Stroll through the rural souks
Location: Province of Tiznit
The souks are the markets where rural populations find everything they need. People generally come there to stock up, but they also propose of the surplus of their modest production or of livestock, in case of need for a larger sum of money.
The municipalities of the Province of TIZNIT have many souks among which can be found:
Located about 150 km east of Tiznit, the village of Ait Abdallah (29.813857, -8.769515 – near Tafraoute) has its souk every Saturday. This souk is a real boon for the local population because it saves them complicated trips and allows them to negotiate local production: cattle, poultry, eggs, crafts, etc.
Itinerant traders bring their products there: fruits, vegetables and clothes, groceries and condiments, some kitchen utensils, tools and artisanal accessories for agriculture, breeding, driving …
Tafraoute (29.721538, -8.973059), capital of almond trees, is a small town in the Anti-Atlas 170 km from Agadir. This town has, in the center, a permanent souk where many traders and artisans are found. There is a weekly souk, on Wednesdays, which totally changes the atmosphere of the city until late in the afternoon. Itinerant traders settle along the oued.
And at the end of the morning, the souk is in full swing: we scrutinize, we choose, we weigh, we haggle, we count, etc …
Souk Tlata Ida Ou Gougmar (29.510135, -9.337939) is held every Tuesday near the Kerdous Pass connecting Tiznit and Tafraout.
Ida Oussemlal (29.525325, -9.238772) is a mountain village 60 km east of Tiznit (towards Tafraout). There is a weekly souk on Fridays, which brings much of the population from neighboring villages.
Families sell their products there: weaving, tapestry, livestock, poultry, medicinal plants, grains, local products, etc. … a travel through time guaranteed in the heart of the Anti-Atlas!
On the road to the Gorges of Aït Mansour, you will find the small village of Tlata Tasrirt (29.606293, -8.917288), 20 km south of Tafraout. On ordinary days, it is a deserted place or nearly deserted… but, every Tuesday, the weekly souk transforms the village: the esplanade fills up with traders and onlookers.
We find everything we need!
The village of Anezi (29.660786, -9.362269) is located 40 km east of Tiznit. Its souk is held every Sunday on the village esplanade. The inhabitants of the mountain villages come down for this weekly meeting to renew their stocks of provisions for the week…
It is also the occasion for meetings or reunions between distant villages.