View of the kasbah from afar, amidst the palmeraie

The kasbah was originally founded in the 17th century.[1][2][3] It initially consisted of a fortified village, a ksar, occupying a strategic location along the river and at the entrance to the Skoura palmeraie.[4] Towards the end of the 19th century M'hamed Ben Brahim Nasiri, a faqih from a local privileged family living in the ksar (descendants of the family associated with the prestigious Zawiya Nasiriyya in Tamegroute[5]), was chosen by Madani El Glaoui (older brother of Thami el Glaoui) to educate his sons in reading the Qur'an. As compensation, El Glaoui commissioned his craftsmen to build Nasiri a tighremt (fortified mansion) at the ksar.[4]

Today the kasbah is the most prominent structure and takes up the long southern part of the complex, while the ruined ksar (the former village) occupies the northern section.[4] The kasbah made an appearance in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia.[2][6] It is still owned and maintained by the Nasiri family to this day.[2][6] The family continues to live in one part of the kasbah while other parts have been restored to serve as a museum showcasing the traditional architecture of the building and local traditional artifacts, including tools, an olive press, a bread oven, and an old well.[6][3][2]