THE BOOK OF
كلميم
History, places, people, culture and food of Guelmim, told by two Moroccans.
CHAPTER I
They call it the “gateway to the desert”: between the Anti-Atlas and the Sahara, Guelmim was the great caravan market of the Oued Noun, where the Tekna traded camels, salt and goods from West Africa.
CHAPTER II
Guelmim is the historic capital of the Oued Noun region, at the foot of the Anti-Atlas. For centuries it was the most important caravan centre of the northern Sahara and the last town before the great desert.
It was a meeting place between oasis farmers, Hassaniya-speaking Sahrawi nomads and Chleuh mountain people of the Anti-Atlas, at the heart of the Tekna confederation.
Sahrawi caravaneers brought goods from the "land of the Blacks", western Sudan, and exchanged them for products from the rest of Morocco. Saharan tribes also came to restock with grain, tea, sugar and cloth.
This trade explains the town's reputation as the "gateway to the desert".
Guelmim is famous for Amhayrich, the largest historic camel market still active in the western Sahara, where herders and traders meet every week.
Now the capital of the Guelmim-Oued Noun region, the town keeps its Sahrawi traditions, including the guedra, a women's dance to the drum, and its moussems.
CHAPTER III
1800–1900
Guelmim is a great caravan market linking the Sahara and the Souss.
CHAPTER IV
1
On Saturday mornings herders and traders gather at the edge of town; more authentic than touristy.
2
A palm grove a few kilometres away, where a big nomad moussem is held every year.
3
An earthen village in an oasis, with a small museum about nomad life.
CHAPTER V
A dance of Saharan women performed kneeling, to a drum made from a cooking pot covered with skin; the hands tell the story.
Guelmim is famous for the Guedra — a hypnotic ritual dance performed by blue-robed Sahraoui women, involving finger movements and swaying from a kneeling position. It is performed at celebrations and festivals. The Saturday camel market (Souk el-Djmel) is the most important cultural event — starting before dawn, with hundreds of camels traded between nomadic families using traditional negotiation rituals passed down through generations.
CHAPTER VI
Guelmim is the centre of the Tekna confederation, Arab and Amazigh tribes of the south, camel herders and caravaneers. The town marks the transition between the Amazigh Souss and the Sahrawi world.
You hear the Sahrawis' Hassaniya and Souss Tashelhit; the guedra, a women's dance to the drum, is a local tradition.
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
Allow 1–2 days to see Guelmim without rushing. That is the length we use in our itineraries.
The best months for Guelmim are October, November, February, March and April.
Per person per day, accommodation included: about $25 on a budget, $60 mid-range and $120 for a luxury stay.
CTM buses from Agadir (3h), Tiznit (1.5h) and Laâyoune (5h). Grand taxis run to Tiznit and Sidi Ifni. No train. Guelmim Airport (GLN) has occasional domestic flights from Casablanca.
The must-sees of Guelmim: Saturday Camel Market, Oasis of Tighmert, Plage Blanche and Amtoudi Agadir.
To taste in Guelmim: Khobz, Moroccan mint tea, Oranges with cinnamon and Msemen.
The best areas to stay: Medina, Ville Nouvelle and Camel Market Area.
Yes, Guelmim welcomes many travellers every year. The precautions are those of any tourist destination: watch your belongings in crowds, politely turn down unofficial guides, agree on a taxi fare before getting in.
Yes, Guelmim is easy to visit with children.
To go further and check what we write.
