Kasbah Telouet

The Glaoui palace of Telouet is collapsing room by room. What remains is extraordinary: painted ceilings over empty space, zellige walls exposed to weather, the grandeur of a dynasty rotting in the mountains. Restoration would destroy the truth of it. Thami El Glaoui ruled southern Morocco from here until independence in 1956. When the French left, his empire ended overnight. The palace was abandoned; the villagers took what they could use. What remains is too fragile to stabilize, too important to demolish. A guardian lives in the habitable section and leads tours through the reception rooms. The decoration rivals anything in Marrakech — carved stucco, painted wood, the finest zellige. The holes in the roof let in light and rain equally. Come soon; there's less of it every year. Best time: Midday (light through broken roof) Allow: 1.5 hours Combine with: Tizi n'Tichka pass and Ait Benhaddou