Ghassoul

What it is

Ghassoul is a clay mineral, more precisely stevensite, a magnesium-rich layered silicate.¹ Under a decree of 5 March 1974, only products with more than 90 % stevensite may be sold under the trade name ghassoul; ghassoul for cosmetics and pharmacy must, under the same decree, pass mineralogical and chemical tests.²

In Moroccan Arabic the clay is called ġasul; Harrell’s dictionary describes it as fuller’s earth for washing hair.³ Today it is found in face creams, sunscreens, skin cleansers and shampoos.⁴

Where it comes from

The deposits lie on the edge of the Middle Atlas in the valley of the middle Moulouya, near Missour in the Ksabi area, some 200 kilometres from Fez; the site put out to tender by the ministry lies 50 kilometres from Missour in the direction of Midelt.⁵ Ghassoul is bound to green marls with gypsum in hills between 1,200 and 1,400 metres above sea level.⁶ The state Office for Hydrocarbons and Mining, ONHYM, assigns the ghassoul beds to the Tertiary basin of Missour; in 2019 it mapped and sampled them, because such clays also contain lithium.⁷

A MAP report of 2004 names the pits of Tamdalet near the rural commune of Ksabi in the Missour district.⁸ According to the report, the deposits extend over almost 25,000 hectares, yielded an average of around 2,700 tonnes a year and covered the country’s entire demand.⁹

History

According to the same report, mining goes back to the 13th century.¹⁰ On 14 September 1796, Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah granted the sharifian family Ouled Moulay Ali Ksabi of the Moulouya the right to work the pits by dahir (royal decree), in return for half of the fees going to the treasury.¹¹

In 1947 the right passed to a company, in 1954 a Moroccan company took over, and since then it has been awarded by tender.¹² In 2018 the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water invited investors to apply for the concession for exploration, extraction, processing and marketing in the valley of Ksabi Moulouya.¹³

How it is made

It is mined underground in galleries, and by hand, so that the layers are not mixed with barren greenish and reddish clays.¹⁴ Sorting takes place immediately after extraction: large, mostly pure lumps go into sacks, finer pieces go to the washery on the bank of the Moulouya and dry on concrete surfaces in the sun.¹⁵

When

In the tradition of Fez, ghassoul was a fixed part of women’s bathing kit, alongside black soap and the horsehair mitt.¹⁶ At home the raw material was soaked overnight in water with essences such as orange blossom and myrtle, sieved, kneaded and dried in thin tablets in the sun; the knowledge passed from mother to daughter.¹⁷ On the day of the marriage contract, ghassoul was among the gifts that the groom’s family brought to the bride, together with henna, dates and milk.¹⁸