A marriage between two lakes
There's a myth which says that two lakes were shaped by the tears of two lovers, Isly and Tislit.
Where are these lakes?
“Imilchil” is in the eastern mountains of the Great Atlas, in the forgotten Morocco (or the useless Morocco, according to the French clonizers classification of the country), where the access is complicated due to scarcity of roads leading to the region.
The group marriage season
The season of group marriages (which occurs every automn in Imilchil-the lovers’ land) is an annually occasion to revive the traditions of “Ait Hdidou” tribes. It’s organized in order to goad the young men and woman to get married in group rituals. It’s also a great opportunity for the tourists who happen to be there (or already know about it) to get in touch with this tantalizing area, the backyard of Morocco, with its amazing natural landscapes and social practices (marriage season for instance).
Imilchil, History and … Geography
If we look for the etymology of “Imilchil”, we’ll find out that it’s an amazigh word meaning “the wheat market”. This area has kept this name until now.
The tribes of “Ait Hdidou” have settled down there since the 17th century. They live by farming and livestock.
“Imilchil” belongs to “Midelt” district, in Draa-Tafilalet region (southeastern Morocco.
The city's climate and the roads leading to it are extremely bad because of its mountainous location, making it isolated from the rest of the country. However, many tourists flock from within and outside Morocco to enjoy the spectacular nature and magnificent mountain views. “Imilchil” is also known for its marriage, Ahmed El Maghni season and the general market.
The General Market in “Imilchil”
In parallel with the season of the collective wedding of Ait Omar village in Sidi Ahmed El Maghni Square, About 26 km from the center of Imilchil, there is a general market that revives the region economically. It’s a market that takes place once a year after the end of the agricultural season, i.e. after the harvest of wheat that is a kind of paramount over the rest of the crops in Imilchil. This is in addition to the season of wool mowing, so there is an annual market in which the residents of the city display their products of hand carpets, agricultural crops, products and crafts, as well as the sweetest traditional costumes that the area features from the "Tasbnit" (colored turban for women) , "Ahndir" and silver trinkets. and a large number of spice dealers, clothing and livestock breeders, In addition to vendors of vegetables, meat, dry fruits, ceramic pots and woven carpets made of sheep's and goat’s wool.
Sidi Ahmed El Maghni’s Season
He’s a saint (“sidi” means “saint” in arabic) buried in the village of Ait Amer in Bozmo District of Imlichil the people of the region can invoke his blessings. He took a great place in their hearts because he was eliminating conflicts between families in the region and the market was named after him, which gives the region an important cultural dimension.
The Marriage Season in Imlichil
Imlichil is known for the season of collective marriage which is an ancient festival that reflects the group's rich anachronistic heritage, which has been perpetuated by tribes in the region for more than 45 years The region's residents work hard and actively throughout the year to ensure that their families live except during September, which is a break from hard work and a season of emotional encounters. Young people this month are looking for a possible soulmate, and the tribe encourages them to do so with songs and traditional dances inspired by Amazigh heritage at the end of the season, but also with traditional meals, clothes, baubles, necklaces, etc.
The season is organized in September, where the groom selects his bride before the start of the season during which large popular celebrations are held in the framework of a collective wedding after the conclusion of a number of marriages. And the groom kisses his bride's hand as a kind of appreciation and respect for her, The opening of the season is characterized by a review by local folkloric teams that reflect the cultural and heritage features of the region. A traditional tent is erected, the brides come in their traditional clothing to hold the pairing, and nights and competitions are also organized to recitate the Qur'an.
There are two prevailing beliefs. The first is a misconception that the inhabitants of the city offer their girls to marry on this market. The other rumours that there is a love story between two adversarial tribes, the Ait Ibrahim tribe and the Ait Yazu tribe, due to water sources and agricultural land.
Legend says, the boy “Moha” and the girl “Hadda” used to meet under the carob trees in that area to decide to marry, The two tribes decided to punish them and prevent their interviews to lock themselves up sharply in their room. And then she decides to take her own life by throwing herself into the lake. When he knew about that, he throws himself into the lake next to her to commemorate the love story and the lakes are called “Isly” and “Tislit” (the groom and the bride). And for the two tribes to atone for their mistake when they refused to marry the lovers, this season of historical and symbolic connotations associated with the two aforementioned lakes has been organized by the city after the hostility between the two tribes faded. and the two tribes decided that they would have a lasting melting relationship and become a revelatory and sharp romance in the anniversary of Imlichil season.
The habits of the Marriage Season in Imilchil
Despite the simplicity of these customs, they attract people from different places within and outside Morocco. The annual tradition of September is a huge collective wedding for young men and girls in the region. The young man chooses his bride before the start of the season, as we mentioned, and it’s rumoured that the couple is held a month before the wedding. One tradition is that the groom's parents visit the bride's house carrying henna, almonds and sugar, as well as a collection of gifts. and then a member of the groom's family distributes dates to his tribe, A bride is also directed to distribute dates to her tribe. And this happens after the conclusion of the agreement between the newlyweds, the tribal women later meet to grind enough wheat to make bread during the three-day wedding, During the ceremony, the groom's family makes bread called "Abadir" for the children of the bride's family, and the groom's family cooks food for the invitees.
This season is also considered as a franchise trading season, with many local products and industries such as traditional fabric, which is known to be of great interest to foreign visitors as well as for moroccans.
Imilchil Heights Music Festival
Imilchil, in Midelt Region, hosts the Heights Music Festival organized by the Village Community of Imilchil in partnership with Midelt province and Regional Council workers. A series of artistic evenings are organized with the participation of local, regional and national Amazigh bands.