Ouarzazate (; ar, ورزازات, Warzāzāt, ; ary, وارزازات, Wārzāzāt; shi, label=

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

, ⵡⴰⵔⵣⴰⵣⴰⵜ, Warzazat), nicknamed ''the door of the desert'', is a city and capital of

Ouarzazate Province Ouarzazate Province ( ar, إقليم ورزازات, ʾiqlīm Warzāzāt; french: province de Ouarzazate) is a province in the administrative region of Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco. Its population in 2004 was 499,980. The major cities and towns are: ...

in the region of

Drâa-Tafilalet Drâa-Tafilalet ( ar, درعة - تافيلالت, darʿa - tāfīlālt; ber, ⴷⵔⴰ ⵜⴰⴼⵉⵍⴰⵍⵜ, drɛa tafilalt) is one of the twelve regions of Morocco. It covers an area of 88,836 km2 and had a population of 1,635,008 as ...

, south-central

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

. Ouarzazate is at an elevation of in the middle of a bare plateau south of the High

Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range. It stretches around through Moroc ...

, with a desert to the city's south. Berber-speakers make up the majority of the town's inhabitants, who were responsible for the creation of many of the prominent

kasbah A kasbah (, also ; ar, قَـصَـبَـة, qaṣaba, lit=fortress, , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term ''alca ...

s (locally referred to as: ''iɣeṛman''). Ouarzazate is a primary tourist destination in Morocco during the holidays, as well as a starting point for excursions into and across the

Draa Valley :''Dra is also the abbreviation for the constellation Draco.'' The Draa ( ber, Asif en Dra, ⴰⵙⵉⴼ ⴻⵏ ⴷⵔⴰ, ary, واد درعة, wad dərʿa; also spelled Dra or Drâa, in older sources mostly Darha or Dara) is Morocco's longest ...

and the desert.

Aït Benhaddou Aït Benhaddou (; ar, آيت بن حدّو) is a historic ''ighrem'' or ''ksar'' (fortified village) along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh in Morocco. It is considered a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architect ...

(a fortified village) west of the city is a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. 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 Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

'' (1962), ''

The Man Who Would Be King "The Man Who Would Be King" (1888) is a story by Rudyard Kipling about two British adventurers in British India who become kings of Kafiristan, a remote part of Afghanistan. The story was first published in '' The Phantom Rickshaw and other Ee ...

'' (1975), ''

The Living Daylights ''The Living Daylights'' is a 1987 spy film, the fifteenth entry in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first of two to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by John Glen, the film's ...

'' (1987), '' The Last Temptation of Christ'' (1988), ''

The Mummy A mummy is an unusually well preserved corpse. Mummy or The Mummy may also refer to: Places *Mummy Range, a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States *Mummy Cave, a rock shelter and archeological site in Par ...

'' (1999), ''

Gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...

'' (2000), ''

Kingdom of Heaven Kingdom of Heaven may refer to: Religious * Kingdom of Heaven (Gospel of Matthew) **Kingship and kingdom of God, or simply Kingdom of God, the phrase used in the other gospels * Kingdom of Heaven (Daviesite), a schismatic sect, founded by Will ...

'' (2005), ''

Kundun ''Kundun'' is a 1997 American epic biographical film written by Melissa Mathison and directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the life and writings of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, the exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet. Te ...

'' (1997), ''

Legionnaire The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army. It ...

'' (1998), '' Hanna'' (2011), ''

The Hills Have Eyes ''The Hills Have Eyes'' is an American horror franchise that consists of four horror films, as well as a graphic novel and merchandise. The first film was released in 1977, '' The Hills Have Eyes''; the series was rebooted in a 2006 remake. T ...

'' (2006), and ''

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen ''Salmon Fishing in the Yemen'' is a 2011 British romantic comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Kristin Scott Thomas and Amr Waked. Based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Paul Torday, an ...

'' (2011) were shot here, as was part of the TV series ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...

''. The nearby

Ouarzazate solar power station Ouarzazate Solar Power Station (OSPS), also called Noor Power Station (نور, Arabic for light) is a solar power complex and auxiliary diesel fuel system located in the Drâa-Tafilalet region in Morocco, from Ouarzazate town, in Ghessat rural ...

, co-funded by the Arab League, was connected to the Moroccan power grid in February 2016.

Etymology

Its name comes from a

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. In the 16th century, Sheikh Abu al-'Abaas Ahmed bin Abdellah al-Wizkiti al-Warzazi,

emir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...

of the ''qasba'' of Ouarzazate and father of

Lalla Masuda Mas'uda al-Wizkitiya (; died 1591), known popularly in Morocco as Lala 'Auda () and in Western sources as Lalla Masuda, was a Moroccan political figure in the Saadi Dynasty. She is remembered for her humanitarian, charity, political, and developmen ...

, helped establish Saadi control over the

Sous The Sous region (also spelt Sus, Suss, Souss or Sousse) ( ar, سوس, sūs, shi, ⵙⵓⵙ, sus) is an area in mid-southern Morocco. Geologically, it is the alluvial basin of the Sous River (''Asif n Sus''), separated from the Sahara desert ...

- Dra'a region. During the French period, Ouarzazate expanded considerably as a garrison town, administrative centre and customs post. It is home to the

Kasbah Taourirt Kasbah Taourirt is a historic fortified residence complex or kasbah (''tighremt'' in Tamazight) in Ouarzazate, Morocco. History According to oral traditions, the kasbah was first built in the 17th century by the Imzwarn, a powerful local famil ...

, which was the

of the former

caïd Qaid ( ar , قائد ', "commander"; pl. '), also spelled kaid or caïd, is a word meaning "commander" or "leader." It was a title in the Norman kingdom of Sicily, applied to palatine officials and members of the ''curia'', usually to those ...

and later owned by

T'hami El Glaoui Thami El Glaoui ( ar, التهامي الكلاوي; 1879–23 January 1956) was the Pasha of Marrakesh from 1912 to 1956. His family name was el Mezouari, from a title given an ancestor by Ismail Ibn Sharif in 1700, while El Glaoui refers to hi ...

. The

Krupp The Krupp family (see pronunciation), a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, is notable for its production of steel, artillery, ammunition and other armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG (Friedrich Krup ...

field gun A field gun is a field artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march, that when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances ( field artille ...

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

Ouarzazate has a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''BWh''). The city is hot and dry in summer, but can be very cold in winter, with icy winds coming from the

High Atlas High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas ( ar, الأطلس الكبير, Al-Aṭlas al-Kabīr; french: Haut Atlas; shi, ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ⵏ ⴷⵔⵏ ''Adrar n Dern''), is a mountain range in central Morocco, North Africa, the highest part of t ...

Mountains.

Film studios

Atlas Studios is one of the largest

movie studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...

s in the world, in terms of land area. Movies were shot here including ''

'', '' Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra'', ''

'', ''

'', and ''

Babel Babel is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon and may refer to: Arts and media Written works Books *Babel (book), ''Babel'' (book), by Patti Smith * Babel (2012 manga), ''Babel'' (2012 manga), by Narumi Shigematsu * Babel (20 ...

''. It was also the location of an episode of the television series ''

The Amazing Race 10 ''The Amazing Race 10'' is the tenth season of the American reality television show ''The Amazing Race (American TV series), The Amazing Race''. It featured twelve teams of two competing in a race around the world. The season premiered on CBS on ...

'' and ''

Game of Thrones (Season 3) The third season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'' premiered in the United States on HBO on March 31, 2013, and concluded on June 9, 2013. It was broadcast on Sunday at 9:00 pm in the United States, consisting of 10 epis ...

''. '' Prison Break Season 5'' was filmed here. Another large studio in Ouarzazate is CLA Studios.

Sights nearby

The kasbah-town of

is nearby. Many excursions through the valley of the

Draa River :''Dra is also the abbreviation for the constellation Draco.'' The Draa ( ber, Asif en Dra, ⴰⵙⵉⴼ ⴻⵏ ⴷⵔⴰ, ary, واد درعة, wad dərʿa; also spelled Dra or Drâa, in older sources mostly Darha or Dara) is Morocco's longest ...

into the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

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 Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...

, a journey that would take about 52 days. These days the border to Algeria is closed, stopping the Timbuktu route. The city was part of the route of the

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

and

2007 Dakar Rally The 2007 Dakar Rally was the 29th running of the event. It started in Lisbon, Portugal on 6 January and ran through Europe and Africa until 21 January 2007 in sport, 2007. It was the last time the event would take place in Europe and Africa, as th ...

. Many sights can be visited within the city, but also, a wide list of interesting attractions can be found around Ouarzazate.

Sights around Ouarzazate

# Tifoultoute Kasbah # Fint Oasis # Jbel Adad Petroglyphs # Iguernan Nature Reserve # Ksar Ait Benhaddou # Ounila Valley # Skoura Oasis # Stork's Kasbah # CLA Studios # Atlas Film Studios # The Abandoned "Hills Have Eyes" movie set # Tizgui Waterfall # Al Mansour Dahbi Dam # Gazelle Animal Natural Reserve of Bouljir

Mapping

Detailed maps are hard to obtain in Morocco. The French

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

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

Notable people

* Ayoub El Amloud, professional footballer

Gallery

File:OuarzazateStreet.jpg, A street in Ouarzazate File:OuarzazateKasbah.jpg, Kasbah

Ait Benhaddou An ait (, like ''eight'') or eyot () is a small island. It is especially used to refer to river islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England. Aits are typically formed by the deposit of sediment in the water, which accumu ...

File:BeautifulKasbah.jpg, Kasbah Aksar File:093 Oasis du Fint.JPG, Oasis du Fint File:Ouarzazate 2.jpg, The back side of

File:Ouarzazate Medina.jpg, Ouarzazate old town

Notes

References

External links

Definitely Ouarzazate (facilities for filmmakers)

Ouarzazate Film Commission

Cinema Museum of Ouarzazate

Movies shot in Ouarzazate
at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

* {{Authority control Populated places in Ouarzazate Province

Ouarzazate Ouarzazate (; ar, ورزازات, Warzāzāt, ; ary, وارزازات, Wārzāzāt; shi, label= Berber, ⵡⴰⵔⵣⴰⵣⴰⵜ, Warzazat), nicknamed ''the door of the desert'', is a city and capital of Ouarzazate Province in the region of Dr� ...