Inzerki (Arabic: إنزركي; Tachelhit: ⵉⵏⵣⵔⴽⵉ) is a village in the rural commune of Argana, in the Sous valley of Morocco.[1] The village is located 82 km north of Agadir.[2]
Inzerki
| |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| Coordinates (Inzerki): 30°47′56″N 9°11′29″W / 30.7990°N 9.1913°W | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Region | Souss-Massa |
| Founded | 1520 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Brahim Chtoui |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2023) | 250 |
The village is known for having the oldest and largest apiary in the world.[3][4] Built in 1520, the apiary is composed of over 3,000 beehives.[5][6]
History
editThe apiary was built in 1520 using wood, rock, and adobe by a Shilha beekeeper seeking barakah (blessings) and counsel from a Sufi Sheikh, Sidi Mohamed ben El Hussain in the nearby village of Tafilaft.[6][7][8] The Sheikh prayed for the beekeeper's success, and advised him on scouting a location to lay the first beehive.[6]
Once he harvested honey from the hive, he visited the Sheikh's zawiya to gift the honey to the Sheikh.[6] The Sheikh divided the honey amongst his students at the zawiya and made further prayers for Allah to give barakah upon his beekeeping efforts.[6]
After visiting the hive, the Sheikh suggested to the beekeeper that he build an adobe hut to house multiple hives.[6] Upon hearing news of the Sheikh's visit, local villagers were eager to settle and construct their own huts to participate in the enterprise.[6]
The apiary was renovated in 2005 in collaboration with USAID and UNESCO, after two floods in 1990 and 1995 that nearly destroyed the apiary.[9][1] There currently are plans by the Taddart Inzerki Association to restore the apiary further.[9] As of 2013, the Inzerki apiary contained 2,160 hives on three floors.[10]
Demographics
editInzerki is inhabited by around 250 Berber villagers, many of them predominantly Shilha.[6][8] Eighty families work at the apiary.[9][1][10] The apiary contains approximately 50,000 bees.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Secrets du Maroc: le plus grand rucher traditionnel au monde se trouve dans le Souss". Le 360 Français (in French). Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ Hekking, Morgan. "Discover the World's Largest Traditional Bee Yard at Morocco's Inzerki Apiary". Morocco World News. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ "Au Maroc, les abeilles du plus vieux rucher du monde meurent " à un rythme vertigineux "". Le Monde (in French). 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ^ "Maroc : le plus vieux rucher du monde menacé par la sécheresse". France 2 (in French). 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ "The Honey Road". Moroccan National Tourist Office. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Chafik, Salah (2023-04-06). "Plan Bee: The Case of an Islamic Honey Cooperative in Morocco". Halduskultuur. 22 (1): 4–26. doi:10.32994/hk.v22i1.288. ISSN 1736-6089. S2CID 258754667.
- ^ Rhoul, Faiza. "Nomad #89 : Rucher d'Inzerki, le plus grand des plus anciens ruchers collectifs au monde". Yabiladi (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ a b Rucher d'Inzerki, un trésor patrimoine berbère, Medi1 TV, 2017-11-24, retrieved 2023-07-07
- ^ a b c "Inzerki, the Largest Apiary in the World". Visit Agadir. 2022-03-24. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ a b "قرية شمال أكادير تحتضن أكبر المناحل التقليدية في العالم". Hespress (in Arabic). 2013-07-22. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ ""انزركي" المغربي.. أقدم منحل تقليدي في العالم يقاوم الاندثار". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-12-30.