Zagora, Morocco

Zagora
Zagura / ⵣⴰⴳⵓⵔⴰ
زاكورة
Zagora

Location in Morocco

Coordinates: 30°19′50″N 5°50′17″W / 30.33056°N 5.83806°W / 30.33056; -5.83806
Country  Morocco
Region Drâa-Tafilalet
Province Zagora
Population (2004)
 • Total 34,851
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
 • Summer (DST) WEST (UTC+1)

Zagora (Berber language: Tazagurt, Arabic: زاكورة‎‎) is a town in the Draa River valley in the Drâa-Tafilalet region of southeastern Morocco.

It is flanked by the mountain Zagora from which the town got its name. Originally it was called 'Tazagourt' (ⵜⴰⵣⴰⴳⵓⵔⵜ) the singular of plural 'Tizigirt' (ⵜⵉⵣⵉⴳⵉⵔⵜ), Berber for 'twinpeaks', referring to the fortress of the Murabitun, or Almoravid, people. In old European maps the mountain Zagora is already indicated but the town itself was only built in the 20th century. On the top of the Zagora mountain the remains of an Almoravid fortress can still be seen.[1] The exact location of the former Almoravid mosque is still a matter of dispute. Each year the moussem (festival) of the Sufi saint moulay Abdelkader Jilali is celebrated at Zagora. Languages spoken in the city include Moroccan Arabic, Tachelhit and Tamazight. A well-known sign at the town border states "Tombouctou 52 days", the supposed time it takes to get to Timbuktu, Mali on foot or camel.

Culture

Zagora is also noted for international events such as the Zagora Marathon and the Nomads Festival in M'Hamid.

Zagora is home to famous Moroccan writer Charifa Lemouir

Features

Bibliography

  1. ↑ Allain (Ch) & Meunie (J.), "La forteresse almoravide de Zagora", Hespéris, 1956, vol. xliii, fasc. 2, pp. 305–325.

30°19′50″N 5°50′17″W / 30.33056°N 5.83806°W / 30.33056; -5.83806Coordinates: 30°19′50″N 5°50′17″W / 30.33056°N 5.83806°W / 30.33056; -5.83806

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