OUARZAZATE

Ouarzazate which is nicknamed the door of the desert, is a city in Morocco. Also known as Morocco's Hollywood because it's a noted film-making location, Ouarzazate has served as a shooting location for Alexander the Great, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven, Babel, The Mummy (1999), Star Wars (1977), The Living Daylights (1987), Martin Scorsese’s Kundun (1997) and many others, including Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator (2000) and Body of Lies (2008).

ATLAS FILM STUDIO

Atlas Studios is a film studio located in city of Ouarzazate in Morocco.

Covering more than 322,000 square feet of desert, it is the largest film studio in the world and is a popular tourist destination. Founded in 1983 by Moroccan entrepreneur Mohamed Belghmi. Atlas has since become a premier destination to film big budget blockbuster films including "Gladiator," "Ben Hur," "Kingdom of Heaven," "The Mummy," "The Passion of the Christ," and, most recently, "Game of Thrones" and "Aladdin.

KASBAH TAOURIRT

The Kasbah Taourirt is one of the most beautiful Kasbahs in Morocco. It's a magnificent structure, built by the Glaoui and, was considered the largest Kasbah in Morocco at one point in the 1930’s.

Today, it is classified as a historical monument giving tribute to the Glaoui.

Its tightly packed houses and stately towers, made of a mixture of chalk and sand, melt almost imperceptibly into the surrounding red and ochre-colored landscape. Like cubes of clay, the dwellings hide away from the unrelenting sun-a narrow doorway being the only connection with the outside world. Light and air come in through the central courtyard.

AÏT BENHADDOU

Aït Benhaddou is a historic ighrem or ksar (fortified village) which is a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The ksar's structures are made entirely out of rammed earth, clay bricks, and wood and is located on the slopes of a hill next to the Ounila River (Asif Ounila).

The village's buildings are grouped together within a defensive wall that includes corner towers and a gate. They include dwellings of various size ranging from modest houses to tall structures with towers. Some of the buildings are decorated in their upper parts with geometric motifs. The village also has a number of public or community buildings such as a mosque, a caravanserai, a kasbah (castle-like fortification) and the Marabout of Sidi Ali or Amer.

At the top of the hill, overlooking the ksar, are the remains of a large fortified granary (agadir). There is also a public square, a Muslim cemetery, and a Jewish cemetery. Outside the ksar's walls was an area where grain was grown and threshed.

A large number of films shot in Morocco have used Aït Benhaddou as a location, including:

Sodom And Gomorrah (1963)

Oedipus Rex (1967)

The Man Who Would Be King (film) (1975)

The Message (1976)

Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Time Bandits (1981)

Marco Polo (1982)

The Jewel of the Nile (1985)

The Living Daylights (1987)

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

The Sheltering Sky (1990)

THE CINEMA MUSEUM

The Cinema Museum is located at the opposite side of Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate, on the eastern side of Morocco. The museum is a display of works of art that have been included in the manufacture of some historical films made here honoring the artistic development of cinema, with movies, exhibits & artifacts.

The museum has a large collection of photographic equipment, some of which was made of coal and old clothes alongside the spears and shields made of leather, iron, and gypsum.

OUARZAZATE SOLAR POWER STATION  

Ouarzazate Solar Power Station (OSPS), also called Noor Power Station is a solar power complex located in the Drâa-Tafilalet region in Morocco, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Ouarzazate town, in Ghessat rural council area. At 510 MW, it is the world's largest concentrated solar power