Telouet Kasbah: the Glaoui palace on the Tichka road

Updated on October 2, 2026

Telouet Kasbah stands at about 1,800 metres, in a High Atlas village set back from the N9, beyond the Tizi n'Tichka pass. It controlled the old caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech and was the stronghold of the Glaoui family, including Thami El Glaoui, Pasha of Marrakech under the French protectorate. Begun around 1860 and extended in stages until the mid-20th century, it was abandoned after the pasha's death in 1956. Behind crumbling rammed-earth walls, a few reception rooms keep remarkably rich decoration.

Highlights

The kasbah façade

As you arrive, you see a long façade of red rammed earth, pierced with small windows and topped with crenellations. Its size recalls the power of the Glaoui, who controlled the passes and valleys of the High Atlas in the early 20th century.

The reception rooms

Upstairs, the restored reception rooms display zellij tilework, carved stucco and painted cedar ceilings. The contrast with the earthen walls crumbling all around is what makes the visit special.

The ruins and the valley

Much of the building is now a mass of collapsed walls, towers and storks' nests. From the terraces and windows, the view takes in the village and the surrounding mountains.

Infos pratiques

Tips

Entry costs about 50 dirhams, in cash, and the visit is usually led by a caretaker who acts as guide (prices checked in October 2026). Damaged by the earthquake of 8 September 2023, the kasbah reopened after safety work, but only some of the rooms are accessible and the open areas may change as the work progresses. Stay on the permitted routes. Allow about an hour on site.

How to get there

About 130 km from Marrakech via the N9 and the Tizi n'Tichka pass, then a minor mountain road that leaves the N9 shortly after the pass; allow 2 h 30 to 3 h by road. Most visitors come with a private driver or stop here on a trip to Aït Benhaddou. From Telouet, a paved road of about forty kilometres runs down the Ounila valley via Anemiter to Aït Benhaddou, following the old caravan route.