Moroccan villagers maintain communal retailer custom alive

Excessive within the rugged hills some 460 kilometres (280 miles) south of the capital Rabat, Ait Kine is residence to one in all nation’s few remaining collective granaries known as agadir in Amazigh, Morocco’s Berber language.

In keeping with Abdelghani Charai, service provider of village of Ait Kine; “The granary was a assure of safety, particularly within the occasion of an “insiba” (riot of native tribes in opposition to the central authorities). The inhabitants saved barley and different meals. Within the occasion of an assault, they’d additionally take refuge there as a result of that they had every thing right here, water, meals… And above all security.”

The imposing, totally useful construction, seemingly constructed within the 18th century and restored in 2012, continues to be utilized by native residents to retailer and shield their produce.

“The granary of Aït Kine continues to be in use, and it’s nicely preserved. The villagers use it, they’re very hooked up to their heritage. The opposite granaries in different areas have been misplaced.” added Abdelghani.

The agadir has shares of barley, dates and almonds, however it is usually used to safeguard paperwork like marriage and delivery certificates, non secular texts and contracts, and recipes for conventional medication inscribed on palm stems.

“They (the inhabitants of the village) used wooden to make all types of paperwork like delivery certificates, marriage certificates, and so forth. They’re right here in these manuscripts.” mentioned Lahcen Boutirane, guardian of the collective granary within the village of Ait Kine whereas sorting the stems.

Collective granaries might be discovered elsewhere in North Africa — in Algeria’s Aures mountains, Tunisia’s south and Libya’s Nafusa mountains — however they’re most typical in Morocco, although many are not in use.

The dominion has greater than 550 historical igoudar — the plural of agadir — based on the tradition ministry, which is making ready a UNESCO World Heritage nomination.

They’re situated primarily throughout central and southern Morocco, in caves or on cliff sides, on hilltops and in valleys.