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Valley of the Roses is the tourist name given to several valleys near the town of Kelaat-M'Gouna, in the southern high Atlas Mountains.

The name is due to the massive presence of rose bushes, which are used to produce petals used in perfumery (rose water) and cooking (rose oil) and to keep goats away from crops. The so-called valley entrance at Imassine is marked by large rounded boulders that sometimes seem to defy balance. Along the valley are several small villages with traditional houses of land, whose wealth is hidden in invisible gardens of the road. The region's economy is mainly based on barley, corn and potato farming, as well as roses.



Damascus (Damascene), which is resistant to cold and drought, is believed to have been introduced by returning pilgrims from Mecca in the tenth century. The roses are grown for local consumption in the form of water and oil and for mainly in the form of essences. In more productive years, four thousand tons of roses are collected over a week in May, culminating in the Moussem (feast) of the Roses of Kelaat-M'Gouna. Rose water and some rose-based cosmetics are manufactured locally, but much of the soaps and cosmetics are currently produced in large factories in Marrakech and Casablanca. One of the two districts of Kelaat is installed in an old Kasba (castle).

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