Desert architecture, whether a portable tent or a permanent fortress, answers the same two questions: how do you deal with extreme heat, and how do you stay mobile if you need to be? Southern Morocco has produced two very different, very effective answers.
The Khaïma
The traditional Berber tent, or khaïma, is built from woven hide or wool stretched over wooden poles in a rectangular shape, with a gently sloped roof that sheds rain and deflects wind. It can be taken down, packed onto a camel, and rebuilt somewhere else within an hour or two — exactly what a nomadic herding family needs.
Modern Adaptations
Today many families use tarpaulin in place of woven hide, and some khaïmas have become semi-permanent, occasionally fitted with a small solar panel for lighting or charging a phone — a practical blend of old and new.
The Kasbah
Where a settlement became permanent, the kasbah took over: a fortress-like structure built from pisé (rammed earth) or adobe, with thick walls that insulate against daytime heat and cold nights, and flat roofs used for storage, sleeping in summer, or drying food. Many kasbahs across the Draa and Dades valleys have since been repurposed as guesthouses or split into multi-family housing, keeping them very much in use rather than as museum pieces.
Seeing Both
On tours through Ouarzazate and the Draa Valley you will pass genuine kasbahs still standing after centuries, and at night you will sleep in a tent built on the same principles as those used for generations.
Related Reading
- Cooking in the Desert: Secrets of Moroccan Nomads
- The Challenges Facing Saharan Pastoral Nomads Today
- The Songs of the Desert
Curious to experience it yourself? Explore our M'Hamid desert excursions.