Transforming moroccan adobe Kasbahs into a network of sustainable hotels

Abstract

The valleys of Southern Morocco are territorial corridors that are extremely rich in landscape and cultural terms but very fragile socially and economically. The 1000 kasbahs and ksars punctuating the length of the valleys have been the links in the chain providing a structure for these regions over the last three centuries. Their imposing presence means they have come to be seen as inseparable elements of the landscape and symbols of the region's identity. The abandonment and rapid deterioration of these rammed-earth constructions demonstrates the risk that this heritage could be lost right across the region. The proposal is to recover and restore some of these kasbahs to create a network of hotels which would also function as centres for the cultural interpretation of the region. The aim is to give the kasbahs back their role as structural elements for the territory, converting them into change agents for its economy and culture while simultaneously recovering their architectural heritage and landscape value.