M'hamid El Ghizlane Moroccan Oasis and tourists' paradise

15 years ago M'hamid El Ghizlane was- the last oasis in the far south east of Morocco pre-Sahara – depending mainly on agriculture, but drought forced its inhabitants to look for other means of livelihood.

Many of them sold their land. They buy what they needed to accommodate the tourists who move in-groups to this area in search of peace, serenity and tranquility away from the pressures of life in the big cities in the West.

Tourism currently represents about 80 percent of economic activity in M'hamid El Ghizlane that fills the spread on both sides of main street shops, selling the artifacts, as well as, local travel and tourism agencies, and shops offer all types of services such as car hire and tours in the desert for wealthy tourists, and others are suitable for tourists with limited budgets.

 Tourist who arrives to this remote corner of Morocco takes the opportunity to indulge in the local way of life.

The value of time in M'hamid El Ghizlane is not as in the West. Pattern of life is slow, so those people do not know the rush at all. The money is not their main objective because they are satisfied with income from tourism.  Trips Organizer to desert earns 25 thousand Moroccan dirhams on average during the tourism season, which lasts five months from December to April, while the tour guide reaches 300 dirhams per day.

 An expert in the promotion of tourism, Abdul Khaliq bin says : "Tourism developed  in M'hamid El Ghizlane thanks to the presence of many monuments and antique forts in the area of Oulad Kriz . Mahamid exhibits its unique beauty of the desert and its diverse activities, such as trips by camels, tents and desert tourism which is the important investment of this hot destination. M'hamid El Ghizlane becomes a popular destination in Morocco, because whoever comes to visit Morocco, and especially to the desert has to visit M'hamid El Ghizlane, Marrakech and Essaouira. "

Tourism in M'hamid El Ghizlane meets and fulfills everyone’s requirements. The rich live in luxury hotels and ride 4x4 cars and enjoy everything as VIP does. However, most tourists who visit the Oasis accept accommodation in a small, modest hotel or in tents amid the sand where they can watch in long-sightedness the vast desert during the day, and hold stars in their hands at night. They can also relax under the palm trees or out on trips on the backs of camels or into 4X4 cars or enjoy walking beside the old forts, more than these, they can bury their bodies in the sand, or enjoy a traditional massage.

 British Nancy Patterson - who was engaged in selling works of art before she open an hotel in M'hamid El Ghizlane- seek visitors to accept to be treated as friends but not as customers who pay for accommodation. Nancy encourages her visitors to enjoy interesting conversations in the middle of magic nature in the picturesque region.

She calls to encourage artists and musicians who’re abroad to come to M'hamid El Ghizlane, especially to meet local people and pursue their interests and activities in this center of tranquility of the desert.

Nancy Patterson Says: "I want tourists to come here and bring something of their personality and explore this part of Morocco, especially music and art ... which is live here, and here is a lot..."

 A visitor named Tawfiq Yousefi lived several years in Canada and Belgium, he found inner peace in M'hamid El Ghizlane. Like many visitors to the Oasis Yousefi devotes in long hours in meditation and the search for self.

Tawfiq Yousefi said "It's a very traditional area. When we talk about tradition, we mean values. And if we found values, we found the love of humanity. It is one of popular areas in Morocco, where the principles of humanity still exist...warmth and kind hospitality."

Visitors come to M'hamid El Ghizlane from far countries, as Alaska and South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and others from Europe, Canada and the United States. But, tourists from the Arab world, they are not visiting this Oasis perhaps because of deserts in most Arab countries. For this reason, Nur al-Din Bocrap the nomads’ Festival Director in M'hamid El Ghizlane called Arab tourists to come to the oasis.

He said, "Our main ambition is to open up to the Arab world in particular and to the nomadic culture for sharing the differences, also for celebrating our sameness."

The M'hamid El Ghizlane was the station where caravans stop in their way from Timbuktu in Mali and to. Now it is still a meeting place for visitors from different cultures and religions.

Essaouira The sun-beaten town on the Atlantic coast

Where Marrakech is a uniform pink, this sun-beaten town on the Atlantic coast is blue and white. The prosperity of the place peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was the most important port on the North African coast and a conduit between Europe and the African hinterland. It faded from consciousness in the 20th century, but drew plenty of travelling hippies in the 1960s and early 1970s. Its agreeably languid air stirs only by late afternoon when the fishing fleet returns to disgorge the day’s catch.

1.    Ramparts

Essaouira‘s current layout can be traced back to 1765. That year, the town’s local ruler captured a French ship and hired one of its passengers, an architect, to rebuild his port. He had the city surrounded with a heavy defensive wall, much of which still stands. The most impressive stretch is the Skala de la Ville, where you can walk along the top of the ramparts and examine several ancient cannons. 

2.    Place Moulay Hassan

Place Moulay Hassan is the focal point of Essaouira. A square in two parts, narrow and elongated to the north and opening out at the southern end, it lies between the medina proper and the port, and everybody passes through it at some point. It’s lined by small cafés, where half the town seems to pass half of its time. 

3.    The port

Guarded by a toy-like, square fortress, Essaouira’s port, the Skala du Porte, is still a working concern complete with a boat yard, where vessels are still constructed out of wood. A daily market kicks into life between 3pm and 5pm with the arrival of the day’s catch. Visitors can watch as the fish are auctioned off and follow that up by feasting on fresh sardines, grilled to order at the port end of Place Moulay Hassan. 

4.    The medina

As in Marrakech, Essaouira’s medina is a labyrinth of narrow streets. It is, however, not as hard to navigate, bisected as it is by one long, straight street. This street begins at the port and runs all the way up to the north gate, the Bab Doukkala, undergoing two name changes along the way.

5.    The mellah

During the 18th and 19^th centuries, a Jewish community gained prominence in Essaouira, becoming the most important economic group. They have all long since left and the town’s Jewish quarter is in a dilapidated state. You can reach the mellah by following the alleys just inside the ramparts beyond Skala de la Ville. You can still identify the former Jewish residences, fronted as they are by balconies. In some cases, the Hebrew inscriptions on their lintels are also visible.  

6.    The souks

At the heart of the medina is a lively market, the Souk Jdid, divided into four quarters by the intersection of two main thoroughfares.

There is a daily souk for fish, spice and grains and a cloistered square, known as the Joutia, where secondhand items are auctioned. 

7.    Place Orson Welles

Between the medina walls and the beach, a small park-like square goes by the name of Place Orson Welles, in honour of the great filmmaker who came to Essaouira in 1949 to shoot his version of Othello. Since then, Essaouira and the surrounding area have been used as movie locations in many international film projects, the most recent ones being Oliver Stone’s epic Alexander the Great and Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven.

8.    The beaches

Essaouira’s beach, to the south of the medina, is one of the finest in Morocco. However, the strong winds that batter this part of the Atlantic coast frequently make it a little too cold for comfort – not that this bothers the boys who gather here year round to use the compact sand of the beach as a football pitch. 

9.    Galerie Damgaard

For about a quarter of a century, a generation of painters and sculptors have made Essaouira an important centre of artistic activity. Many of these artists have been brought to public attention by the Dane Frederic Damgaard who, since 1988, has run this influential gallery in the medina.

10.    Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires

This small and recently refurbished ethnographic museum occupies a 19th-century house that was formerly the town hall. It contains displays of ancient crafts, weapons and jewellery. Also displayed here are instruments and accessories that were used by religious brotherhoods. You can also view some stunning examples of Berber and Jewish costumes.