Kasbah Tifoultoute

Tifoultoute stands on a low rise above the Oued Ouarzazate a few kilometres west of the town, a packed-earth kasbah of the Glaoui with towers and the usual geometric relief on the upper walls. Its twentieth-century history is the interesting part: when Lawrence of Arabia was filmed in the region in 1962 the production needed accommodation that did not exist, and the kasbah was converted into a hotel for the cast and crew, with rooms and a restaurant fitted into it. That use faded, and what is there now is a partly maintained building with a cafe and terrace, some rooms open, and a view over the river and the palms towards the Atlas. It is not restored to any museum standard and parts are closed. Ouarzazate's film studios and the Cinema Museum are nearby, and Tifoultoute belongs to that story as much as to the Glaoui one.

What you actually see

• A Glaoui kasbah - packed earth with towers and geometric relief above the river.
• A film-crew hotel - converted in 1962 for the Lawrence of Arabia production.
• A partly maintained building - a cafe, a terrace and some rooms open.
• The valley view - the river, palms and the Atlas behind them.

When to go

October to April; late afternoon from the terrace. An hour.

Honest expectations

It is not restored to museum standard and parts are closed or unsafe. Entry is charged and the cafe is the main operation. It is a short stop rather than a destination. Summer heat is severe.

Nearby

Ouarzazate and its film studios are east; Ait Ben Haddou is north-west.