Did you know Morocco has The Valley of 1,000 Kasbahs?! A kasbah is a fortified quarter of a city.

From Marrakech, we drove across the Atlas Mountains to visit Morocco’s kasbahs and more.

Click on the images for a larger view.

We drove across the Atlas Mountains, a series of mountain ranges in northwestern Africa, to explore more of Morocco.

It was fascinating to see the landscape changes on the 5 hour drive.

Our first stop was Aït Ben Haddou, the door to the desert, a historic ksar (fortified village) along the former caravan route between the Sahara & Marrakesh.

We were there during wheat and barley harvest season.

Aït Ben Haddou dates back to the 11th century.

It has been a famous film backdrop including Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones, and Gladiator.

Next stop was Kasbah Amridil in Skoura.

It’s one of Morocco’s grandest kasbahs and a living museum from the 17th century showcasing traditional kasbah life over the centuries.

You’ll find stork nests on the top of minarets across Morocco.

We then traveled to Dadès Valley & Dadès Gorge known as ‘The Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs’ and full of hairpin bends like this one.

The breathtaking rock formations of all colors surrounded us and we even stayed in a kasbah.

Making Chicken Tajine with preserved lemons & olives in our La Maison Arabe cooking class.

See all the posts in this series: