“Iminifri” a magical cave full of legends

It hides it’s secrets under the most famous arch in Morrocco.
Published by “Melod Al Shelh”
in “Al Massaa”
Towards the middle of the map of Morrocco, and exactly 100 km away from the east of Marrakech, you find yourself in “Demnate” where the landscape of its vast territory and green pastures which surround it as a bracelet will enchant you. The first thing that will surprise you when you are visiting “Demnate” which is located in the middle of Atlas mountains , even if you come to it from the southern road ”Albero” or from the western “Tesghet”, The view of the olive trees and almonds dancing to the right and north as if you are welcome to come to this area to enjoy the various landscapes that are full of tourists and attract attention to them throughout the year.

“Mohammed V” St. where you find a lot of big taxies which is dedicated to transfer people to “Iminifri”(the cave mouth).
A distance of six km from the town of “Demnate” and across the paved road leading to “Warthazat” across the area of “Ayet Tamlel”, The visitor is showed the pine trees that form the forest of “Aghry” which are clear green all the way to the cave of “Iminifri”.
In less than a quarter of an hour, you will find yourself above the natural arch of “Iminifri” which is extending over an area of 1500 square meters. The first thing you get when you arrive there is those cold breezes laden with the smell of flowers and salt water .If you have more luck ,you will be welcomed by the flocks of pigeons which don’t stop flying over the sky of the cave. After you take a whole look at the cave while you are leaning on the edges of the arch , you can see stunning views below, dragging you down to see it closely, defying the roughness of the courses leading down the mouth of the cave. There are two ways to reach the bottom of the cave: the first one is a rounded path which is a degree from which visitors usually get to the bottom.
The second is the way back , after penetrating the cave from the back of the climb towards the starting point at the top of the arch, a rough course can not be taken by all visitors.

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After your coming down all these degrees leading to the mouth of the cave , your dazzle with what you are seeing will make you forgetting all the fatigue that you incurred to get there. You raise your eyes towards the top of the cave and you enjoy with the look of the green plants hanging from the top of the cave to the bottom like the braids of a girl, and what magnify the beauty of the scene are the flocks of pigeons that are flying without interruption around the mouth of the cave, and the scene of the falling salty drops will attract you, and your ears will enjoy the sound of the musical regular impact of these drops with the stones which is accumulated by the overwhelming water under the cave. A stream is cutting the cave which is affected by the climate. Sometimes you find it calm and thunderous in another times. This space is considered the favourite refuge to the residents of “Demnate” from sun in summer to dnjoy it’s cool fresh water which is connected in streams. A few meters from the mouth of the cave, there is a swimming pool originally dedicated to collect water for distribution on two waterwheels which the farmers of the near areas benefit from it.
The cave of “Iminifri” is distinguished by a lot of springs in all it’s sides which were flowing from the sides of the cave forming beautiful waterfalls recently. Some small springs still remain until now which a salty and fresh water spring from it. Also, there are some Mineral water springs which is effective in treating some diseases, and all this water is collected in the bottom of the cave to meet across the valley of “Amhasser” that crossing the cave.when you are walking on these hard roads in the cave, you will think that the cave is making a natural condition air because it’s air is cold all the time whatever the temperature is high.

Do you like climbing mountains?

Inside the cave, there are a lot of mini caves which are thought that were habitats for the old human who were living there in the last centuries. Now, crows and wild doves are living in it.
There is a small cave that is called “the airplane” which is a long tight tunnel connecting the top of the big cave and it’s bottom from the back where some hollows go into it which you can see while you are in the cave. If you like climbing mountains by hands and legs ,you will enjoy an amazing adventure when you are climbing to “ the airplane”. After you climb up the stones of the tunnel, you will find yourself inside a room likes an airplane with chairs/stones , you will imagine that you are in an airplane that is flying with you. While you are climbing the huge stones in the back of the cave ,you will be surprised that there are another beautiful scenes that are covered by the cave. One of these scenes is a state of a woman hugs her son.

The legend of “Iminifri”

People are telling some legends about the cave of “ Iminifri”.The most famous one is about a pretty girl who is called “Nat” and she was the daughter of one of the Caesars, she was sad and cried a lot because her father decided to marry her to someone he knew called “Aftaymoss”,and she cut her braids protesting against the decision of the Caesar. She conformed with his servant “Abidoss” who prepared a horse for her escaping after mid night.
In the morning, when her father knew , he ordered all his soldiers to search for her and bring her. The soldiers found her blood on huge stones and they called it “dam Nat”. The tellers of this legend say that these stones are the stones of the cave “Iminifri” and that these green plants are the cut braids of “Nat” and also the fresh salty drops are the tears of “Nat” who didn’t die as the legend tells us.

The returning

When you return to the beginning point above the arch, You discover that you have an enjoyable tour that combines the sweetness of enjoying nature with the ecstasy of success in taking the adventure of flying and climbing the stones back to the top of the arch. There are popular cafes where the visitors are tired and enjoy the shade of willow trees and they sip tea, coffee or juice cups, and look at their necks, the right and the left are dazzled by the beautiful scenery from around.

Translated by Amira GadAllah
Copyrights : www.iminifri.com