AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 13

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

Here’s a condensed version of the most famous movies filmed in Ait Ben Haddou:

Lawrence of Arabia

Sodom and Gomorrah

Oedipus Rex

The Man who would be King

The Jewel of the Nile

007: The Living Daylights

The Last Temptation of the Christ

The Mummy

Gladiator

Alexander

Kingdom of Heaven

Babel

Prince of Persia

The Bible

Son of God

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 12

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

Morocco has spent a lot of money restoring this village and keeping it perfect.

Both for the tourists who like to visit the premises and for the movie opportunities coming all the way from Hollywood.

--Culture Trip

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 11

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

Ait Ben Haddou is mainly popular among big Hollywood producers who love to shoot films there, as it makes a timeless visual that is difficult to find elsewhere. 

More than 15 movies have been filmed here, as well as parts of the TV show Game of Thrones. 

One of the most popular films to have been shot in Ait Ben Haddou is Gladiator, in particular the scene in which Russell Crowe is sold into slavery.

--Culture Trip

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 10

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

The village was an incredibly harmonious place: small homes, a public square, a mosque, a caravanserai and both a Muslim and Jewish cemetery for the coexisting communities. 

It was the home of several families who lived in the village for a while before deciding to move to a more modern village across the river. 

Today, only 10 families remain in Ait Ben Haddou.

--Culture Trip

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 9

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

Ait Ben Haddou is an almost 1,000-year-old ksar (fortified village) located on the route to the Sahara Desert. 

Previously used as a meeting point for travellers from Sudan on their way to Marrakech, it is now an iconic Hollywood film set.

--Culture Trip

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 8

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

In comparison to other ksour of the region, the Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou has preserved its architectural authenticity with regard to configuration and materials. 

The architectural style is well preserved and the earthen constructions are perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions and are in harmony with the natural and social environment.

-UNESCO

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 7

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

All the structures comprising the ksar are located within the boundaries of the property and the buffer zone protects its environment. 

The earthen buildings are very vulnerable due to lack of maintenance and regular repair resulting from the abandonment of the ksar by its inhabitants. 

The CERKAS (Centre for the conservation and rehabilitation of the architectural heritage of atlas and sub-atlas zones) monitors, with difficulty, respect for the visual integrity of the property.

-UNESCO

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 6

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

The Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou is an eminent example of a ksar in southern Morocco.

It illustrates the main types of earthen constructions that may be observed dating from the 17th century in the valleys of Dra, Todgha, Dadès and Souss.

The Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou illustrates the traditional earthen habitat, representing the culture of southern Morocco, which has become vulnerable as a result of irreversible socio-economic and cultural changes.

-UNESCO

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 5

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

Architecturally, the living quarters form a compact grouping, closed and suspended.

The community areas of the ksar include a mosque, a public square, grain threshing areas outside the ramparts,.

It also features a fortification and a loft at the top of the village, an caravanserai, two cemeteries (Muslim and Jewish) and the Sanctuary of the Saint Sidi Ali or Amer. 

The Ksar of Ait- Ben-Haddou is a perfect synthesis of earthen architecture of the pre-Saharan regions of Morocco.

-UNESCO

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 4

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

The oldest constructions do not appear to be earlier than the 17th century.

Although their structure and technique were propagated from a very early period in the valleys of southern Morocco. 

The site was also one of the many trading posts on the commercial route linking ancient Sudan to Marrakesh by the Dra Valley and the Tizi-n'Telouet Pass.

-UNESCO

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 3

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

The defensive walls are reinforced by angle towers and pierced with a baffle gate.

Houses crowd together - some modest, others resembling small urban castles with their high angle towers and upper sections decorated with motifs in clay brick.

There are also buildings and community areas. 

It is an extraordinary ensemble of buildings offering a complete panorama of pre-Saharan earthen construction techniques. 

-UNESCO

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 2

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

Located in the foothills on the southern slopes of the High Atlas in the Province of Ouarzazate, the site of Ait-Ben-Haddou is the most famous ksar in the Ounila Valley. 

The Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou is a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture. 

The ksar is a mainly collective grouping of dwellings.

-UNESCO

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 1

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

The ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. 

The houses crowd together within the defensive walls, which are reinforced by corner towers. 

Ait-Ben-Haddou, in Ouarzazate province, is a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco.

-UNESCO