Telouet

The Glaoui kasbah at Telouet is one of the most extraordinary ruins in Morocco. Thami el Glaoui — the Pasha of Marrakech, the Lord of the Atlas — built his mountain fortress here at the junction of the old caravan route between Marrakech and Ouarzazate, on the north side of the Tizi n'Tichka pass.

The kasbah is enormous and disintegrating. The outer walls are melting back into the earth. But inside, the reception rooms are intact — carved plaster, painted cedar ceilings, zellige tilework, and stained glass windows that filter coloured light onto the crumbling floors. The contrast between the grandeur inside and the decay outside is the whole story of the Glaoui dynasty, which collaborated with the French and fell when Morocco gained independence in 1956.

Telouet is 20 kilometres off the main N9 highway between Marrakech and Ouarzazate. The detour adds about an hour. A local guardian opens the rooms and tells the story. From Telouet, a dirt road continues south through the Ounila Valley to Ait Benhaddou — one of the most beautiful drives in southern Morocco, passable in a standard car in dry conditions.