The old kasbah walls of Temara date from the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismail (1672–1727), one of the most formidable rulers of the Alaouite dynasty. Moulay Ismail was a prolific builder who fortified towns across Morocco during his long reign, and the Temara walls are a surviving example of this defensive programme.
The walls are not extensive compared to the great medinas of Fez or Marrakech, and they are not a primary sight, but they give the older part of town a different character from the modern residential development that surrounds them. The sections of wall that survive are of traditional rammed earth (pisé) construction with a characteristic pink-brown colour common to the pre-Saharan building tradition of Morocco. They are best seen in combination with a walk through the older neighbourhood streets adjacent to them, where a few traditional houses and shops survive among the newer construction.