You may have seen a photograph of the donkey parking in Rissani. It is a very viral image among tourists in Morocco. So striking that one might ask: Is it real or is it fake? Does this unique parking lot really exist? And of course, it does: it is one of the many traditional and folkloric scenes that survive in this country. In this post, we tell you more details, in case you are curious to come and witness it in person, bearing in mind that many of our tours to the Merzouga desert pass precisely through here.
Where Exactly is this Parking Lot?
The Rissani donkey parking lot is located in the heart of this small city, located at the gateway to the Merzouga desert. Specifically, it is located next to the central market. It is an open esplanade, so these animals are discreetly tied to the ground or to another support so that they do not escape.
This esplanade, therefore, is always open, but it is on market days when the area is filled with bustle and, therefore, you can see the authentic concentration of donkeys, patiently waiting for their owners, displaced here for their chores in the nearby market. Except for changes or special dates, the market days in Rissani are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Why a Donkey Parking Lot in Rissani?
It can be said that there is a donkey market in Rissani for two reasons. The first, because the locals still use this animal as a means of transport. It is ecological and economical, and admits a generous load, sufficient to carry the products that are acquired in the nearby market.
And the second reason is that, in addition to being a parking lot, it is also a place of marketing: the owners who wish to sell their donkey bring it here and show it to potential customers, who in this way have direct contact with the animal to know its characteristics: weight, height, apparent age, docility, etc.
In addition, it should be remembered that animal markets are the order of the day in the towns and small cities of Morocco. Without going any further, right next to this parking lot and the market, there is a fenced enclosure that is precisely the animal market. In it, the space is divided into compartmentalized streets, under a roof, where cows, sheep, or goats are sold.
Rissani: Echoes of a Prosperous past Trade
To speak of Rissani is to speak of commerce, since its peak came between the 14th and 18th centuries, when it was an important stop on the caravan routes who sold their products here in the market, the first to appear on the route after crossing the inhospitable Sahara. Already at that time, animals were taken for sale, but also other products and raw materials as varied as gold and slaves.
That is why this city continues to appreciate commercial activity, and its market is considered one of the oldest in the country, with people gifted for negotiation and haggling, as well as a huge variety of items for sale: from spices to fruits, passing through pieces of ceramics and basketry, all in demountable stalls that create a most sensory environment, especially for the color, the sound, and the aroma that denote tradition and craftsmanship.
So, taking into account this deep-rooted tradition of the use, care, and trade of animals, it is not surprising that very close to here another animal continues to be fully valid: the dromedary in Merzouga, which is the ideal means of transport to reach the dunes of Erg Chebbi, as you can see on our tours.
