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History of Ifrane

Ifrane means Tamazight (Berber) caves (singular: Ifri). Many in the region, the caves have forwarded their names to the region, best known Jews in the form of: Oufrane.

The first traces of human settlements in the region date back to Neolithic. The caves such as Tizguite as well as archaeological remains dating from prehistoric times to Zerouka, Ghabt, Al Bahr and Itto to testify.

Thereafter the region of Ifrane was first inhabited by Berbers and by Jews, starting in about three thousand years before Christ. It is claimed that it was the city's oldest Jewish settlement in Morocco.

According to oral tradition, the Israelites left Palestine at the time of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (160 km south of Baghdad) after the first destruction of the temple in 587 BC He crossed Egypt and the northern edge of the Sahara, then managed the Atlantic shore of anti-atlas in 361 BC and settled first in caves along the wadi Ifrane, and this after they have been able to buy permission to move the people.

As a result of an alliance with them they founded a kingdom whose king was "Ephrati" (from the tribe of Ephraim: one of the twelve tribes of Israel).

This kingdom has been named "Little or second Jerusalem" or who - according to their belief - was dropped at a time when they refused to answer the call of their prophet "AZAR" in order to reach "Jerusalem". The descendants of Ephraim then lost their sovereignty to the Berber

Ifrane contains the oldest historical document in north Africa is the tomb of a Jew named "Rabbi ben youssef Mimoun" who died in the year 5 BC It is the Jewish cemetery known as "Lmiâra" (the name given by Moroccan Jews at all their cemeteries

Ifrane east will later inhabited by a population issue Sanhaja two major tribes, the Beni M'guild and Beni M'tir which flows north had been "arrested" in the fifteenth century by the belt Casbahs founded by Sultan Moulay Ismail, which had the effect of favouring the creation of core settlement of nomads and led to the formation of cities such as Azrou and Ayn Leuh ..

Much later, Ifrane will be deserted for other northern cities arising from the birth of the Kingdom of Morocco Chérifien by Moulay Driss Premier, King founder of the dynasty that bears his name () and Morocco.

A few centuries later, more exactly in 1928 and in tribute to the distant past of the city, arrested viziriel (ministerial Morocco), french protectorate authorities decided to create a centre of summering called Ifrane (caves in tamazighte). Two projects to create a station summer were offered to Eirik Labonne, general secretary of the protectorate. The first was that of the current city of Ifrane and the second opted for the city of Ksiba Moha or Said.

The geographical location of Ifrane, topography and climate, determine the choice of the Government of Morocco to build a summer resort in a blank space of any construction. A portion of the workforce will consist of prisoners. On 9 July 1929 was the first truck materials. On 15 August 1929 saw the inauguration of hotels, the Casino, chalets, and the Centre summer and instead of the lion. E. LABONNE.

Ifrane becomes a Swiss-style station that no one would believe a cross strolling in these regions Berbers of Morocco. Each of these villas brings with it features: roofs, red tiles, some argue that certain assumptions, including those concerning their slopes. Indeed, the latter range from the obtuse angle to the acute angle from the right angle. These slopes recall and changing the architecture of buildings in France from South to North, otherwise known as the Cote d'Azur in the English Channel. Visitors can even out the existence of facades typically Normandy or Brittany or Alsace. For a sense of nostalgia, each French wanted to transpose the way home from his country of origin and store at the same time its passage. A French who lived in Ifrane from 1936 to 1992 gave "about developments in the urban fabric of this city, in fact, the makers of the time wanted to make this a city where the French would feel at any time at home ".

Ifrane is the centre of the Moroccan summer more popular. The province of Ifrane is the heart of the Middle Atlas with an area of 3573 km2. It is inhabited by two major tribes Sanhaja, Beni M'guild and Beni M'tir. Station mountain, this city has become a mecca for winter sports. With its chalets roofs covered with red tiles, it is located at 1650 m altitude.

Its natural resources have led officials in the region to create a national park of 53000 ha. It has been the largest forest of cedar in the country. From his real name Ourti (garden Tamazigh), Ifrane is the centre of the Moroccan summer more popular. Its lakes are essential when fishing for trout and pike. It is also a pastoral region and has an experimental station for the study of animal behavior.

Ifrane houses one of the most prestigious universities in Morocco: Al Akhawayne University in Ifrane, where education is entirely Anglo-Saxon.