After the Todra Gorge, Wadi Todgha has a difficult passage along the southern slopes of the Atlas Mountains (Tizgi); it then flows across the plain, meandering slightly over 20 kilometres (12 mi) to Ferkla.

A similar construction can be found in the name of Tinmel, the first capital of the Almohads, which is composed of "Tin", and "Amlel" meaning "at foot of the mountain" or "at a low location".

During the Mesozoic, the region was invaded by the sea, where thick deposits of sediments rich in marine fossils (particularly of the ammonitida class).

The uplift of the Atlas Mountains (primarily during the Neogene) caused the withdrawal of the sea and the deformation of rocks into folds and faults.

King Mohammed VI gave his approval on 21 January 2009 to make Tinghir an administrative center, an initiative that met the needs of its inhabitants; it provides a legal and institutional framework for the reform of territorial administration based on good governance and local self-administration.