Rissani Things to Do

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On your way from the the market with vegetables, herbs and spices to the impressive place where the villagers park their donkeys you can find separate marketplaces for animals.

So we had a look at the place where the sheeps are sold. (picture 1,2 &3). The next place we looked inside was the place for the cows. When we came in the morning there are a lot, but in the late afternoon only a few were left.

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Coming from north-west by the N13 from Erfoud or by the N12 from Nkob you will enter Rissani by a huge gate, the so-called bab. You can't miss it.

I can't remember I entered Rissani by a gate in 1975. Anyway when I came back to Rissani after 33 years this nicily decorated bab with bright yellow, red and green colours looked rather new. Together with the palmtrees and the minaret of the mosque it is a nice ambiance.

After the almost empty roads in the desert, the livily mainroad into town was a big contrast. Because of the marketday there was a lot of traffic, not only cars and minibusses, but also carts, donkeys and pedestrians, all passing the gate.

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One of the greatest places at the market to visit is the place where the donkeys are. When I came back to Rissani in 2008, I could easily find back the place, walking a bit to the northern area of the market along the Avenue Moulay Ali Cherif.

It's a rather big open area, where the visiting villagers of the market and the souqs park their donkeys. It's always a rather busy place with people coming and going. I visited the place in the morning, but also at the end of the market day just before sunset. Around this time the last owners with their donkeys are about the leave.

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When I came back to Rissani in 2008 I visited two times the market. There are three market days in Rissani, sunday, tuesday and thursday.

At the market you can buy a lot of vegetables and fruits from the villagers coming from the surrounding villages in the palmeraie. But I saw also spices, herbs, clothes, shoes, kitchen utensiles and plastic articles.

In 1975 I saw mainly men in town and at the market. In 2008 I saw also lots of women and youngsters around. I enjoyed the livily atmosphere around.

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The Zawiya Moulay Ali ash-Cherif is the mausoleum of the founder of the Alawite dynasty. After the demolition floods of the Wadi Ziz the mausoleum is rebuilt in 1955.

When you arrive at the place, you see a nicily decorated gate. Behind the gate is an innercourt leading to the tomb of Ali ash-Cherif. This tomb is closed to non-muslims.

Behind the mausoleum are the ruins of the Ksar Aber of the 19th century. This ksar housed once the unwanted and disgraced members of the dynasty.

Not far from the mausoleum you can start also the 21 km long Circuit Touristique through the palmeraie of Rissani with lots of interesting ksour.

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When I visitt Morocco I like it to wander around in the souqs. During my stay in Rissani in 2008 I visited the towncentre, the souq and the market two times, both times at market days.

Sunday, tuesday and thursday are the market days in Rissani. I don't know how the town will be at the other days, but when I was there at sunday and tuesday, the area around the souq was filled with minibusses, donkeys and charts. The souq itself was also very livily with lots of people around, looking around, trading and bargaining.

It was very special to be back at the place where I visited 33 years ago. I couldn't remember exactly how the souq looked like in 1975, but I felt the same excitement to be there because of the vibrant atmosphere and the experience of the daily life in a market town at the edge of the desert.

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Maybe in Rissani started also my addiction for markets, especially the African ones. I liked the bustling activities, the colours, the smells at the market. Rissani has Morocco's most African market. At the market I saw lots of fruits, dates, animals like sheep, goats and camels and many more articles of all kind. There was a continuous activity of trading and bargaining.

Rissani is one of the world's largest date palmeraies, with some 4 million trees and more than 100 varieties of dates. Each autumn a festival of dates is held. Rissani is also an important religious centre, based on the tomb of Moulay Ali Sherif, the founder of the ruling Alaouite dynasty.

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The small town of Rissani is at the end of the Ziz valley. The centre of the town is small and easily to explore. In this Moroccan town I walked for the first time on my own exploring the souqs and the markets. At one hand is was a very easygoing place, at the other hand there was a bustling activity of trading people.

In October 1975 we were the only visitors in Rissani, coming from outisde the area. In Rissani I did my first shopping and bargaining, a relaxed place to exercise before going to the souqs of Marrakech and Tanger later. And maybe a good learning place. In 2001, 26 six years later, I got a compliment in Zagora "You bargain like a Berber".