Why is Aït Benhaddou famous?

It is one of the best-preserved examples of southern Moroccan earthen architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It is also Morocco's most-filmed location, appearing in more than twenty-five films including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and Game of Thrones.

How do you visit the ksar?

You cross the Ounila River on foot or via the pedestrian bridge completed in 2011, then climb the car-free lanes between kasbahs to the hilltop granary. Sturdy shoes help on the uneven earthen paths and stairs.

Aït Benhaddou

OuarzazateUNESCO World Heritage since 1987

UNESCO-listed fortified earthen ksar on the old caravan route, about 30 km northwest of Ouarzazate.

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≈ 30 km northwest of Ouarzazate
Fortified since the 11th century
Earthen (rammed earth & adobe) architecture

Aït Benhaddou is a fortified village (ksar) of earthen buildings on a hillside above the Ounila River, on the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh. The site was fortified as early as the 11th century, though most surviving buildings date from the 17th century onward. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 and has appeared in more than twenty-five films, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Game of Thrones.

Location

Ouarzazate

FAQs

Aït Benhaddou is a fortified earthen ksar in Ouarzazate Province, about 30 km northwest of Ouarzazate off the N9 road toward Marrakesh. It sits on a hillside above the Ounila River in the Ounila Valley.