Megdaz, Morocco: Hidden in the Mountains

Megdaz, Morocco: Hidden in the Mountains
Megdaz is a village in the High Atlas Mountains known for its high-altitude setting and distinct architecture. The Atlas Mountains are the highest mountain range in North Africa, often called “the roof of Morocco.” They form a natural barrier approximately 750 kilometers (466 miles) long that separates Saharan Morocco from the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions. Located high in the Tessaout Valley, Megdaz lies almost 2000 meters (6500 feet) above sea level. Hiking enthusiasts rave over the lush environment watered by the Tessaout River and fertilized by the river´s mud and silt.

Apart from the scenic natural beauty of the village, visitors might be most interested in the reddish earthen fortified structures built as family homes, barns and defensive forts, referred to as a greniers collectifs in French, or ighrem (ih-RHEM) or agadir (ah-gah-DEER) in Berber. The structures look impossibly tall and strike an impressive silhouette. The architecture features multiple floors and large flat roofs, which are used for drying grain in the fall and for sleeping outdoors during hot summer nights. Thick earthen walls insulate the homes from both the scorching sun in the summer and from the bitter cold in the wintertime, when snow often cuts the village off from the rest of the mountain towns.


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Morocco Skydiving 101

Morocco Skydiving 

Morocco is known for its rock climbing and trekking, but when most people think of adventure activities in Morocco, skydiving doesn’t normally come to mind, but for a place lush in beautiful scenery, what better way to view it on a Morocco holiday than from thousands of feet up? Even though Morocco is lined with mountain peaks, it also has many wide-open spaces—making for a great drop-zone. Skydiving is a relatively new sport in the country, however, like many adventure sports, its popularity is picking up speed.

There are two major skydiving schools in Morocco to consider while making your travel plans. Located a short distance from Marrakech is the Beni Mellal Flying Club (PACMA), which offers a full-day experience for adventure seekers. Whether you’ve jumped many times or this will be your first experience, the PACMA team is ready to make your Moroccan skydiving experience memorable. Everyone that is interested in jumping must undergo a medical examination and then an introduction briefing. 

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Tales from the Heart of Morocco

Tales from the Heart of Morocco
“Never act in haste. Think first.” Those are the words of a storyteller who sells his words for 100 pieces of gold per portion to the Sultan of Marrakesh in Abderrahim El Makkouri’s story, “The Vizier and the Barber.” These words end up saving the Sultan’s life. If it were not for the work of Richard Hamilton, we would not know Makkouri’s story today.

In 2006, Richard Hamilton was sent to Marrakesh as a correspondent for the BBC. Shortly after arriving, he heard of the hlaykia – oral storytellers – who had been plying their trade in Marrakesh for nearly 1,000 years. He was intrigued by the possibility that people in Morocco, where the literacy rate hovers around fifty percent, still practiced the dying art of oral storytelling. Hamilton interviewed one of these storytellers and, over the following three years, continued traveling to Marrakesh to track down more hlaykia. While interviewing them, Hamilton learns about the history of oral storytelling in Marrakesh, how the art of oral storytelling is becoming lost, and, perhaps most importantly, he recorded these stories that had previously only been told in small circles in the Jemma el Fna, the main square and carnival heart of Marrakesh, for a millennium.


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