ALook closer ＋Azurite
Deep blue · Mohs 3½–4
TouissitIntoMines / A world beneath the surfaceCuriosity.
Curiosity.
Unearthed.
Start with a rock.
End up somewhere unexpected.
01 / The mineral atlasA place to get
A place to get
beautifully lost.
Chapter one: Morocco. Choose a point and follow the story beneath it.
Morocco / First chapter4 places to begin
● Documented locality▧ Disputed territory*North up · Regional overview
Simplified Natural Earth outlines. Markers are representative locations, not mine-access directions. This is a locality atlas, not a geological survey map.
Field record / 01Midelt · Drâa-Tafilalet
Mibladen
Northeast of Midelt, Mibladen is a district of many workings, not a single mine. Its vanadinite crystals are a familiar starting point for Moroccan mineral collections.
Vanadinite Pb₅(VO₄)₃Cl
Open the localityReference specimen photograph. Not shop inventory. Photo: Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Background removed with AI assistance.
Field record / 01Midelt · Drâa-Tafilalet
Mibladen
Northeast of Midelt, Mibladen is a district of many workings, not a single mine. Its vanadinite crystals are a familiar starting point for Moroccan mineral collections.
Vanadinite Pb₅(VO₄)₃Cl
Open the localityReference specimen photograph. Not shop inventory. Photo: Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Background removed with AI assistance.
Field record / 02Jerada · Oriental
Touissit
Touissit belongs to the Touissit–Bou Beker mining district in northeastern Morocco. Azurite is among its documented specimen minerals.
Azurite Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂
Open the localityReference specimen photograph. Not shop inventory. Photo: Rob Lavinsky / iRocks.com · CC BY-SA 3.0
Field record / 03Anti-Atlas · Drâa-Tafilalet
Bou Azzer
The Bou Azzer district is associated with cobalt mineralization. Erythrite is one of the striking secondary minerals recorded from its mines.
Erythrite Co₃(AsO₄)₂ · 8H₂O
Open the localityReference specimen photograph. Not shop inventory. Photo: Rob Lavinsky / iRocks.com · CC BY-SA 3.0
Field record / 04El Kelaâ des Sraghna · Marrakesh-Safi
Sidi Rahal
Near Sidi Rahal, quartz-bearing geodes occur in basaltic rock. Documented forms include amethyst and chalcedony.
Quartz SiO₂
Open the localityReference quartz photograph; not from Sidi Rahal. Photo: W.carter · CC BY-SA 4.0
Moroccan national-map presentation includes the Sahara region. Hatching identifies Western Sahara, whose status remains disputed and which the UN lists as a Non-Self-Governing Territory. This presentation does not imply internationally agreed sovereignty. UN reference.
How to read this atlas
The first four entries are a curated introduction, not a complete inventory of Moroccan minerals or deposits. Empty areas mean no entry has been published here yet. The Sahara region is included in the project’s Moroccan national-map presentation; hatching and the map note preserve the territorial distinction. Lines of control are not drawn.
Geography · Natural Earth, 1:50m, public domain ↗Coordinates are representative points derived from the linked locality records. Each place page explains what its marker represents. Country, locality and species records are stored separately so future chapters can extend this atlas.
02 / Minerals A–ZMeet the
Meet the
usual obsessions.
Four species. A first cabinet, not the entire mineral kingdom.
4 mineral records
ALook closer ＋ELook closer ＋Erythrite
Pink to crimson · Mohs 1½–2½
Bou AzzerQLook closer ＋Quartz
Colourless; many coloured varieties · Mohs 7
Sidi Rahal · Photo is a referenceVLook closer ＋Vanadinite
Often red, orange or brown · Mohs 2½–3
MibladenNo mineral found. Yet.
Try a different name, colour or locality.
Photographs are educational references, not specimens for sale. Image credits and locality distinctions appear in each record. Colour alone cannot establish an identification.
03 / Mines & localitiesThe place
The place
behind the label.
Every district holds more than a dot on a map.
04 / Field notesGood questions.
Good questions.
Dirty boots optional.
Short guides for curious people. No geology degree required.
01 / Identification
Look before you name.
Your eyes are useful. Your first guess is optional.
Open field note02 / GeologyA rock is not a mineral.
A small distinction that opens a much bigger world.
Open field note03 / Mining historyRead a mining landscape.
A specimen has a human history, too.
Open field note04 / CollectingGive a specimen a memory.
The least glamorous thing in a collection might be the most useful.
Open field note
05 / Expeditions · Future chapterBeyond
Beyond
the glass.
One day, the landscape becomes the classroom.
We’re exploring the idea of geological visits shaped around places, people and learning. There are no operating tours, confirmed itineraries or bookable dates yet.
In development / Not bookableExplore the ideaA growing atlas. Carefully sourced, never finished.
References & image credits