Telouet

Telouet Kasbah is a Kasbah along the former route of the caravans from the Sahara over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech. The kasbah was the seat of the El Glaoui family's power, thus sometimes also called the Palace of Glaoui, and it was built in the 18th and 19th centuries. The palace can still be visited but it is steadily becoming more damaged and is slowly collapsing. In 2010, work was underway to restore the property.LocationThe palace is located on the outskirts of the small Berber village of Télouet, in Morocco. It lies at an elevation of 1800m. Occupying a strategic position in the High Atlas, the occupants of the palace had the privilege of being on the passage of caravans and near major salt mines. The kasbah and the village are now accessible by a junction of the road P31 of the Tichka, which connects Marrakech to Ouarzazate.HistoryThe passage of the merchant caravans, which connected the desert with the large cities situated on the other side of the Atlas, and the proximity of the salt mines, made the wealth of the Pachas inhabiting Telouet. The current kasbah was built from 1860s by El Glaoui family, next to an ancient kasbah whose remains are still visible today. It was subsequently considerably enlarged during the first half of the twentieth century. Legend has it that 300 workers worked for three years to decorate the ceilings and walls. These are made of stucco, zelliges for the walls, and cedar painting for the ceiling. The roofs are covered with ceramic tiles painted green.