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Bricks and Stones
Thirteen months after the devastating earthquake on September 8, 2023, the mud-brick houses of Aït Aïssa in the Azzaden Valley, Morocco, still show the scars.
Back in September of 2023, Morocco was rocked by an earthquake – with devastating consequences.
More than 2,900 people were killed and a further 5,500 injured (see: The Centre for Disaster Recovery). Over two million dwellings were damaged – displacing at least 500,000 people.
Although the effects of the 6.8-magnitude quake were felt in the popular tourist destination of Marrakesh, it was nearer the epicentre – 71km (44 miles) to the southwest in Al Haouz Province – where the majority of deaths and injuries occurred. This is a predominantly rural and mountainous area, with tiny villages of mud-brick houses – many of them only accessible by donkey or motor bike.
What shocks me most is how little news of this disastrous event crossed my feeds and into my awareness – even though I had plans to travel to that very region.
Just over a year later, I was staying in the Azzaden Valley, less 50 km (30 mi) from the epicentre of the quake. I had undertaken the rugged 12 kilometer- (7 mile-) trek into the tiny village of Aït Aïssa from Imlil the day before (see: Over the Tedli Saddle), and could fully appreciate how difficult rescue and restoration efforts must have been. (Later in my travels, I was in nearby Ouirgane, where a whole community was still living in tents.)
The Azzaden Trekking Lodge in Aït Aïssa where I was staying calls itself luxury accommodation; it is not as luxurious as the Kasbah Tamadot, the boutique 4.5-star hotel built by Richard Branson in nearby Asni, mind you, but it had everything I needed – including a spa bath in my ensuite! – and certainly was much more comfortable than the damaged houses all around.
After the bone-jarring, muscle-testing hike the day before, I was looking forward to a relatively easy day walking around the Azzaden Valley. Of course, nothing in the High Atlas is easy! The six-and-a-bit kilometre (3.8 mi) circuit was up and down and over and up again – following rough water channels, narrow laneways between broken buildings, and donkey paths into the unknown.
Join me for a walk:
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Setting Out
My local trekking guide heads off through Aït Aïssa, past a newly rebuilt building of stone and brick – hopefully reinforced this time!
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Morning in the Ruins
The morning sun catches the edges of earthquake-damaged buildings.
Metal Door
The sun can’t reach all the way into the narrow lanes between the multi-story buildings.
Herding his Sheep
Like the many other tiny villages around the Azzaden Valley, Aït Aïssa clings to the side of the mountain.
The Azzaden Valley
The valley is green and fertile in the lower reaches, terraced with orchards and market gardens.
Apple Crates
This part of the valley is home to apple orchards, …
Apples
… and autumn is harvest season.
Guide on the “Path”
Some of the “walking paths” follow rough watercourses; without my guide, I’d never have found the way!
Into the Sunshine
The water travels downhill; our path flanks the mountainside. I’m still tired from the day before, and my guide has to stop and wait for me at regular intervals.
Common Leadwort – Plumbago Europaea
Village on the Other Side
Small villages are dotted all around the valley.
Apples in the Atlas
Apples are everywhere! My guide got me one from a tree: it was sweet, crisp, and delicious.
Red and Green
The steep mountain trail continues winding and dropping, and we end up overlooking an apple sorting and packing operation.
Apple Packhouse
The yard is busy with activity, …
Worker at the Packhouse
… but the local Berber men working there are happy to stop and have their pictures made.
Berber Man at the Packhouse
Mosque in the Middle
Every small village is centred around its mosque, with its distinctive square minaret tower.
Metal Door and Rubble
Spots of colour contrast with the piles of rubble waiting to be rebuilt.
Woman on the Stairs
People in these mountains get their stair-stepping in just going about their daily lives.
Woman at Home
Where sections of the buildings have fallen away, you can see how the old adobe structures were reinforced only with straw.
Half-Housing
The rebuilding process is slow – but at least it includes steel reinforcement.
Girls Snacking
Local girls share a giggle and a snack – possibly walnuts, which also grow in the valley.
Girls on their Phone
Some things are the same all over the world. Back in my lodge, two young girls attached to the household were watching videos on their phone …
View from the Azzaden Trekking Lodge
… while outside, the afternoon sun shines over the valley.
Roads are being build, and houses are being repaired, but it’s a slow recovery in this remote valley of relatively low economic wealth.
I couldn’t help but feel extremely fortunate as I luxuriated in my spa-bath, soaking away some of the aches and pains in preparation for the next day’s early start: around the other side of the mountain and back to Imlil in the neighbouring Ait Mizane Valley.
Until next time,
Stay Safe!
Pictures: 11October2024
