The road of the One Thousand Kasbahs
Morocco is not only known by its great sand dunes but also by the famous Kasbahs of a number that exceeds one thousand on the edges of Daraa Valley, Dades Valley, in the Atlas Mountains and when traveling to the Sahara Desert.
The kasbah served as the seat of the local ruler, or feudal master, as well as the hiding place of the local population during attacks. The kasbah was constructed for defense, with high walls and with small or no windows at all. Up until modern times all villages had each their kasbah, and the existence of a kasbah was a prerequisite for the survival of the village.
Related to kasbah is the ksar or ksour, in which the kasbah also include a village. The delineation between ksar and kasbah is, however, not always clear, as many fortified villages or town quarters may be referred to as kasbah.
Kasbahs are fortified buildings consisting of two or three floors with towers in the corners. They were built with mud which is an ancient technique to isolate outside heat in summers and cold in winters. They played a great role over hundreds of years to protect their population by watching all movements in the oasis through high towers and by preventing enemies to enter inside. The Kasbahs color is derived from the soil which it is built with, and they are recognized by their unique architecture.
Kasbahs have an inevitable fate of crumbling to destruction, particularly in the South, as Kasbahs are dry and the South often experiences droughts. While many Kasbahs in Morocco are currently being restored by the government and often purchased by foreigners and made into hotels, time and nature are sure to get the best of these crenulated dwellings.
The road of the One Thousand Kasbahs
Morocco is not only known by its great sand dunes but also by the famous Kasbahs of a number that exceeds one thousand on the edges of Daraa Valley, Dades Valley, in the Atlas Mountains and when traveling to the Sahara Desert.
The kasbah served as the seat of the local ruler, or feudal master, as well as the hiding place of the local population during attacks. The kasbah was constructed for defense, with high walls and with small or no windows at all. Up until modern times all villages had each their kasbah, and the existence of a kasbah was a prerequisite for the survival of the village.
Related to kasbah is the ksar or ksour, in which the kasbah also include a village. The delineation between ksar and kasbah is, however, not always clear, as many fortified villages or town quarters may be referred to as kasbah.
Kasbahs are fortified buildings consisting of two or three floors with towers in the corners. They were built with mud which is an ancient technique to isolate outside heat in summers and cold in winters. They played a great role over hundreds of years to protect their population by watching all movements in the oasis through high towers and by preventing enemies to enter inside. The Kasbahs color is derived from the soil which it is built with, and they are recognized by their unique architecture.
Kasbahs have an inevitable fate of crumbling to destruction, particularly in the South, as Kasbahs are dry and the South often experiences droughts. While many Kasbahs in Morocco are currently being restored by the government and often purchased by foreigners and made into hotels, time and nature are sure to get the best of these crenulated dwellings.
