Ouarzazate is the capital of the province of Ouarzazate in the Drâa-Tafilalet region in southern Morocco.The city is nicknamed “the Gate of the Desert”.
This city was built in 1928 by the French, who considered its position very strategic. Ouarzazate is located on a plateau at 1,160 meters above sea level, where the Draa and Dadés rivers meet with their surprising and splendid valleys. Its exceptional geographical location gives it the status of a city of passage: it is the starting point for excursions to the Dades Valley to the East, the Oasis road to the South and to the Anti-Atlas mountains.
Ouarzazate built mainly along the main street, Avenue Muhammed V. Once in its history, Ouarzazate had been a crossing point for African traders seeking to reach the cities of northern Morocco and Europe.The city of Ouarzazate is a convenient and even essential stage for the tourist who wishes to explore the Deep South.Ouarzazate and the surrounding region is one of the most used locations in Morocco as a backdrop by filmmakers from all over the world.
Access : Coordinates: 30.916667, -6.916667 / Ouarzazate in Morocco located around 200 kilometers south of Marrakech
Highlights :
- Kasbah Taourirt –A well preserved kasbah inside of the city and one of the main monuments of the city .The Kasbah of Taourirt, symbol of the city, it is a national heritage. Adjoining the medina, it would have been built around the middle of the 18th century and belonged to the Glaoui. It is represented on the new 50 dirhams banknotes.
- Ouarzazate and the surrounding region is one of the most used locations in Morocco as a backdrop by filmmakers from all over the world. In addition to the landscapes, another of the great attractions of the area is the quality of light, with a bright sun for at least 300 days a year. In the 1960s, Ouarzazate began to be a filming location for historical films, including the famous Lawrence of Arabia, filmed in Aït-Ben-Haddou, a small village classified as World Heritage in 1987. The city is home to the Atlas studios Corporation and has a cinema museum where pieces of the sets and clothing used in some films shot in Ouarzazate are exhibited, such as Kingdom of Heaven or Kundun.
- Top sights in Ouarzazate : Gazelle Animal Natural Reserve of Bouljir / Tizgui Waterfall / The Abandoned “Hills Have Eyes” movie set / Atlas Film Studios / Ounila Valley / Ksar Ait Benhaddou / Iguernan Nature Reserve / Al Mansour Dahbi Dam / Jbel Adad Petroglyphs / Tifoultoute Kasbah.
Go next : Ait-Ben-Haddou – along the N9 state road towards Marrakech – Famous fortified village / Oasis de Fint / Northeast is the rocky Todra Gorge / Zagora (113 km).
