Kasbah Skoura
Morocco 2003
The “Route des Kasbahs” leads east from Ouarzazate to Tinerhir. Beyond Tinerhir lie the desert settlements of Erfoud, Rissani and Merzouga where tribes, either Arab or Berber, live in kasbahs as they have for centuries. The Berber tribes of southern Morocco built these beautiful structures for protection from each other and from the Arabs who pushed them from the more fertile lands of the north to the barren south centuries ago.
Kasbahs are fortified villages made of rammed earth. The kasbah courtyard is secured by a large gate that can be locked at night. Inside the Kasbah, dark corridors follow a maze-like path. The gloom is shattered here and there by shafts of bright sunlight streaming from “skylights”. Heavy wooden doors decorated in Berber designs of studded nails line the corridors. These open into a simple home. Plain wooden doors lead to a stable or a storage room.
Kasbahs are still in use particularly in the areas surrounding Rissani. I recommend a visit. You might be invited for tea.
Contact my friend Ali Mouni at www.adventureswithali.com for more information.
I really like it a lot as you can imagine. I picture the Knights of Malta using high pressure water hoses to melt their way in. Messy tho, wading thru all the mud.
Great picture! J.