AROUND TOWN - Top 10 Marrakech - page 85

! Tahanoute This administrative centre is

just a 20-minute drive south of
Marrakech. The old village has a
cascade of red clay houses,
surrounding a massive rock shel-
tering the shrine of Sidi Mohammed
El Kebir, whose festival is celeb-
rated at Mouloud, the Prophet's
birthday. It was the subject of
Winston Churchill's last painting
in 1958. Every Tuesday, a country
market is held here. d Map C1
@ Moulay Brahim South of Tahanoute, the road

winds uphill to Moulay Brahim,
named after a local saint, with a
green-roofed shrine dedicated to
him in the middle of the village
(entry to non-Muslims is
forbidden). The shrine is a
popular pilgrimage spot, espe-
cially for women with fertility
problems. d Map C2
£ Asni

Entrance to the Asni market

shops selling trinkets (things are
cheaper in Marrakech). The
highlight is the busy country
market held on Saturdays - the
largest in the Atlas. d Map C2
$ Jbel Toubkal Take the left fork at Asni to

Imlil at the foot of Jbel Toubkal,
North Africa's highest peak.
Mountain guides can be hired in
Imlil at the bureau des guides in
the centre of the village. There
are some basic budget hotels
here, but the Kasbah du Toubkal
just up the hill is a better option
(see p93). d Map C2 • Bureau des
guides: tel/fax [phone]

The village of Asni lies at a
fork in the road - a left turn leads
up to the village of Imlil and the
striking kasbahs Tamadot and
Toubkal (see p56). Jbel Toubkal
dominates the view to the west,
but there's little for visitors to
explore at Asni itself, apart from

The red clay houses of the old village of Tahanoute

89

Share your travel recommendations on traveldk.com