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| Traditional white toga for married women in this region |
Ouarzazate - Todra Gorges, September 21, 2016
After breakfast in Quarzazate where we spent the night, our group departed for Tingher (Todra Gorges) over the High Atlas Mountains and along the road of 1000 Kasbahs.On route, we visited the Kasbah of Taourirt built in 1754 in the Dades Valley. These fortified Berber "castles" are scattered across the Moroccan country side.
Our Taourirt kasbah guide Mohamed was very informative, perhaps too much so.
He provided far more information than we could wrap our heads around.
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| Part of our group trying to wrap their heads around all of the long winded explanations |
This particular Kasbah owned by the Glower family of great wealth but not of noble stature hosted many dignitaries from1929-1935 including Winston Churchill, and was at one time richly decorated.
Most of the tribal kasbahs have been abandoned and are being reclaimed by mother nature, and their inhabitants have built something more suitable and new, perhaps in Kasbah style or smaller villa for the current century.
There is much new construction in the valleys with roads and underground utilities in place for homes. Muslims do not use banks and money lenders that charge interest, so many homes are in a state of continual construction for years as it is built as one can save and afford.
We cannot stop to smell the roses in Elkalaa of M'Gouna, the city of roses, because they are not blooming now.
In May there is a rose festival. The original blooms were brought here from Syria. Roses are used for many purposes and are good for cream and rose water. Roses as well as almond trees are grown here. Ali informs us that in the spring, this area is filled with blooms. Today the area is green where the flora is, but beyond the irrigated area it is arid and dry. We stop in Dades Chems where the view is great, food is good, and the toilets are clean.
We traveled through the picturesque Todra River Valley. The green basin of crops and palm trees contrast with the pink mountains and buildings that rise upwards on the perimeter of the valley.
The valley narrows as we drive upward into the the magnificent, colossal Todra Gorge (600 feet tall
Along the lower part of the river, laundry is being done. On the upper part of the river where the walls soar to the sky, Moroccan families relax in the shade of the walls and wade in the river.
We walk along the clear pure river and enjoy the beauty of this place. It is very inspirational.
On our way to our hotel the Kasbah Lamrani, we stop at an ATM and restock for our sunset camel ride tomorrow.
So this is the Kasbah!
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