Amizmiz

On September 8, 2023, at 23:11 local time, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 32 km southwest of Amizmiz, leveling much of this Atlas mountain town and killing an estimated 2,000 people. Adobe homes built using centuries-old Berber techniques—mud brick walls, timber-framed roofs—collapsed instantly. The earthquake exposed a vulnerability embedded in traditional architecture: structures optimized for local materials and mountain climate couldn't withstand seismic stress. A year later, many residents still lived in tents, reconstruction proceeded slowly, and young families migrated to Marrakesh rather than wait for rebuilding in isolated mountain communities. Amizmiz exemplifies how catastrophic disturbance can accelerate existing trends—rural-to-urban migration, abandonment of traditional building methods, erosion of Amazigh cultural practices tied to specific places.