Sleeping in a 500-Year-Old Kasbah in Morocco: Tamnougalt’s Hidden History

Of all the places I’ve slept in, the Kasbah des Caids in Morocco’s lush Drâa Valley is perhaps one of the most… strange.

I mean, I don’t know about you, but it’s not every day one stays overnight in a 16th-century mud-brick fortress.

But on my first southern Morocco road trip, my group got to be the only esteemed guests, apart from a solo-traveling lawyer from England, to sleep inside this ancient fortress and former home of the village chief, or caid.

Like the Kasbah des Caids, many of Morocco’s earthen clay kasbahs are slowly crumbling due to a lack of restoration. Many require deep restoration to be preserved for future generations. Many are beyond saving.

It’s uncertain if the Kasbah des Caids, or others like it, will still be standing in another 500 years. I’d like to think so.

This is where tourism can be transformational in preserving cultural and historical heritage.

In this post, I’m sharing something a little different from my usual.

While I’ll tell you how to visit and the usual good-to-know tips for planning your trip to the Kasbah des Caids, I also want to share my experience and reflections from the unusual experience of sleeping overnight in such a place.

Staying in the Ancient Kasbah des Caids in Morocco’s Drâa Valley

As I untucked the sheets to crawl into bed, which simply lay on the hardened mud-brick floor with a mosquito net tucked around its edges, I thought about all the centuries of memories these walls had collected.

Who slept in this very room?

Did they ever wonder if, one day, their home would be turned into part-exhibit, part-accommodation for weary American-English travelers like me?

Did they ever think, oh, it would be nice to have air conditioning in here in summer because it gets so hot?

Moments before, during dinner on the open-air terrace, where we tore into homemade tajines and soups late into the night, our friends joked distrustingly about the kasbah being haunted by ghosts.

Turns out, they spooked themselves so much that they slept on top of the sheets, fully clothed.

I’m not sure why, but despite the crumbling infrastructure, which the kasbah’s chief grandson was collecting funds to preserve, and the less-than-typical bed and adjoining bathroom than your average hotel, but no less comfortable, I didn’t feel shy or scared to strip down and reveal myself bare to the walls.

Or even the ghosts, for that matter.

Instead, as I lay there, I secretly whispered into the dark for a ghost to consider me different and worthy of visitation. I imagined a member of the ancient Mezguita tribe, who once lived here, inviting me—with its outstretched, translucent hand dripping with jewels—into the past to witness the kasbah’s glory days (you know, like that scene from Titanic?).

But as I woke to the early golden light and stepped outside of our room—which lead out on the rooftop of the fortress—and looked out over the lush palm grove in the valley below, I had no memory of any sort of time travel, vivid dreams, or ancient wisdom gained from passing the night with a Mezguita leader in a 500-year-old mud-brick castle.

As the sun crested over the Atlas Mountains, I wondered at how many people throughout history have been able to stand where I stood. And I reckoned, not many.

That’s like wondering, in 500 years from now, how many got to spend the night in Buckingham Palace. The answer would be the same: not many.

I sucked in a breath and opened my eyes wide.

Snow-white egrets scrambled for purchase on a nearby broken kasbah tower.

The new village Koutobia, built across the valley, appeared vivid with color—such a stark contrast to the raw, wild, hardened clay, mud, and straw I was standing on.

For a moment, I stood still, closed my eyes, and imagined I was an ancient fortress too.

I felt the gust of wind penetrate my eardrum, the sun warm my face, and the silence peg me to the earth like gravity.

I imagined standing there for centuries, getting pelted by storms, weathered by age. How I’d look. How each year would make its mark.

I wondered if anyone would come to visit me.

Then, I spoke to the fortress below my feet. Excuse me, do you mind that I’m standing on you?

I thought about the oddity of being here, at how my hands and footprints, imprinted on the already ancient, wise fortress, added to its history, its story.

That’s when I realized I didn’t need one of the kasbah’s ghosts to show me what I knew already to be true: this place was very much still alive, and its history had not yet been fully written.

Like mine, I thought.

So, with one last look and full-lunged breath, I turned from my special—now sacred—standing spot and made my way down the spiral stairs, past indigenous Amazigh-engraved walls, and joined my partner for breakfast.

How You Can Visit the Kasbah des Caids

If you’re road-tripping through Morocco’s Drâa Valley on your way to/from Marrakesh, a stopover at Kasbah des Caids is a must. You don’t have to stay the night!

Brief History of the Kasbah des Caids

As I mentioned, the Kasbah des Caids is over a staggering 500+ years old, going back to the 16th century. As such, it is one of the oldest fortresses in the Drâa Valley.

Originally, the kasbah was built for the ruling caid (tribal leader) of the Mezguita tribe. The fortress was therefore considered a political stronghold and a family residence.

The ksar (fortified village) in which the kasbah lies at the heart is mostly deserted today.

But at its height, it was home to nearly 300 families, including Amazigh (Berber) and Jewish communities, which can still be reflected in its architecture. Some symbols and styles reveal influence from Roman, Andalusian, and Moorish Arabic.

If you’re lucky, you might cross paths with Hassan (formally Ait Elcaid Elhassan), the current “guardian” of the kasbah and grandson of the village’s former caid.

Having dedicated his life to preserving the cultural and architectural heritage of Tamnougalt, he now offers tourists the chance to stay overnight in his family home on Airbnb.

That said, while we got to briefly exchange with him, note that he’s not always on-site, so while it’s a treat to meet him, it’s not guaranteed! Either way, the kasbah itself offers an immersive glimpse into the past.

You can reach out directly to Hassan regarding availability on his Instagram.

Getting to the Kasbah

The Kasbah des Caids is located in the small village of Tamnougalt, just outside Agdz in the Drâa Valley.

It’s easily accessible by car—about 10 minutes from Agdz town center, where there are a lot more places to stay overnight.

If you’re coming from Ouarzazate, the drive takes around 1.5 hours south on the N9 road.

During the day from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, the kasbah is open to visitors to tour its many rooms.

For non-guests, there is an entrance fee of just 20 dirhams (about $2 USD), which helps support the maintenance and preservation of the site.