CULTURAL CENTREFUSION, BERBERHOMESTAYis the 2nd-floor receiving court . No less than 300 artisans were recruited (if that’s the word)
to complete salons faceted with stucco, zellij and painted cedar ceilings that make Marrakesh’s
royal Bahia Palace seem like a freshman artisan effort. But the Telouet kasbah was not
destined to be the Pasha’s ultimate pleasure palace. After independence, Pasha Glaoui was
ousted from the Bahia Palace and died shortly thereafter of cancer in exile in Telouet.
Glaoui family descendents have recently reclaimed ownership of this architecturally splendid
and politically charged landmark, but without state funding underwriting considerable costs for
structural reinforcement and restoration, the family may be obliged to consider offers to turn it
into a restaurant or resort, merely to prevent the kasbah from collapsing. See this masterpiece
of Moroccan craftsmanship while you can – ceilings have already collapsed in rooms marked
with a red X. Local associations are doing their part to help preserve the fort, but you can also
help by not touching the zellij (the ceramic chips easily), not leaning on window sills, door
frames or other structural supports, and collecting any trash you see.
Baraka Community Partnerships
(www.barakacommunity.com) Volunteers build schools, plant trees and supply basic
medical care through this locally run NGO. Baraka Partnerships offers one-day ‘ baraka
vacations’ in the remote village of Tighza, where visitors can spend an afternoon restoring
ancient stone terraces on the hillside or painting a child’s room in a local mudbrick home with
nontoxic paint in bright beldi (country-style) colours. These cultural exchanges are organised for
sliding-scale donations that extend baraka (blessings): Dh250 equips a Tighza family with a
first-aid kit, Dh500 covers a Tighza child’s school books and fees for a year, and Dh700
provides medical care to an entire Tighza family for a year.
Eating
Local guesthouses offer half-board, and restaurants around Telouet’s central square serve
simple Dh40 tajines and Dh30 Berber omelettes (with tomato, olives and herbs).
Café Restaurant Palace/Chez Mohamed $$
( 0524 88 57 30; www.palacedetelouet.com; Telouet centre; mains Dh85-160) Chicken with
almonds and peaches, lamb with dates, rabbit with thyme and fresh ginger are among the
gourmet tajine options you’ll find here.
Sleeping
Homestays Morocco $
( 0677 84 04 87; www.homestaysmorocco.net; Tighza) Overnight stays with local
families in the village of Tighza provide much-needed income to this remote subsistence farming
community, 21km from Telouet by piste . The family welcome received by guests is that of a
minor football hero, meals are farm-fresh and embarrassingly generous, and the stars seem
within reach at night. Homestays with half-board are offered for sliding-scale donations
(Dh300to Dh500 per person), which helps purchase essential medical supplies. Tighza native
Mohamed El Qasemy and his British wife Caroline Logan Taylor (yes, they met on vacation) run
this program, and are also launching a new solar- and wind-powered guesthouse, Kasbah
Tighza ( 0668 44 30 40).