30km from Ouarzazate, the gateway to the Moroccan south, lies the Ksour of Ait Benhaddou. This picture shows the magnificiently-preserved collection of kasbahs catching the last rays of desert sun. The Ksour (which is defined as a "fortified village") is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest buildings in the complex date back nearly a thousand years. The village started off life as an important staging point at the foot of the Ounila Valley on a trade route between Marrakech and Mali and even now there are still a handful of families that live in the Ksour. The village exhibits architecture typical of the south of Morocco (whether 11th century or later), with tall fortified structures ("kasbahs"), like those in the foreground, made of rammed earth ("pisé") or adobe mud bricks. Whichever technique is used, the constituents are the same: earth, straw, sand, and sometimes small stones from the river bed. Contrary to what you might think these buildings have an incredible solidity and do not simply wash away in heavy rains. The old village now has a neighbouring settlement where many of the families from the Ksour now live, and there are a handful of good hotels, some cafés and restaurants and a row of souvenir shops. UNESCO funding has recently introduced a stone stairway up to the hilltop granary so that you can comfortably walk right to the top along a route that was previously a scramble. The village's good looks have attracted numerous filmmakers to the area, and many desert epics are now filmed here or in the surrounding area. Most famously perhaps, scenes from the Ridley Scott film "Gladiator" were shot at Ait Benhaddou, and Ouarzazate now has three impressive film studios to cater for the demand generated by Hollywood, and filmmakers from around the world. The attraction of the area lies in a number of factors, including ease of obtaining film permits, a ready-made low cost labour force (including villagers as extras) and of course the dramatic desert scenery and clear light of Southern Morocco. Ait Benhaddou makes an excellent stop on a tailormade tour into the desert and indeed many of our tours in the south of Morocco (mountain biking and trekking) stop en route for lunch and a quick visit and photo opportunity at the site. The best times to visit the village and it's surroundings are between October and May. At other times of the year the region becomes a furnace, with temperatures well into the 40s°c. |
