Ifrane – mountain resort in Morocco
Ifrane is not at all like other places in Morocco. Alpine-style houses, neat paths, manicured lawns … Everything is like in small European towns.
Ifrane, “Moroccan Switzerland” is like a piece of respectable Europe, accidentally brought to North Africa. And the climate here is not African at all. Ifrane is located in the mountains of the Middle Atlas .
Wealthy Moroccan residents come here in the summer to take a break from the heat. And in winter, you can go downhill skiing in Ifrane. Not the Alps, of course, but it’s nice that there is such an opportunity.
Weather in Ifrane, Morocco
Since Ifrane is located at a decent altitude ( 1665m above sea level ) in the mountains, the climate is appropriate here. In winter, there is almost always snow (usually from the end of January to March, for sure). Temperatures in winter are slightly above zero. There is also a minus. In summer, the weather is quite mild: usually not higher than + 28C. In Ifrane more often than in other places in Morocco, there is rain (the annual average precipitation rate is 2 times more than in Casablanca).
History of the resort of Ifrane
More or less permanent settlements in these mountainous regions appeared in the 16th century. From the Berber language (more precisely, from its variety widespread in the area) the word “Ifrane” means “caves”. Indeed, local residents dug their homes in the ground.
Only in the second half of the 20th century, they moved into ordinary houses, often built over the family “caves”, which are still used as cellars. The main occupations of the local population were cattle breeding and agriculture, and the land plots on which agricultural products grew, are private property, and pastures for livestock that were under the collective management of the tribe.
Ifrane during colonisation period
After the establishment of a French protectorate over Morocco in 1913, local tribes resisted for several years. In the Ifran area, the struggle for independence continued until 1917, with the hill tribes resisting longer, until about 1922.
The city of Ifrane began to be built in 1929 in accordance with the Garden City concept , which was very popular in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. This idea implies the construction of a city surrounded by green areas, with low-rise buildings, where each house has its own green area. The garden city does not allow crowding, people live freely and freely in the middle of nature.
In such a city there are no straight streets, they are all framed by green spaces. Many of the buildings of Ifrane were built by the same architects who built the modern districts of Casablanca and Rabat. But, Rabat and Casablanca at the beginning of the 20th century, the houses were built according to the latest fashion at that time, then the architecture of Ifrane resembles more to classical European traditions. The first public buildings of Ifran were the Post Office and the Catholic Cathedral.
Later, they build several hotels, as a result of which Ifrane acquired the status of a resort. Sultan Mohammed bin Yusuf built the Royal Palace. So Ifrane, along with the much more significant and famous cities of Morocco, can be an “imperial city”.
Modern Ifrane
Currently, Ifrane has about 13 thousand inhabitants, most of whom are farmers and shepherds, who actually live not in the city itself, but in its vicinity.
At the direction of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, a University was established in Ifrane, which is modeled on American universities. Teaching is in Arabic, French and English. So a large part of the population of Ifrane is made up of students, as a result of which there is even a certain nightlife in the city.
Couple of clubs
Ifrane’s symbol – the stone lion – is in the central part of the city, surrounded by greenery, tourists visiting Ifran are sure to take pictures against it.
There are several small but beautiful waterfalls in the vicinity of Ifrane.
Ifrane is popular with tourists who love walking or horseback riding, silence, and beautiful views.
The ski slope can diversify the program of your winter stay if you book Morocco Desert tours.
Ifrane has a permanent market where you can buy everything you need, as well as not very necessary things.
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