Every year in Morocco, people come together in Kalaat M’Gouna to celebrate the rose, in a colourful ceremony that entails a beauty pageant, music and traditional dancing.
Hundreds of exhibitors display everything from rose water to dried buds and other products made from the flower.
Roses are a significant part of the economy is the North African. The fresh pre-Saharan climate and deep alkaline clay soil provide ideal conditions for the plants to grow.
The flowers are a source of living for many families in the region.
It takes 5,000 kilos of roses to produce just one kilo of the flower’s essence. Most is exported to international perfumeries.
The industry alone provides work for 7,000 women in Kalaat M’Gouna.
Every May, residents of the region organize the rose festival, drawing Moroccans and tourists from around the world to the town for the colourful event, and they are keen to keep it that way for years to come.
