Ouarzazate, nicknamed the door of the desert, is a city and capital of Ouarzazate Province in Drâa-Tafilalet region of south-central Morocco. Ouarzazate is at an elevation of in the middle of a bare plateau south of the High Atlas Mountains, with a desert to the city's south. Berber-speakers make up the majority of the town's inhabitants, who were responsible for the creation of many of the prominent kasbahs. Ouarzazate is a primary tourist destination in Morocco for holidays, as well as a starting point for excursions into and across the Draa Valley and the desert. Aït Benhaddou 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, The Man Who Would Be King, The Living Daylights, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Mummy, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Kundun, Legionnaire, Hanna, The Hills Have Eyes, and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen were shot here, as was part of the TV seriesGame of Thrones. The nearby Ouarzazate solar power station, co-funded by the Arab League, was connected to the Moroccan power grid in February 2016.
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, amir of the qasba of Warzazat and father ofLalla Masuda, helped establish Saadi control over the Sous-Dra'a region. During the French period, Ouarzazate expanded considerably as a garrison town, administrative centre and customs post. It is home to the kasbah of Taourirt, which was the casbah of the former caïd and later owned by T'hami El Glaoui. The Kruppfield gun which secured Glaoui power is displayed outside the kasbah today. The area is also known for its Ouazguita carpets with geometric designs of red-orange on black background.
Climate
Ouarzazete has a hot desert climate. The city is hot and dry in summer, but can be very cold in winter, with icy winds coming from the High Atlas Mountains.
Film studios
is one of the largest movie studios in the world, in terms of land area. Several historical movies were shot here, including The Living Daylights, , Lawrence of Arabia, The Man Who Would Be King, Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, and Babel. It was also the location of an episode of the television series The Amazing Race 10 and Game of Thrones . Prison Break Season 5 is also located here. Another large studio in Oarzazate is CLA Studios.
Sights nearby
The kasbah-town of Aït Benhaddou is nearby. Many excursions through the valley of the Draa River into the Sahara start from the city. These include trips to Zagora, an oasis town surrounded by palm tree plantations and a departure point for camel trains to Timbuktu, a journey that would take about 52 days. These days the border to Algeria is closed, stopping the Timbuktu route. The city was part of the route of the 2006 and 2007 Dakar Rally. Many sights can be visited within the city, but also, a wide list of interesting attractions can be found around Ouarzazate.
Detailed maps are hard to obtain in Morocco. The French IGN mapping at a 1:100,000 scale has been reproduced by the Moroccan Division de la carte. These maps are often out of date and obtained with special permission in Rabat. Soviet mapping on a 1:200,000 scale is available on the Internet, but these are generally outdated and show the names of places in Cyrillic letters. A new series of maps are available, including the
