Zagora () is a town located in the
Draa River
:''Dra is also the abbreviation for the constellation Draco.''
The Draa (, ; also spelled Dra or Drâa, in older sources mostly Darha or Dara, ) is Morocco's longest river, at . It is formed by the confluence of the Dadès River and Imini Ri ...
valley in the
Moroccan region of
Drâa-Tafilalet.
On the base of the Zagora Mountain the remains of an
Almoravid fortress can still be seen. The exact location of the former
Almoravid mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
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
Moroccan Arabic ( ), also known as Darija ( or ), is the dialectal, vernacular form or forms of Arabic spoken in Morocco. It is part of the Maghrebi Arabic dialect continuum and as such is mutually intelligible to some extent with Algerian ...
,
Tachelhit and
Tamazight
The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight, are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They comprise a group of closely related but mostly mutually unintelligible languages spoken by Berber communities, who ar ...
.
A sign at the town border states "
Tombouctou 52 days", the supposed time it takes to get to
Timbuktu
Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census.
...
,
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
on foot or
camel
A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
. The original sign has been replaced by a
mural
A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' ...
painting.
Climate
Zagora has a
hot desert climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''BWh'').
Culture
Zagora is also noted for international events such as the Zagora Marathon and the Nomads Festival in M'Hamid.
Local institutions
The weekly outdoor market (souk) is held on Sunday in the city center.
List of weekly open-air markets in the province of Zagora
/ref>
Features
File:Draa near Zagora.jpg,
File:Sand storm over the Vallée du Draa (2357098587).jpg,
File:Zagora.jpg,
File:Sign Timbuktu 52 Days.jpg,
Moroccan military castle,Zagora.jpg, Military castle
References
External links
Zagora
Zagora Draa
{{Authority control
Populated places in Zagora Province
Zagora, Morocco
Zagora Province