Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate (ورزازات, ), nicknamed the door of the desert, is a city and capital of Ouarzazate Province in the region of Drâa-Tafilalet, south-central Morocco.

Ouarzazate is a primary tourist destination in Morocco during the holidays, as well as a starting point for excursions into and across the Draa Valley and the desert. Aït Benhaddou (a fortified village) west of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Ouarzazate area is a noted film-making location, with Morocco's biggest studios inviting many international companies to work here. Films such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), The Living Daylights (1987), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Kundun (1997), Legionnaire (1998), The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011) and The Wages of Fear (2024) were shot here, as was part of the TV series Game of Thrones.

Etymology
Its name comes from a Berber phrase meaning "without noise" or "without confusion".

History
For a long time, Ouarzazate was a small crossing point for African traders on their way to northern Morocco and Europe. In the 16th century, Sheikh Abu al-'Abaas Ahmed bin Abdellah al-Wizkiti al-Warzazi, emir of the qasba of Ouarzazate and father of Lalla Masuda, helped establish Saadi control over the Sous-Dra'a region.

Ouarzazate was home to a thriving Jewish community. In 1954, about 170 Jews lived in the Mellah. The "Old Synagogue", a synagogue said to be nearly 300 years old, is located in Ouarzazate. There is also a Jewish cemetery, which is no longer in use.

During the French period, Ouarzazate expanded considerably as a garrison town, administrative centre and customs post and a church (Eglise Saint Therese) was built in 1931. It is home to the Kasbah Taourirt, which was the kasbah of the former caïd and later owned by T'hami El Glaoui. The Krupp field gun which secured Glaoui power is displayed outside the kasbah today.

The city was part of the route of the 2006 and 2007 Dakar Rally.

The nearby Ouarzazate solar power station, co-funded by the Arab League, was connected to the Moroccan power grid in February 2016.

On 1 November 2023, Ouarzazate along with Casablanca joined UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.

Geography
Ouarzazate is at an elevation of 1160 m in the middle of a bare plateau south of the High Atlas Mountains, with a desert to the city's south.

Climate
Ouarzazate has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). The city is hot and dry in summer, but can be very cold in winter, with icy winds coming from the High Atlas Mountains.

Landmarks
The Kasbah Taourirt is the city's historic kasbah (fortified residence, or tighremt in Berber languages). It was owned and expanded by the Glaoui family in the late 19th century and the 20th century. Built mainly of rammed earth, it is one of the most impressive examples of this type of structure, which characterizes the architecture of the predominantly Berber-inhabited Atlas mountain and oasis regions of Morocco.

A short distance west of the city is Aït Benhaddou, a historic ksar (fortified village) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Film industry
Film is a major industry in Ouarazazate and constitute a major part of its economy. Its success is due to the presence of desert landscapes and historical architecture, the availability of trained technicians, low productions costs, and Morocco's streamlined process for obtaining film permits. Most productions are from the USA or Western Europe, but the number of Indian and Chinese productions has also increased in recent years. According to a study published in 2020, about 20 to 50 foreign film and television productions are shot in Ouarzazate every year. In 2017, the heads of Moroccan film studios claimed that about 80 percent of staff used on film productions were Moroccan.

Atlas Studios is the largest movie studios in the world in terms of land area. It was established in 1983. Movies were shot here including The Living Daylights, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, Lawrence of Arabia, The Man Who Would Be King, The Mummy, Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, Hanna, and Babel. It was also the location of an episode of the television series The Amazing Race 10 and Game of Thrones (Season 3). Prison Break Season 5 was filmed here.

Another large studio in Ouarzazate is CLA Studios, established in 2004.

The Cinema Museum, located across from the Kasbah Taourirt, opened in 2007 and is housed in a former film studio. The museum displays film sets, props, and technical equipment from previous productions.

Notable people

 * Ayoub El Amloud, professional footballer
 * Romain Saiss, professional footballer
 * Tasuta N-Imal, a desert blues band