Ksar Ouled Abdelhalim

Ouled Abdelhalim was built around 1900 for a brother of the sultan who governed the Tafilalt, and it is the largest and most elaborate of the Rissani ksour - a walled compound of some four hundred metres a side with corner and interval towers, monumental gates, and above all decoration: the upper walls carry deep geometric relief work in packed earth, brickwork patterns, blind arcading and pierced screens on a scale that is not attempted elsewhere in the region, which is where the Alhambra comparison comes from, generously. It is unrestored and largely roofless, with courtyards, stables and rooms open to the sky and walls in various states of collapse. There is no fence and often no staff. It stands on the circuit of ksour that runs south from Rissani through the palms and is the best single stop on it.

What to look for

• Four hundred metres a side - the largest of the Rissani ksour, with towers and gates.
• Deep earth relief - geometric decoration on a scale not attempted elsewhere here.
• Roofless and open - courtyards and rooms in various states of collapse.
• No fence - walked into freely, with a caretaker sometimes present.

When to go

October to April; late afternoon for the relief in raking light. An hour.

What to expect

The structure is unstable in places and there is no supervision - walls and floors fail. There is no interpretation. A caretaker may ask for a fee informally. Summer heat is extreme.

Nearby

Rissani and Sijilmassa are north; the ksour circuit continues south.