Telouet is a Berber village located in the High Atlas Mountains, between Marrakech and Ouarzazate. The Telouet Kasbah is also named “the Glaoui Kasbah”. The governor of Marrakech, T’hami el Glaoui and his family used to live here in the early XXth century. The Kasbah’s name was given in honor of the Head of the Glaoua tribe in Morocco “El Haj T’hami el Mezouari el Glaoui” (1879-1956), also designated as “the Lord of the Atlas”.
Between 1912 and 1956, he served as the Pasha of Marrakech. But he is also known for having helped the French government to remove the Sultan Mohammed V from his position in 1953. He was considered as a traitor by the Moroccans. From 1960 to 2010, the Kasbah had been left abandoned. In 2010, a restoration program was launched.
When i visited in June 2016 the Telouet Kasbah, the dilapidated and rustic outside aspect contrasted a lot with the luxurious and magnificent decoration inside. I was stunned by the mosaics, tiles, Zellijs, decorated ceilings and doors, carvings… 300 craftsmen had been working for 3 years to decorate the Kasbah. It is a jewel of the Andalusian style, listed in the UNESCO word heritage. Unfortunately, some parts inside still remain in ruins due to lack of funding.
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