Ouarzazate, nicknamed The door of the desert, is a city and capital of
Ouarzazate Province in the Souss-Massa-Drâa of southern-central
Morocco. Ouarzazate is at an elevation of 1,160 metres in the middle of a bare
plateau south of the High Atlas Mountains. To the south of the town is
the desert. The town is chiefly inhabited by
Berber-speakers, who constructed many of the prominent kasbahs and buildings for
which the area is known. Ouarzazate is an important holiday destination in
Morocco, as a base for excursions across the Draa Valley and into the desert. The
fortified village of Ait Benhaddou west of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. The Ouarzazate area is a noted
film-making location, with Morocco's biggest studios inviting many
international companies to work here. Films such as Lawrence of Arabia, The
Living Daylights, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Mummy, Gladiator, Kingdom of
Heaven, Kundun, Legionnaire, Hanna, and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen were shot
here, as was part of the TV series Game of Thrones.
Etymology Its name comes from a Berber phrase
meaning "without noise" or "without confusion".
History For a long time, Ouarzazate was a small
crossing point for African traders on their way to northern Morocco and
Europe. During the French period, Ouarzazate expanded considerably as a
garrison town, administrative centre and customs post. It is home to the kasbah
of Taourirt, which was the casbah of the former caïd and later owned by T'hami El
Glaoui. The Krupp field gun which secured Glaoui power is displayed
outside the kasbah today. The area is also known for its Ouazguita
carpets with geometric designs of red-orange on black background.
Climate The town is hot and dry in summer, but
can be very cold in winter, with icy winds coming from the High Atlas
Mountains. Film studios
Atlas Studios is one of the largest movie studios in the world, in terms of
land area. Several historical movies were shot here, including The Living
Daylights, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, Lawrence of Arabia, The Man
Who Would Be King, Kingdom of Heaven and Babel. It was also the location of an
episode of the television series The Amazing Race 10 and Game of thrones:
Season 3. Sights nearby
The kasbah-town of Aït Benhaddou is nearby. Many excursions through the
valley of the Draa River into the Sahara start from the city. These include trips
to Zagora, an oasis town surrounded by palm tree plantations and a departure
point for camel trains to Timbuktu, a journey that would take about 52 days.
These days the border to Algeria is closed, stopping the Timbuktu route.
Mapping Detailed maps are hard to obtain in
Morocco. The French IGN mapping at a 1:100,000 scale has been reproduced by
the Moroccan Division de la carte. These maps are often out of date and obtained
with special permission in Rabat. Soviet mapping on a 1:200,000 scale is
available on the Internet, but these are generally outdated and show the names of
places in Cyrillic letters. A new series of maps are available,
including the Ouarzazate Region. 1:160,000 Map and Guide. Atlas Mountains
Morocco. Cartography by EWP. EWP and WCP. 2008. ISBN 978-0-906227-99-2.
Views Gallery
See also Tizi n'Tichka: The mountain pass that
leads to Ouarzazate List of Movies shot in Morocco
Ouarzazate Airport References
^ "Ouarzazate Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
External links Movies shot in Ouarzazate at IMDb
Ouarzazate travel guide from Wikivoyage