A\u00eft Ourir is located 35 km from Marrakech, on the road to Warzazat, a straight four-lane road. The town was built in a strategic location at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, at an altitude of 670 m, at the mouth of the wadi Zat river where it cuts through the mountains via the Imi-n'Zat (the mouth of the Zat), a long 8 km corridor lined with orchards.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
![\"Kasbah-d'A\u00eet-Ourir\"](\"https:\/\/darrana.ma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Kasbah-dAit-Ourir.jpg\")
<\/h6>\r\nA\u00eft Ourir est un site strat\u00e9gique \u00e0 la sortie du couloir du Zat. Avant que la ville moderne n\u2019explose, une kasbah dominait l\u2019endroit.\r\n
Because it locks this natural access to the mountains above, the site was chosen to build a kasbah (citadel), of which only ruins remain, and then a military post during the protectorate. For the tribes of the surrounding mountains, it is the first stop on the way down to the wide plain of Haouz.<\/p>\r\n
Even today, the inhabitants of these nearby foothills of the High Atlas come here to shop at the weekly Tuesday market.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n
The Tuesday souk, a rural open-air hypermarket<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nThe Tuesday souk is one of the largest in the Marrakech region, and probably the largest. The Berbers from the mountains may travel one to two hours by informal local transport to find what they cannot find in the souks in the immediate vicinity of their villages, such as Arb\u00e2a of Tighdouine (Wednesday), Khmis of Tidili (Thursday), Sebt of Iguerferouane (Saturday) and the hadd of Zerkten (Sunday).<\/p>\r\n
They also come to sell their products, such as doom (dwarf palm) leaves, raw or in ropes, basketry and weaving products made at home, pottery, and of course agricultural and livestock products.<\/p>\r\n
Vegetable and fruit sellers, butchers, bread sellers, grain sellers, straw sellers, wood sellers, tool sellers, basketry sellers, mattress sellers, and others: the list of what can be found in this huge traditional market is long.<\/p>\r\n
\n \n \n \n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/darrana.ma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_2667-480x600.jpg\" "\\"IMG_2667\\"")
Les\u00a0fellahs\u00a0viennent\u00a0\u00e9couler\u00a0ou\u00a0acheter\u00a0du\u00a0grain\u00a0sur\u00a0les\u00a0march\u00e9s\u00a0ruraux.\u00a0C\u2019est\u00a0une\u00a0de\u00a0leurs\u00a0fonctions\u00a0essentielles.<\/p> <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/darrana.ma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_2669-736x920.jpeg\" "\\"IMG_2669\\"")
Les forgerons sont indispensables aux souks ruraux o\u00f9 les agriculteurs viennent y faire affuter leurs outils.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/darrana.ma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_2664-462x578.jpeg\" "\\"IMG_2664\\"")
La vannerie et le travail du bois sont tr\u00e8s pr\u00e9sents dans la r\u00e9gion, et les artisans viennent vendre leurs produits au souk.<\/p> <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/darrana.ma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_2693-480x600.jpg\" "\\"IMG_2693\\"")
Chaussures, sandales, ou structures de hammam traditionnel en roseau (au fonds), on trouve tout ce qui est utile \u00e0 la vie quotidienne sur le march\u00e9.<\/p> <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/darrana.ma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_9262-594x742.jpeg\" "\\"IMG_9262\\"")
Une coupe ou une barbe le jour de march\u00e9, les barbiers sont nombreux pour ce service.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/darrana.ma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_2630-800x1000.jpg\" "\\"IMG_2630\\"")
Vendre quelques poules un jour de march\u00e9 pour aller ensuite faire ses courses est une pratique courante.<\/em><\/h6> <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/p>\r\nUnlike most weekly souks, this huge market still has small earthen stalls that house trades that are increasingly rare in these markets: tailors, cobblers, saddlers, tooth pullers, alongside the inevitable ironworkers and barbers. They come here to find a large clientele who take advantage of their visit to the market to sharpen a pickaxe and change its handle, revive a large hoe, alter clothes or remake a donkey saddle.<\/p>\r\n
The livestock market opens much earlier, as is traditional in all these weekly souks. From Sunday onwards, farmers converge on the souk and until Tuesday morning, they haggle over their animals, cows, sheep, goats and horses. This is definitely the place to come if you want to buy a mule or a pack donkey, as they are extremely useful in these mountains where ploughing is still done with a plough and where mules remain an essential means of transport.<\/p>\r\n
Animals are slaughtered on site to be cut up and sold by open-air butchers, many of whom are occasional and only work on market days, in stalls measuring one or two square metres.<\/p>\r\nTo see :<\/strong> A huge, authentic and lively market with a wide variety of trades and stalls.\r\nAccess :<\/strong> Ideally located on the N9 national road leading to Warzazat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nA\u00eft Ourir, a sleepy town<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nOutside of market day, A\u00eft Ourir is a sleepy little town of almost 40,000 inhabitants. It is predominantly Berber (70%), and the use of Tachelhit, the Berber dialect of the Atlas Mountains, is alive and well, even though everyone also speaks Moroccan Arabic.<\/p>\r\n
The town has developed rapidly, welcoming rural migrants from the mountains, but without finding the means to develop its economy. The employment rate remains low (44%) and purchasing power is low.<\/p>\r\nThe heart of the town is its permanent market, picturesque with its shops, but also its craftsmen, tailors, repairers, etc. It is next to the bus station and its inevitable eateries for departing travellers.\r\n\r\nA\u00eft Ourir has few or no small (blue) taxis: this service is still provided by antique horse-drawn carriages, which drop off their customers at a pace from another era. The fare costs only five dirhams.\r\n\r\n
\n \n \n \n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/darrana.ma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_9676-759x506.jpeg\" "\\"IMG_9676\\"")
Singularit\u00e9 de la ville d'A\u00eft Ourir, ce sont des charettes qui font office de taxi.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/darrana.ma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_9691-759x506.jpeg\" "\\"IMG_9691\\"")
Le march\u00e9 int\u00e9rieur est rest\u00e9 authentique, avec ses commerces et ses services.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
\r\nThings to see :<\/strong> A huge, typical central square. Horse-drawn carriages used as taxis. A few old buildings.<\/p>\r\nAccess :<\/strong> Ideally located on the N9 national road leading to Warzazat.<\/p>
- \n
Les\u00a0fellahs\u00a0viennent\u00a0\u00e9couler\u00a0ou\u00a0acheter\u00a0du\u00a0grain\u00a0sur\u00a0les\u00a0march\u00e9s\u00a0ruraux.\u00a0C\u2019est\u00a0une\u00a0de\u00a0leurs\u00a0fonctions\u00a0essentielles.<\/p> <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
Les forgerons sont indispensables aux souks ruraux o\u00f9 les agriculteurs viennent y faire affuter leurs outils.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
La vannerie et le travail du bois sont tr\u00e8s pr\u00e9sents dans la r\u00e9gion, et les artisans viennent vendre leurs produits au souk.<\/p> <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
Chaussures, sandales, ou structures de hammam traditionnel en roseau (au fonds), on trouve tout ce qui est utile \u00e0 la vie quotidienne sur le march\u00e9.<\/p> <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
Une coupe ou une barbe le jour de march\u00e9, les barbiers sont nombreux pour ce service.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
Vendre quelques poules un jour de march\u00e9 pour aller ensuite faire ses courses est une pratique courante.<\/em><\/h6> <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/p>\r\n
Unlike most weekly souks, this huge market still has small earthen stalls that house trades that are increasingly rare in these markets: tailors, cobblers, saddlers, tooth pullers, alongside the inevitable ironworkers and barbers. They come here to find a large clientele who take advantage of their visit to the market to sharpen a pickaxe and change its handle, revive a large hoe, alter clothes or remake a donkey saddle.<\/p>\r\n
The livestock market opens much earlier, as is traditional in all these weekly souks. From Sunday onwards, farmers converge on the souk and until Tuesday morning, they haggle over their animals, cows, sheep, goats and horses. This is definitely the place to come if you want to buy a mule or a pack donkey, as they are extremely useful in these mountains where ploughing is still done with a plough and where mules remain an essential means of transport.<\/p>\r\n
Animals are slaughtered on site to be cut up and sold by open-air butchers, many of whom are occasional and only work on market days, in stalls measuring one or two square metres.<\/p>\r\nTo see :<\/strong> A huge, authentic and lively market with a wide variety of trades and stalls.\r\n
Access :<\/strong> Ideally located on the N9 national road leading to Warzazat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nA\u00eft Ourir, a sleepy town<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Outside of market day, A\u00eft Ourir is a sleepy little town of almost 40,000 inhabitants. It is predominantly Berber (70%), and the use of Tachelhit, the Berber dialect of the Atlas Mountains, is alive and well, even though everyone also speaks Moroccan Arabic.<\/p>\r\n
The town has developed rapidly, welcoming rural migrants from the mountains, but without finding the means to develop its economy. The employment rate remains low (44%) and purchasing power is low.<\/p>\r\nThe heart of the town is its permanent market, picturesque with its shops, but also its craftsmen, tailors, repairers, etc. It is next to the bus station and its inevitable eateries for departing travellers.\r\n\r\nA\u00eft Ourir has few or no small (blue) taxis: this service is still provided by antique horse-drawn carriages, which drop off their customers at a pace from another era. The fare costs only five dirhams.\r\n\r\n
\n\n\n- \n
Singularit\u00e9 de la ville d'A\u00eft Ourir, ce sont des charettes qui font office de taxi.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
Le march\u00e9 int\u00e9rieur est rest\u00e9 authentique, avec ses commerces et ses services.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
\r\nThings to see :<\/strong> A huge, typical central square. Horse-drawn carriages used as taxis. A few old buildings.<\/p>\r\n
Access :<\/strong> Ideally located on the N9 national road leading to Warzazat.<\/p>
![\"WhatsApp\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/6\/6b\/WhatsApp.svg\")
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