Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate

Ait Ben Haddou is a fortified village near Ouarzazate in Morocco. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1987 and has attracted tourists from all over the world. It is known as the “Door of the Desert” to many but doesn’t house too many locals these days.

Over the many years, the weather took its toll on this amazing Kabah leaving most it quite delicate so the majority of the citizens live in more modern accommodations just across the river. Ait Ben Haddou still houses about 4-5 families and of course when you walk through little stalls decorated in bright coloured material and goods to sell line the pathways.

Ait Ben Haddou has been home to many many film productions that you’d probably be familiar with, such as The Mummy, Gladiator, Hanna, Prince of Persia just to name a few.

When you know you have an amazing location and can’t help but wake up before dawn to capture some sunrise photos. Sunset & sunrise completely transformed this village into a mystical place just waiting to be explored and who am I to resist the call of dawn in the deserts of Morocco?

Waking up while it was still dark outside and finding my way back down to the river was a bit confusing but I had a couple of adorable little furry friends to protect and guide me on my way. Some puppies escorted me all the way to my spot but they were too quick for me to take a photo of… you can kinda see one in the street light here.

The views of and from Ait Ben Haddou mixed with the sone and pottery artwork found in Ouarzazate were incredible. It made me even more excited about our next stop on our adventure; The Sahara desert.

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