ACADEMIA: An appeal to preserve North-African Amazigh Granaries.
After writing the first letter to attract attention to the existence of the North-African Granaries, the impact it has stimulated worldwide, has now prompted us to summarize the current outcome in order to appeal for more concrete action for their preservation.
Consequently, this new letter has two main objectives:
- To analyze the benefits of the discussion it has created with the result of adding more practical information on the topic and extending the scope to a wider area.
- To launch a more formal appeal to preserve a unique architectural treasure. The Amazigh Granary heritage can be regarded as a human achievement worth being kept for future generations.
1. The first obvious benefit is that it has attracted the interest and the comments of all those, who had already worked on the subject. It has created some viewpoints comments and revealed a few existing studies. It has also brought forward a shared consensus on the existence of these granaries from Libya to Morocco. In short, it has stirred up the benefit of having a follow-up on the topic.
1.1. We clearly need to classify the ‘Berber’ Granaries in two groups:
(i) the fortified granaries, with a more elaborate form of architecture. They are usually located in mountainous areas, and often assimilated to ‘ksour’ / or ‘qsour’ (pl. form of the Arabic ‘ksar’ or ‘qsar’, a fortress).
(ii) And then, the collective granaries, which seem to prevail in protected places such as caves or rock shelters in many other Amazigh regions. Yet, what needs to be stressed for both existing forms is that they always remain a collective concept revealing a clear sociological purpose.
1.2. The existence of ‘the collective granaries’ seemed to be deeply anchored in all the Amazigh communities. But some of the remarks have clearly extended the usual areas to other nearby regional communities like Malta, the Canary Islands, or even the Saharan region of the M’Zab.
2. Consequently, it seems interesting at this stage to assess some of the existing studies that have been done on the topic of the so-called ‘fortified granaries’.
2.1. A few Italian researchers have joined the discussion by revealing outstanding reports on the granaries located in Jebel Nafusa, in Tripolitania, a northwestern mountain range of Libya. The pictures reveal a certain similarity with the ‘ghorfa’ of southern Tunisia, although some of the sites have really astounding architecture.
To illustrate the topic, this is what Claudio Bencini writes about the Libyan Granaries:
“Therefore, I can add to the discussion that, in my experience, in Libyan local Berber Language:
1. the Libyan Jebel Nafusa is called "Adrar 'Nfusen"
2. the Villages are called "Tmora"
2. Granaries are called "Agrem" (pl.Inghermann)
3. Inghermann, opposite to what Christian observed in Maghrib countries, have been built on the top of the mountains, or on the ridge of cliffs.”
Claudio Bencini and Franco dell’Aquila have co-signed an article in Italian in the magazine of the Military Geographic Institute of Florence (Istituto Geografico Militare, Firenze), which can also be found in Academia:
Claudio Bencini also mentioned another paper published in English by Beniamino Polimeni, called ‘The Cities of the Libyan Nafusah Mountain: Type of Dwellings and Urban Settlements’. It is in Academia with the following link: https://www.academia.edu/1864827/The_Cities_o
Beniamino Polimeni writes “This strong identity that influences the different examples of vernacular architecture, arose from the adaptation of climatic conditions and in reply to the collective needs of the communities”.
2.2. A group of Spanish scholars has already published on the granaries found in the Moroccan Sous, where their local name is ‘agadir’. They are clearly in the loop already. Jorge Onrubia-Pintado has published their specific study in French in Academia: https://www.academia.edu/53067213/Une_technique_d_engrangement_un_symbole_perché
This is how they summarize the importance of the granaries: “The practices of the Agadir act as intermediaries between nature and culture, and they also make possible the survival of the group in a difficult context. But, beyond technical action for the preservation and management of supplies (mainly, corn with sacred value) the social efficiency of these institutions is due especially to the collective control of the building, and to the solution of the tensions proper to the condition of its operation”.
2.3. An independent researcher, Nacer Messen, joined the discussion and has consistently exchanged to introduce the existence of collective granaries in the M’zab, a region of the Algerian Sahara. He wrote an interesting comment:” The ‘community granaries’, known as ‘Taklaghte’ in the Chawi language or ‘Tikhoubai’ in the M’zab language had a spiritual and sacred role, which was as important as its substantial value.”
His original study was done in Arabic. So, I suggested adding a French and English version, which he has now added to Academia as well (Bibl.)
3. At this point in time, it would be useful to get and collect more specific information on the existing granaries of Malta as well as on those found in the Canaries. Contributions are greatly appreciated if any.
4. It would also be interesting to know if the same practice exists or has existed in Siwa, a Berber oasis in the Egyptian desert, near the Libyan border. Very little is known about this historic place. Yet, in Antiquity, it was known for the famed Amon oracle, which prompted Alexander the Great to visit the site to add a spiritual value to his Egyptian title.
5. Finally, there is the last chapter I would like to emphasize at this stage: that is the spiritual and symbolic aspect of the granary. Jorge Enrubia-Pintado writes:” The Agadir is set halfway between Men and the Divinity”. And Nacer Messen adds:” The ‘community granaries’, known as ‘Taklaghte’ in the Chawi language or ‘Tikhoubai’ in the M’zab language had a spiritual and sacred role, which was as important as its substantial value.”
By exploring some of the abandoned fortified granaries in the El-Abiod Valley in the Aurès, I noticed the symbolic shape of some of the decorative elements - usually, ventilation apertures - mostly triangular friezes, sometimes combined in a large solar wheel. Then I saw that the same decorative element also appears in the Moroccan “agadir”. These are the marks of an ancient agricultural civilization linking the earthly crops to the spiritual concept of a solar divinity.
If I mentioned the existence of the Siwa oasis in Egypt, it is because the cult of Ammon (spelled with a double M) was a solar divinity represented as a sacred ram. The Egyptians took it as their supreme god Amun (in which case one m has been dropped).
This implies that the roots of the north-African granaries go back to a prehistoric period, often mentioned by Gabriel Camps or Jean Servier. As a matter of fact, Julien d’Huy’s work (ref. ‘Cosmogonies’ - La préhistoire des mythes’) has recently revealed Man’s connections to His prehistoric roots.
All this clearly stresses the importance of the Berber granaries. In the rubric “Greniers” (‘Granaries’) of the Encyclopédie Berbère, the two authors, M. Peyron and J.Vignet-Zunz writes: ”Agadir, guelaâ, gasr reveal, from the Atlantic to the Little Syrte, too many common features not to be considered as other displays of an ancient rural civilization blending with semi-arid conditions”.
It seems we have now a solid platform to carry on the project of preserving all the existing forms of North-African granaries. They are indeed a unique model of pre-Islamic social architecture and a clear characteristic of the entire area. This heritage has a definite universal value. By assessing collectively the need to keep or restore some of these monuments, we can perhaps create awareness of solidarity preventing its disappearance and avoiding any lack of interest.
In order to reach this goal, we have already engaged a process of awareness. The existing studies done on this peculiar form of architecture needed to be assembled as a basis for further contributions or encouragement.
But this act of solidarity has little impact if it is not brought back locally as a supporting voice to help the local communities to preserve these historic buildings. The impact of a collective awareness may then lead to obtaining more concrete support from authorities or other local or international organizations.
To sustain a higher public awareness, it might be useful to launch a series of more formal lectures or articles on the existence of the granaries.
Therefore, this second Academia Letter has no other purpose but to act as a reiterated plea for the preservation of the Amazigh Granaries as another form of universal heritage.
Christian Sorand
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