Identifier: tafiletnarrative00harr (find matches)
Title: Tafilet; the narrative of a journey of exploration in the Atlas mountains and the oases of the north-west Sahara
Year: 1895 (1890s)
Authors: Harris, Walter, 1866-1933
Subjects:
Publisher: London, W. Blackwood and sons
Contributing Library: Mugar Memorial Library, Boston University
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston University

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ground, though no inconsiderable portion of theenclosed extent is composed of gardens. This wall isdefended at intervals of 120 yards by towers, some ofwhich are formed of stone, but most of native concreteor tahia, and without lime being employed. Sevengates give entrance and exit to and from the town,but none presents any remarkably handsome features,being more attractive from their yellow colouring andgeneral picturesqueness than from any architecturalbeauties. On almost all sides the city is surroundedby luxuriant groves of date - palms, stretching forsome miles to the north, but more scanty on thesouth. These are irrigated and the water-supplybrought from the Wad Tensift, which flows to thenorth of the city, and in which there is, summer andwinter, a considerable volume of water. Approaching Morocco from almost every directionexcept the south, the place lies hid behind the forestof palms until one is close upon it, and even thenlittle is to be seen but the dull yellow walls with
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POOR APPEARANCE OF THE CITY. 29 their square towers, above which rise the many mina-rets of the form common to Morocco. These do notin the least resemble those of the East, being of farmore solid construction and form, and are almostuniversally square, though now and again octagonalor sexagonal. Often decorated in gorgeous greentiles, they add, wherever they are met with, a glimpseof colour and form to a city that is otherwise butgloomy,—its buildings and soil, its inhabitants andtheir clothing, seeming to be all more or less tonesof one colour, a greyish yellow. Such is Marakesh asseen from without the walls. As soon as one has entered its gates the state ofdilapidation in which the city now is becomes appa-rent. Surrounded by ruinous houses and mosques arelarge open spaces of ground, as often as not filledwith the refuse of the city. From these the streetsgive entrance into the more habitable quarters, wheresome pretensions to comfort, though few to cleanli-ness, are to be found.

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