RAMPARTSpass between the Rif Mountains and the Middle Atlas. It has been important throughout
Morocco’s history as a garrison town from which to exert control over the country’s eastern
extremities.
The Tizi n’Touahar, as the pass is known, was the traditional invasion route for armies moving
west from Tunisia and Algeria. This is, in fact, where the Romans and the Arabs entered
Morocco. The town itself was the base from which the Almohads, Merenids and Alawites
swept to conquer lowland Morocco and establish their dynasties.
All Moroccan sultans had a hand in fortifying Taza. Nevertheless, their control over the area
was always tenuous because the fiercely independent and rebellious local tribes continually
exploited any weakness in the central power in order to overrun the city. Never was this more
so than in the first years of the 20th century, when ‘El-Rogui’ (Pretender to the Sultan’s Throne)
Bou Hamra, held sway over most of northeastern Morocco.
The French occupied Taza in 1914 and made it the main base from which they fought the
prolonged rebellion by the tribes of the Rif Mountains and Middle Atlas.
Sights & Activities
Medina Walls
( Offline map ) The partially ruined medina walls, around 3km in circumference, are a legacy from
when Taza served briefly as the Almohad capital in the 12th century. The bastion Offline map
Google map – where the walls jut out to the east of the medina – was added 400 years later bythe Saadians. The most interesting section of wall is around Bab er-Rih Offline map Google map
(Gate of the Wind), from where there are superb views over the surrounding countryside. Look
southwest to the wooded slopes of Jebel Tazzeka in the Middle Atlas, and then to the Rif in the
north, and it’s easy to see the strategic significance of Taza’s location.