Ouarzazate’s Taourirt Kasbah

Beyond the studios.

Having spent our first afternoon exploring Atlas Studios, Mike and I split the rest of our time in Ouarzazate at the pool and exploring the Taourirt Kasbah. (There is a UNESCO ksar, Ait Benhaddou, just outside of Ouarzazate, but this is not it. We weren’t organized enough to get ourselves out there.)

The Taourirt Kasbah dominates one end of town and is equally impressive inside and out. Of course, that’s just my opinion. Several people on TripAdvisor were disappointed that the rooms are unfurnished. Honestly, that’s very typical. I was once told by a guide that in the Muslim tradition, furniture and belongings of previous rulers/families are removed and destroyed. That’s why most fortresses open to the public are unfurnished. I tried doing a little research to verify that claim, but couldn’t find anything. Thinking over all of the fortresses I’ve visited in UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, and Morocco, only a couple had items in the rooms (Sheik Zayed’s former home in Al, Ain, for example.) I’m curious if anyone else has found this to be true.

The kasbah is indeed a labyrinth inside and you won’t learn much without a guide. We weren’t in much of a guide mood that day, so we opted to wander the rooms on our own. Here’s a taste of what the kasbah is like, courtesy of a tourism company:

“The Kasbahs inside Taourirt are best described as a cobweb village of sun-kissed buildings elaborated with multi-level towers and turrets rising out of closely packed ksours (one family Kasbahs), ramparts with geometrical drawings and a series of alleys and gateways. 

I could not have said it better myself.

Of course, there were some cute kittens around too.

Here’s a little bonus of my disappearing pants!

Ouarzazate was a great weekend getaway.

xo, jill