Peoples & Communities of the Geopark

The Amazigh communities (Imazighen) of the Central High Atlas embody a millennial human presence on the M'Goun Geopark territory, with archaeological traces dating back to the Neolithic era. Living in perched villages like Tabant (Aït Bougumez) or Imilchil (near Zaouiat Ahansal), they have adapted their existence to steep karst relief, snowy winters and arid summers. Their mountain agriculture is a masterpiece of ingenuity: on terraces supported by dry stone walls (agoudals), they practice mixed farming combining cereals, legumes, dried fruits and vegetables. Water management relies on khettaras — underground galleries capturing groundwater — and gravity irrigation managed by village councils (jamaâ). Craftsmanship, dominated by women, is expressed through kilim rugs with tamazight motifs symbolizing fertility and clan genealogy, woven on traditional looms. This intangible heritage is promoted by the Geopark through training workshops, 'Geopark Product' labels and responsible ecotourism.

The upper plateaus of the Geopark (Jbel M'Goun at 4,071 m) are the domain of Amazigh agropastoral communities, combining semi-nomadism and sedentary life. Practicing cyclical transhumance — ascending in May-June to mountain pastures (azzaghar) with 500 to 2,000 head of livestock (Beldi sheep, Djurdjura goats), returning in November — they follow ancestral paths marked by cairns. This mobility ensures sustainable pasture management: rotational grazing preventing desertification and exclusion of regenerating areas. Their traditional pharmacopoeia excels with more than 100 medicinal plants: Artemisia herba-alba against intestinal parasites, Thymus zygis for coughs, or Crocus sativus (bulbs) for headaches. Transmitted by healers (timgharin), this knowledge is mapped by the Geopark for a shared herbularium.