A palace that hides its best side
Seen from the road, Telouet looks like a ruin. The earth walls are worn and parts of the building have collapsed. Inside, the mood changes completely: some rooms keep painted cedar ceilings and decoration in the Andalusian style, close to what you would expect in the old houses of Marrakech or Fes.
That contrast is the reason to come. A local guide on site is the easiest way to understand which rooms belonged to which period and how the family used them.
Where the Glaoui story begins
The kasbah went up in 1860 and belonged to the Glaoui family. Their power began here, when Sultan Moulay Abderrahman ben Hicham named Mohammed Ibibt El Mezouari, a man from Telouet, chief of the Glaoua, Ouaouzguit and Imeghran tribes. The family then expanded toward the southeast, and in 1874 authority over Taourirt in Ouarzazate passed to Telouet.
In the early 1900s Thami Glaoui governed Marrakech and made Telouet one of his official residences, investing heavily to turn it into a palace.
Telouet and the Ahwach
The Ahwach is one of the great folk dances of the region, and some historians place its origins in Telouet. A Telouet Ahwach group still performs from time to time at Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate, a city that holds an annual Ahwach festival.
On the Ounila Valley road
Telouet sits on the secondary road P1506, which links the Tizi n Tichka pass to Ait Ben Haddou through the Ounila Valley. The road is longer than the main N9 but passes Tamdaght Kasbah, the Kasbah of Anemiter and Ait Ben Haddou, so many travellers use it on the way to or from Marrakech.
With Ouarzazate Tours, Telouet is part of the first day of the private Marrakech to Fes desert tour, which crosses the High Atlas before reaching Ait Ben Haddou.
Questions and answers
When was Telouet Kasbah built?
In 1860. It belonged to the Glaoui family and later became an official residence of Thami Glaoui.
How do I get to Telouet?
Take the secondary road P1506 between the Tizi n Tichka pass and Ait Ben Haddou. Buses and shared taxis between Marrakech and Ouarzazate use the N9 instead, so a private car or an organised tour is the practical option.
Which Ouarzazate Tours trip includes Telouet?
The private Marrakech to Fes desert tour visits Telouet when it crosses the High Atlas on the first day.
Read before you go
More places nearby
All destinations
Ait Ben Haddou
A fortified village of packed earth from the seventeenth century, on the old caravan road and on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987. Thirty kilometres from Ouarzazate.
Taourirt Kasbah
The kasbah at the heart of Ouarzazate, a former Glaoui residence on Boulevard Mohamed V with Amazigh patterns outside and carved cedar, painted walls and zellige inside.
Amridil Kasbah
A seventeenth century kasbah on the edge of the Skoura palm grove, still looked after by the founder’s descendants and once printed on the 50 dirham banknote.