Aït Benhaddou is an ighrem (fortified village in English) (ksar in Arabic), along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. Most citizens attracted by the tourist trade live in more modern dwellings in a village on the other side of the river, although there are four families still living in the ancient village. Inside the walls of the ksar are half a dozen (Kasbahs) or merchants houses and other individual dwellings, and is a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture.
Aït Benhaddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Films shot at Ait Benhaddou
Several films have been shot in Aït Benhaddou, 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)
- Kundun (1997)
- The Mummy (1999)
- Gladiator (2000)
- Alexander (2004)
- Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
- Babel (2006)
- One Night with the King (2006)
- Prince of Persia (2010)
- Son of God (film) (2014)
Also used in parts of the TV series Game of Thrones
Get around The Kasbah Ait Benhaddou
Once inside the Ksar you can only walk or climb. There are two main entrances into the Ksar. One can be reached by new bridge. To reach the second, it is necessary to cross the river using the stepping stones (in dry season the river is completely dry).
After the new bridge they try to sell entrance fee. The exit/other entrance is well marked and no checks.
