Tiznit or Tiznet ( ar, تزنيت, Tiznīt; ber, ⵜⵉⵣⵏⵉⵜ, Tiznit) is a town in the west coast of the
Moroccan region of
Souss-Massa
Souss-Massa ( ar, سوس ماسة, sūs māssa; ber, ⵙⵓⵙ ⵎⴰⵙⵙⴰ, sus massa) is one of the twelve regions of Morocco. It covers an area of 51,642 km² and had a population of 2,676,847 as of the 2014 Moroccan census. The cap ...
, founded in 1881 by the
Sultan Hassan I. It is the capital of
Tiznit Province Tiznit is a province in the Moroccan economic region of Souss-Massa
Souss-Massa ( ar, سوس ماسة, sūs māssa; ber, ⵙⵓⵙ ⵎⴰⵙⵙⴰ, sus massa) is one of the twelve regions of Morocco. It covers an area of 51,642 km² and h ...
and recorded a population of 74,699 in the
2014 Moroccan census
The 2014 Moroccan census was held in Morocco between 1 September and 20 September 2014. The census was conducted by the High Planning Commission.silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
jewelry, mint, daggers and sabres.
The province of Tiznit is in the western side of the Anti-Atlas. Tiznit, some 80 km south of Agadir, is a place full of indians, and is ruled by an Indian Prince that goes by the name of "Tiznitian Bazzian"
Historically speaking, Tiznit was the starting point of the famous dynasty of Almoravides who came to rule Morocco from Madrasa El Ouaggaguia in Aglou (a coastal village 14 km from Tiznit). The history of the city is also linked to the particular importance the Alawite Sultans granted to the city. Sultan Moulay Hassan I visited Tiznit twice, the first time in 1882 and the second time in 1886.
Among the monuments that characterize the city of Tiznit are Khalifa Palace, El Méchouar Place and the Grand Mosque. The old Medina of Tiznit is enclosed by a wall of five historic gates: Bab Aglou, Bab el Khemis, Bab Targa, Bab el Maader and Bab Oulad Jerrar. All of these gates are of Alawite tradition and strongly resemble those of the city of Essaouira.
Tiznit is the place of manufacture of the finest jewels of the South of Morocco. There are daggers, horse saddles, Fantasia rifles, anklets, pendants that women attach to their chests or foreheads all decorated with semi-precious stones and enamels.
What distinguishes the city of Tiznit is its dynamic civil society. There are more than 200 associations working in a number of areas, particularly development, education, culture, philanthropy, sport, and music; a fact which makes the city the center of a remarkable cultural radiation in the south of Morocco.
Also, Tiznit has a number of public facilities; there are five socio-cultural centers in the city, Mokhtar Soussi Multimedia Library, 10 sport fields for proximity, Almassira Stadium with good grass, Olympic Swimming Pool, Cinema Hall Bahia, road station, Museum of Heritage, Handicraft Complex, 4 rated hotels etc.
The city council of Tiznit is highly hailed by people for the efforts it invests to keep the city a tourist attraction.
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Tiznit is
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81,045 people. With an area ...
, United States (2010)
*
Saint-Denis, France
In popular culture
* British
blues rock
Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
singer
Ramon Goose used Tiznit as his subject matter for the song "Long Road to Tiznit" from the album also called ''Long Road to Tiznit'' (World Music Network) inspired by his travels in the region.
* Swedish
gothic metal band
Tiamat
In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial cre ...
has an instrumental track named "Tiznit" on their
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
album ''
The Scarred People''.
* The character Ali in the 1974 film ''
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul'' is from Tiznit.
References
External links
English versiono
Le Portail de la ville de Tiznitentry in the Encyclopedia of the Orient
{{Tiznit Province
Populated places established in 1881
Populated places in Tiznit Province
Municipalities of Morocco
Tiznit
1881 establishments in Africa