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| The Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs |
A little north-east of the southern city of Quarzazate,
lies the Dadès Valley-stretching out between the peaks of
the High Atlas and the Jbel Sarhro mountain range. Known as 'The
Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs', it is the most prominent of the
oasis valleys that dominate southern Morocco. Originating from melt
water high up in the snowfields of the Haute Atlas, the river Dadès
cuts a steep gorge, known as the Dadès Gorge, at Aït
Oudinar and Aït Ali. From here, it flows across the broad Dadès
Valley in a south-westerly direction towards Quarzazate.
Traditionally, the people of this region lived in
a large number of small Kasbah settlements scattered across the
fertile river plain. In recent years, however, they have been leaving
the valley and been congregating in larger villages along the valley's
edge, leaving only a few Kasbah to be populated and maintained in
perfect condition.
There are many Kasbahs in this region; some alive
and pretty, others impressive in their desolation, adding mystery
to the exotic architecture and fascinating structure of society
that has been in place here for thousands of years.
As a Berber heartland, it is a centre of their culture,
so besides architecture, food and crafts, the music, dress and customs
are quintessentially Berber-including brightly coloured dress and
ornamentation for women and girls, as well as the heavy dark blue
cotton haiks (cloaks) of the region.
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