Here , Read and Discover Smara & Know about Cheikh Maalainine A Historic City. 240 Km of Laayoune. 225 Km south of Tan-Tan. Smara is the new provincial capital. It was established in the alluvial valley of the Seguiat by Cheikh Maa el Ainin at the end of the last century . Formely on the caravan route, it is now renewing its tradition as one of the principal waystation on the trans-Saharan axis, opening the regions of the south-eat to the north of the country and the Atlantic. The growth of Smara around the Zaouia de Maa el Ainin, in the oldest lower part of the city, is making Smara the major city of the desert. Smara has important remnants of its past, including the Kasbah and the city walls with their five monumental gates, and the great mosque, which formely housed an important medresa (university). Smara City & Its Meaning Smara, which means rush in arabic language, has been always surronded by an halo of legend and mystery. A name that has attracted many travellers. Among them is Michael Vieuchange that "mad" man who one day decided to leave everything to start a journey towards, at that time, remote place, a journey that cost his life on the way back. Today many travellers arrive at Smara with no problems along a good road, either atracted by its history or just by its name. There they meet with the past: the Alcazaba, the remains of the mosque with many of its arcs still standing up, the wells of the wadi..., and the present: mobile phones, cybercafes... And now without losing the life on the way back they bring a singular memory of this also singular place of the Sahara called Smara. Source of some infos and pictures in my home page With all the best to Mr Juan Luis De La Pena for his great work to creat and build that home page Smara.org about Afrika and Smara.

Smara, between the past and the present The city of Smara was founded at the end of the XIX century by the Sheikh Ma el Ainin, who was considered a holy man and became the religious leader of the region. During its glory days there were more than 3000 tents grouped around the Alcazaba which central building housed a library of thousands of books, probably the most valuable treasure of the Sheikh. The city had more than 50 wells opened in Oued Zeluan and about 200 palmtrees, many of those brought from Draa river. Smara was partially destroyed by the French army and later on occupied by Spanish troops who used the city as a base from where patrols across the north part of the former Spanish Sahara were sent.