Surrounded by olive and palm bushes in a Moroccan mountain village, a centuries-old collective granary preserves the traditional practices of the Amazigh tradition.

“The traditions are vanishing, however not right here,” mentioned proud village elder Hossine Oubrahim, in Ait Kine within the Anti-Atlas mountains.

Excessive within the rugged hills some 460km (280 miles) south of the capital, Rabat, Ait Kine is residence to one of many nation’s few remaining collective granaries, referred to as agadir in Amazigh, Morocco’s Berber language.

The imposing, absolutely practical construction, possible constructed within the 18th century and restored in 2012, remains to be utilized by native residents to retailer and shield their produce.

“We have been raised on the custom of storing our grains, dried fruit, oil and valuables there,” recalled Oubrahim, in his 70s and carrying an indigo-coloured tunic.

“And we proceed to respect it.”

The village’s granary is a “monument” that “represents our group spirit”, mentioned Abdelghani Charai, a 60-year-old service provider who returned to his ancestral residence in Ait Kine after years away.

Grains, fruits, household archives

The granary, constructed utilizing a observe referred to as rammed earth, sits within the village centre, protected by a fortified wall with a stone watchtower.

Up to now, throughout occasions of unrest and revolt towards the federal government, it provided a secure place for storage, Charai defined.

“The granary assured safety,” he mentioned.

Inside, 76 cubicles are organized in three ranges round an open courtyard with a water cistern.

The agadir has shares of barley, dates and almonds, however it is usually used to safeguard paperwork like marriage and delivery certificates, non secular texts and contracts, and recipes for conventional drugs inscribed on palm stems.

Lahcen Boutirane, the guardian of the collective storeroom, mentioned the village’s 63 remaining households use it.

“Others have left, however they preserve their archives right here,” he mentioned.

Unwritten legal guidelines have stored these granaries sacred and inviolable areas, not solely storing crops to make use of in drought but additionally defending them from assaults, mentioned archaeologist Naima Keddane.

Boutirane confused the significance of preserving Ait Kine’s agadir, which “bears witness to our ancestors’ ingenuity”.

‘Solidarity’

Collective granaries may be discovered elsewhere in North Africa – in Algeria’s Aures mountains, Tunisia’s south and Libya’s Nafusa mountains – however they’re commonest in Morocco, although many are now not in use.

The dominion has greater than 550 historic igoudar – the plural of agadir – in keeping with the tradition ministry, which is making ready a UNESCO World Heritage nomination.

They’re positioned primarily throughout central and southern Morocco, in caves or on cliff sides, on hilltops and in valleys.

“The problem is to save lots of Morocco’s collective granaries, which have virtually disappeared in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya,” mentioned architect and anthropologist Salima Naji.

Obsessed with these “establishments of solidarity”, she had helped restore Ait Kine’s agadir, now an attraction for each researchers and vacationers.

A gaggle of Italian guests appreciated the carved picket door, adorned with cast-iron.

“We’re doing a tour of granaries,” mentioned information Emanuele Maspoli, describing them as “extraordinary locations that attest to the historic wealth of Morocco’s oases”.

“It’s a magical place,” mentioned vacationer Antonella Dalla.