In the midst of the Atlas Mountains, we came to the dilapidated Kasbah Telouet, the fortress of the notorious El Glaoui, a regional leader. (It's hard to say actually how notorious he really is, or whether it's just bad PR. El Glaoui took the side of the French, for which he was handsomely rewarded while the French were in control, but made his name mud after the French left and the Alaouite dynasty came back in power.) From the outside, you see the mud-brick fortress style that becomes familiar around this area. You can see that it once was an imposing fortress but now is mostly just a haunting ruin. But walking around the inside you unexpectedly come upon lavish carved cedar, intricate plaster, and zellij (tile mosaics) like we saw in Marrakech, a remnant of its former greatness. Time-worn and now just a home for pigeons. (Calls to mind Ozymandias from high school English class.)
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