THE DRAA VALLEYQUICK FACTS: Geographic features: the Draa river valley and its lush oases of palm groves, bordered by steep escarpments, beyond which lie a rocky wasteland and the sands of the Sahara Languages: Tashelhit, ArabicSettled Areas: Agdz, Zagora (known as Draa until the 20th century) and a string of oasis villages. Jews lived in both Agdz and Zagora as well as in the following villages: Amzrou, Arumiyat, Mansuriya, Mhamid el-Ghozlane, Ouled Ahmed.Qasbat al-Makhzan, Rabat-Tinzulin, Tagounit (includes Beni Hayyoun and Beni Sbih), Tamgrout, Tamnougalt, and the now extinct/legendary villages of Tidri,Tansita,Taragale, Timesla, and Tizgi.Jewish surnames:Amar, Attal, Azoulay, Ben Dhan, Benhamou, Belou, Bensoussan, Bouzaglo, Dana, Dari, Elbaz, Halfon, Kadoch, Levy, Mimouni, Ohana,Toledano,Touboul, Zaguri ---------Morocco's longest river, the Draa, is formed by the confluence of the Dades and Imini rivers, both of which emerge from the snowmelt of the High Atlas Mountains. The Draa itself begins south of Ouarzazate and continues roughly 300 km in a generally southeast direction. Today, the Draa is a seasonal river, flowing only during the winter months and after heavy rains. After reaching the southernmost oasis of Mhamid El Ghizlane, it trickles into the salt flats (chotts) of the Sahara Desert.Now an intermittent river due to creeping desertification, the Draa river used to turn abruply southwest (le ‘coude du Draa’) near Mhamid and run (partially underground) along the border with Algeria for another 400 or so kilometers before meandering another 300 km westward into the Atlantic Ocean north of Tan-tan beach.Glancing through photographs of the Draa Valley from the last couple of centuries, it would be easy to conclude that this has always been a barren and remote place, blessed with a few precarious oases, perhaps, but mostly cursed with naked rock formations and sandy, saline plains. With high temperatures and frequent droughts, it would seem that the valley lacks the water necessary to sustain a population of any significance, let alone a thriving commercial hub of regional and international trade.Yet, the Draa Valley was once so wealthy that its inhabitants felt the need to construct fortified settlements ("ksour"), granaries ("igudar," "agadir" in the singular) and sophisticated hydraulic irrigation systems ("khettaras"). The valley was lush with cultivated gardens and terraced fields. The protection from the sun afforded by the thick palm groves allowed for the cultivation of many crops underneath, staples such as barley and wheat, as well as a wide variety of vegetables. Eventually, Draa culture advanced to compete with the great centers of learning of the day, in the caliber of both its Islamic and Jewish leadership. In the distant past, the Draa river carved a wide valley through what is today Zagora Province and the region of Guelmim-Oued Noun. Historically, the Draa Valley was significant for two key reasons. First, it made possible the string of fertile oases and the many ksour that run along its length. In addition to supplying water, the valley also served as a natural defense against potential marauders. The width of the valley varies considerably, depending on the distance between the cliffs flanking the river. At several points, the cliffs are no more than 100 meters apart, effectively creating a series of strategically defensible choke points. These allowed the Drawis to control the flow of traffic through the valley and to tax the caravans transporting goods between Marrakesh, the Sahara and West Africa. Eventually, the Draa Valley eclipsed even the great trading hub of Sijilmassa.Trade and the development of agriculture in the Draa Valley both predate the arrival of Islam. However, the Arab conquest of the Maghreb and the subsequent Islamization of the region from Morocco to West Africa led to the flourishing of the Trans-Saharan trade. The cultural, religious, and legal networks introduced by the newcomers greatly facilitated commerce. The Arabs also brought with them the Persian technology of hydraulic irrigation, further enhancing agricultural productivity.