The Moroccan desert is an extremely arid and unpopulated terrain, torrid in summer but freezing at night in winter. And its size is truly immense and unmanageable. Perhaps for this reason, there are some things that a traveler would not expect to find here… but they do happen.. In this post, we’ll show you some interesting facts that you’ll surely want to know, especially if you plan to explore it during your tour of the country.
Dinosaurs
Although the Moroccan desert is extremely arid today, it was not so in the more distant past. In fact, there was a time (50 million years ago) when the entire Sahara was submerged under water, as evidenced by whale fossils in Egypt. And before that, was a veritable orchard where dinosaurs grazed some 100 million years ago, such as the abelisaurs, attested in Erfoud, a city famous for its fossils. fossils.
Rose of Jericho
In general, vegetation in the Moroccan desert is scarce and concentrated in the few oases that are scattered throughout the terrain. But outside these oases it is possible to find a very unique and characteristic plant: the rose of Jericho. This is the name given to the plant Anastatica hierochuntica that, when you come across it, it may seem dry and dead. But in reality, it’s just waiting to be reborn: it’s a tumbleweed able to contract due to the dryness of the environment, and remain so for years. And when it comes into contact with moisture, for example thanks to a few drops of rain, it opens up again and takes on a renewed greenery. Hence its name, because anastasis in Greek means ‘resurrection’.
Contemporary Art
The Moroccan desert has been little modified by man, except in certain sparsely populated localities. Perhaps for this reason, it is all the more surprising to see the Celestial Staircase or Himmelstreppea contemporary sculpture-building designed by the German artist Hannsjörg Vothel German artist Hannsjörg Voth, designed byThe Marhaïd: It is a triangular silhouette construction with 56 steps on the plateau of Marha, between Goulmima and Erfoud, which raises the visitor about 16 meters above the horizon line, favoring not only the contemplation of the environment from above, but also a better view of the sky. It dates from the 1980s and makes an impression with its regular triangular-pyramidal shape that invites mystical and celestial reflection.
Signs to cross the Sahara
Centuries ago, the Sahara desert was crossed by caravan routes that connected one end to the other: to the north, what is now Morocco, and to the south, what are now sub-Saharan countries such as Mali. And the crossing was very, very long. If you are wondering how long it could take to walk from one end to the other, you will find an answer in ZagoraThe village is located in the middle of the desert and relatively close to the dunes of Erg Chigaga. Here, a sign informs of the distance to Timbuktu, Mali: 52 days. That’s how long it took the merchants who, along with their dromedariesThey crossed the desert to exchange salt for gold, among other trades.
Athletes replacing 4x4s
The Moroccan desert was a regular venue for the Paris-Dakar Rally years ago, but for various reasons (including the terrorist threat in other countries of the competition) it is no longer held here. It does, however, host other competitions, such as the ultra marathonsThe most famous of these is the “T-barrel”, increasingly in vogue by extreme athletes. The most famous is the Marathon des Sables (Marathon of the Sands)which covers a whopping 250 km, divided into 7 stagesEach night is spent in a camp of removable tents, like the nomads of the desert. Despite the harsh conditions of the event, nearly 1,000 participants have taken part every year since its first edition in 1986.
