Todra to Ait Ben Haddou
Located in the foothills on the southern slopes of the High Atlas in the Province of Ouarzazate, the site of Ait-Ben-Haddou is the most famous ksar in the Ounila Valley. The Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou is a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture. The ksar is a mainly collective grouping of dwellings. Inside the defensive walls which are reinforced by angle towers and pierced with a baffle gate, houses crowd together – some modest, others resembling small urban castles with their high angle towers and upper sections decorated with motifs in clay brick – but there are also buildings and community areas. It is an extraordinary ensemble of buildings offering a complete panorama of pre-Saharan earthen construction techniques.Â
Artisan making artwork, taking what looks like a white piece of paper, heating it, and voila! A picture!! What was used that is heat sensitive is a mystery! Did he use lemon juice? Baking soda? Milk? Some of each? His results are stunning, browns, yellows, blues, an amazing artist.
Bridge between the town and the castle.
We then went to a shop where they had three looms and women demonstrating the weaving of rugs.
Kind of high pressure sales tactics selling hand made rugs. Tea served.
Outside, life goes on.
The mosque, check out the stork nest on the top!