Amazigh Morocco, the oldest layer

The Imazighen were here first, and they are still here: in the languages spoken from the Rif to the Anti-Atlas, in the earth-built villages of the south, and in the rugs on every floor.

Amazigh (plural Imazighen) means "free people". Three main languages are spoken in Morocco: Tarifit in the Rif, Tamazight in the Middle and High Atlas, and Tachelhit in the south-west. The 2011 constitution made Amazigh an official language of the state, next to Arabic, and the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) standardised the Tifinagh script, now taught in schools and written on public buildings. Since 2024, Yennayer, the Amazigh new year in mid-January, is a public holiday.

In the valleys south of the High Atlas, villages were built of rammed earth: the ksar (plural ksour) is a fortified village, the kasbah a fortified house of one family. Aït Benhaddou, on the old caravan road between the Sahara and Marrakech, is the best kept and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

Amazigh weaving is the rug most people bring home: thick undyed pile from the Middle Atlas, flat-woven kilims and colourful rugs from the High Atlas. Each region and family has its own motifs.

In the High Atlas, the plateau of Imilchil holds a famous moussem each September, linked to the legend of two lovers from rival tribes, where marriages were celebrated. It is a real gathering and market, not a show; check the dates each year.

Tifinagh, the 33 letters standardised by IRCAM in Rabat for Tamazight, with their Latin values. The letter ⵣ (yaz) is the sign of the free person. Drawn by Wakha.

Where to see it today

Aït BenhaddouNear Ouarzazate
The ksar of earth above the Ounila river, still lived in by a few families. Cross the river and climb to the granary at the top for the view.
Taourirt KasbahOuarzazate
The kasbah of the Glaoui family, partly restored and open to visitors.
The Draa and Dades valleysSouth of the High Atlas
Ksour and kasbahs along palm groves, best seen on the road from Ouarzazate to the desert.
ImilchilHigh Atlas
The moussem on the plateau, in September; a long drive on mountain roads.
Rug souksMarrakech, Fes, the Atlas villages
Ask where a rug was made and by whom; a cooperative will tell you.

Opening hours and tickets change; we list them only where an official source states them. Ask at your riad the day before.

One route that strings it together

Marrakech
Start in the souks: rugs, silver, and Tachelhit heard all around Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Over the Tizi n'Tichka to Aït Benhaddou
Cross the High Atlas, then walk the ksar in the late afternoon light.
Ouarzazate, Dades and the Draa
Kasbahs and palm groves on the road south.
Merzouga
End in the dunes; the road there is the old road of the caravans.

What visitors say

A blogger who has been three times says go at sunrise or sunset to miss the crowds, and use the small bridge to get in without paying a self-appointed guide. Shipped Away

Sources, checked 2026-11-14

The other layers

The Roman and ancient heritageVolubilis, Lixus, the Chellah: Phoenicians, Mauretania and Rome The Arab-Islamic heritageAl-Qarawiyyin, Moulay Idriss, the madrasas, the Koutoubia, Hassan II The Andalusian heritageFes, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Rabat and al-Ala music The Jewish and Hebrew heritageMellahs, synagogues and cemeteries in Fes, Marrakech and Essaouira; Bayt Dakira The Portuguese and European heritageEl Jadida's cistern, Essaouira's ramparts, Asilah, Tangier's international years The African and Saharan heritageThe Gnawa, the caravan routes, Sijilmasa, the Hassani south World Heritage SitesNine sites on the map

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