OUARZAZATE
Ouarzazate is a city and capital of Ouarzazate Province in the Souss-Massa-Draâ of southern-central Morocco. As of 2004 it had a population of 56,616. Ouarzazate is located at an altitude of 1,160 m 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 building for which the area is known for. Ouarzazate is one of the important holiday destinations in Morocco as a nodal point for excursion across the Draa Valley and desert in the area. The fortified village (ksar) of Ait Benhaddou has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The town and surrounding area is also a noted film-making location, with Morocco's biggest studios inviting many international film companies to shoot their films. Films such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Star Wars (1977), The Living Daylights (1987), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000) and Martin Scorsese's Kundun (1997) were shot in the Ouarazate area.
Etymology
Its name comes from a Berber phrase meaning "without noise" or "without confusion". It is also featured by its closeness to Atlas Mountains and Draa Valley.
History
Once in its history, Ouarzazate had been a small crossing point for African traders seeking to reach northern cities in Morocco and Europe. During the French period, Ouarzazate expanded considerably as a garrison town, administrative centre, and customs post. It is home to the casbah of Taourirt, (the casbah of the former caïd and later the possession of T'hami El Glaoui). The Krupps field gun which secured Glaoui power is outside.
The area is also known for its Ouazguita carpets with geometric designs of red-orange on black background.
Film studios
Ouarzazate Film studiosAt present, it hosts the largest movie studios in the world, Atlas Studios. Several historical movies were shot on those studios, including Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, Lawrence of Arabia, The Man Who Would Be King, Cleopatra, Kundun, Gladiator and lately Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven and Babel. It was also the location of the November 26, 2006 episode of the television series The Amazing Race 10.
Sights outside of Ouarzazate
The casbah-town of Aït Benhaddou is nearby. Many excursions through the valley of the Draa River into the Sahara start from the city. These include trips to Zagora, an oasis town surrounded by palm tree plantations, and the traditional departure point for camel trains to Timbuktu (52 days away).
