It was a normal Friday night, an evening just like any other, when the ground started to shudder. But for the remote and rural villages deep in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, life would never be the same again.
Measuring a terrifying 6.8 on the Richter Scale, the earthquake of September 8, 2023 left deep and devastating scars. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives with many more injured and displaced. The quiet villages of Adassil and Imlil were among the hardest hit but even the throbbing metropolis of Marrakech – some 72km away – did not escape unscathed.
Buildings were damaged and towers crumbled, most notably among them the fabled and much-loved Koutoubia Mosque, which has been a symbol of the city since its construction in the 12th century.
Morocco – a proud and gentle nation so heavily dependent on tourism – was on its feet.
Among the hotels hardest hit was Kasbah Tamadot, the dusky-red hilltop fortress owned by Sir Richard Branson which overlooks a deep valley in the shadow of Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa.
Located an hour or so from Marrakech and a stone’s throw from the quake’s epicentre, the main house – the kasbah itself – suffered extensive structural damage and was forced to shut its doors for a year as the rebuild got underway.
Amazingly the 28-room property didn’t close completely for long. A string of ten beautiful Berber ‘tents’ with outdoor hot tubs, dotted along the escarpment, allowed the hotel to remain partially open and operate at a reduced capacity – a lifeline for Kasbah’s all-Moroccan staff, most of whom come from the surrounding villages, and also providing those who wanted to support the country’s recovery with a place to stay.
“It was a very sad and difficult time,” recalls Richard Branson, who was among the first on the scene after the quake hit and immediately got to work delivering aid to those in need. “It was heartbreaking but it showed the true strength and resolve of the Moroccan people who all came out to help and support each other.”
Now fully re-open, Kasbah Tamadot – meaning ‘soft breeze’ in the Berber language – has evolved and ushered in a new era of its journey.
Not only…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…