Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Reception room of Kasbah Telouet
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Aït Ourir
closed by bad weather, a barrier
is lowered here to halt all south
bound traffic.
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Map C1
£
Tizi-n-Tichka Pass
This is no more than a small
roadside hamlet, 35 km (22
miles) outside Marrakech.
However, the place comes to life
each Friday when it hosts a
weekly country market. If you
choose to pass through on the
right day, it makes for a diverting
hour-long stop off.
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Map C1
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Taddert
As the road leaves Taddert
the greenery comes to an
end and the landscape turns
scenically barren and rugged.
The twisting road with precipi-
tous drops will keep drivers'
eyes firmly fixed on the road. At
its highest point, the pass peaks
at 2,260 m (7,415 ft), marked by
no more than a few stalls selling
mineral-filled rocks that are found
around here; broken in half, they
reveal glittering crystal forma-
tions within.
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Map C2
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Kasbah Telouet
After Aït Ourir, the road
starts to climb. The last halt
before the pass is the busy
village of Taddert, set among
walnut groves. In the higher part
of the settlement, a handful of
good cafés offer views of the
valley below. When the pass is
Telouet, the stronghold of
the Glaoui clan who, in the early
20th century, came to rule all of
southern Morocco under French
sponsorship, is a small town
dominated by a magnificent
kasbah. Abandoned for nearly
half a century, much of the struc-
ture is crumbling and dangerous,
but you can visit the ornate
reception hall and the rooftop
terrace, which gives stunning
views.
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Map C2 • Adm
Aït Ourir
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