Once a year in the end of the harvest season (August or September, the time is changed according to the end of the harvest), Thousand of men and women from the Berbers tribes are gathered in Imilchil in the Atlas Mountains. The mass gathering origin derives from an ancient tradition that is kept up to now days. According to this tradition, the youngsters are not allowed to choose their mates by themselves, therefore the youngsters with their parents arrive from all the towns and villages to a huge market of brides and bridegrooms. Brides and bridegrooms to be are introduces by the parents in order to find their match. The place is full of thousands of people that create a huge matching center that does not exist anywhere else in the world. Recently the event was opened to tourists’ visits and turned to a unique attraction.
Imilchil Marriage Festival
Country Information
Morocco background and overview
In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, successive Moorish dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad AL-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature, which first met in 1997. Parliamentary elections were held for the second time in September 2002 and municipal elections were held in September 2003.
[Courtesy of The World Factbook]
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