Things to do · Drâa Valley
South of Zagora, on the Drâa Valley road toward M'Hamid and the Sahara, the small oasis town of Tamegroute holds two of southern Morocco's most singular sights. The first is the Naciri zaouia, a centuries-old Sufi religious complex whose famous library preserves rare old manuscripts. The second is the cluster of underground kilns that produce Tamegroute's distinctive green-glazed pottery, found nowhere else quite like this. Together they make Tamegroute a worthwhile stop on the long drive between Ouarzazate and the desert. Here is what to know before you go.
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Tamegroute lies in the Drâa Valley a short drive south of Zagora, along the road that continues toward M'Hamid el Ghizlane and the dunes of Erg Chigaga. Set among the palmeraie and earthen ksour, it is an easy add-on for anyone driving the Drâa route from Ouarzazate to the edge of the Sahara.
Tamegroute grew up around the zaouia of the Naciri brotherhood, a Sufi religious and teaching centre founded centuries ago. Historically it was an important seat of learning and spiritual influence in the south, drawing students and travellers along the caravan routes. The complex remains a living place of worship, so visitors should be respectful and follow local guidance about which areas are open.
The zaouia's library is Tamegroute's most celebrated treasure, holding a collection of old manuscripts on subjects such as theology, law, medicine, astronomy and mathematics, some written on gazelle skin. A number of the volumes are very old and finely illuminated. The library is usually shown to visitors in a limited way to protect the fragile collection.
Tamegroute is famous across Morocco for its green-glazed pottery, an old local tradition passed down through families of potters. The earthy plates, bowls and lamps take on a mottled green from a glaze that includes local minerals, giving each piece a slightly different shade. The potters' quarter sits a short distance from the zaouia.
Much of the pottery is fired in distinctive kilns set partly below ground, fed by palm wood and other local fuel. Watching potters shape clay on simple wheels and load the half-buried kilns is a memorable glimpse of a craft that has changed little over generations.
The signature colour comes from a glaze traditionally made with local minerals, including copper, which fires to the characteristic green. Because the process is done by hand and the firing is uneven, no two pieces are identical, which is part of the appeal for collectors and visitors alike.
Around the zaouia, Tamegroute's old quarter is a warren of shaded, partly covered earthen lanes typical of the Drâa's ksour, built to shut out the desert heat. Wandering them gives a sense of how these oasis settlements were laid out long before the modern road arrived.
Tamegroute fits naturally into a Drâa Valley journey from Ouarzazate through Agdz, Tamnougalt and Zagora. Many travellers stop here on the way to or from M'Hamid, pairing the library and pottery with the kasbahs and palm groves further up the valley.
Beyond Tamegroute the valley road runs on toward M'Hamid, the last village before the open desert and a launching point for trips into Erg Chigaga. The nearby Tinfou area is known for a small patch of dunes, an easy first taste of the Sahara before the bigger ergs further out.
As the zaouia is an active religious site, dress modestly and ask before photographing people or sensitive areas. A local guide can explain the history of the brotherhood and the library and help you find the working pottery kilns. As elsewhere in the south, a modest tip for a guide is customary.
Tamegroute, a small oasis town south of Zagora in the Drâa Valley, is known for two things: the Naciri zaouia with its ancient library of rare manuscripts, and its distinctive green-glazed pottery fired in traditional partly-underground kilns. Both can be visited on the drive between Ouarzazate and the desert.
The library at the Naciri zaouia holds a collection of old manuscripts covering subjects such as theology, law, medicine, astronomy and mathematics, some written on gazelle skin and finely illuminated. Several are very old, and the collection is shown to visitors in a limited way to help preserve the fragile volumes.
The pottery's signature green comes from a glaze traditionally made with local minerals, including copper. Because it is hand-made and fired in uneven, partly-underground kilns, the colour varies from piece to piece, so each plate, bowl or lamp has its own shade of green.
Tamegroute sits just south of Zagora on the road toward M'Hamid, so it slots easily into a Drâa Valley drive from Ouarzazate through Agdz, Tamnougalt and Zagora. Many travellers stop for the library and pottery on the way to or from the dunes around M'Hamid and Erg Chigaga.
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