City & Oasis of Ifyyiy

 

Prologue

 
Figuig histoire  

Ifyyiy (Figuig)

Ifyyiy the original name of the oasis  

Figuig the name derived by translation

 ⵉⴼⵢⵢⵉⵢ - Ifyyiy

 

Ifyyiy (Figuig) is a Moroccan Amazigh oasis and city located in the eastern region, which is semi-desert, and characterized by a dry and hot climate. Life in Ifyyiy with all its human, animal and plant characteristics began since ancient times and before recorded history. The oasis of Ifyyiy (Figuig) is made up of a large number of palm trees, in the middle of which is a group of seven ighrmawn (aghrm) or Ksour (Ksar), ⴰⵖⵔⵎ, ⵉⵖⵔⵎⴰⵡⵏ in Amazigh. Ifyyiy is surrounded by a group of mountains which have played an important role in sustaining life and protecting the oasis from desertification. There are a few valleys in the region, some of which are dry, while others are sporadically filled with water when rain falls in the region or on the eastern slopes of the High Atlas mountain range.

 

Ifyyiy has a special character when it comes to building construction, as the character of Aghrm or Ksar in construction is not used much and few cities contain it or have preserved it. The construction of houses in Ifyyiy has depended on the use of palm trees and mud, earth, since ancient times. But now, the inhabitants of Ifyyiy or At-Oufyyiy have also started to use new materials for construction.

 

Ifyyiy (Figuig) is distinguished by its palm trees, its ksour and its nature, which has made it included on the list of national and international cultural heritage.  

The identity of this heritage is Amazigh.


Seniority of the Amazigh oasis:

 

In Ifyyiy, and in a place called Tadrat N hamou Hako Shait, there are rock inscriptions indicating that human life in Ifyyiy (figuig) began at least between 10,000 and 2,300 BC. This era is called the Neolithic era and is characterized by humans' use of animals as well as their innovation in agriculture. These data are the characteristics of stability, which will make the Oasis of Ifyyiy a place of life and settlement.


Builders and inhabitants of Ifyyiy (Figuig), At-Oufyyiy:

 Imazighen, ⵉⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵏ

The identity of the At-Oufyyiy is Amazigh: Imazighen


Ifyyiy (Figuig) is an Amazigh oasis, its builders and inhabitants are Imazighen (ⵉⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵏ), the Amazighs, they speak the Amazigh language. The Amazighs, or Imazighen, ⵉⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵏ, are the builders and inhabitants of Morocco and those who created it: land, homeland and culture. Because of the pan-Arab policy of the old regime, the Amazigh language was banned from the Moroccan school system for a whole period. And therefore, the Amazigh language is still spoken by the inhabitants of Ifyyiy but most of them do not know how to write it.

 To write it, there is the Tifinagh alphabet, the letter and the Alphabet of and in North Africa. Efforts during this new era of the new political regime are being used to restore the Amazigh language through school and academically.


Belief:

 

Among historical research, there is evidence that the Christian religion prevailed in Ifyyiy (Figuig). After the appearance of Islam, Christian pilgrims from Ifyyiy to Jerusalem returned with the new religion, which will bring Ifyyiy into the new religion of Islam.


Palm groves and land in Ifyyiy (Figuig):

 

The land or palm grove or “Iyran ⵉⵢⵔⴰⵏ or Tamourt ⵜⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ” in the Amazigh language, is an important resource for the inhabitants of the oasis. Date palms are the most important and widespread trees in Ifyyiy. Orchards usually have palm trees planted on the sides, and some other plant vegetables are grown in the middle. Other trees present significantly include olive and pomegranate trees. There are certain plants specific to the region, which are widely consumed. Among them is a plant called "Lkroreb, ⵍⴽⵕⵓⵔⴱ", which is generally used with Ifyyiy's couscous: sksou n Ifyyiy ⵙⴽⵙⵓ ⵏⵉⵖ ⵓⵜⵛⵓ ⵏ ⵉⴼⵢⵢⵉⵢ.

Iyran, ⵉⵢⵔⴰⵏ or gardens in Ifyyiy (figuig) has its advantages and characteristics. The basis of the characteristics is the method of irrigation or watering. In order to irrigate the land, there is what is called takhrrobtt, ⵜⴰⵅⵕⵕⵓⴱⵜ in Amazigh, which is the share of water that can be obtained periodically in Ifyyiy. It depends on each person's turn and on the Ksar on which the water source depends.

The watering method is the use of tirgwines, ⵜⵉⵔⴳⵡⵉⵏ in Amazigh. These are water pipes. The main targa, ⵜⴰⵔⴳⴰ (the conduit) is the one which distributes the water rations, tikhrroubines, ⵜⵉⵅⵕⵕⵓⴱⵉⵏ, transports and directs the water towards the orchards. After receiving water in the garden, the owner or farmer must distribute the water among the plants through internal watering cans. Most of these are made only with soil. These streams are opened or closed with the amount of soil removed or added to the stream.

dossier Ifyyiy

Ifyyiy pages

Several information available about Ifyyiy and in several languages