Region
Draa-Tafilalet
History
The Morocco of oases, kasbahs and dunes, south of the High Atlas. The caravans to West Africa set out from here, Sijilmassa grew rich on gold and salt, and two dynasties came from these valleys: the Saadians from the Draa and the Alaouites from the Tafilalet.
Key dates
757
Foundation of Sijilmassa, the great caravan city, near today's Rissani.
1591
The Saadian army of Ahmad al-Mansur crosses the Draa on its way to Timbuktu.
1631
The Alaouite dynasty, still reigning, rises in the Tafilalet.
