Palmeraie (palm grove) is a

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

oasis of several hundred thousand trees outside of Marrakesh, Morocco. Situated at the edge of the city's northern section, it measures in length, and covers an area of . It is known for its eponymous palm trees and resorts, as well as the Palmeraie Rotana Resort, and Nikki Beach. It is approached on the Circuit de la Palmeraie, which branches off from the N8 highway to

Fez Fez most often refers to: * Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire * Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco Fez or FEZ may also refer to: Media * ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...

History

Although legend mentions that this Palmeraie was created from date seeds cast off centuries ago by Arab warriors, it was created during the Almoravid period, using a ''

khettara A qanat or kārīz is a system for transporting water from an aquifer or water well to the surface, through an underground aqueduct; the system originated approximately 3,000 BC in what is now Iran. The function is essentially the same across ...

'' network. The ancient tale (more than 1000 years old) refers to this garden of palm trees as "the ardent children of the African earth and sun". Sultan Yussef Ben Tachefine, while searching for land to establish his

Almoravid dynasty The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century tha ...

had camped at the plain of

Haouz Al Haouz ( ar, إقليم الحوز) is a province in the Moroccan economic region of Marrakesh-Safi. Its population in 2004 was 484,312. The major cities and towns are: * Ait Ourir * Amizmiz * Ghmate * Lalla Takarkoust * My Brahim * Sidi A ...

. His soldiers, who had camped there, after consuming palm-dates had thrown the date seeds around and some of them had dropped into holes created by the lances which they had pitched there, and these sprouted into trees. Many centuries later the same plain had become an oasis of a lush garden of 50,000 trees. Here, Stuart Church, an American architect and designer, and Jaoud Kadiri created their dream project of building an edifice of oriental culture and

Buddhist philosophy Buddhist philosophy refers to the philosophical investigations and systems of inquiry that developed among various schools of Buddhism in India following the parinirvana of The Buddha and later spread throughout Asia. The Buddhist path combin ...

, which they called the Dar Alhind, which is a mansion which permeates the spirit and traditions of India. Now there are over 100,000 date palms, as well as olive and fruit trees. In the present day, nearby reservoirs and artesian wells supply the irrigation. In the town planning norms of the 1920s, buildings were not allowed be built to heights taller than the palm trees and as a result palm trees have grown in pavements also. However, in recent years urbanization has affected the area.

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History

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