About Ait Benhaddou
Ait Benhaddou (Ait Ben Haddou in full) is a ksar — a traditional fortified Berber village — whose origins stretch back to at least the 11th century, when it served as an important stop on the caravan route linking the Sahara to Marrakech. Built from pisé (rammed earth mixed with straw), its towers and walls rise organically from the hillside in a palette of reds, oranges, and ochres that seems to shift with every change of light. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, it is considered the finest surviving example of earthen architecture in southern Morocco.
The ksar consists of six family kasbahs clustered together within a defensive wall. The towers are decorated with elaborate geometric patterns in pressed earth — geometric motifs that identify family clans and ward off evil. Climbing through the narrow alleys and ascending to the granary at the summit offers views across the Ounila Valley that have featured in film after film. Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, The Mummy, Gladiator, Prince of Persia, and Game of Thrones (as the city of Yunkai) all used these walls as their backdrop.
The drive to Ait Benhaddou from Ouarzazate (30km) passes through a landscape of extraordinary barrenness — flat plains of gravel and scrub giving way to the first sight of the ksar's towers appearing above the riverbank. A small village of craft shops and guesthouses has grown up on the modern side of the river, but crossing the stepping stones (or the footbridge) to enter the ksar itself is still one of the most dramatic arrival moments in Morocco.
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