Ouarzazate (Arabic: ورزازات, lit. "noiselessly"), 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 (3,810 ft) 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 Berbers, 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 (ksar) 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 (1962), The Living Daylights (1987), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Kundun (1997), Legionnaire (1998), Hanna (2011), and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011) were shot here, as was part of the TV series Game of Thrones.
Aït Benhaddou (Berber: Ath Benhadu, Arabic: آيت بن حدّو) is a fortified city, or ksar, along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. It is situated in Souss-Massa-Drâa on a hill along the Ounila River and is known for its kasbahs,
although they take damage with each rainstorm. Most of the town's
inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the
river; however, eight families still live within the ksar.
Aït Benhaddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and several films have been shot there, including:
- Sodom And Gomorrah (1963)
- The Man Who Would Be King (film) (1975)
- The Message (1976)
- Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
- Time Bandits (1981)
- Marco Polo (1982)
- The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
- The Living Daylights (1987)
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
- The Sheltering Sky (1990)
- Kundun (1997)
- The Mummy (1999)
- Gladiator (2000)
- Alexander (2004)
- Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
- Babel (2006)
- Prince of Persia (2010)
Also used in parts of the TV series Game of Thrones.
Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO WHS: 1987
Thank you, Marwa !
Her blog: http://marwaunescoworld.wordpress.com/
Sent on: November 15, 2013
Received on: November 29, 201
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