Taroudant Travel Guide

Introduction

223km (138 miles) SW of Marrakech; 79km (49 miles) E of Agadir

Enclosed by an almost complete circuit of high, rammed-earth walls and lacking any sprawling ville nouvelle outside, Taroudannt could very well be that quintessential untouched, ancient Moroccan city that you've been looking for. Its location, at the heart of the fertile Souss Valley, has always ensured a steady stream of powers keen to have the town under their wing before moving on to grander conquests. This was certainly the case with the Saâdians, who made Taroudannt their capital in the 16th century, when they constructed most of the walls while plotting their eventual victory over Wattasid-held Marrakech and eventually ruling over all Morocco. The town has had its share of tragedy, however. In 1687, it was left virtually uninhabited when the feared, some would say barbaric, Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismail massacred most of the town's inhabitants in response to their opposition to his Meknes-based rule. In...