Roger Mimó :

The town

The old Ksar Tinghir, often called «Jewish Quarter», lost its ramparts and its six monumental original entries but it retains a certain charm in its narrow streets and soil walls. Since November 2013, it is being restored by the association Mqorn with funding from the Province and Municipality. It includes three parts: Ihartane, Ait Abdellah and Ait El Haj Ali. Between the first two there were certainly a few streets where Jews lived, but they left it in the 1960s and now their houses are occupied by Muslims.

More information about this Ksar

West of the Ksar, the Women Street is a bustling trade way, especially in the afternoon. Next to it is the Kissaria, a square surrounded by shops and around it there are some workshops of artisans, including manufacturers of bellows and ironworkers.

In the Kasbah of Sheikh Bassou, today transformed into Hotel Tomboctou, we can see art exhibitions in addition to admire the building itself. Built in 1944, this is the best example of Kasbah entertainment and representation, upon completion of the tribal wars that were necessary fortification of dwell.

More information about this Kasbah

Above, near the main road, the Souk Fokani presents a more modern look, but it also has great animation.

On the other side of the road, on the hill, are the ruins of the Glaoui’s Kasbah, in a deplorable state, but quite impressive by its volume, with beautiful views over the city and the palm-grove. It was built in 1919 to the command of the Todra Valley and it is abandoned since 1956.

More information about this Kasbah

On the same hill there is a former French barracks. From there, we get a beautiful picture of the sunset behind the High Atlas.

The weekly market is done every Monday 2 km from the center on the the road of Ouarzazate. It’s very large and very colorful, with an extraordinary diversity of goods. On Sunday is a small market for vegetables and on Saturday the cattle market at the same location.

More information about this market

Around the town

The mosque and madrasah Ikelane is located in the old Ksar Afanour, ten minutes from the Errachidia road by a small treck under palm trees. It is open to tourist visits since the 2007. It includes ablutions room with its well, the praying hall, rooms which housed students from far villages and the terrace with the classroom. From this terrace we get a beautiful view over the palm-grove and Tinghir.

More information about this mosque

Tinghir Gardens include thousands of palm trees, olive trees and other fruit trees. Many paths wind through the fields and allow to know the irrigation and cultivation system. A good option is to walk from the old Ksar Tinghir to the Ikelane mosque.

Map of the gardens around Tinghir

The Todra valley, north of Tinghir

The Todra Gorge is open on the slopes of the High Atlas with its 300 meter drop. An asphalt road gets there in 15 km from Tinghir and continues for 18 km in the canyon until Tamtatoucht. Those who love walking can also take a path that climbs up to the gorge, offering beautiful views of the whole. From there, another path leads down to the village of Tizgui, completing a hike of about 3 hours.

Trekking around the Gorges of Todra

Tamtatoucht is a beautiful village surrounded by green fields and barren mountains. There are seven Kasbahs.

The palm-grove of Todra is the greenest one in Morocco thanks to the water of the Todra river, distributed by a precise system of canals. Under palm trees abound olive trees, fig trees, pomegranate trees, almond trees and other fruit trees as well as wheat and alfalfa fields. The Gorges road offers several overviews on this palm-grove and many trails allow to walk in a paradise setting.

More information about this palm-grove

The full rise from Tinghir to the Gorges on these trails takes about 4 hours, but the most interesting part is before the bridge, near the source of the Sacred Fish. After the bridge, the valley becomes so narrow that you can not get away from the road. On both sides of the palm-grove are the ruins of many Ksour and some Kasbahs, unfortunately mixed with a large number of new concrete buildings.

Map of the Todra palm-grove, between Tinghir and the Gorges

The Ksar Asfalou is one of the most interesting by its architecture and its location at the edge of the cliff. It consists of two parts, one which belonged to Jews and the other to Muslims. It is accessible by a paved road that runs the left bank of Todra, or by a beautiful trail from the Gorges road.

The Todra valley, east of Tinghir

A new paved road allows to browse the palm-grove east of Tinghir, passing through several Ksour; through Souk El Khemis, where is held Thursday market, and through El Hart n’Igourramen, where is celebrated every year a large Moussem, a week after Aid El Kebir.

Map of Todra palm-grove, east of Tinghir

Pottery of El Hart n’Iaamine is located near the Moussem place, accessible by paved road. It has still a great activity, but the workshops are now distributed in potters houses and not grouped like elsewhere. Its production is marketed in the Monday market of Tinghir.

More information about El Hart pottery

The Ksar El Khorbat is 48 km far from Tinghir on the right bank of the Todra river, just before it changes its name into Ferkla. Former political capital of the tribe Ait Merghad, it was built around 1860 and it has a very regular structure with skylights at junctions which gives it an extraordinary charm.

More information about this Ksar

The Oasis Museum occupies a set of three houses with a century and half of antiquity in the Ksar El Khorbat. In its 21 halls it explains the different aspects of traditional life in the oasis of southern Morocco, by antiques, photographs, models, maps and sketches.

More information about this museum

When coming back, you can also make a stop to visit the Lalla Mimouna Springs Museum.

The circuit from Todra Gorge to Gheris Gorge

Recently paved, the road connecting the Todra Gorge to the Gheris Gorge in one journey, through many sites to visit and fantastic landscapes.

Description of this route