Aït Benhaddou

A fortified mud-brick village on an old Saharan trade route, a frequent backdrop for films.

Its sand-colored houses climb a hillside inside a defensive wall with corner towers and a gate. Some are small homes and others are tall towers with decorated tops. Because of its dramatic look, many films and TV shows have been filmed here, including Game of Thrones.

History

People have fortified this spot since the 11th century, during the Almoravid period. The buildings you can see today are believed to date from the 17th century or later, but they were made with the same methods used for centuries. The ksar mattered because it guarded a trade route where caravans carried goods between the desert and Marrakesh. In the 20th century the valley lost that importance, and most people moved across the river.

Built of earth

The walls are made of rammed earth, mud bricks, clay and wood. Rammed earth is cheap and works well, but it needs constant care, because rain slowly washes it away. The village has been carefully restored in recent decades, partly thanks to the money and attention that film crews and UNESCO status brought. Today only a few families still live inside the old walls.

On the globe

The model shows a cluster of clay-colored towers and houses within a walled hillside village; look for the earth-brown fort.