Daya Chiker Daïa Chiker | |
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 View from the southwest | |
  Daya Chiker | |
| Coordinates: 34°06′N4°04′W / 34.1°N 4.06°W | |
| Location | Fez-Meknes |
| Elevation | 1,348 m |
Daya Chiker is a polje depression in Morocco. It is located in the Fez-Meknes region in the northeast. The climate is Mediterranean. Agriculture has been practiced since the late Neolithic period. Tourism is growing due to the adjacent Tazekka National Park.
Archaeological artifacts dating from the late Neolithic period (ca. 3800-2200 BC) have been found in Daya Chiker, indicating intensive agriculture in the area. The artifacts include handmade pottery, chipped stone, several polished axes, querns and other hand tools. [1]
The Daya Chiker polje is located on the northern slopes of the Middle Atlas in the Fez-Meknes region, in the northeast of the country. [2] The depression is the bed of a former lake. [1] By road, Daya Chiker is 260 km (160 mi) east of Rabat, the capital, and 25 km (16 mi) from the city of Taza. [3]
The Daya Chiker polje is a limestone karst formation. It is about 8.7 km (5.4 mi) long in the southwest-northeast direction and 2.2 km (1.4 mi) wide. The large flat depression consists of Toarcian schists, a metamorphic rock formed from sedimentary limestone strata. The flat bottom is surrounded on the east, north and west by gray cliffs consisting of hard dolomite. The south side, has outcrops of Triassic clays and basalts. The flat bottom has a few low ridges aligned along the long southwest-northeast axis. [4] The latter are covered with live oak forests.
The limestone range on the northwest side of the depression contains the Chiker and Friuato cave systems. At 272 m (892 ft) deep, the Friuato cave has a rich collection of chambers, narrow tunnels, and natural bridges, full of stalactites and stalagmites. An underground river about 3.8 km (2.4 mi) long flows through the cave system. [5]
The climate is Mediterranean. [6] The average temperature is 16 °C. The hottest month is July, at 28 °C, and the coldest is January, at 7 °C. [7] The average annual rainfall is 595 mm. The wettest month is November, with 135 mm of rain, and the driest is July, with 5 mm. [8]
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Several plant species are common here. These include Astragalus maurus, Lathyrussetifolius , Juncus bufonius , Poa alpina , Scrophularia sambucifolia , Carum verticillatum , Artemisia ifranensis, Calendula arvensis and Evax crocidion. [4]
Daya Chiker has a few hamlets, with the main activities being agriculture and sheep herding. [4]
The Friuato Cave is one of the attractions of the Tazekka National Park, adjacent to Daya Chiker. The 100 m (330 ft) deep vertical entrance has concrete steps and a ramp. This leads the visitor into the system of vast chambers connected by narrow tunnels. At lower levels, the temperature is constant between 12–14 °C (54–57 °F) and the high humidity results in condensation on the walls. [5] A few guest houses in farms offer a rustic experience to tourists.[ citation needed ]
