Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate is a town in Ouarzazate Province in the Drâa-Tafilalet region of southern Morocco, where the high plateau descends from the Atlas range toward the desert. Wide streets run through the center with low buildings in ochre stone and scattered palm groves along dry riverbeds.

French colonial authorities founded a military post in the 1920s on the old caravan route between the Atlas range and the Sahara. The settlement grew after Moroccan independence in 1956 and gained international attention through film productions starting in the 1960s.

The kasbahs at the town edge show centuries-old adobe building methods with tall corner towers and ornate decorations in baked clay. Local families still live in some of these fortified structures and keep traditional craft techniques alive.

The town serves as a base for trips to Ait Benhaddou and the valleys south of the Atlas with guided tours or rental cars. Most hotels and restaurants line the main road through the center, where parking spaces are freely available.

Several film studios at the town edge offer visits to sets and props from international productions, including reconstructed Egyptian temples and Roman arenas. Crews from around the world use the region for its consistent sunny days and changing desert landscapes.