Ourika River

River

Ourika (Arabic: نهر أوريكا)

The watershed of Oued Tensift with Oued Ourika (center right)

Ourika River (Arabic: نهر أوريكا) (French: Oued Ourika) is a river in Morocco, at 31°24′00″N 7°47′00″W / 31.4°N 7.783333°W / 31.4; -7.783333. It rises in the High Atlas and flows through the Ourika Valley, 30 km from Marrakech.

Natural history

A number of interesting plants have been recorded in this valley beginning in the late 19th century including Fraxinus dimorpha.^[1] This valley is the sole location within the High Atlas Range where the endangered primate Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus is known to occur; this primate is found in the Middle Atlas and a few disjunctive populations in Algeria and Gibraltar.^[2]

Ourika Valley, due to its many waterfalls and several attractions, is a very popular Ourika day trip from Marrakech.

The region is inhabited by Berber people who practice a traditional way of life. Despite its proximity to Marrakech, it is still considered relatively "unspoiled".

Salt production in Ourika Valley
Ourika river itself
Drying carpets at a Berber village factory in Ourika Valley.

References

^ Joseph Dalton Hooker, John Ball and George Maw, 1878.
^ C. Michael Hogan, 2008.

Notes

C. Michael Hogan (2008). Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus. Globaltwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg.
Joseph Dalton Hooker, John Ball and George Maw (1878). Journal of a Tour in Marocco and the Great Atlas. Macmillan and Company.