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Taroudannt
a typical Berber town regarded as the "Little Marrakesh of the south"
Taroudannt is one of the most seductive towns in the Moroccan far south. It is still referred to as "Little Marrakesh" by some people today.
Nestled within superb crenulated red walls, Taroudannt rises up in the middle of the fertile Souss valley where the fields of sugar cane, cotton, rice and indigo butt up against the snow-covered peaks of the High and Anti-Atlas Mountains.
The ochre ramparts, on which the stylized shadows of the unfurled palm trees stand out, testify to a glorious past. The 5km of ramparts surrounding Taroudannt are the best-preserved pisé walls in Morocco; their colour changes from golden brown to deepest red depending on the time of the day.
The city wall was built under the regency of Moulay Ismail. It has five gates and almost surrounds the whole town. Over and above the ring of earthen ramparts, you will discover an animated, bustling, joyous city of flower-filled green parks and gardens. Immerse yourself in a typical Berber town, whose narrow sinuous streets and welcoming squares hum with feverish activity at all hours.
As far back as 1030, Taroudannt was the capital of a small kingdom but was then annexed by the Almoravids around 1056. In the 16th century, the newly emerging Saadians made it their capital for about 20 years. This dynasty was responsible for the construction of the old part of town and the kasbah; most of the rest dates from the 18th century.
Taroudannt was a prosperous crossroads for caravans on their way to the trading port of Agadir and where gold, slaves, indigo, citrus fruit and rice were exchanged. Taroudannt lost its status as a capital to Marrakesh in 1524 but has retained a prominent place in Morocco’s history, remembered notably for its fierce resistance during civil war.
Some 53 km east of Taroudannt is the turning for the Tizi-n-Test road, one of the most spectacular and perilous passes in the country, leading you across the High-Atlas and on to Marrakesh.
Nestled within superb crenulated red walls, Taroudannt rises up in the middle of the fertile Souss valley where the fields of sugar cane, cotton, rice and indigo butt up against the snow-covered peaks of the High and Anti-Atlas Mountains.
The ochre ramparts, on which the stylized shadows of the unfurled palm trees stand out, testify to a glorious past. The 5km of ramparts surrounding Taroudannt are the best-preserved pisé walls in Morocco; their colour changes from golden brown to deepest red depending on the time of the day.
The city wall was built under the regency of Moulay Ismail. It has five gates and almost surrounds the whole town. Over and above the ring of earthen ramparts, you will discover an animated, bustling, joyous city of flower-filled green parks and gardens. Immerse yourself in a typical Berber town, whose narrow sinuous streets and welcoming squares hum with feverish activity at all hours.
As far back as 1030, Taroudannt was the capital of a small kingdom but was then annexed by the Almoravids around 1056. In the 16th century, the newly emerging Saadians made it their capital for about 20 years. This dynasty was responsible for the construction of the old part of town and the kasbah; most of the rest dates from the 18th century.
Taroudannt was a prosperous crossroads for caravans on their way to the trading port of Agadir and where gold, slaves, indigo, citrus fruit and rice were exchanged. Taroudannt lost its status as a capital to Marrakesh in 1524 but has retained a prominent place in Morocco’s history, remembered notably for its fierce resistance during civil war.
Some 53 km east of Taroudannt is the turning for the Tizi-n-Test road, one of the most spectacular and perilous passes in the country, leading you across the High-Atlas and on to Marrakesh.