The Tafilalt Oasis: Morocco's Desert Gateway

In this episode, Lucas and Luna journey to the Tafilalt oasis in southeastern Morocco, the birthplace of the Alaouite dynasty and a linchpin of trans-Saharan trade. They explore how this improbable patch of green in the Sahara became a crossroads for gold, salt, and slaves, and how the Alaouite sultans used their sharifian lineage to unite Morocco. The episode traces the rise of Sijilmasa, the medieval city that made the trade possible, and its eventual eclipse by coastal ports. Lucas tells the story of Moulay Ali Cherif, the first Alaouite sultan, and how his descendants, from Moulay Ismail to Mohammed VI, have ruled Morocco for over 350 years. The conversation also touches on the corrosive effects of the slave trade, the shifting fortunes of Saharan trade routes, and the enduring legacy of the oasis as a symbol of Moroccan resilience. A special thank-you to our listeners who support the show on buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. #Tafilalt #Sijilmasa #Alaouite #Morocco #Sahara #TransSaharanTrade #GoldSalt #MoulayAliCherif #MoulayIsmail #Amazigh #History #FexingoHistory #Oasis #CaravanRoutes #Sharifian #ColonialEra #MoroccanDynasty #DesertTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo