Tafraout
تافراوت ⵜⴰⴼⵔⴰⵡⵜ | |
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Town | |
Coordinates: 29°43′N 8°58′W / 29.717°N 8.967°W | |
Country | Morocco |
Region | Souss-Massa |
Province | Tiznit Province |
Population (2004) | |
• Total | 4,931 |
Time zone | UTC+0 ( WET) |
• Summer ( DST) | UTC+1 ( WEST) |
Tafraout, also Tafraoute [1] ( Arabic: تافراوت, Tachelhit: ⵜⴰⴼⵔⴰⵡⵜ) is a town in Tiznit Province, Souss-Massa region, Morocco. Situated in the central part of the Anti-Atlas mountains, a mountain range in Morocco which is part of the Atlas Mountains in the northwest of Africa, the town has a population of 4,931 at the 2004 census. [2]
The basic meaning of the Shilha feminine noun tafrawt is "basin or cistern in which water drawn from a well is poured", with a derived meaning "valley". [3] The centre of the town of Tafraout is actually situated in a small valley, at the foot of Djebel Lekest, a pink granite mountain formed by erosion. [4] A male inhabitant is called in Shilha "u Tfrawt", (plural "ayt Tfrawt"); a female inhabitant is "ult Tfrawt", (plural "ist Tfrawt"). [5]
The area is surrounded by mountains and olive and almond groves, as well as argan and fig trees.