Fodor's Expert Review Tamnougalt

Lining virtually the entire Drâa Valley from Agdz to Zagora are some two dozen ksour and kasbahs on both sides of the river. Perhaps the most amazing ksour in this region are at Tamnougalt, 6 km (4 miles) south of Agdz—the second group of red-pisé fortifications on the left. The resident Amazigh tribe, the Mezguita, governed its own independent republic from here until the late 18th century; the crenellated battlements and bastions were a necessary defense against desert nomads. For a deeper understanding of the tribe’s traditional way of life, peruse the displays of farming and household implements in Tamnougalt’s Kasbah des Caids du Mezguita museum. Occupying a restored 16th-century edifice, it is run by Hassan Aït el Caid (a descendant of the original caids who controlled the trade caravans passing through the region). Hassan can also take you on a walking tour through the village and the oasis, and explain the local Amazigh tribes and their origins en route. Donkey treks and picnics can be arranged as well.