What, exactly, is a kasbah?

Before you read this you should thoroughly review the lyrics of the classic song Rock the Kasbah by The Clash. Not only does it have a rockin’ beat, but also it provides a lovely description of what actually used to happen to kasbahs. (OK, fine it’s more of a metaphor, and the person who asked this question is a musical man so I thought I would relate it to music in some way.) The term kasbah refers to an ancient fortified city. They generally look like castles, are multi-layered, and come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes entire towns are considered kasbahs and sometimes just a small area is. Wikipedia may have a different opinion but this is what I’ve learned by living near one for six weeks. I’ve also read that it refers to small structures that acted as military strongholds of ruling sheikhs or kings. Before a town or city could be officially conquered the ruler’s kasbah had to be destroyed, usually by means of bombarding it, or if you like, rockin’ it.

The kasbah with which I am most familiar is Kasbah Aït Benhaddou, which is the largest and best preserved kasbah in the entire Sub-Atlas region. If you climb to the top of it you'll have this view of the Dades Valley. Let's just say that it's gorgeous and I love it. It draws a steady stream of tourists (and by steady, I mean that it’s the most visited town in all of Morocco). Most of the town’s population lives just across the Ouarzazate River, where running water and electricity are readily available (though not every day and not all day . . . ) A few families still reside within the kasbah walls and make a living by charging unwitting tourists a fee to enter through their homes. There are two other (free) entrances to the kasbah, which the town hopes to develop into more official entrances that will charge fees that will be reinvested into the maintenance and development of the site. It’s a UNESCO site, so it’s well-preserved and well-advertised, but alterations are a tricky business. In other news, my new site has a kasbah, too! Yay! So the obsession will continue, my friends. I know you're excited!