Jbel Toubkal
— — the rooftop of North Africa.
Not only on a wall.
“The highest peak in North Africa, rising to 4,167 metres in the High Atlas south of Marrakech. The standard route begins in the Berber village of Imlil and climbs through walnut groves toward the refuge at 3,207 metres, then up scree to the summit ridge. In winter the summit holds snow; in summer the stone goes pale gold, with the Sahara visible to the south.
Jbel Toubkal, on ceramic.
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
The place, in three passes.
Jbel Toubkal is the highest mountain in North Africa and the Arab world, at 4,167 metres, sitting roughly 63 kilometres south of Marrakech in Morocco's High Atlas range. The peak lies inside Toubkal National Park, established in 1942 and covering about 380 square kilometres of Berber villages, walnut and juniper forest, and high stone cirques. The standard ascent leaves from Imlil at 1,740 metres and reaches the Refuge du Toubkal at 3,207 metres, where most climbers stage the summit push before dawn.
The summit is sedimentary and volcanic rock — Precambrian rhyolite and andesite uplifted with the wider Atlas range during the African-Eurasian collision. The summit ridge is loose scree above a hard rib of dark stone; the south face drops in steep gullies toward Lac d'Ifni. The Berber name Toubkal has been used for the massif since long before the first recorded European ascent, made by the Marquis de Segonzac with Berber guides in June 1923. The trail still passes the same shrines and shepherd's huts.
The mountain has two distinct seasons. From May through October the trail is dry, the refuge runs without reservation pressure, and most climbers reach the summit without specialised gear. From November through April snow lies on the upper third of the route and crampons and an ice axe become mandatory; the refuge wardens screen parties for equipment. Winter conditions can produce avalanche risk on the standard route, and Moroccan authorities have required a registered mountain guide on any ascent year-round since 2019.