Bhalil

Bhalil ( / al-Bahālīl) is a town in the Fès-Meknès region in the north of Morocco. Set on the side of a hill 6 km northwest of Sefrou, the village of Bhalil is notable for its unique cave houses located in the old part of the village, and for its eclectically coloured homes, linked together by a network of bridges. Some of the cave houses in Bhalil are routinely open to tourists to visit, but are rapidly disappearing as the village modernizes. A tour of these houses can be arranged with friendly local guides at a nominal fee. Bhalil is also known for its production of Djellaba buttons. Village women can often be found in alleyways, chatting while they diligently work through hundreds of strings and buttons in the creation of traditional Djellaba. The village is also known for its olive oil production, and traditional bread ovens. As of the 2024 census, Bhalil had a population of 13,727.

Bhalil ( / al-Bahālīl) is a town in the Fès-Meknès region in the north of Morocco. Set on the side of a hill 6 km northwest of Sefrou, the village of Bhalil is notable for its unique cave houses located in the old part of the village, and for its eclectically coloured homes, linked together by a network of bridges. Some of the cave houses in Bhalil are routinely open to tourists to visit, but are rapidly disappearing as the village modernizes. A tour of these houses can be arranged with friendly local guides at a nominal fee. Bhalil is also known for its production of Djellaba buttons. Village women can often be found in alleyways, chatting while they diligently work through hundreds of strings and buttons in the creation of traditional Djellaba. The village is also known for its olive oil production, and traditional bread ovens. As of the 2024 census, Bhalil had a population of 13,727. ==The traditional pottery techniques and design patterns of Bhalil== An article written by J. Herber in 1946 (who visited the area in 1928, with the intent of studying Moroccan pottery techniques and decoration in rural areas) explores the various techniques used by male and female potters from Bhalil. Herber's examination of two male potters found that both used traditional techniques that were specific to Bhalil and the surrounding area due to the type of earth and clay that could be found in the area near the village. The tools and cooking techniques were likewise area specific, and tools were often made by the potter himself, resulting in fairly straightforward and simple designs. Decorations on the pottery were made with either a very fine tip (in straight lines or diamonds) or pieces of reed/the thumb nail to make crescent shapes (these designs are seen to be reminiscent of Saharan sculptors). The pottery made in this area was designed to be functional, as it would be used on a daily basis. Much of the originality of Bhalil potters lie in the designing of their tools and the brazier (mejmar), which varied in design and decoration depending on the potter. Female potters in Bhalil have very different styles of crafting from those of the males. Herber was not able to observe the females in their practice, as he visited in April, and females only traveled in the autumn months to avoid the heat of the summer, but he made note of this custom. Female potters in Bhalil also used local earth, but it was slightly different from those of the males (it was found right in Bhalil itself). The techniques were very similar to other female potters from the Zerhoun region as the earth was modeled on a stand and cooked in the sun; however, the main differences lay in the design of the pottery. Much of the pottery was again made for common, everyday use but it was decorated either externally or internally with black lines and zigzags. Although the pottery done by females in Bhalil was still fairly rustic, it was more often finished more finely than that of the males. Overall, Herber found that the design and techniques used in Bhalil, and Morocco more generally, varied across different areas and tribes. However, there are heavy Berber influences that can be found in the decor of ceramics in North Africa, which are reflected in other artisan styles as well (tattoos, fabric and rug designs of the region). ==References==

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