Meet the Women Reclaiming Morocco’s Rose Industry

The lush area surrounding Kelâat M’gouna in Morocco is largely inhabited by Amazigh communities. Sand-colored houses are nestled among dense fields and solitary bushes, each laden with verdant green leaves and the promising blushing buds of Damask rose. Only at the start of April do these flowers begin to unfurl in delicate clusters, their petals heavy with dew and a sweet, cloying scent.

As soon as the first blossoms break open, women begin to gather en masse in the area now known fondly as the Valley of the Roses. “We wake up very early, before sunrise,” Fatima Temaghrite, a 57-year-old local picker, tells me. Their silhouettes bend low against the bushes, fingers plucking each bloom whole before dropping them into makeshift cradles fashioned from the cloth of their traditional tachtat dresses.“We pick quickly, filling our baskets before the sun gets too strong,” Temaghrite explains. “There’s something peaceful about working with nature, surrounded by mountains and the scent of roses.” She adds, “By late morning, we finish and bring the roses to be weighed and sold.” It is at this point that they begin the distillation process; open flowers are separated from leaves and stems before being poured into copper alembics filled with water. “These vessels are then placed over heat, with temperatures rising to nearly 97 degrees Celsius,” Hafsa Chakibi, owner of local brand Flora Sina , tells me. Steam infused with rose essence begins to lift from the copper chambers, the fragrant vapor guided into a cooling system where it condenses back into liquid form. What remains is rose water and essential oil steeped in scent. While the flowers are being distilled, an event takes place to celebrate the harvest. “The Festival of Roses is one of the happiest times of the year,” Temaghrite says excitedly. “Filled with joy, laughter, and the feeling that all our hard work is being celebrated.” Music spills through the streets and dancers in traditional dress weave through open spaces. Atop wooden tables, vendors lay out soaps, oils, perfumes, and bundles of petals tied with ribbon. At the center of it all, a pageant crowns a “queen of the roses.” Flanked by her two runners-up, she rides a float through the carnival, casting handfuls of petals that fall over the crowd in scented cascades.

Key points

• As soon as the first blossoms break open, women begin to gather en masse in the area now known fondly as the Valley of the Roses.
• “We wake up very early, before sunrise,” Fatima Temaghrite, a 57-year-old local picker, tells me.
• Their silhouettes bend low against the bushes, fingers plucking each bloom whole before dropping them into makeshift cradles fashioned from the cloth of their traditional tachtat dresses.“We pick q…
• “There’s something peaceful about working with nature, surrounded by mountains and the scent of roses.” She adds, “By late morning, we finish and bring the roses to be weighed and sold.” It is at t…
• “These vessels are then placed over heat, with temperatures rising to nearly 97 degrees Celsius,” Hafsa Chakibi, owner of local brand Flora Sina , tells me.