Marrakesh & Central Morocco - Morocco - page 308

Just before you reach Rissani are the ruins of Sijilmassa, the capital of the first virtually
independent Islamic principality in the south. Its foundation is lost in myth, but by the end
of the 8th century it was a staging post for trans-Saharan trade. Caravans of up to 20,000
camels departed Sijilmassa for the remote desert salt mines of Taodeni and Tagahaza (in
modern-day Mali), then continued to Niger and Ghana, where a pound of Saharan salt was
traded for an ounce of African gold.
By the 12th century, Sudanese gold that had been refined in Sijilmassa had made it to
Europe, where it was minted into European coins. The identical quality between European
and Moroccan coins attests to the importance of trade between these regions. But as Ber-
bers say, where there's gold, there's trouble. Internal feuding led to the collapse of the city
in the 14th century, and although it was rebuilt by Alawite Sultan Moulay Ismail in the
18th century, it was finally destroyed by Aït Atta nomadic warriors in 1818. Sijilmassa
has remained a ruin ever since, with only two decorated gateways and other partially
standing structures.

Ksar El Fida
OFFLINE MAP

KSAR

(suggested donation Dh10; 8am-7pm) This enormous, restored Alawite kasbah (1854-72)
served as the palace of the local caïd right up until 1965, after which it housed a museum
of archaeology. Now only the septuagenarian owner remains and is happy to give you a
short guided tour in French and Arabic.

Circuit Touristique
Dune-bound visitors may be tempted to zoom through Rissani, but photographers, history
buffs and architecture aficionados could spend a few days exploring decrepit ksour and
artfully crumbling kasbahs on this 21km 'Landmark Loop' circuit. It's best tackled in a
clockwise direction from the regal ruins of Kasbah Abbar OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP - a fa-
vourite palace in exile for sidelined members of the Alawite dynasty - past half a dozen
crumbling ksour to the still-inhabited Ksar Tinheras OFFLINE MAP situated on a rise offering
spectacular views over the Tafilalt.
Also of note en route are the Zawiya Moulay Ali Ash-Sherif OFFLINE MAP (

TOUR

8am-6pm)

, the shrine built to honour the Alawite dynasty's founder, and the royal Ksar Oulad
Abdelhalim OFFLINE MAP , a glorious 19th-century ruin with huge ramparts once called the
'Alhambra of the Tafilalt'.