At A Loss In Taroudant

If you have read my previous post, you would know I had some strong opinions about Marrakesh, the most celebrated tourist city in Marrakesh. Even though I could understand the magical draw of Marrakesh, I was quite happy to leave the urban chaos behind and head into the countryside. What bothered me the most about Marrakesh was the local “hustle culture,” which often manifests itself into borderline harassment. At the same time, I recognize that it may just reflect the reality of over-tourism. I can’t help wondering whether finding an authentic Moroccan city free of tourists is possible. According to my Lonely Planet guidebook, there may be one city that might just fit that bill.

The 17th-century fortification of Taroudant.

Commonly nicknamed “The Little Marrakesh,” the southern city of Taroudant is regarded as one of the most “authentic” Moroccan cities, unspoiled by modern tourism. Authenticity is a controversial concept nowadays, of course. Authenticity does not mean time capsules like Venice or San Miguel de Allende. Rather, it should be a place with a vibrant culture and a robust local economy; the historic ambiance is an added bonus. From everything I read about Taroudant, this city of 80,000 in the south may just fit the bill.

Taroudant is one of the oldest cities in the country and dates to the Roman period. Located in the middle of the Sous Valley, the city is a vital trade link between the Sahara to the South, Atlas Mountain to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Over the centuries, the city’s geographic importance was both a blessing and a curse. In the sixteenth century, the Saadian dynasty took root here and made Taroudant the capital of their burgeoning sultanate. Sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh undertook a building boom, including constructing a grand mosque and defensive ramparts. Taroudant became an important defensive fortress against the Portuguese forces in nearby Agadir.

But the prosperity of Taroudant also made it a main target for the dynasty’s foes. After the subsequent sultan moved the capital to Marrakesh and the decline of the Saadiane dynasty, the city became a stronghold for the rebel forces opposing Moulay Ismail of the Alaouite dynasty. For the ravage, Moulay Ismail sacked the city and carried out a brutal massacre in 1687. While the city was subsequently rehabilitated, it never regained its previous splendor. Many of the city’s historic monuments were lost or cannibalized over the last few centuries.

Today, Taroudant’s claim of fame is the massive defensive walls. At about 5 miles, the walls are among the best preserved in Morocco and molded the city’s contemporary identity. The wall height ranges from 25 to 45 feet and has five differently-sized historical gates. The sights of the walls were unavoidable as I drove into town. The honey-colored walls create a golden hue for the city. Given that Taroudant does not receive many tourists, I am pleasantly surprised by just how good of a condition the walls are today. The locals take pride in this impressive landmark.

When I checked into my hotel, Le Palais Oumensour, I asked the lady at the check-in what some places she would recommend checking out were. She pulled out a faded map and pointed out the walls that surround the Medina. She said it took about two hours to walk the whole perimeter and would recommend checking out the kasbah section of the fortification in particular. When I inquired whether there were any other points of interest worth seeing, she just shrugged and said it was doubtful that most tourists would be interested in anything else. I was taken aback by her comments, especially knowing she wasn’t being sarcastic. Is it possible that there is nothing else worth seeing? Well, I had to check it out myself.

The wall is within a ten-minute walk from any point in central Taroudant. The walls are free of ornate decorations, tall turrets, or massive bastions. The oldest reference to a city wall appeared in the 12th century, with the current structure dating to the middle of the 17th century. Among the nine existing city gates today, five are medieval in origin and have some surviving architectural detailing worth looking at. Several gates, including Bab Selsl, Bab Lkhmis, and Bab Targont, have publically accessible observation platforms. The views across the city are excellent, and, unfortunately, the city’s tourism sector has not used these spaces well. I could see they would be great for outdoor cafes.

Today’s walls were constructed with compacted soil mixed with lime, a common technique in Berber settlements. While physically strong enough to withstand military attack, it does require constant maintenance. It was interesting to see different stages of reconstruction (or disrepair) as I walked along the perimeters. Oddly enough, I find the most dilapidated segment in the northwestern part of the city to be particularly “atmospheric” and romantic. The horse-drawn carriage certainly adds to the overall ambiance.

Taroudant during mid-day could be quite empty.

Per the recommendations from the hotel staff, I was very excited to check out the Kasbah, the historic citadel. Like the “Kasbah” of Marrakesh, this section of the Medina is located just north of Bab Selsla and was built by Moulay Ismail to be the administrative center and home to the city’s grandest palaces mosques. Much to my surprise, Taroudant’s Kasbah today is now known as the city’s poorest neighborhood. Few remnants of the original Kasbah are visible today. There isn't much to see except city walls and the exterior of a modest mosque. Despite making an effort. Well, I find it difficult to linger for more than fifteen minutes.

After exploring the Kasbah, I was at a loss as to what else Taroudant has to offer. Have I seen most of Taroudant in just under two hours? After all, the ramparts and the Kasbah are the two sights recommended to me. However, I was not going to let anything deter me. I don’t mind wandering the city aimlessly; Taroudant is known for its low-key “authenticity,” after all. Given my experience with Marrakesh, I was very reticent about driving into central Taroudant. But to my surprise, the traffic at Taroudant’s Medina was surprisingly tamed. Compared to Marrakesh, the roads here are generally broader and better organized. Except for Kasbah, most streets here could accommodate two-way traffic easily.

When it came to architecture, Taroudant was quite a disappointment. Despite the city’s long history, most buildings in Medina appear modern and relatively utilitarian. Occasionally, few shops or public buildings are adorned with traditional Zellij tiles or doorways. But the city is by and large composed of two to four-story concrete blocks. The comparison with Marrakesh seemed to stop at the city walls. While no overtly modern steel and glass structure exists, Taroudant’s urban landscape is not particularly lovely. It reminded me a lot of my hometown in Taiwan.

This lack of historic ambiance threw me off. While I was not expecting Taroudant to have the medieval ambiance of Aït Benhaddou, I thought it would be at least par with the back lanes of Marrakesh. I started to understand why the lady at the hotel was so blunt with her recommendation. Inevitably, all visitors would probably arrive at Place Assarag, Taroudant’s main public square, and the outdoor living room for the locals. The moon-shaped outdoor space is reminiscent of a French plaza, with planted trees and abundant outdoor seating for cafes. Compared to Marrakesh’s Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, Place Assarag is relatively free of street vendors and aggressive touts. There are even a couple of horse-drawn carriages around. I wonder just how much business they have on a typical day.

The horse-drawn carriage at Place Assarag.

As beautiful as Place Assarag is, there was nothing to do besides enjoying a meal or people-watching. It is also not a particularly large space to linger. Because this is Morocco, I was inevitably approached by a few vendors and a few kids asking for money. Ironically, it was in Taroudant that I had the most unpleasant encounter with a Moroccan. When I arrived in town, a friendly parking attendant greeted me and offered to show me the way to my hotel. By the point of the trip, I was not bothered to refuse his service and had mentally prepared to give him a 10 dirham tip for his “service.” To my surprise, the young man refused and wished me a good day. His hospitality surprised me, and I immediately had a higher opinion of Taroudant.

Meat carcasses with animal testicles were still intact.

Fast forward a few hours, and I ran into the same guy on the trip while I was just out and about. He immediately called me over and said I had visited his family shops. Naturally, I politely declined and told him I had other plans for the day (which was true). But he would not take note of an answer and just chatted me up as I walked down the street. By this point, he probably realized I was somewhat of a “hard sell.” He got visibly annoyed and just repeated to direct me toward the direction toward his intended direction. Because I did not tip him earlier, I felt bad for asking him to leave me alone.

After about five minutes of him following me around and attempting small talk, I resorted to another of my favorite strategies in dealing with this situation: pretending to get a phone call so I could get away. Well, guess what? The guy was standing there and ‘supervising” my call. So I had to pretend on my “call” for about five minutes before he pulled out his phone and started paying less attention to me. I used this opportunity to pull a disappearance act on him by wandering into one of the souks. I dreaded running into him again for the rest of my time in Taroudant. In hindsight, I probably should have been worried that he knew which car was mine. If he was frustrated, he might try slashing my tires, perhaps?

Horse-drawn carts are still quite common in Taroudant.

It is funny to say the souks really “saved” from the social quagmire I found myself in. I think this was the first time I appreciated the existence of Moroccan souks. There are several different souks just south of Place Assarag. The largest among them are the so-called Berber Souk and the Arab Souk. They speak of Moroccan dual ethnic identity and offer different types of merchandise. Since the city has relatively few tourists, more household items, such as plastic water tanks or modern electronics, from the tourism perspective, the souks here may not be as photogenic as the ones in Marrakesh, but it is a more “authentic” window into contemporary Moroccan life.

An old man next to this mural demanded a tip after I took a photo of this mural.

Since I had no desire to shop, I did not spend much time in the souks. Instead, I spent time wandering the streets of the residential neighborhoods. The architecture may not be beautiful, but the city is not devoid of personality. Many corners of the city are decorated with colorful contemporary murals. They add to the youthful energy of the city. The city came alive later in the afternoon as kids were let out. The main thoroughfare became quite a hive of activities. As a foreigner, I stood out from the crowd. It was only a matter of time before a few kids came to say hello and practice the few Chinese words they may have heard on YouTube videos.

The make-shift soccer pitch outside of the ramparts.

Oddly enough, my favorite corner of Taroudant was the rock-laden soccer pitch northwest of the Medina. Seeing all the young people playing soccer on such rough terrain made me appreciate how lucky Americans are back home. Just a week prior, Morocco made a historic run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a place in the quarter-finals. Compared to American football, soccer is an international sport for people of all economic classes. I would love to think that one of these kids here started their international footballing career on a dirt pitch like this one.

After spending four hours wandering the streets, I was officially “done” with Taroudant. This was the first time in years that I felt I had exhausted a city from the tourism point of view. Still worrying about running into that parking attendant, I decided to spend the rest of my day at the hotel. Normally, I like to be out and about and rarely hang around the hotel during that time unless it is a remote resort in the middle of nowhere. It was strange for me to lounge around the pool and do nothing.

Fortunately, Le Palais Oumensour is quite an urban oasis. Of all the places I stayed on this trip, this place was the nicest. Unlike the riads in Marrakesh, this hotel has plenty of direct sunlight and several sizeable rooftop terraces around the property. From some of the terraces, guests could enjoy the vista of palm groves and the peaks of the High Atlas Mountain to the north. In addition to a massive bedroom and an outdoor pool in the garden, the best amenity here is the services, including complimentary drinks and snacks. It is funny how relatively cheap freebies could cheer everyone up.

The idyllic terrace of Le Palais Oumensour.

I wanted to leave the hotel to try some authentic Taroudant dishes for dinner. Interestingly, all the recommended restaurants (on all online resources) are located in half a dozen hotels in the city. Based on my observation earlier, there seemed to be few proper restaurants around town. Surprisingly, plenty of places serve Western dishes like pizza or hamburgers. I suppose Taroudant is not a foodie haven. That said, my dinner at the hotel restaurant became one of my favorite meals in Morocco! I suppose it was a blessing in disguise.

As much as I enjoyed this hotel, I wish I had stayed at Palais Claudio Bravo, a short drive north of central Taroundant. This lavish estate was the creation of Chilean artist Claudio Bravo. Known for his hyperrealistic paintings, Bravo fell in love with Morocco and spent most of his life here. The vast complex is now a combo of an art museum and guesthouse. The large formal garden is quite reminiscent of Marrakesh’s Manara Garden. The villa hosted many high-profile international guests like French President Jacques Chirac. Considering the beauty of this place, the nightly rate for their basic room was very reasonable. I would stay a night or two there if I had done more research before this trip.

Ultimately, I felt slightly melancholic about my short stay in Taroundant. This is not a destination I would revisit any time soon. While it is a beautiful city with perfectly preserved ramparts, it does not feel quite “right” for me personally. Perhaps I let the nickname “The Little Marrakesh” set the wrong expectation. As I walked through the city, I kept comparing it to Marrakesh rather than appreciating Taroundant on its own merit. Well, let this experience be a valuable travel session for me.

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