In my recent research for a new book, I spent a great deal of time trying to find the perfect setting. I finally settled upon Morocco. It’s a beautiful and exotic place with a culture all its own.While reseraching the arcitecture there I came across a type of palace called kasbah.Here’s what the Encarta Dictionary says about the word:

cas·bah (plural cas·bahs) or kas·bah (plural kas·bahs)

noun
Definition:

1. N African fortress: in North Africa, a fortress or palace

2. older district: in North Africa, the older part of a city or town, often the market area

[Mid-18th century. Via French < Arabic qaṣbah "fortress"]

Upon further research, I found that kaspahs were a “place for the local leader to live and as a defense when the city was under attack. A kasbah has high walls which usually have no windows. Sometimes, they were built on the top of hills to make them easier to defend. Some of them were also placed near the entrance of harbours.” (wikipedia)

“To protect themselves from invaders, the Berbers (people of the Dades Valley region in Morocco) erected literally hundreds of kasbahs. The 25 Kms of good, though very winding tarmac road from Boumalne du Dades passes directly through this forest of ochre fortresses.” Morocco-travel.com

Note to self: talk dh into this for an anniversary trip…