Tazotas, near El Jadida

 

Tazotas are very interesting buildings. They are located near El Jadida and worth to visit. 

 

  

After my trip to Tinjdad and Erg Chebbi I flew to Casablanca were I rented a car and drove to El Jadida. I like El Jadida, it is nice calm and hasslefree town. I have been there already once before so I look forward to come there again. Stayed at the same Dar el Jadida as last time, because I liked the place and people there.

 

Well in El Jadida I met one my friend and he took me around El jadida for to see surrounding. We drove also a round to those Tazotas which are really interesting. 

 

 

Theirs origin time is probably unknown. 

 

On one website I found that:

"The word (Tazota) means in Tamazight the pot pie shape, a meaning that explains the likely fact that this building has its origins back to the days of the Phoenicians and Romans era."

Wikipedia say that the local nomadic population from 1916 to 1936 under the protectorate built these huts and used for theirs refuges residence.
Tazotas remind me of Trulli in Italy in Apulia, but also of Nuraghe on Sardinia. 

 

Trulli were constructed as temporary field shelters and storehouses or, as permanent dwellings by small proprietors or agricultural labourers, so maybe Tazotas origin are most similar to Trulli?

One picture of trulli

While Nuraghe are much more older, developed during the Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 BCE. They presumed to have served as defense installations or princely castles.

Picture of Nuraghe on Sardinia (unfortunately I could not go closer than that)

 

 

 But back to Tazotas. If you go from El Jadida you find them along the road R316 towards Oualad Frej.

There are many tazotors, but they are often part of farms so you need to ask the people who own these farms if you can go and look. But people are helpful and let you in. Nowadays, tazotor is used as a layer for grain, straw, etc. But you can still find one or two freelancers, although they are more ruined because no one takes care of it. 

the window

 All around it is green and nice so it is really worth an excursion when you are in El Jadida or driving around the area, maybe on the way to Marrakech of Kasbah Boulaouane?