We had read about the Igudar (pl. for Agadir), fortified communal granaries found in the Maghreb. At the village of Amtoudi, there are 2 Igudar, which had been restored and are open for visitors. In that valley, there were once 7 of them, but the others are already past repair.
In addition to harvested grains, the communities inhabiting the mountainous south of Morocco would use these structures to store all kinds of valuable belongings, including deeds and records, money, jewellery, clothing, carpets, and sometimes clothes and munitions. Guards were traditionally posted to ensure security.
The Agadir Id Aïssa, estimated to be around 800 years old, offers completely different views depending on the angle: The entrance side is fortified like a castle and the valley side is broad and flanked by two low corner towers that harmonise with the surrounding rocky landscape. A ring of walls assembled without the use of mortar from larger and smaller stone slabs, in which various storage chambers of different sizes are embedded, encloses the mountain top. In the event of attacks by other tribes, the villagers and their livestock could find shelter here for a few days. Rainwater was collected and stored in cisterns. Structures made of small stone slabs were used to house beehives.
From the Id Aïssa Agadir, we had chosen the route over the mountains, to the second Agadir, which was a great hike, where we admired the rocks, petrified sand, where the surface was once shaped by the water into little waves.
We found our way back down to the valley on a spectacular path built into the rocks. When we rounded the last corner, the second Agadir came into sight: Agadir Agellouy.
The Agadir Agellouy is a largely covered Agadir with an approximate age of 500 years and hovers on a rocky outcrop high above the mostly dry river valley. Inside, there are various storage chambers arranged on several levels, which can be reached via stepping stones set into the stonework.
The corridors in this Agadir were very low-ceilinged, so that we had to walk bend over, to not bump our heads on the beams. It was dark and narrow, a heaven for claustrophobic people! We were relieved when we reached the rooftop terraces.
In the evening, we were watching the horizon for the moon rise. To our joy, the moon appeared again directly above the Agadir. Beside of us, nobody at the campsite seemed to notice that extraordinary spectacle.
Birders note: we saw Common Bulbul, House Bunting, Rock Doves and the beautiful Laughing Doves as well as White-crowned Wheatear.
Tomorrow, we will drive south past Tan Tan, as we want to explore at least a bit of the West Sahara.