Abdella and Fatiha took us to Oumesnate, a village in the Ameln Valley. The historic centre, the “Ancient Village”, clings to the slopes of Jebel L’Kest as a crumbling collection of ruins. One house was still inhabited until the early 1980s and now serves as a kind of historic model Berber home.
Mustapha, one of the owner’s grandsons, gives us an impressive tour. His pride in the meticulously conceived architecture of the old Berber houses is obvious, and his German is flawless. He learnt it all from tourists, he tells us. His blind grandfather, who was born in the house, sits decoratively on the upper floor and performs a musical interlude. He also gives the young couple Abdella and Fatiha a few pieces of life advice, which unfortunately are not translated for us.
© b. g.
Leave a Reply