in the middle – only the towers stand out. On the left of the granary you see the steep zig-zag path going up.

But the next morning, we put on our walking shoes, grabbed our walking sticks and set out. When trying something like this that seems to be so overwhelming from below, it’s really important to take your time and have plenty of rests, especially if you’re a bit older and/or have some physical limitations.

We did reach the top, and it was worth the effort. On the way up there are some amazing views of the oasis of Amtoudi below. And the agadir above starts to take shape, the higher you get – if a vertical rock wall resting on the top of rocky outcrop can be said to ‘take shape’.

When you arrive, you must knock on the door. The guardian will open it, take the entrance fee (15 Dirham each when we were there), then lead you through to where you can start to wander at will. It was quite different to the other Berber granaries we had already seen. It had chambers of all sizes, underground cisterns to collect rainwater, places for animals and even a structure for beehives. It was really a place where the whole tribe could lock themselves in and wait out whoever was threatening them from the outside.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

Amtoudi can be reached from the N12, turning off near Taghjijt when heading east from Guelmim. It’s around 35Km from the N12, so driving yourself is the easiest way to get there. However, we do understand that it’s possible to get there by taxi from Taghjijt. When you prepare to leave for the hike up to the agadir, you will probably be advised by well-meaning locals to go up the left hand side and down the right hand side, as you see the hill from the town. In hindsight, we would have preferred to come down the left hand side as well. The other way was longer, and the track was more difficult. But it had the advantage that it brings you through the small town of Amtoudi, and just maybe you will want to stop and spend some money.

The last photo before we entered the Id Aissa granary. You can clearly see how it’s stuck onto the top of the steep cliff faces, making use of every contour of the mountain.

This is truly a great Berber agadir to visit, although not without challenges. We admit to being totally exhausted at the end of the day, but would recommend it to anyone interested in Berber granaries and their history. More information about the funding of the restoration of this agadir can be found here .

 Location of Agadir Id Aissa 29:14:46.97, -9:11:06.51

Our highly recommended guidebook for people who are looking for valuable information about Morocco: the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Morocco ! This book is for travellers who are more interested in the sights than recommendations for restaurants or hotels.

Our alternative recommendation: the MOON Guide Morocco (on Amazon).

 

Conclusion about Morocco’s Berber Granaries

Our title is our conclusion: The Berber Granaries of Morocco should be World Heritage!

If they were listed by UNESCO, there would be considerably more interest in the granaries. People would be more aware of their history, and funding (even international funding) would possibly be available for their preservation and restoration.

Morocco is keen to attract tourists, and this section of history and culture has the potential to attract many tourists. A few of them are available as daytrips from the city of Agadir, but the rest seem to be left to the local village to manage. Were they World Heritage listed, this would definitely lead to a more unified approach.

The only UNESCO World Heritage site in Morocco, comparable to the Berber granaries, is the Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou , a fortified village. If you just google this site, you will discover what a tourist attraction it is.

They could even be combined with granaries in other North African countries, where the Imazighen also built these fortified structures. There are good examples where World Heritage sites are spread over multiple countries to protect an important heritage:

Belfries of Belgium and France
Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System (across 6 South American countries)

Common Features of Berber Granaries

An old Berber wood lock with a wooden key, which has pegs set in at a particular pattern. The individual chambers of Berber granaries were usually locked with a similar device from the inside. That’s why all chambers have a hole to the right of the door: to insert the key and unlock the chamber.

Information about Berber Granaries

First, you will need to know that names of places in Morocco are not always spelt consistently. This arises from the combination of languages in use: French, Arabic and Berber (which seems to have a number of dialects). For example, we visited Agadir Ait Oughain in the village of Itoghayn. Notice the similarity between these 2 names! Igoudar [granaries] are usually named for the village they are in. Some of our difficulty in finding each agadir was caused by these varying forms of name spelling. To help you out, I’ve chosen the name that brought me the best results on Google when I searched ‘Agadir [+Name]’.

Most of these granaries are in or near small villages. One of the things we notice, in all of countryside Morocco, is the lack of people in evidence. When we drive through small villages, they often appear to be deserted – except if it’s market day. But one thing is sure: if you drive into a village with an agadir, someone will appear. It may be the guardian himself – with a key. Or it may be someone, who can call the guardian to come, or take you to him.

The guardian will unlock the doors and take you into the central passageway(s) that are lined with the storage chambers. Usually he will point out interesting things, even though you probably won’t share a language with him. Or, he may just sit and wait until you are done looking, then escort you out again and lock up behind. Either way, he will expect – and deserve – a tip. We tipped between 20 & 50 Dirham, depending on the location of the granary, and the guardian’s interaction with us.

Around Tafraoute, many of the more attractive Berber granaries are sign posted. We wish that such signs existed for all the igoudar, because we were unable to locate several we were looking for.

As mentioned, we found it difficult to find information about these historical sites of Morocco. Below are some sites we discovered that helped us to find and identify the igoudar we visited.

Further Reading

Agadir – the Fortified Berber Granary , a post on Tom’s Van Blog
Marokko Erfahren – travel blog [in German] . Lots of photos of Berber granaries.
Le Patrimoine Architectural du Sud du Maroc by Roger Mimo [in French]
The website of Salima Naji [in French], a woman who works at the Moroccan Ministry of Interior in an effort to restore granaries and teach people the old building skills

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