Napoleon`s Hat

Towering above the affluent village of Aguerd Oudad, Napoleon’s Hat is the most striking rock formation in the region, and probably the most photographed feature of Tafraout’s granite landscape. The ancient Berbers traditionally used these inaccessible tors and summits as strongholds for the safekeeping of grain, water or valuables, and it is common to see the remains of fortified agadirs on summits above the villages. In the case of Napoleon’s Hat, however, the lack of building materials on the summit blocks restricted even the ambitious Berbers in their construction activities, and it appears that only a very small agadir was ever built on the west summit. Meanwhile, on the upper slopes of the south and west faces, evidence remains of a large-scale fortified village, where the Berbers would defend themselves during more unsettled periods of their history.