The southern part of town, or "lower" town was built by the Spanish, while
the "upper" town has been developed since the Bowling Green. Most of the
lower town is run-down, but makes for an interesting walk. There is an old
Spanish cathedral that still has a rusting sign which says ‘property of the
Spanish government’. The area called the chicken market (Souk Djaj) has some
cheap hotels and displays some interesting architecture-eggshell-domed roofs
that are meant to keep the houses cool. The modern monuments are very
striking in comparison with the rest of the Western Sahara. The Great Mosque
stands in the Place Mechouar. Not far, the new 30,000 seat stadium, with
real grass, waits to be nominated the home of a World Cup soccer match. The
Colline des Oiseaux is in a landscaped garden and makSes for a pleasant
visit. Exotic birds are housed in cages with blinds, to protect them from
sandstorms.
Do be careful though, Laayoune is in a politically sensitive area so check
with your embassy to determine whether it’s safe to visit.
_______History
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al-Ayun was the main Spanish settlement in the region of Western Sahara
called ' Saguia al Hamra'. This region was earlier mainly inhabited by
nomads.
The capital of these nomads was Smara, also in the Saguia. It was founded by
the leader of the resistance against the Spanish and French occupation of
the Western Sahara, Sheikh Ma al-Aynayn.
After the departure of the Spanish the Moroccans occupied the territory and
starting moving Moroccan settlers into Western Sahara. Since the town has
more than dubbled its population although many Saharawis flead the Moroccan
invasion to Algeria and Mauritania.
______Getting Around
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el Ayoune is on the south bank of the Saguiet el-Hamra. The town is new, so
all the streets are straight, which is nice for a change. Center of town is
not big, it is a few blocks around where Av. Hassan II and Av. Mohammed V
meet. Parallel on Hassan II is the Av. de la Mecque which leads to the local
bus station and the offices of the RAM. Four good hotels are on the banks of
the river, just north from the center.
________Getting There
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Unless you are flying, getting to al Ayoune involves a lot of desert. Both
Dakhla and Goulmime are 5 hours of sand away. There are regular buses and
grand taxis going to Agadir, along the coast, over Goulmime and Tiznit. Only
one going to ed-Dakhla. To Smara there is one bus, so you might try and find
a grand taxi (3 hours). Driving yourself isn't hard, but always long.
If you aren't here on you're own wheels, you could consider flying. There
are regular flights from Casa and Agadir. From here you can also go to Las
Palmas on the Canary Islands. |
