7.12.2016
THE COLLECTIVE APIARY OF INZERKI
Honey is loaded with symbolism in the Moroccan culture. Highly appreciated for cooking delicious pastries, it is considered as a source of healing, especially the thyme honey, highly prized.
This adoration for honey is based, in part, on religious grounds, given its presence in the Qur'an for its beneficial properties and the importance of bees, subject of an entire surah. Honey is thus consumed in large quantities.
Beekeeping is a very ancient activity in Morocco. The Agadir region is especially famous for the quality of its succulent honey. Moroccan bees are chilly of the diversity and richness of the Berber flora.
In the rural town ofArgana, Taroudant province, only 80 kilometers away from Agadir, lays the village ofInzerki, home to what is considered the oldest and largest collective beehive in the world.
Also called "Taddart Ouguerram", it is located about 1,000 meters above the sea level, facing south to take maximum advantage of the sunlight.
A winding road throughAgran tree fields brings us to the village, where the president of the association “Taddart Inzerki” greeted us. This guardian of the scene is fighting for the rehabilitation of the apiary dating from the 19th century and has had up to 3000 colonies.
He presents the apiary, which is transmitted from generation to generation. He inherited a part of it, as a resident of the village ofInzerki.
In the midst of natural beauty, the apiary is arranged in terraces. The terraces are divided into four stages, each stage consisting of squares of stone and wood called "Tizghatine" which are closed, when the bee colony is introduced, by a board on which the owner affixes the seal.
There are three hives in every box, the apiary consisting of more than 920 boxes. The cylindrical hives are made of plaited reeds, plastered with mud and cow dung, and closed at the ends. This is the "Ssilt." Once capped, a small hole is created to allow the movement of bees.
A free space is located above and below the floors for the flow of rainwater and ventilation.
Two races of bees exist in the region, the black bee and the Saharan Africa bee. Their merger would have created a new breed of bees that combines the virtues of the two.
Honey production is more expensive in such apiaries because of their traditional character and the importance of the work to be provided by bees, but the quality is much higher and the sale price is the same asthemarket's.
This is why many beekeepers have struggled to save the craft production, but lack support.
In addition,theapiary unfortunately had been flooding in 1990 and 1996, destroying part of the boxes.
A rehabilitation action was conducted in 2005, however, did not follow the traditional method of construction and do not meet the standards for a viable long-term apiary.
For these reasons the apiary is now abandoned, with only a few families still using it, mixing in some traditional and modern techniques.
Thus Taddart Ouguerram fights to revive the Moroccan cultural heritage.
This site is well worth a visit for the unique environment that surrounds it. You can finish the tour with a glass of tea with honey and Amlou (food preparation based on argan oil,almonds and honey).
