Oumesnat

Just out of Tafraoute, along the Ameln valley, you catch sight of Oumesnat from the road. You could easily miss the village it being so well camouflaged against the rock wall of the valley it hugs:

Oumesnat's palaces and agadirs change colour according to the time of day. The play of light and shadow on the buildings and rock face produce extraordinary hues of red, orange and even purple.

Not all of the buildings are as old as they look. Contemporary houses sit alongside ruins dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Those ruins in turn resemble older versions providing an insight into the ancient Berber past.

Oumesnat has basically always looked like this (minus a few satellite dishes and almost imperceptable power lines) which creep into (and get edited out of) most photographs.

The morning approach ...

...and landscape around Oumesnat at midday - the warm, orange rock face dappled in places with argan trees, and dried desert weeds. Palms rise up from the valley floor.

 

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