Taddart Ou Guerram, the House of the Healer, has proudly been overlooking a green valley for more than 200 years on the honey road, on the borders of the Eastern High Atlas. Better known as the Apiary of Inzerki, the centuries-old building is considered the largest traditional apiary in the world, and probably the oldest still standing.
The apiary, surrounded by fascinating nature, offers a unique cultural experience to discover the ancestral art of traditional beekeeping.
The Apiary of Inzerki, located just north of Agadir on the southern foothills of the Western High Atlas, is easily accessible by national road and even by the highway. The road to the site winds through ocher reliefs, lush vegetation, and traditional villages.
The magnificent apiary is located on a southern slope at an elevation of 980 meters, overlooking a blooming valley. Lavender and thyme fields stretch between argan trees and oaks like a fragrant mosaic under the shade of palm trees. The Apiary of Inzerki is built with rammed earth, and consists of several traditional beehives.
To fully immerse yourself in the Inzerki experience, contact Brahim Chtoui, President of the Taddart Inzerki Association, who will guide you through the apiary and honey secrets.
You will also have the opportunity to taste regional delicacies like mint tea, Tafarnout bread, Amelou, and, of course, delicious honey.
Contact information: +212 673 907 964 // +212 640 16 54 71
The Apiary of Inzerki testifies to the community of beekeepers’ ingenuity as well as their social cohesion. Its terraces are home to a variety of huts known as Tizghatine. These contain the artisanal hives, which are cylinders braided in reed and covered in mud.
Various writings attest to the apiary’s current form being founded at the end of the 19th century, but oral tradition claims that beekeeping on this site goes back several centuries.
After a swarm of bees has been placed inside, the ends of the hive are plugged with a wooden circle displaying the beekeeper’s emblem and sealed with mud, leaving just a small hole the size of a bee. In a never-ending cycle, the cylinder is uncorked, emptied of honey, and then sealed again, in a perpetual process.
During the 1990 and 1996 floods, the Apiary of Inzerki nearly vanished. With the assistance of USAID, a restoration program was launched in 2005 to repair and rehabilitate it.
In addition, the Taddart Inzerki Association plans to undertake a campaign to restore the apiary properly. At its peak, the apiary had some 4,000-active beehives. Today, only eight families still use it.