Morocco - 2023 Desert Tour - Our first Kasbah
We hired a tour agency for this part of the trip. On Wednesday morning, we were picked up at our Marrakesh AirBnB by Habibi. It felt like such a luxury to have someone take care of us and everything. It would take us two days to get to the edge of the desert. First, we would have to drive through the High Atlas mountains. The views are truly breathtaking.
Habibi suggested we leave the N9 and take a detour to see an old Kasbah in Telouet. “We’ll have plenty of time.” Along the way, we see many towns, where the houses blend almost perfectly in the landscape.
A Kasbah in English means a fortress. As Morocco was tribal, every tribe had to build its own Kasbah, most are owned and built by the Glaoua. In Morocco, the term "kasbah" is also used in predominantly Amazigh regions to denote a fortified residence (tighremt in Amazigh languages), often built of mudbrick, such as the Kasbah of Telouet or the Kasbah Amridil.
Our guide is a descendant of the original tribe.
The inner chambers of the kasbah would have been reserved for the tribe leader and his family. The intricate patterns in the plaster work and the tiling are truly stunning.
Arches, arches, and beautiful light! What more can I wish for?
The history, the stories, held in those walls, that is always what intrigues me the most. Who lived here, who built these fortresses, what artisans created such mesmerizing patterns and details, with what tools, after how many years of practice? So much to take in.