Aït Benhaddou is a historic ighrem or ksar (fortified village) along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh.
The site of the ksar has been fortified since the 11th century during the Almoravid period.
However none of the current buildings are believed to date from before the 17th century.
The site’s strategic importance was due to its location in the Ounila Valley along one of the main trans-Saharan trade routes.
The Tizi n’Tichka pass (see the previous post) was reached via this route, and was one of the few routes across the Atlas Mountains, crossing between Marrakech and the Dra’a Valley on the edge of the Sahara.
The village’s buildings are grouped together within a defensive wall that includes corner towers and a gate.
They include dwellings of various size ranging from modest houses to tall structures with towers. Some of the buildings are decorated in their upper parts with geometric motifs
The ksar’s structures are made entirely out of rammed earth, adobe, clay bricks, and wood.
Rammed earth (also known as pisé, tabia, or al-luh) was a highly practical and cost-effective material but required constant maintenance.
Here you can see some of the street stalls inside the old village.
The ksar has been significantly restored in modern times, thanks in part to its use as a Hollywood filming location and to its inscription on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1987.
A large number of films shot in Morocco have used Aït Benhaddou as a location, including: Lawrence of Arabia (1962) The Mummy (1999) Gladiator (2000) [13] Alexander (2004) Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and Game of Thrones!
Most residents now live in the modern village across the valley from the old ksar.