Taroudant is a Moroccan city located in the Sous Valley in the southern part of the country. It is situated east from Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south from Marrakech. Tarodaunt is often referred to as the "Grandmother of Marrakech" because it is a scaled down, slowed down town that resembles Marrakech with its orange colored surrounding ramparts. It has the feel of a small fortified market town on a caravan route and is known for its local crafts like jewelry and carpet. Unlike Marrakech, Taroudant contains almost the whole city within its ancient walls. Recently, however, a new area is being developed outside the city walls around the huge campus of a faculty of the Ibn Zohr university of Agadir. Tarodaunt was occupied by the Almoravides in 1506. 

Visit the ancient walls of Tarodaunt that extend around the entire city and Place al Alouvine which is a large, central square and the heart of the medina. It plays host to a mini Djemaa El Fna most evenings. Storytellers and musicians are there. Explore the medina(the maze of narrow streets near the town center) and visit the excellent souks. The Berber market in Taroudant sells vegetables and spices and also clothes and household goods, while the Arab souk specializes in handicrafts such as terracotta, wrought iron, pottery, brass and copper, leather, carpets and rugs, and jewelry

The Jewish community in Taroudant is believed to have been established in the elevent century. It has a mellah and a large Jewish cemetery. The Most important Tarodaunt saint is David Ben Baruk Cohen Azog. Located at a crossroads, Taroudant's history and economy was influenced by the sugar industry and trans-Saharan trade. Taroudant’s Jewish community reached one thousand in the 1950s, however the majority of the population eventually emigrated to other Moroccan cities, France or Israel.

Within the Tarodaunt region in Southern Morocco you will have the unique opportunity to see one of the only Adobe synagogues in the world. It is located in the tiny village of Arazan. This 700 year old Adobe synagogue in Azran has Hebrew prayers painted on its earthen walls and an ark with Berber writing that adorns it. 

Outside the city, roadside you will see Argan Trees, with their gnarled and twisted trunks. This tree is typical of south-west Morocco and produces nuts that are the source of a rich and tasty oil. You will see goats clambering along the knotted tree trunks and branches to feed on the leaves and fruit. 

Wind your way through the dramatic Tizn’ Test Pass, considered to be one of the most spectacular drives in the world en route to Marrakech. En route visit the Tinmal Mosque. The Tin Mal Mosque is located in the High Atlas Mountain region betwen Tarodaunt and Marrakech.

Built in 1156 to commerorate the Almohad Dynesty it is only one of two mosques open to non-Mulsim's in Morocco, the other being the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. 

The city of Tin Mal was established by Ibn Tumart, the founder and mahdi (spiritual leader) of the Almohads, and was the cultural and religious center of the empire until the city’s destruction by the rival Merinid dynasty in the 1270s. All that was spared, apart from a few fragments of wall, was the monumental Tin Mal mosque according to official Almohad doctrine. The Tin Mal mosque was abandoned for many years, then restored in the 1990s. It stands prominently on a hill overlooking the rural village that Tin Mal (also called Tinmel) has become today. 

The interior of the Tin Mal Mosque is remarkably well-preserved, with an elaborate mihrab (the niche in the wall that faces Mecca, indicating the direction of prayer) and vaulted pillars. The mosque is unique in having its minaret above the mihrab rather than in a separate tower, giving it a castle-like appearance from the outside. 

Overnight at a Boutique Hotel or Riad in Marrakech.