An oasis in a sea of sand

Today we've arrived at the walls of a kasbah in Tafilalet, home to the largest oasis in Morocco. Meaning 'jug' in the language of the ancient Amazigh people (aka Berbers), Tafilalet was named for the pottery jars they filled with water from underground springs. After the first permanent settlement of the region, Sijilmassa, was founded in 757 CE, Tafilalet became a stopping point for caravans traveling from the Niger River to Tangier on the northern tip of Morocco and the gateway to Europe.
© José Antonio Moreno/agefotostock