Kasbah is defined as a North African citadel. Built by the Berbers from the 14th century onwards, a Kasbah was a single family stronghold (as opposed to a Ksour: a fortified tribal village) which increased in size as the family expanded.

Kasbahs are constructed from pounded red earth with straw reinforcement. Their facades are often decorated with white painted or engraved bold geometric Berber motifs; inside the kasbah, it is a simply decorated maze of dark passageways, rooms and courtyards.

In Morocco, numerous kasbahs are located on the southern slopes of the Atlas Mountains, on the edge of the Saharra Desert and on 'The Route of the Kasbahs' between the desert towns of Er-Rachidia and Quarzazate. These kasbahs once provided stopover points for camel caravans on the trade route between Marrakech and Timbuctu , but today many are sadly now empty and falling into ruin.