History & Heritage
7.5.2022
The ksour: fragile jewel of traditional Moroccan architecture
Located south of the High Atlas Mountains in the province of Ourzazate, the ksour are small authentic fortified villages of Morocco. Built of earth and revealing a complex architecture made of high towers, balconies and large skylights, these castles very tourist remain for all that a great fragility!
A property of exceptional universal value
The ksar is defined as a typical pre-Saharan habitat of southern Morocco. As such, it is listed on the Unesco World Heritage List as a property of outstanding universal value, for its cultural and historical wealth. Built as collective dwellings with reinforced defenses in the 17th century, the ksour offer a complete panorama of pre-Saharan earthen construction techniques.
The most famous ksar of the region is that of Aït-Ben-Haddou. The site would have been one of the trading posts on the trade route that linked the ancient Sudan to Marrakech through the Dra valley and the Tizi-n’Telouet pass. Moreover, it is among the best preserved ksour.
A fragile jewel in the test of time
The ksour are at the heart of various maintenance and renovation projects important, not without challenges. Indeed, these structures are forged in fragile materials such as earth and wood, vulnerable especially to rain. In order to respect the visual integrity of the site, more solid materials such as cement or metal have been banned. Rehabilitation therefore requires ingenious and camouflaged solutions.
In addition, the population of the region has tended to leave the site to join the city and thus leave the dwellings abandoned. Morocco works then to develop the local economy, in particular thanks to tourism, in order to incite the locals to remain or return to live in the ksour.
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