Book cover The House of Illigh
Photo: © www.anniewrightphotography.com

Delighted to be part of The House of Illigh, a book compiled by Bert Hogervorst with richly illustrated, French or English contributions from 14 authors. They transport the reader to Illigh, a fortress in the deep south of Morocco, which was once a Trans-Saharan trade hub for caravans bringing cargo from Timbuktu across the Sahara to the Atlantic and beyond. Through its gates passed gold, ivory and enslaved black people.

To this day, Illigh’s towering fortress walls bear witness to the role of the Aboudmiaas, a local ruling family in the 17th and 19th centuries. Although this trade brought them power, influence and wealth, it also created envy and destruction.

Trade made way for research in the 20th and 21st centuries. The Aboudmiaas worked with the academic Paul Pascon on recording and sharing Illigh’s heritage. Some of the contributors to this book were part of Pascon’s original research team.

A companion volume to my photobook The Old Kasbah of Illigh, The House of Illigh is published by La Maison de la Photographie de Marrakech & Cultural Heritage Publications, Amsterdam. Full colour, 108 pages, 28.5 x 20 cm, 2021.
It can be purchased for €29,95 plus postage & packaging by contacting Bert Hogervorst on Messenger or sending an email to info@culturalheritagepublications.com

Further information about the Trans-Saharan trade is available here.