Jorf Khettaras
About This Museum
You don't expect to find one of the world's most ingenious ancient water systems in the middle of an arid Moroccan plain, but that's Jorf for you. This isn't a museum you walk through; it's one you walk into, an entire village brought back to life. You can actually descend into a restored khettara, feeling the temperature drop and hearing the faint, miraculous trickle of water that has flowed for centuries. It’s a humbling, hands-on lesson in how a community literally thrived from the ground up.
Collection Highlights
The star of the show is the restored 800-meter-long khettara tunnel you can explore. Scattered around are the original tools used for its maintenance—heavy iron picks and woven baskets that tell a story of relentless labor. Don't miss the old communal bakery and olive press, showing how this entire settlement was engineered around its water source.
Visitor Information
Wear sturdy shoes because you'll be walking on uneven ground and climbing down into tunnels. The best time to go is early morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat; there's very little shade.
Architecture & Building
The 'building' is the village itself—a collection of rustic, earth-toned Berber homes and structures made from rammed earth and stone, all centered around the visible lines of the khettara channels snaking through the property.
Contact & Location
Address: Morocco, Newton County, Indiana, United States
Phone: +212 643-797500
