Msoura

Msoura, Marocco, became known to the West only after 1830. The Berber people of the Maghreb ascribed the enigmatic megaliths as having been the work of the Djouhalas, pre-Islamic pagan giants, and the Ghouls, ogres and magicians. The ring is formed by a large, despoiled tumulus, and is kerbed by a contiguous, elliptical ring of upright stones.

The southeast sector features an abutting, internal parapet walk made of uprights covered over by flat lintel slabs. During John E. Palmer's visit in 1978, he counted 175 menhirs - most of which have been broken at about half their height - surrounding the tumulus, of which the major axis measures 196 feet. The tallest monolith tapers to 18 feet. It stands at the west side of the ellipse indicating an equinoctial orientation.

The elliptical ring of standing stones is surrounded by a secondary, outer ring made up of tiny, contiguous stones embedded in the earth. This stone setting opens at the west side forming an angular enclosure or forecourt.

Source: Sacred Sites International Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of natural and built sacred places, their surrounding environments and the people who honor these sites.