Tamgroute Travel Guide: Green Pottery on the Road to the Sahara

Tamgroute

A small desert village on the road south from Zagora, known for its green-glazed pottery cooperative and a centuries-old Koranic library — a worthwhile half-hour stop, not a destination in itself.

Tamgroute sits a few dusty kilometers past Zagora, on the last stretch of paved road before the piste gives way to the Sahara proper. Most travelers pass through on the way to camp among the dunes of Erg Chigaga, and that's really the right way to treat it: a brief stop, not a base. The village itself is little more than a strip of low earthen buildings and a pottery cooperative baking in the heat, but it earns its place on the map for two specific reasons.

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Rows of unfired clay bowls drying in the sun

The first is the pottery. Tamgroute's workshops still fire clay dug from the surrounding earth, and when it's mixed with local manganese-rich glaze and pushed through wood-fired kilns, it comes out that distinctive deep green — the color you'll see on tagines and bowls across southern Morocco, all tracing back to this one village. The second is the Zawiya Naciria, an old religious library housing hand-copied Korans and manuscripts on astronomy, mathematics, and Islamic law, some centuries old and written on gazelle skin. It's a quiet, unassuming building from the outside, easy to drive past without noticing.

Where to take photos

• Tamgroute pottery cooperative — open-air kilns and workshops where artisans still shape and fire the village's signature green-glazed ceramics by hand
• Zawiya Naciria (Koranic library) — a modest religious school and library holding old manuscripts, including Korans copied on gazelle skin
• Village kilns and drying yards — rows of unfired clay pieces and tagines laid out in the sun, a glimpse of the craft before the glaze goes on

When to go: Morning, before the midday desert heat sets in and before continuing on toward Erg Chigaga or M'Hamid — visit early enough that the workshops are active but the sun isn't yet punishing.

Where to stay: Not a place to stay overnight — base yourself in Zagora, or push on to a desert camp near Erg Chigaga if you're continuing into the Sahara.

What to eat: No real food scene here — grab a mint tea or a quick snack at a roadside stall if the workshop offers one, but plan to eat properly in Zagora before or after.

Tip: This is a 20-30 minute stop, not a stay — pair it with the Zagora-to-Sahara drive rather than planning a dedicated trip. The pottery cooperative sells directly on site, so it's a legitimate place to buy (and ship) a piece rather than a staged tourist trap.

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