The first-part of the drive between Ait Benhaddou and Kasbah Telouet is the arid red soil that we've come to know in this region with meandering oases of olive groves along the Oued Zat. Here the small villages, made of the traditional earthen bricks with straw (pisé), cling densely to the mountainsides so every irrigable piece of earth can be used to grow barley, corn, potatoes and other crops. Here, like other rural areas, mules are the primary means for hauling and getting field work done.
Our route takes us up Tizi-n-Tichka Pass (7,417 feet). the highest road in Morocco, which was built by the French in the 1920s. At the crest of the High Atlas mountains, this point divides the Mediterranean / Atlantic Ocean influences of the north from the desert influences of the south. Here, the earth is barren and mineral rich.
Before we reach the top of the Pass, we head east to Kasbah Telouet, which was one of the principal residences of Al-Thami el-Glaoui, pasha of Marrakech. His authority extended over much of the High Atlas Mountain region.
This is truly one of Morocco's "hidden jewels" and sadly like many other kasbahs we've seen or visited, the Moroccan government doesn't seem to fund their upkeep or restoration — at least we haven't heard otherwise. Unfortunate as it is this element of Morocco's mystery and appeal that compelled me since childhood to want to visit . . . and I'm sure many others. Sadly, too, the Kasbah Telouet has yet to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site so what preservation / restoration work that is occurring is being done locally.
Our Kasbah guide tells us that El-Glaoui served Sultan Mohammed V, but then switched and sided with the French. His opposition cost him and his family dearly, for on his death (1956) they were exiled and his possessions appropriated by the Sultan.
While most of the rooms are inaccessible, the Kasbah has a haunting quality of light that I tried to capture in the images below.
This is truly one of Morocco's "hidden jewels" and sadly like many other kasbahs we've seen or visited, the Moroccan government doesn't seem to fund their upkeep or restoration — at least we haven't heard otherwise. Unfortunate as it is this element of Morocco's mystery and appeal that compelled me since childhood to want to visit . . . and I'm sure many others. Sadly, too, the Kasbah Telouet has yet to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site so what preservation / restoration work that is occurring is being done locally.
Our Kasbah guide tells us that El-Glaoui served Sultan Mohammed V, but then switched and sided with the French. His opposition cost him and his family dearly, for on his death (1956) they were exiled and his possessions appropriated by the Sultan.
While most of the rooms are inaccessible, the Kasbah has a haunting quality of light that I tried to capture in the images below.
. . . And the day is still not over . . . more to come!