Ksar of Ait Benhaddou

Ksar of Ait Benhaddou is one of the monuments that you should extremely to visit if you go to the south of Morocco, especially near the Hollywood of Africa, the city of Ouarzazate, it’s only 30 kilometers away from it, so, the next time when you visit Ouarzazate, don’t forget Ksar Ait Benhaddou.

Ksar of Ait Benhaddou is a cluster of traditional buildings constructed of mud and surrounded by a defensive fortification reinforced by towers, and it is characterized by simplicity and durability. With its Amazigh distinguished architecture, this palace is considered a model of traditional residences in southern Morocco.

Since 1987, Ksar of  Ait Binhaddou is classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the beautiful monument sits on a large plateau overlooking the Onla River, and this gives it a great view that tempts visitors to access, it tempts also the fans of photography to take some wonderful photos.

The name of Ksar means in Arabic “Palace”, and Ait Benhaddou refers to the tribe which lives in this cluster, Ksar Ait Ben Haddou was built during the eighteenth century in the village of Ait Benhaddou and from which its name was taken, but some archaeologists claim that it was built for the first time during the reign of the Almoravids in the eleventh century.

Besides being a historical monument and a World Heritage, Ksar Ait Benhaddou is also a destination for cinema makers, there are a lot of cinematography masterpieces that had been shot in this place, such as “Lawrence of Arabia”, “The Mummy”, “Gladiator”, “The Last Temptation of Christ” or the famous series “The Game of Thrones”.