Guercif
Guercif (Berber: Gersif, ⴳⴻⵔⵙⵉⴼ; Arabic: گرسيف، جرسيف) is a town and municipality in Guercif Province, Oriental, Morocco. It is the province's capital. According to the 2014 census the municipality had a population of 90,880 people living in 18,779 households. Different family's like Chemarik, Abd Rohman, Sulaiman, were the founders of this town. They principally export olives.[1]
Guercif Gersif / ⴳⴻⵔⵙⵉⴼ جرسيف / گرسيف | |
|---|---|
Town | |
    | |
| Country |  |
| Region | Oriental |
| Province | Guercif |
| Population (September 2014)[1] | |
| • Total | 90,880 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (WEST) |
Nearby cities
In the north of the city of Guercif we find the province of Nador, 135 km away, and a distance of 170 km south of the city, we find the city of Mysore on the national road No.15. As for if we go to the west and 65 km away we find the city of Taza. In the east of the city, we find the city of Taourirt, 54 km.
City Economy
The city of Guercif depends mainly on its economy on the agricultural sector, as it is considered one of the largest cities in Morocco that produce olives. The city is famous for holding an annual festival called the Olive Festival, and its timing coincides with the city's olive harvest season. In addition to the agricultural sector, trade in the province of Guercif is an essential activity besides agriculture, as its commercial activities are revived during the summer and spring season, and the eastern region and Nador are among the most important resources of this region in importing and promoting commodities within the region ..The city is famous for its weekly market that takes place every Tuesday and one to a permanent market "swi9a"(A small market that stays open all the week) and is considered one of the largest markets in the region where different agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits and livestock are known, and other products such as clothes, appliances, home furniture and used tools ... The traditional industry occupies an important place in economic activity In the region, where it receives great care by the population, especially in its fields related to leather manufacturing, ceramics, carpet making, and the manufacture of the ritual and equipments for equitation related to equestrian rifles, daggers, and dress for mare and knight. Province of Guercif is available. On natural qualifications that can be exploited in mountain tourism, as well as on historical and heritage qualifications that respond to the needs of tourists from historical feats and folklore arts. The city of Guercif connects the cities of Casablanca and Oujda, which makes them economically valuable in the region.
Transportation
There is a city in Guercif, on a bus stop that connects the city with the various regions of Morocco, in addition to a station for large taxis, which contributes to connecting the city with the national road network, and the city contains a train station providing ten daily trips to Oujda, Casablanca, Tangier and various Moroccan cities, and it can also be moved From and to the city of Guercif, through the highway linking the cities of Oujda and Casablanca, which is about 18 kilometers from the city. The population also depends on moving within the city by bus or taxi.
Growing olives in the city
According to the regional directorate of agriculture, the area planted with olive trees in Guercif moved from 5400 hectares to 18,000 hectares during the period from the 1998-1997 agricultural season to the 2009–08 season, with an annual growth of approximately 1150 hectares. The production of olive oil in the Guercif region increased during the same period by 6738 tons, as estimates of the current production approached 30 thousand tons, 80 percent of which was converted into tinners and 20 percent to extract olive oil. It is expected that the cultivation of olive trees will grow under the Millennium Challenge Account program and the Green Morocco Plan. The state subsidy for the acquisition of olive trees is 80 percent of its price.
Sport
Football and handball are the most popular sports among the residents and youth of the city. The city of Guercif is represented by the Hassania Guercif football team (HG) and practiced in the amateur division. The handball team is considered one of the strongest clubs in Morocco in recent years and it is always competing for advanced positions in the national handball championship .
Popular people
Allal bin Abdullah was born in the city of Jarsif, in the Hawara tribe of Rahu.
He moved to Rabat after the provocations of one of the colonizers' agents, and he settled in the Akkari neighborhood, and he established relations with a number of traders in the city, its men, and its citizens. On Friday, September 11, 1953, he headed towards the motorcade of Al-Sattan Muhammed bin Arafa who was heading towards the People of Fez Mosque to perform Friday prayers. Allal bin Abdullah drove in a gray "Ford" car to the Sultan's motorcade with a knife in his hand to stab him. However, an officer threw him at his door, and at the same moment, a group of undercover policemen fired 8 bullets at Allal bin Abdullah.
This process had a major impact on increasing the attacks of the resistance against French protection, as commando operations continued, and the liberation army sparked in the north of the country on October 1, 1955 and spread all over the country, until the return of Sultan Mehmed V from exile.
In the following year, during the commemoration of the King and People's Revolution, Sultan Baal bin Abdullah praised:
“We have shown, except that today we show our care by removing the curtain on the memorial plaque located in the place where the late Allal bin Abdullah fell, the heroic hero who demonstrated that the throne is emanating from the heart of the Moroccan people, and that he is from his entity and ensuring his presence and sovereignty, so he will redeem him. And redeem the nation embodied in his spirit, until he fell in the field of honor in a hurry, leaving for generations the greatest examples of sacrifice, jealousy and good loyalty. ”»
The resistance, Sheikh Al-Arab, later assassinated the security man, Quiza Lasorti, who was accused of killing Allal. In 2012, the Alal bin Abdullah frigate entered the Moroccan Royal Navy fleet.
There are also recent Known people in the city known for their kindness and good volunteering for the city
like: Baaziz Said, Mostafa Aqil...
References
- "POPULATION LÉGALE DES RÉGIONS, PROVINCES, PRÉFECTURES, MUNICIPALITÉS, ARRONDISSEMENTS ET COMMUNES DU ROYAUME D'APRÈS LES RÉSULTATS DU RGPH 2014" (in Arabic and French). High Commission for Planning, Morocco. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.