The interior of the Télouet Kasbah.

The passage of the merchant caravans, which connected the desert with the large cities situated on the other side of the Atlas, and the proximity of the salt mines, made the wealth of the Pashas inhabiting Telouet. The current kasbah was built starting in 1860 by Mohammed Ibiyet, the head of the Glaoui clan in the High Atlas.[1] Construction took 5 years and is said to have involved some 300 craftsmen brought from many parts of Morocco, including Fes.[1] In later years, the kasbah continued to be expanded as the family grew in power and wealth. The craftsmen decorated the walls with zellij and carved stucco and painted the cedar-wood ceilings with colorful motifs, adding distinctive elements of the classical Andalusi-Moroccan style to local Amazigh (Berber) styles.[1]

The support given to French by El Glaoui, often called the Glaoui during the French occupation in Morocco, earned him the reciprocal support of the French colonial authorities. At the height of his power, the Glaoui family had considerable wealth, making him one of the country's leading figures. But this commitment turned against him during the increasing rise towards the independence of Morocco. He died in oblivion in Marrakech in 1956. The funeral procession was presided over by Crown Prince Moulay Hassan ben Mohammed, the future ruler of Morocco as Hassan II. Since then, mainly because of such political connotation, the kasbah has been almost abandoned.