The Ministry of the Interior and the Drâa-Tafilalte region, province of Ouarzazate, will soon launch rehabilitation work on the legendary Kasbah of Taourirt, a true architectural jewel of Berber culture, built in the 17th century by the Glaoua tribe.
The details!
The famous Taourirt Kasbah, Ouarzazate province, a historic monument listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular filming location for films and television shows, will soon undergo major rehabilitation works. This is indicated by a call for tenders which has just been launched in this regard by the Ministry of the Interior for an amount estimated at 867,600 dirhams.
In detail, the rehabilitation work will include structural work, waterproofing, coating, painting and others. The overall execution time for this contract is set at 6 months. Major site of the city of Ouarzazate and classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, the Kasbah of Taourirt is a great masterpiece of Amazigh architecture.
The Kasbah includes, in particular, numerous residences and old historic buildings, including a reception hall, a few towers and stables, ovens and narrow streets. The Kasbah, in its entirety, included around 300 rooms. Its original plan has been turned upside down and its spaces leveled by the wear and tear of time, history and men. Only a few parts still bear witness to the grandeur of this building which can only be partially visited, notably the reception room built in an urban style, the dining room and the private apartments. The richness of the interior decorations, decorated with painted stucco, zelliges on the walls, stems of oleander intertwined in the tataoui style, or cedar planks carved to form the ceilings, contrasts with the sobriety of the exterior decorations.
Built by the Glaoua tribe, the Kasbah has a rich history dating back to the 19th century when it served as the residence of the powerful Glaoua family. It has played a crucial role in the political and economic landscape of the region, serving as a hub for trade and governance. Its strategic location at the crossroads of trade routes made the Kasbah an important center of commerce and cultural exchange. Today, the Kasbah bears witness to the vibrant history and enduring legacy of the region.
For history, Thami el Glaoui, the Pasha of Marrakech, was an important landowner. In the Ouarzazate region, he entrusted the ksar of Taourirt to his eldest son. El Glaoui transformed part of the ksar into a splendid kasbah where his family resided until Morocco’s independence in 1956. The kasbah has been the subject of much care, much of it having been restored in the years 1980, while the southern part has been restored over the past two years. The exterior walls of Kasbah Taourirt are decorated with Amazigh geometric patterns.
However, once inside the building, you will discover the richness of the decoration that Glaoui has integrated into it. Some rooms are decorated with carved and painted cedar plank ceilings, paintings and zelliges on the walls. Taken out of its context, such as the Ksar, Taourirt might not be as impressive as others on the route of 1,000 kasbahs. In addition, the area open to visitors represents only a small part of what the kasbah encompasses.
