Taourirt Kasbah

One of the best-preserved kasbahs in southern Morocco, Taourirt rises in sun-baked pisé above the main avenue of Ouarzazate.

Built and expanded by the powerful Glaoui clan, this earthen fortress was once home to dozens of family members, servants and artisans. Walking through its labyrinthine corridors and decorated reception rooms, you get a rare, unvarnished sense of how a Saharan stronghold actually functioned. A field gun displayed on the grounds serves as a quiet reminder of the political force the Glaoui once wielded across the region.