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 UTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+1 (WEST)

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 sign at the town border states "Tombouctou 52 days", the supposed time it takes to get to Timbuktu, Mali on foot or camel. The original sign have been replaced by a mural painting.[2]

Climate

Climate data for Zagora
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 20.3
(68.5)		 22.4
(72.3)		 26.0
(78.8)		 30.7
(87.3)		 35.5
(95.9)		 40.8
(105.4)		 44.9
(112.8)		 43.5
(110.3)		 36.7
(98.1)		 30.8
(87.4)		 25.2
(77.4)		 20.4
(68.7)		 31.4
(88.6)
Average low °C (°F) 3.8
(38.8)		 5.9
(42.6)		 9.6
(49.3)		 13.1
(55.6)		 17.1
(62.8)		 21.4
(70.5)		 25.1
(77.2)		 25.0
(77)		 19.9
(67.8)		 15.1
(59.2)		 10.6
(51.1)		 5.5
(41.9)		 14.3
(57.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 4
(0.16)		 3
(0.12)		 5
(0.2)		 1
(0.04)		 2
(0.08)		 1
(0.04)		 1
(0.04)		 3
(0.12)		 6
(0.24)		 13
(0.51)		 15
(0.59)		 7
(0.28)		 61
(2.4)
Source: Climate-data.org

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.
  2. ↑ blog.travel-exploration.com Travel-blog with picture of the old and new sign. Sitat: The town has recently had a new “52 Days to Timbuktu “ sign painted and posted however the old one still remains.

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

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.