TOP 5 MUST-VISIT PLACES WHEN IN OUARZAZTE
Discovering the hidden treasures of Ouarzazate is an amazing adventure. The landscape is diverse with a wide range of hills, semi desert, palm groves, oasis and kasbahs. Its location gives it its strategic position.
The mysterious name of Ouarzazate may sound like it comes from North Africa, but in fact, it is located in Morocco and it means “The door of the desert” . It will come as no surprise that when travellers and film-makers first heard the town’s name, they naturally wanted to find out its meaning. This ancient city has witnessed many worldwide famous movies like Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The Hills Have Eyes (2006) and others.
Keep reading if you want to discover the historical jams of Ouarzazate that will blow your mind!
WHERE IS OUARZAZATE?
Ouarzazate is a Moroccan tourist city in the Draa Tafilalet region, about 200 km from Marrakesh, and 295 km from Errachidia. It is bordered to the north by the village community of Laghasat, to the east by the village community of Ladlsan, to the south by the village community of Tarmect, and to the west by the village community of Ait Zeinab.
Ouarzazate is famous for its beautiful surrounding landscapes, and for filming international films in its vicinity and in its studios. Located in Ouarzazate, Noor Station is the largest solar power plant in Morocco.
WHERE TO GO IN OUARZAZATE?
AIT BEN HADDOU KASBAH
Ait Ben Haddou is a picturesque Kasbah located in the South of Ouarzazate, Morocco. This Kasbah is an architectural wonder and one of the most fascinating World Heritage Sites. It was a commune area that holds the UNESCO Heritage site.
The Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou is an incredible sight. It comes up on the horizon and looks like a fantasy. The kasbah is located in the village of Aït Ben Haddou, about 30 kilometers from Ouarzazate. This is a town on the edge of the Sahara desert.CINEMA MUSEUM OF OUARZAZATE
There are several museums around the world that you would want to discover and visit at least once in your lifetime and Ouarzazate Cinema Museum is one of them.
Created in 2007, the Ouarzazate Cinema Museum is reputed to be the "Hollywood of Africa''. Located on the site of a studio, it traces the history of the studios and of the entire film industry of Ouarzazate.
FILM STUDIOS
Ouarzazate, Morocco has been establishing a name for itself in Hollywood circles as a great location to shoot films over the last few years. This North African city hosted around 50 films & TV series in 2014 including popular titles like Game of Thrones, The Bourne Ultimatum, & Syriana.
Atlas Film Studios are the largest film studio in the world. It is a popular tourist destination, in part because the grounds are littered with old movie sets that are decaying in the harsh environment.
THE EVENING MARKET
Ouarzazate's market fills the streets every evening around 6 PM. As soon as the sun goes down, vendors and traders set up their wares all along the street in anticipation of potential customers. The varying range of goods on offer is sure to please everyone looking for souvenirs or people looking to try local delicacies and snacks.
KSAR TAOURIRT
Ksar Taourirt is a fortified village in the province of Ouarzazate, region of Draa-Tafilalet in south-eastern Morocco. It is located in the western part of the city of Ouarzazate, contiguous to the Kasbah of Taourirt. Its adobe or constructions have barely been transformed since the first half of the 20th century. It remains largely inhabited. It has a mosque and there was a synagogue there until 1956.
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